The Whitney (Grade 1) (BC)- $1,000.000
SAR- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
August 3, 2019
Two years ago, Atomic Twister won the Whitney nine months after getting a victory in the BC Classic. That was a feat that Splash Mountain was looking to also achieve here this season, and the gelding wasted no time in his effort to do so, going right out to the lead and staying there throughout to pick up the win! It was a result pretty similar to how he ran in the Pegasus earlier this year, with the only difference being that this time, he was not caught at the wire. This performance would provide the first career Whitney win for both the trainer, John Henry, and the jockey J R Velazquez. Congratulations to them! The time of the victory was 1:47.68, one of the better recent winning times of the race. Here’s a look at it!
(½ Mile- :47.98)- Our eventual winner, Splash Mountain, jumps out to the early lead for John Henry, and along with his early running mate, Nolespan Racing’s Five Little Pigs, jumps out to a length and a half advantage. He continues this pace around the turn, though Five Little Pigs ultimately gets restrained. Around the turn, and emphatic push forward would happen from Lionking Invader, from Estero Farms, who did not break quickly, but made sure that he would be in a stalking position for the backstretch. He was joined there by huge longshot Rocky Mountain Hi, out of D J C Racing Stables. Five Little Pigs is now three lengths back, with Centerpiece running right beside him, for Mb Stables. Within the pack are Sacred Brave (Blushing Meadows), Catch The Pink (Gdp Inc), Zombie City (Eastern Equine), A Storm Has Arrived (Maxmillion Farm), and Bo Knows (Smokey Stover). A little further back is the trailer, Compress (Mb Stables).
(3/4 Mile- 1:11.40)- Splash Mountain runs well in the backstretch, and moving into the turn, he would only increase his lead, pulling out to a two and a half length advantage over the rest of the field. Lionking Invader and Rocky Mountain Hi are still side by side for second, and Five Little Pigs is now looking to come through an opening on the rail. Centerpiece moves to the money lane, four wide to the outside. Zombie City maintained a reasonable position towards the inside, while others that had been part of the pack all fan out to the outside. Compress holds his ground.
(Top Of Stretch, 1.7F To Go)- At the top of the stretch, Splash Mountain has given the field the slip. Perhaps if this was a lesser horse, he might have fatigued, but not a BC Classic champion. The field let him get away, and he now has a lead of about three lengths. It was four wide for second as both Five Little Pigs and Centerpiece were even with Lionking Invader and Rocky Mountain Hi. Zombie City was hoping a lane could open up to try and hit the board at least. Otherwise, not much else to talk about further back.
(Finish- 1:47.68)- Ladies and gentlemen, sit back and enjoy watching a BC Classic champion run to the wire and add another coveted race to his resume. His margin of victory would be a length, as a hard closing Centerpiece was sure to finish out the exacta here, but never challenged Splash Mountain. The winner probably didn’t even notice him. Five Little Pigs ran a good race and narrowly holds off Zombie City for the third position. Lionking Invader tired to fifth. After them, a bunch of horses who were nothing but an afterthought on this day. The final finishing order will read as: A Storm Has Arrived, Rocky Mountain Hi, Bo Knows, Compress, Catch The Pink, and Sacred Brave.
About The Winner- Splash Mountain, trained by John Henry, and ridden to victory by J R Velazquez, is a four year old gelding by Ned Isakoff, and is out of Sneaky Alessandra. He was bred in New Jersey by Smokey Stover as a second quarter two year old, and acquired by John Henry in private sales for $20.000 in June 2018. The win is his sixth in 20 starts, and his third stake win, all of which are graded. His career earnings are now $5,301.660.
Track: Fast
Time: :474 1:112 1:351 1:473
$2 Mutuel Prices:
$1 Exacta: 6 – 1 Paid 57.40
$1 Trifecta: 6 – 1 – 5 Paid 1,665.10
Scratched: Crossing The Rubicon, Questionable, Residue
— NS
Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES
