RP Springboard Mile ($300.000 Purse)
RP- For Two Year Olds
One Mile On the Dirt
December 11, 2016

Noble Crusader came to the Springboard Mile riding a perfect three for three start to his career and one of them did include a smaller ungraded stake, but he never faced the type of field he was meeting up with here.    There was a BC Juvenile participant, and two other winners of very nice statebreds, while the others in the field each were formidable rivals themselves.   It did not matter to this Chai Latte colt and jockey J R Velazquez, who once again found himself in the winners circle after a race!  Also perfect, in regards to this race anyway, is trainer Mb Stables, who is now two-for-two in the Springboard Mile. Congratulations!  The time of the win was 1:35.05, just a bit quicker then High Pride’s winning time from 2015.  High Pride did not run for the TC this year, but did win the Pacific Classic, creating some impressive footsteps for this crusader to try and follow.  Here’s a look at how it happened!

1st- 3- Noble Crusader (9/2)– Our eventual winner from Mb Stables had no problems out of the starting gate like the post-time favorite would, but he was also not interested in the early pace and was content to back off from Hispaniola and Finished Laffin by about three lengths while rounding the opening turn.  Spent his time while in the backstretch running in the fifth position, a length behind Standards.  As we moved into the final turn, J R Velazquez started to get his colt ready to win yet another one, and this horse that knows how to get the job done started to methodically move through the field.  He would move around Standards with relative ease as that one decided to end his race day a little early.  With two and a half lengths to make up, he then nonchalantly moved to the out Hispaniola and moved around that tiring pacesetter. Now, there were just two left to pass and they were going to make it much more difficult.  Finished Laffin and Money En Fuego had been going at each other hard with Finished Laffin showing tremendous heart to stay up front.  He was getting closer, but with a furlong to go, it was beginning to look like it might not be enough.  Late in this stretch, this colt who only knows how to win showed us how he gets it done and found a little more in the tank to get by the top two and pick up the win.  Noble Crusader is a two year old colt by Chai Latte and out of Steel Diva.  He was bred in Florida as a yearling by Mb Stables, and they have been together throughout.  Congratulations to the connections!

2nd- 6- Finished Laffin (5/1)- Started well for trainer Buddhabase, breaking early and challenging Hispaniola while rounding the first turn.  Remaining tight to his outside, he would be nearly neck and neck with the leader as the field moved into the backstretch.  Continued to apply pressure on the leader during the backstretch trip, and would take the lead soon after entering the final turn.  He would really handle the turn well, and would emerge as the leader by a full length on the exit of the turn, even with Money En Fuego mounting a challenge.  Noble Crusader was looming as his biggest challenger for the stretch.  In the stretch, he continued to impress me as he absolutely refused to let Money En Fuego get by him.  With a furlong to go it looked like he may even hold off Noble Crusader, but unfortunately for Buddhabase, that one found an extra gear late.

3rd- 4- Money En Fuego (8/1)- Got off to a modest start for trainer Axeman early on as he ran beside Noble Crusader.  Heading into the backstretch, however, he decided to get a little more involved with the leaders and pushed forward a bit.  Remained about a length and a half off the lead during the backstretch, but showed his intentions to move forward as the race moved into the turn.  Moved into second while rounding the turn, and heading into the top of the stretch, he looked to be poised for a strong stretch run.  Ran well in the stretch, but could never get by Finished Laffin, and that is more of a testament, I think, to the stretch desire of his rival.

4th- 2- Indiana Jones (8/5)- It is possible that the post time favorite from John Henry lost this race out of the starting gate.  He broke poorly and was immediately left behind five lengths out, and three behind the next closest rival. The deficit grew to nine in the backstretch, and only made up one length priot to reaching the turn.  Rounding the turn, there was some progress, but even at the top of the stretch, he had a lot of work to do with still a six and a half length deficit to the leaders.  It would be a formidable task, given that the likes of Noble Crusader seemed poised to make a big run himself.  The run was strong at the stretch, and he would lose by three.  Those same three that seemed to be lost out of the starting gate.

5th- 1- Hispaniola (11/1)- The Hay Makers Inc entry got off to a good start along the rail, and was able to use this lane to his advantage to win out in the battle for the early lead against Finished Laffin.  He would set the opening quarter in :23.45.  Led for the majority of the backstretch, and ran the second quarter very consistently to the time he ran the first (:23.43) as the half went in :46.88.  Passed for the lead in the turn, and did not mount much of a fight for it, and by the top of the stretch, he had dropped to fourth.  He would struggle further in the stretch.

6th- 5- Standards (3/1)- The entry from Spongebob got off to an alert start, and had some interest with running with the top two before seemingly deciding that was a little quicker then he wanted to run, and settled for a position just off the lead.  Began losing ground in the backstretch, and as the field moved into the turn and Noble Crusader passed with ease, it was clear he was going to go the wrong way for the rest of the race.

Track: Fast
Time: :23²  :46⁴  1:10¹  1:35

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 3 – 6 Paid 62.30
$1 Trifecta: 3 – 6 – 4 Paid 343.60

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded