DED Jackpot (Grade 3)- $1,000.000 Purse
DED- For Two Year Olds
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
November 18, 2017

While Mb Stables had a historic BC weekend, there was one big thing that he did not do: win one of the juvenile races. His dominance was up for display in the Classic, and the other big races, but the Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies did not go his way. While some of us wonder what Mb Stables has left to prove in this game, the trainer wanted to take care of that unfinished business this weekend at DED. He certainly did that, winning the Princess, and then taking the 7th running of the DED Jackpot. It’s the second time he’s won this race, having previously done so in 2014 with Im Too Confident. Aboard the winner was J R Velazquez, who also wins for the second time, and also in 2014. Congratulations to the them! The time of the victory was 1:41:72, which ranks it the fifth quickest out of seven. Let’s take a look at it!

(1/4 Mile- :23.71)- The field gets spread out pretty quickly as the different tactical strategies begin to play out. Looking sharp early was Johannes, from Eastern Equine, the winning trainer of the 2015 DED Jackpot. He’s ahead by about half a length early, but as they hit the start finish line the first line, he is joined John Henry’s Tune Me Up, and they become side by side here. Stalking hard right behind him, while being able to maintain a great position on the rail is the eventual winner from Mb Stables, Indistinguishable. He has his stablemate, People Doubted beside him, and Theory, from D J C Racing Stables is also with this lead group. From there, there’s a gap of about three lengths to a threesome that sees Cheapsnake (Smokey Stover) in between Tallmadge (Oquinn Farm) and Past And Present (Mb Stables). Champion In Action (Night Rider Stables) is in the fourth lane as they prepare to round the opening turn. Trailing are Rootin Tootin (TwinTowersRacing) and Tyreese (Threshold).

(½ Mile- :47.36)- As the field made their way around the first turn, Tune Me Up is looking to make a clean pass of Johannes, and he manages to complete this at the top of the backstretch. Indistinguishable also handles the turn nicely, and as he remains glued to the rail, he pulls even with Johannes now for second. These three are pulling away just a tad from the other two who had been part of the lead group initially. People Doubted and Theory are now just off the lead, about two and a half lengths back. The three length gap that had existed began to close as well as Past And Present, and Tallmage gain a bit. Cheapsnake is now about a length behind them. Further back, Champion In Action struggled with a wide trip and is now in the back with fellow outside starters Rootin Tootin and Tyreese.

(Top Of Stretch- 1.0F To Go)- Last year, Night Terra was able to win the DED Jackpot with a nice clean trip, and that was the case for Indistinguishable as well, as he begins to separate himself from the competition. J R Velazquez asks his horse for some more run at the top of the final turn, and he gets it making the pass for the lead look far too easy. Tune Me Up was still in good form here too, but in just a matter of moments, he found himself in second, and a length behind Indistinguishable. Johannes was beginning to call it a day. Looking good in the turn also would be Tallmadge, who wisely came off the rail to avoid Johannes running into him, and he had now had quickly moved up to run even with third place People Doubted. It was looking like he could have a shot at this thing, but he may have conceded too much ground. Cheapsnake starting looking for some room at the top of the turn as well, but J R Leparoux did not have the horse underneath him. What that did do, though, was open up a nice hole for both Rootin Tootin and Tyreese to try to take advantage of, and they each seemed up for the task. Those behind them were going the wrong way at this point, as Theory lost a couple positions, Past And Present looked lethargic, and Champion In Action was coming up empty.

(Finish- 1:41.72)- Once he took over the lead in the top of stretch, there was no looking back for Indistinguishable, as the length and a half cushion he had on the field would remain. He ran a clean race, and hopefully this will be a better boost for his career and become more like Im Too Confident, and less like Night Terra. Tune Me Up ran well to the wire and hangs on to second over the hard driving Tallmadge, who may have lost this race out of the gate. People Doubted hangs on to fourth, prevailing over the well-closing Tyreese. Johannes dropped to sixth, just holding off Cheapsnake and Rootin Tootin, and it’d be another length to Theory. Champion In Action did not show us anything today in tenth, and Mb Stables gets the other bookend of the race order as well with Past And Present.

About The Winner- Indistinguishable, trained my Mb Stables, and ridden by J R Velazquez, is a two year old colt by Moment Of Madness, and out of In Your Mind (by Commanding). He was bred in California by Mb Stables as a yearling, and they have been together throughout. Congratulations to the connections! The win is the fourth in seventh starts for Indistinguishable, his third stake win, and first graded stake win. His career earnings are now $799.500.

Track: Fast
Time: :23³  :47¹  1:10⁴  1:41³

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 1 – 8 Paid 18.00
$1 Trifecta: 1 – 8 – 2 Paid 146.40

Scratched: None

Winner picked by NS

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES