Caribbean Classic- $300.000 Purse
GP- For Three Year Olds
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
December 8, 2018

It was a small field for the Caribbean Classic, but that did not mean we would be short on excitement. Mb Stables has three of the five in this field, and while most of the betting public went with Dream Controlled, our pick for the race was The Judge, in that we felt this race was a little too short for the BEL winner. It seemed as though it would be right in the wheelhouse for The Judge, and in the end that’s exactly how it happened. It was just the second edition of this race, so the Mb Stables victory is the first for him as a trainer, and the first for jockey P Lopez. Congratulations to them! The 2017 event was run on a muddy track, so naturally the time of this race, 1:48.40, will be the new track record. Let’s look at what transpired in the race.

(½ Mile- :48.87)- Out of the gate, the quickest horse was Westmoreland, the Gdp Inc sprinter who was going long for the first time. This lead would last entering the first turn, but by the time they reached the backstretch, The Judge, our eventual winner from Mb Stables had blown by him. He would extend his lead a little, and make the advantage two full lengths at a half mile. Part of this was also because of Westmoreland’s own eagerness to drop back a bit. Pass Me By, from Mb Stables, emerged as the new second place horse at this point. The third Mb Stables horse, Dream Controlled, would be at the back with heavy longshot, The Drifter, out of D J C Racing Stables.

(3/4 Mile- 1:12.34)- Down the backstretch and into the first turn, P Lopez maintained a steady cruising speed for The Judge, keeping the two and a half lead in tact. Pass Me By was still second, by half a length over Westmoreland. This is where they had been at a half mile as well, and neither were looking to make an advance at this time. Dream Controlled starting looking for options in the turn, and it appeared as though a three wide move was forthcoming. The Drifter continued to trail.

(Top Of Stretch, 1.5F To Go)- Rounding the turn, and reaching the top of the stretch, things still have not changed all that much. The Judge continues to maintain a steady stride, and only half a length had been lost in terms of the advantage that he had. Pass Me By still had the second position, and Westmoreland continued to race to his inside, but neither are applying pressure on The Judge. Dream Controlled does go three wide in the turn, but still had three lengths to make up. The Drifter trailed, but had room on the rail if he had the ability to make a closing bid.

(Finish- 1:48.40)- There would be no catching The Judge, as he got away from the field. All he had to do was run steady to the wire, and as he had done that throughout, there was no reason to be concerned. He wins by a length. Neither Pass Me By or Westmoreland put a serious challenge on him, though at the end, Westmoreland gets up with late burst for second. Dream Controlled is fourth, but probably thought there were a few furlongs still left. The Drifter never got involved.

About The Winner- The Judge, trained by Mb Stables and ridden to victory by P Lopez is a three year old gelding by Gsin, and is out of Festive Delight. He was bred in California by Team 7 Illusions as a yearling, and acquired by Mb Stables, via Smokey Stover, in private sales in July 2018 for $175.000. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his sixth in 14 starts, and his second stake win. His career earnings are now $505.680.

Track: Fast
Time: :48⁴  1:12¹  1:36   1:48²

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 1 – 4 Paid 12.10
$1 Trifecta: 1 – 4 – 5 Paid 45.40

Scratched: None

Winner picked by NS

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded