The Diarmida – Grade II
1 3/8 Mile Inner Turf Stake Purse $215.000 Open 4 Year Olds And Up.

1st King Que Niagra D J C Racing Stables Lopez P

Wow!!! I just don’t know what to say about this brilliant, wonderful and amazing eight-year-old other than that. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house as this champion thundered home to win today, not the biggest race he has ever won but one that made a statement, the King is not dead, long live the King!
Six lengths off the pace early on is not somewhere we are used to seeing King Que Niagra in fact even my heart fell as he seemed to struggle to keep up with a solid above average early pace, and I thought we were seeing his last race. But then he started moving up and the noise from the crowd grew because when they hit the straight it was obvious that the King didn’t know his old legs were eight and he ran on like a three-year-old to win in the end by a fairly comfortable one length. I must admit this old writer had a tear in his eye as they crossed the line and to be emotional about a cartoon horse is not something I would brag about but the way this old warrior just keeps turning it out year after year is nothing short of amazing.
I would love to see him in the BC again and maybe, just maybe, after this win, we may just see him there again.

2nd Chagrin Falls Mo Mentum Farm Berrios Hector

The best thing this game has given us in the last few years has been the development adjustment that was made giving these older horses a battling chance to maintain their form into their old age. Like the winner, this seven-year-old is still racing with enthusiasm and but for a late closing run that was mistimed, was every bit as good as the winner. Today he got too far back off a pace that saw him outpaced early even though he was a Shadwell Turf Mile winner last year keeping much closer to a faster pace. He stormed home to be second and lost nothing in defeat and I am sure we will see these two clash again before the end of the year.

3rd Kidding High Voltage Smith M E

The first three had a combined age of 22 years as this seven-year-old battled bravely to hold onto third. The closest to the strong early pace out of the first three he was always vulnerable to closers but kept going really well to be third just a length off the winner. His best efforts were too late to get him into the BC last year but on his last four efforts he may well have improved enough to make it this year.

4th King Z Mb Stables Ortiz I Jr

Went to the clear lead setting a pace that can only be described as torrid. The warning signs came after the mile marker but until then he had been looking very strong out in front and though he weakened at the end still ran a pretty good race. He went to the front last year as well and went much faster this year, but the result was pretty much as the same as three of those behind him claimed him down the stretch.

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES