The MTH Stakes – Grade III
1 1/8 Mile Turf Stake Purse $150.000 Open 3 Year Olds And Up.

Another race, another dead heat and another blanket finish with the official margin of two lengths covering the field. You can’t say HRP isn’t exciting because real life racing would pay big money for the sort of close finishes, we get here at HRP but sadly whilst exciting it does show just how much the winning is decided by the whims of the race engine and luck in running.

This how they finished :

1st Violent Crime Diablo Diablo Gonzalez J L

As usual we saw the outside horses push the pace but whilst it was solid, it wasn’t as crazy as some we see. They certainly went fast enough that the front runners were unlikely to win and luckily for this one, the closers had left a gap to the front pack that on this new engine is just too much to overcome. Able to push his way out of the stalk he set sail for home and had a nice four wide wall alongside him to ensure the closers were going to hit trouble. He just had enough gas left to hold the runner up who had found a nice gap on the rail. As a five-year-old, he looks to have found his old form now and whilst this win may have come down to some great AI decisions it was also a game performance, and he deserved his victory.

2nd= Wayward Prince Angelos Stable Hernandez C J

Found himself in the bunch that were waiting to close off late and was lucky to find a rails run as the front runner as always veered right. He certainly had enough time to get to the winner but couldn’t quite find enough speed and although he was still gaining on the line he was fairly held. Another decent effort from a reliable sort.

2nd= Good Samaritan Riggins Racing Camacho Sa

This same AI had forced a gap in the race i wrote about earlier but left it too late in this one. Nevertheless, the AI that calls itself Camacho Sa should be put on your watch list as this was the second time they rode a closer well and this was probably this horse’s lifetime best performance.

4th Dangerous Fugitive Night Rider Stables Jara F

Made the lead, but like his last start over this trip could not maintain it to the line. I feel a mile is as far as he wants to go and as such this wasn’t a bad run.

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES