The Fairgrounds racing strip was play a lot more fair than Gulfstream today. Hoppertunity became the wise guy horse, bet down from 8/1 morning line to 3/1. Rise Up drifted up to 9/2. Vicar’s In Trouble went favored from the 14 hole, which was asking a lot.
The start was clean for Albano and my hunch proved correct with an inside post, Albano best plan of attack was to send and try to steal the race from the inside. Rise Up got a great start as well was taken a length back and was ridden hard twice to get close to Albano who was able to establish a solid quarter mile and half mile splits. Albano opened up a little on the turn and stayed glued to the rail the entire stretch running straight to the wire.
Vicar’s In Trouble had no chance from the 14 whole, 6 wide down the backstretch, they made the decision to wait, moved up slowly with his natural speed, while still sitting 4 wide down the backstretch. There is no Trakus but he had to cover at least 50 feet more than Albano in this race. From the 4 furlong pole on the outside, made his move approaching the stretch. His move was quick and decisive got to within a length behind Albano, but flattened out late. This was a sneaky good third. Ran hard, showed that he could carry his speed and was able to rate off the leaders on slow fractions. Very live horse in the Louisiana Derby. That move going into the turn will win some races and he has enough speed to take the lead if the pace is slow.
Intense Holiday is a stone cold closer who need 1347 feet of a 1,348 foot stretch to nail the speed. This was a huge effort against the lone speed and well timed ride, but good luck with a horse like this every putting back to back wins together. This horse runs his race every time, but a good breakaway from the pack by a solid front runner makes his run too late, and if he is paired with another closer he will get out-sprinted late like in the Holy Bull when Conquest Titan outran him down the lane. He made a move after Vicar’s In Trouble made his move. He grinded out the victory, but winning races with a grinding style is hard to do. Off the pace horses with quick sweeping moves do better in large bulky fields.
Hoppertunity got way behind the field and made a move along the inside to close late and still remain the king of the gallop outs. Likes the distance but with only 3 races. Not sure where he fits. But maybe Sunland, Santa Anita Derby, highly doubt they ship back again, unless he stays at the Fairgrounds and trains.
Rise Up showed what he is. A speed horse who got good last fall on a speed track. He could improve, but if he gets any pace pressure at all, he will fold, he is not a G1 or G2 horse on a real track with 9 or 10 horses in the race.
Albano is who he is. He is a grinder and is every bit as gritty and tough nosed as General A Rod and Wildcat Red. He likes to get down and dirty, he grinded out the 2nd place finish over Gold Hawk Last Race. This race he led every step of the way and got a brilliant ride from Kerwin Clark and good instructions to tuck in. But he was 1 foot off the rail the entire stretch and hot nabbed at the wire. Not sure he can improve. What are the chances of getting this good trip again? But is a threat to run in the top 3 or 4 in a lot of 8.5 to 9 furlong races. Can he withstand another tough race in the Louisiana Derby? Like this guy really liked Mark Valeski this mare has produced some gritty, hard nosed runners.
This time of year horses go off the trail quickly no guarantee with any horse. So don’t run from the competition until they are in the gate. The complexion of the Louisiana Derby could change quickly in the next couple of weeks. Have a feeling a few more Gulfstream horses will be shipping over.