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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2020
by: Valerie Mellema
The Derby and Oaks hopefuls were busy this weekend racking up those points. Here’s a recap of this weekend’s top races.
$101,000 Busanda Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack
It was a rough start for the favorite HARVEY’S LIL GOIL. FIFTYSHAYS OFGREEN went to the front to set the pace with fractions of :25.30 and :50.59. Midway up the backstretch, she remained in the lead by a length. PERSISTO pressed followed by HARVEY’S LITTLE GOIL. Making her move HARVEY’S LIL GOIL moved ahead followed by PERSISTO. Around the turn she opened up the field by six lengths and took the win. WATER WHITE brought in second followed by FIFTYSHAYS OFGREEN in third.
HARVEY’S LITTLE GOIL collected 10 points towards the Kentucky Oaks. WATER WHITE earned four points and FIFTYSHAYS OFGREEN earned two. PERSISTO picked up one point for her fourth place finish.
$250,000 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park
TIZ THE LAW was ready to run when he broke from the gates, but jockey Manny Franco though it was better to settle off the pace a bit and let ETE INDIEN set the opening fractions of :23.31 and :46.60. As they moved down the backstretch RELENTLESS DANCER and CLEAR DESTINATION advanced, pinning TIZ THE LAW on the inside. They dropped back to fourth and Manny got him to the outside and let the colt do his job. He found ETE INDIEN and pulled within a length of him and then gradually pulled ahead while drifting towards the inside. He took the win in 1:42.04 as the 7-5 favorite. ETE INDIEN finished second and TOLEDO finished third.
TIZ THE LAW earned 10 points towards the Kentucky Derby, bringing his total to 22. He is tied with STORM THE COURT.
$100,500 Robert B Lewis Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita
Flavien Prat and THOUSAND WORDS saved ground as they settled off the pace behind HIGH VELOCITY, who set fractions of :23.65 and :47.20. THOUSAND WORDS tracked in fourth but shifted out off the turn as they made their way home. TIZAMAGICIAN made a bit after pressing the pace in attempt to wear down the frontrunner through the mile but couldn’t keep up. THOUSAND WORDS found a hole to take the win while ROYAL ACT kicked four wide to get in on the action as well finishing second with HIGH VELOCITY holding on to third by a neck.
THOUSAND WORDS picked up 10 points towards the Kentucky Derby and now ranks third on the leaderboard with 20 points.
$142,500 Martha Washington Stakes at Oaklawn Park
TARAZ ran home to an easy victory this weekend in the Martha Washington Stakes at Oaklawn. Despite starting a little slow, she went to the front after a furlong and that was all she wrote in the one-mile race. The Brad Cox trainee went around the two turns took the win by three and three-quarters lengths over O SERAPHINA with a final time of 1:38.64. HIGH ON GIN finished third and PRINCESINHA JULIA brought up the field in fourth.
TARAZ picked up 10 points towards the Oaks and now ranks 7th on the leaderboard. The filly is Triple Crown nominated, but that means she would have to race against the boys at some point to earn a spot in the Kentucky Derby.
$150,000 Swale Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park
MISCHEVIOUS ALEX brushed UNTITLED as they broke from the gates, but recovered easily to contest the pace of SHIVAREE and FLASH PASS. They moved quickly through the quarter-mile at :22.41 and a little more comfortable at the half in :45.02. MISCHEVIOUS ALEX moved ahead into the home stretch and took off with a seven-length victory. He was followed by SHIVAREE and GREEN LIGHT GO.
Have a great week!
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