Six-year-old Hymn Book secured the first grade I victory of his career when he caught Mission Impazible deep in the Gulfstream Park homestretch to win the $500,000 Donn Handicap by a nose.
Ridden by John Velazquez and trained by Shug McGaughey, Hymn Book broke well before settling off of the early pace set by Trickmeister and Shackleford, the two favorites who dueled through an opening quarter mile in :23.46 and a half-mile in :47.05. Redeemed was right behind them in third, followed by Mission Impazible on the rail in fourth. Ruler On Ice, Al Khali, Flat Out, and Sangaree were the early trailers.
Trickmeister and Shackleford continued to lead the way around the far turn, and entered the homestretch still locked together after three-quarters in 1:11.06. But Mission Impazible was squeezing through a tiny hole along the rail to take over the lead. Redeemed was closing in on the outside, but not strongly enough to contend for the win. Then Hymn Book appeared on the far outside, closing in furiously with enormous strides. Mission Impazible gamely tried to stem him off, but Hymn Book got up in the final strides to win in the good time of 1:49.16 over a track labeled "Good".
Redeemed held third over Where's Sterling, while Flat Out came charging late to finish fifth. Trickmeister and Shackleford were next, followed by Ruler On Ice, Sangaree, Al Khali, and Soaring Empire.
The winner, a son of Arch, is owned Stuart S. Janney III. The dark bay or brown gelding has established himself as one of the leaders of the older males division, and perhaps even one of the early favorites for the 2012 Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) in November at Santa Anita Park.
-Keelerman
No comments:
Post a Comment