Achilles gave the impression of being a very high caliber colt indeed when he rallied past Brother Francis and No Silent to post a 6-1 upset in Santa Anita's second race of the day, a one-mile turf maiden special weight for three-year-olds.
Ridden by Joseph Talamo, Achilles was allowed to settle back into last place as Mr Pappagiorgio and Late Night Sky set the early pace, recording fractions of :22.41 and :45.31 while leading the rest of the field by five lengths. A Day Away was racing in third, followed by No Silent, Solid South, and favored Brother Francis.
A Day Away was the first to make a run at the leaders, advancing rapidly along the inside to reach contention as the field rounded the final turn. Brother Francis was also gaining fast on the far outside, and Achilles was moving closer along the inside, although he was in need of racing room.
As the field turned into the homestretch, A Day Away flattened out, leaving Brother Francis alone on the front end. He was not alone for long, however, as No Silent shot through a narrow opening between horses to challenge the favorite for the lead. Then Achilles appeared on the far outside, rallying furiously in deep stretch. The trio hit the finish together, with Achilles in front by a nose over No Silent, with Brother Francis beaten no more than a head. The final time was 1:34.39.
Late Night Sky, A Day Away, Solid South, and Mr Pappagiorgio completed the order of finish. The winner is owned by Peachtree Stable and trained by Neil Drysdale.
-Keelerman
No comments:
Post a Comment