When Just Kissing dumped Diane Nelson and ran off prior to the running of the second, she was announced as a late scratch a couple minutes later. Right after that announcement, it was announced that Rush Forever was a late scratch in the fourth race. While the scratch was proper, the timing couldn’t have been worse for bettors.
According to the condition book, no horse shall be permitted to start if he has not raced or had a recorded workout in the past 30 days. Rush Forever last started April 9 and the last listed workout was on March 18. Many times a workout can be missed or misplaced under a different name. Usually an announcement is made by the track announcer with the workout, but in this case there wasn’t any.
The horse deserved to be scratched, but to announce the scratch while the field is loading for the second race is much too late. Many people have already played their Pick Threes. Plus, with a $207,750 Pick-Six carryover, some people may have played the Pick Six early to avoid getting shut out. Those players got the favorite (Bar None) instead if they didn’t have a backup listed on their ticket.
The lack of a workout should have been discovered the prior day at scratch time or the morning of the race. The last thing the public needs, especially with a big carryover, is to scramble to adjust tickets after an extremely late scratch.
2ND RACE – Fast Storm and Sallybrooke acted up in the post parade but luckily didn’t unseat their riders. Right before loading into the gate, Just Kissing dumped Nelson and ran off. The race was delayed a couple of minutes and Just Kissing was scratched. All show wagers were refunded along with all wagers involving Just Kissing, and a consolation double was paid involving Violet Fame and Just Kissing. Once the race went off, Gilded Diablo went to the lead and never looked back, winning easily despite running greenly in the stretch. Sallybrooke showed better early speed but had no late kick in the stretch drive.
3RD RACE – Favorite Ghost bore in at the start bothering Mt. Fuji and Watch For Wallenda. He stalked the pace but showed nothing in the stretch drive. Blantyre bore out slightly leaving the gate bumping Watch For Wallenda, who was squeezed back and never showed any interest throughout. Irish Sixer saved ground and found a seam to angle out in midstretch and caught the dueling Mt. Fuji and Blantyre near the wire.
4TH RACE – Bar None went off as the favorite and was given an extremely wide trip from start to midstretch by Shaun Bridgmohan. Midstretch he angled Bar None inside, but by then she was a non factor in the race. My Lil Chicken stalked the pace, brushed with Spartiana entering the stretch and then won the win photo over Swiss Country.
6TH RACE – Started to rain heavily and the track was listed as sloppy. Brushed On came back from the fiasco on Preakness Day in the Maryland Breeders’ Cup to win here. Robbie Davis sent him to the lead, fought off Punch Line and Oro De Mexico for the victory. Favored Punch Line was close early, faded back slightly around the far turn and then, when bumped by Oro De Mexico, bore out slightly and never threatened.
7TH RACE – Testimonial and Kid From The Bronx battled for the early lead but were nowhere to be found at the end. Nat’s Big Party made a strong middle move around the far turn and looked like an easy winner. Then the longest shot in the race, Lifes Reward, came on late to nail Nat’s at the wire and eliminate many Pick Six players.
8TH RACE – Jorge Chavez proved again why he is one of the most loved jockeys in New York. He sent Master O Foxhounds to the early lead. Intidab made a strong move around the turn to take over the lead under a hand ride and looked like an easy winner. But Chavez did not give up riding, and when Intidab shortened strides after the sixteenth pole, Master O Foxhounds came back to win the race.
9TH RACE – Sequence stalked the early pace set by Golden Mining and drew off in the stretch to an easy victory. Golden Mining took a bad step when brushed by the eventual winner but was easily second best. Tutorial looked like she was out for a jog instead of racing. She was far back early and never threatened the leaders at any point in the race. She closed for third without much asking. When handicapping her next start, treat this race as a paid public workout.
PICK SIX
Winning numbers: 1-2-1-4-9-1 18 winners each receives $31,282 433 consolation (5 of 6) winnerseach receives $273.50 No carryover.
