Papanonie & Patch of Blue

[toetoe]

August 12, these two ran impressively on Dmr's turf.

Papanonie chased a 47.39 pace, fell back slightly behind 3/4 in 1:10.82, then made up about 8 lengths in a 23.64 final 1/4. :jump: That's 22 and small change, and about 46 for the latter half.

Patch of Blue was 9 & 3/4(?) lengths behind a 49.11 half, slightly closer to 3/4 in 1:13.06, then won the race closing into a 9/16 fraction of 53.53. So that's about 52 for the last 9/16 and 28-ish for the final 5/16.

[falconridge]

Papanonie chased that pace? He was last 'til well inside the 3/16 pole, is how I remember it.

I bet Papanonie to win in its most recent start over the Del Mar greensward--principally because P's trainer, Moon Han, is a countryman of my wife's :confused: :kiss: . By the time the pacesetters reached the first pole, I was cursing the gate crew and the starter for ruining the chances of the critter I'd backed (at 13.70 to one) with my not-so-hard-earned-but-nonetheless-dear lucre. Just as Papanonie, the last runner to enter the gate, moved into its stall, I heard (on TVG, which had the gate crew and riders miked up to enhance behind-the-scenes "grittiness" of it all) the starter ask one of the crew if he'd removed the check rein. Sho' 'nuff, he hadn't. Accordingly, the assistant starter in question entered Papanonie's stall (the seven hole) from behind, and detached the check rein--at the very instant the itchy-trigger-fingered starter sprung the gate. With the crewman's fist still pressed to Papanonie's face, P'nonie tossed its head as the gate opened, and achieved more verticality than horizontality with its initial stride.

To his credit, Papanonie's rider, Mike Smith, didn't rush his mount (P'nonie was coming out of a twelve-furlong race, and probably didn't have the turn of foot to reach early contention anyway), but let him settle comfortably--though well behind the next most laggard in the field. Under the circumstances, getting second money proved to be no mean feat.

[toetoe]

Sorry, by "chased" I just meant "ran behind." Trying to save words, I guess.