Terrific Rides

[dilanesp]

March 24, Santa Anita, 7th race, Corey Nakatani on Rainbow Squall at 8 to 1. Sat behind a 5 horse speed duel in a 6 horse race, saved all the ground, waited, split horses, came through, and just got up in a driving 3 horse photo finish. Perfect.

[dilanesp]

Joe Talamo on Just Grazed Me on 6/24/18 in the 8th at Santa Anita.

He just let four horses in front of him completely kill themselves off in a suicidal pace duel, and then cruised up on the outside and buried them.

[dilanesp]

Efrain Hernandez on Miss That Kat in the 2nd on June 8 at Santa Anita. I am sorry I posted this one late.

You really have to watch this race to see everything that went on. She was the favorite and shot out to a clear lead in a 6 furlong race. So far so good.

But then going into the far turn she must have taken a bad step or something went wrong. She literally looked like she was going to be pulled up completely out of the race. Instead, however, when she had dropped back about 4 lengths (the 2 she was in front and then 2 more behind the leader), Hernandez was able to right the ship, somewhat, and then asked her to get back into it, making a move 3 wide. At that point, the leader, Jack's a Diva, with Velez, drifted out, pushing her out into the middle of the race track. The horse kind of panicked at this point, and Hernandez had to work hard to get her straightened out. In the meantime, I Belong to Becky and Norberto Arroyo had come down the rail, so now she had two horses to run down.

And Hernandez urged her and she indeed ran them down and won a 3 horse photo finish.

You can watch races for years and not see as unique a winning ride as this one.

[deelo]

Carlos Olloa on Willow Ridge R1 @ Arlington 6/28

Couldn't run with the pace under 6, couldn't last over 8

Entered at 7f they were right where they needed to be throughout, easy beautiful ride en route to putting up $53 on the board

[dilanesp]

Flavien Prat on Hollywood Hills in the Fleet Treat Stakes at Del Mar on July 18.

Just a perfect judgment of pace and timing. The 1-10 favorite got hooked in a speed duel at 7 furlongs, a distance where the speedsters can come back to the field. Prat took his mount, Hollywood Hills, way back, about 5 lengths behind the next to last horse. He started his move on the far turn, was able to save some ground, and then came flying at the favorite to get up in the very last jump and win it by a nose.

[dilanesp]

Giovanni Franco on the Lostintranzlation in the 8th race on Sunday July 21 at Del Mar.

This was just a thing of beauty. 1 mile and 3/8ths on the turf, Franco shot to the lead and then restrained his horse, throttling back, slowing the pace, throttling back some more, slowing the pace, while not being so obvious that any of the other riders came up to put some pressure on. Then, turning for home, he opened up and he had enough left to go wire to wire. Perfect.

[dilanesp]

Edwin Maldonado on Boa Nova in the 2nd on August 4 at Del Mar.

You don't get to steal too many 5 furlong turf races on the front end. Usually there is plenty of speed. But Maldonado stole this one-- he opened 3 lengths on the backstretch and never looked back to pay 5 to 1.

[MooseDog]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

Espinoza in the Pacific Classic.

And just a few months later Mike Smith on Arrogate in the BC Classic against CC.

https://www.paulickreport.com/news/p...te-bc-classic/

[BCOURTNEY]

2019-08-10 - Del Mar Race 7 - Rafael Bejarano LYNNES LEGACY. If you watch the whole race, first turn chooses the rail instead of taking wide on the first turn, saves ground, conserves energy, perfectly timed close, incredible ride. This race will be in the DQ thread for 2nd place as well.

[jimk849]

Watch Irad. looks impossible at about eighth pole, white with a red hoop #5 some how finds a seam and absolutely explodes. Pulling up all alone at club turn. Lit-up twitter like crazy after race,

[burnsy]

That's Jose in the 10th yesterday. But you are right that ride was sick.

[jimk849]

stand corrected

[SG4]

Last race at Gulfstream today, Jeffrey Sanchez sneaks up the rail on the backside to take the garden spot away from Irad on the even money favorite, then tips out top of the stretch & is able to box the favorite in successfully for the majority of the stretch, he kicks clear for an 18-1 win & Irad can only shake clear too late to just grab 2nd. Probably biased cause I had the winner, but I thought that was a thing of beauty on Sanchez's end.

[dilanesp]

Abel Cedillo on Crystal Ball in the 4th yesterday at Santa Anita. He basically put on a clinic as to how to ride a frontrunner. He got clear and then rated her. But each time the second and third place horses moved on her, he let out a notch and kicked clear of them, then relaxed her again. As a result, he had the race won with 5/16ths of a mile to go. They never got to her and she beat a 4-5 favorite.

[cj]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

Abel Cedillo on Crystal Ball in the 4th yesterday at Santa Anita. He basically put on a clinic as to how to ride a frontrunner. He got clear and then rated her. But each time the second and third place horses moved on her, he let out a notch and kicked clear of them, then relaxed her again. As a result, he had the race won with 5/16ths of a mile to go. They never got to her and she beat a 4-5 favorite.

The best part is he wasn't setting a slow pace, it was legitimate. In my figures probably something like 119-115-101. That is my favorite ride on a front runner. It also saps some energy from the closers.