Dynamic Impact takes Illinois Derby in rapid time

STICKNEY, Ill. -- Dynamic Impact, who scored a narrow maiden victory March 1 in his fifth career start, ran down heavily favored Midnight Hawk to win the Grade 3, $500,000 Illinois Derby by a nose in a very tight photo finish Saturday at Hawthorne.

“With those head bobs, you never know,” said winning rider Miguel Mena.

The top two were far, far better than the other six in the field. Irish You Well, now a seven-race maiden, finished third, more than eight lengths behind Midnight Hawk. While the light resume of the winner and show horse calls into question the overall strength of the race, Dynamic Impact ran nine furlongs in 1:49.07 over a fast main track producing quick but not lightning-fast times. The winner’s clocking was the fastest Illinois Derby since Recapturetheglory went 1:49.01 winning the 2008 edition.

Dynamic Impact debuted last September and finished fourth, second, and sixth in his three starts as a juvenile. He was an improved second making his 3-year-old bow on Jan. 30 at Oaklawn before scoring a neck victory in a maiden race there March 1, his last start before Saturday’s win.

“As a 2-year-old, he obviously had talent, but he wasn’t quite performing,” said assistant trainer Norman Casse, who credited trainer Mark Casse’s Oaklawn-based assistant David Adams for bringing the colt along this winter and spring.

Midnight Hawk, the 2-5 favorite, bobbled just after the start but quickly recovered and was sent up to lead, setting moderate splits of 24.11 seconds, 48.06, and 1:12.19 as Dynamic Impact pursued in second along the inside. Dynamic Impact was saving ground, but he wasn’t happy pinned down at the rail, Mena said, and Mena felt his mount was running in place until he tipped him off the fence to take aim at Midnight Hawk coming into the long Hawthorne homestretch.

“At the quarter pole when I went outside, I started to get excited,” said Mena, who had worked Dynamic Impact but never ridden him in a race.”

Midnight Hawk, with Martin Garcia heartily encouraging, actually stayed on fairly well in the homestretch, getting his final three furlongs in 36.88 seconds, but he had his head turned, was trying to lug in a bit, and – for the fourth race in a row – generally gave the impression of a horse who could benefit from a switch to one-turn racing.

“I think he got a little tired,” Garcia said.

Dynamic Impact paid $21.20 as the race’s fourth choice. Behind Irish You Well in third came Class Leader, King Cyrus, A Step Ahead, Emmett Park, and Global Strike. Dynamic Impact, a son of Tiznow, was bred by Blue Heaven Farm, sold at auction as a yearling for $125,000, and is owned by John Oxley.

Norman Casse said Dynamic Impact was to ship back to Keeneland on Saturday night, and would soon be stabled at Churchill Downs. Casse said the Preakness Stakes in four weeks was an obvious consideration, but that no plans beyond Saturday’s race had been formulated.