Eons closes strong to get up at wire in Buckland Stakes
On a stormy Monday at Colonial Downs, Eons thundered down the center of a wet turf course and won the $150,000 Buckland Stakes by a nose over Kentucky Ghost.
Eons came out on the right side of a photo finish and visited the winner’s circle for the first time in, well, Eons. The 5-year-old horse came into the Buckland on a 10-race losing streak and hadn’t hit the wire first since July 2019.
A distant last for much of this 1 1/8-mile race, Eons got the right trip.
Heavy storms blew through Colonial after three races had been run Monday, forcing the cancellation of races 4 and 5, the former the $100,000 Da Hoss Stakes. When the rough weather moderated and Colonial resumed racing, the track’s expansive grass course catered to deep, outside closers; Quid won race 6 coming from seventh while rallying on the far outside, and in race 7, the $100,000 Andy Guest, Violenza closed six paths wide to get up by a neck over Mucha Mezquina, those two eighth and ninth in the early and middle stages.
“I was really confident from the start,” said Eons’s jockey, Mychel Sanchez. “After all the rain we got, it’s playing to off-the-pace horses.”
The course, labeled yielding, still produced some quick splits, with long-layoff comebacker Mr Dumas leading Megacity through a half-mile fraction of 47.22 seconds in the Buckland. Around the turn, Eons closed the gap, coming outside Kentucky Ghost, who had to steady slightly at the rail before finding room outside a tiring rival. Kentucky Ghost burst into the clear after straightening for the wire, getting first run on Eons as favored Pixelate got into the mix between horses, but Eons, racing widest, kept closing the gap and got a favorable bob to gain the victory.
Pixelate finished third as Megacity went past a tired Mr Dumas to finish fourth. Winning time was 1:48.14, and Eons paid $13.20 to win. Talk or Listen, Current, and Cannon’s Roar were scratched.
Arnaud Delacour trains Eons for Mark Grier. The 5-year-old entire horse is by Giant’s Causeway out of the Hansel mare, Golden Antigua, making him a full brother to $500,000 earner Giant Gizmo.
The favorite, Boomtown Baby, also was defeated in the Andy Guest, a 5 1/2-furlong dash for older fillies and mares. A winner of three straight turf sprints, Boomtown Baby was 2-5 in the Andy Guest, her stakes debut, and after stalking the pace and reaching contention in upper stretch, Beantown Baby had no late foot to match the Violenza’s kick. Stakes-debuting Violenza, trained by Ian Wilkes for a partnership, closed stoutly between horses under Chris Landeros and was home by a neck over Mucha Mezquina. Beantown Baby held third in a field reduced to nine by three scratches, including Ain’t No Elmers, who’d have been no worse than second choice.
Violenza was timed in 1:02.74 and paid $9 to win. The 4-year-old filly is by Violence out of South Street Gal, by Street Sense.