Trip Notes for April 20-21, 2019: Charles Town Classic, Elkhorn, and more

April 20

Charles Town
Charles Town Classic (race 11)

COMMENT: Despite overnight rain the track was listed as fast for this race. Runnin’toluvya showed how important the horse-for-course angle can be as the 5-year-old gelded son of Fiber Sonde made it nine straight wins here and 11 for 14 overall at this track while posting the biggest win of his career. He again used his speed as he broke well, dogged early pacesetter Diamond King to his outside, put his head in front of that foe on the far turn and then battled gamely to the line to keep that hard-trying foe at bay to the line. Diamond King, coming off a big optional-claiming win at Gulfstream March 22, his first start in six months, went right to the lead, took immediate and heavy pressure from the eventual winner, set a solid pace under that pressure, battled back gamely when really challenged by that foe to his outside on the far turn, fought on to the wire but couldn’t subdue that rival while finishing far clear of the rest in a super try. War Story, taking his third crack at this race and making his first start since fading to sixth in the Grade 2 Marathon at Churchill Nov. 2, lagged back, pitched very wide on the far turn and into the lane and finished well to get third, though he was never a danger to the top two. Rally Cry, the 5-2 favorite making his first start since running fourth in the Grade 1 Woodward at Saratoga Sept. 1, stalked in third, seemed in a good spot, was still there and a threat going into the far turn but was basically one-paced thereafter and unable to mount a challenge. Imperative, winner of this race in 2017, was sluggish early to be last, was still last going into the far turn and never mustered a run. Discreet Lover, who was good enough to post a 45-1 upset in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Sept. 29 but was a non-factor eighth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Nov. 3, lagged back from the start and never made a move. He was pulled up on the clubhouse turn after crossing the wire and had to be vanned off.

Keeneland
Elkhorn (race 9)

COMMENT: Bigger Picture had knocked heads with some of the game’s best turfers and was a Grade 1 winner in his heyday, though that was a couple years ago and beyond and he came into this off a so-so seventh in the Grade 2 Pan American at Gulfstream March 30. Well, the 8-year-old son of Badge of Silver turned back the clock some as he posted the upset here. He sat midpack from the start as longshot Final Copy set a modest pace on the yielding course, remained midpack to the far turn, came out into the lane and finished strongly to edge past leader Red Knight in deep stretch for the win. Red Knight, freshened since, a game win in a 2-mile turf stakes at Gulfstream Dec. 29, lagged back from the start, came with a smart run into the lane, grabbed the lead by midstretch as if poised to go on to victory but couldn’t quite fend off the winner. Zulu Alpha, the 6-5 favorite off strong form (won four of his last five including a Grade 3 here in the fall and a Grade 3 and Grade 2 at Gulfstream in his most recent work), sat back just ahead of Red Knight, moved earlier than that foe to reach contention going the far turn while wide, grabbed the lead turning for home but couldn’t quite finish with the top two. Canessar, third in the Grade 3 Sycamore here in the fall and a solid fourth in the aforementioned Pan American, sat midpack from the start, remained there to the far turn, pitched wide turning for home, made some headway in the lane but was never a factor.

Santa Anita
Kona Gold (race 5)

COMMENT: Cistron gave another lesson on the importance of being the main speed as the 5-year-old gelded son of The Factor led his rivals on a merry chase to post the upset. He was coming off a good second in a Grade 3 turf sprint here March 31. Oddly enough in a Grade 2 SoCal sprint there wasn’t any real big speed in here, leaving Cistron as the main early zip. He went right to the lead, set a solid pace under some pressure from All Out Blitz, cleared off going into the far turn, extended his margin from there and didn’t have a nervous moment thereafter. All Out Blitz, a rallying stakes winner at Sunland Park last time out March 24, chased the winner from the start, tried to make a run at him going into the far turn, proved no match but kept to his task well to finish a clear third. Dr. Dorr, second in the Grade 2 San Carlos here March 30, his first start in seven months, was away a bit slowly to be last early, was still there going to the far turn while saving ground and could make only modest headway thereafter, getting up for third while never a factor. Kanthaka, favored off a trouble third in the San Carlos, sat back a bit early, moved closer on the turn and into the lane but flattened out in the final furlong to be no threat.