Trip Notes for Dec. 21, 2019: Mr. Prospector Stakes

Dec. 21

Gulfstream

Mr. Prospector (race 10)

COMMENT: This was billed as a summit of sorts between Grade 1 winners Imperial Hint, who was scratched from the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint due to a foot ailment, and X Y Jet, who hadn’t run since winning the Group 1 Golden Shaheen in Dubai nine months ago. Apparently, however, Diamond Oops didn’t get the memo as the 4-year-old gelded son of champion Lookin At Lucky continued his love affair with this track, winning for the fifth time in seven local starts. He rattled off three straight strong races from June to October before having a troubled start and being no factor in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita Nov. 2. Returning to a track he loves he bided his time early as X Y Jet set a strong pace, came with a strong run between horses on the far turn to reach contention, engaged then-leader Imperial Hint to that rival’s outside into the lane, got the better of him inside the final half-furlong and edged clear. He’s good at up to a mile so maybe the Grade 3 Fred Hooper at a mile here Jan. 25 could be next. Lasting Legacy, who came into this off three straight wins, the last being Monmouth’s version of the Mr. Prospector on Sept. 28, bided his time early, behind and outside the eventual winner, remained there to the far turn, commenced a nice run in Diamond Oops’s wake on the turn, had to wait a bit for room coming into the lane, swung further out in the stretch and finished well outside the eventual winner to close the gap and get up for second, though it never appeared as if he was going to catch Diamond Oops. Imperial Hint, the favorite, showed good speed inside to be just behind X Y Jet, moved off the inside to get to that rival’s outside going down the backstretch, dogged that rival to the top of the lane, got the better of that tiring foe into the lane to take the lead, moved toward the inside in the stretch, battled back when hooked by the winner to his outside into the lane, fought on gamely but relented in the final yards, just losing second in the final strides. This might still set him up well for the Group 1 Riyadh Dirt Sprint in Saudi Arabia Feb. 29 and should all go well there, the Group 1 Golden Shaheen in Dubai in late March. X Y Jet, as noted making his first start in a while, bumped hard at the break with Zenden to his outside, still had the speed to go to the lead, took pressure from Imperial Hint who moved off the rail to get outside X Y Jet, set a blistering pace under continued pressure from Imperial Hint while holding the fence, proved no match when that foe surged up alongside turning for home, gave way once headed and was basically eased. Certainly you can reason he needed this and setting such a strong pace didn’t help, but he was done by the quarter pole so maybe time, all those races and all his ailments have caught up to the old warrior.