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Longest Yard Earns First Grade I Title with Clark Hcp Victory
By
McDuffy
Nov 28, 2011,
5:38:46 PM
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CD 4 Clark Handicap ( Gr. I )- Recap
$500.000 For Three year olds and upward Mile and a Eighth Dirt
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Closing out Fridays card of racing here at CD, Aml Racing's Longest Yard ( *1.40 ) would not only attract many patrons to back him at the mutuel windows, he would also return to the winners circle after four failed attempts at this nine panel distance this season and capture his first even Gr. I title winning the Clark Handicap. Jockey C Sutherland has fought faithfully in the past, just missing by three quarters of a length in the Gr. I Fosters Hdcp back in June over this very track, but this victory was bitter sweet for this talented female rider.
Longest Yard has now improved his seasonal record to nine starts ( 2-5-1 ) with a career route record stat of 19 starts ( 3-8-2 ) and total earnings of $1432.890. For his owner/trainer Aml Racing, this second Gr. I title may not have felt as wonderful as when Sky Rocket ( B.h. ) ran gate to wire to win the Gr. I HOL Turf Cup back in December of 2008, but with all of Longest Yards' near victories this season, it would have to rank right up there.
For runner-up Meat's Irish Stu ( 3.00 ), it was looking like he had his work cut out for him to try and steal this victory away on the frontend, as Diablo Diablo's Marriage Counsellor ( 5.15 ) was not giving an inch as he stayed within a neck, nose and head in the three opening fractions of this event. 88 Jayhawks Thunder Star ( 3.00 ) was keen on keeping his head in the battle with this duelling pair, and that set it up nicely for Longest Yard to come steal it away in the final push to the line. Irish Stu had gained alot of experience in his three previous starts from the number one post position, and this race was a complete repeat of his effort in the Gr. I HOL Gold Cup run back in June. He is still trying to capture his first Grade I title, after earning four other Graded level events
For show finisher Thunder Star, he too was looking like he was waiting for the duelling frontrunners to burn out so he could spring to the front in the find yards to the line, but he impressed many horsemen with this finishing effort here, being only a sophomore going up against older thoroughbreds. While he was not ready to compete at the TC level back in the spring, his win in the Gr. III Iowa Derby and his effort here should have gained him much respect for next season, so keep this fine colt on your radar.
Rounding out the event would be Marriage Counsellor taking the minor share of the purse money in this sophomores first ever try at the Grade I level of racing, and in just his second start since being gelded, and finally Hiddenvalley Stable's Tragic Block Party ( 8.25 ) finish fifth some four lengths shy in only his first ever stakes event. The extra sixteenth today put him just out of his preferred mile and a sixteenth distance which seems to be his class.
Looking at this event as a whole, with odds going no higher then 8-1 on any competitor and a time different of only eight-tenths of a scond from first to last, just goes to show the caliber of talent for this years event. An excellent job by each horse and trainer.
Track Condition: Fast
| Race Description: ClkHcp-G1 |
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HORSE NAME |
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OWNER NAME |
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JOCKEY |
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WT |
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AMT WON |
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TIME |
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Longest Yard |
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Aml Racing |
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Sutherland C |
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120 |
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$300.000 |
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1:47.71 |
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Irish Stu |
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Meat |
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Berry M C |
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119 |
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$100.000 |
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1:47.89 |
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Thunder Star |
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88 Jayhawk |
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Bejarano R |
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121 |
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$80.000 |
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1:48.10 |
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Marriage Counsellor |
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Diablo Diablo |
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Albarado R J |
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118 |
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$20.000 |
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1:48.16 |
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Tragic Block Party |
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Hiddenvalley Stable |
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Baze R A |
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118 |
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1:48.56 |
　
From trackside
I'm Mc.D.
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