Reply #15: Discreet Cat Fired Up in Record Cigar Mile [View All]

[two gun sid]

From The Bloodhorse:
Godolphin Stable's undefeated Discreet Cat equaled the one-mile track record at Aqueduct Saturday while turning away a stubborn Silver Train leaving the eighth pole to win the $294,000 Hill 'n' Dale Cigar Mile.

It was the toughest decision of Discreet Cat's career but, in the end, it was no sweat for the bay son of Forestry who claimed his first grade I victory by 3 1/4 lengths. The final time of 1:32 2/5 (1:32.46) equaled the clocking for Easy Goer in winning the 1989 Gotham. Discreet Cat carried high weight of 124 pounds.

With no urging from jockey Garrett Gomez, Discreet Cat cruised to the lead from pacesetter Sharp Humor at the quarter pole, but Silver Train - battling on the inside for Edgar Prado - passed him to get the lead. The two fought it out through the stretch before Discreet Cat, shaken up by Gomez at the furlong marker, pulled away. Gomez showed his blossoming star the whip a couple of times but won the race with a strong hand ride.

"I had plenty of horse in the stretch," Gomez said. "I showed him the stick a couple of times and he went about his business. He's never been hit with it. I've been excited ever since I put a leg on him. To run as fast as they ran and the way he was doing it, he's just a nice horse."

http://racing.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=36520



Thor's Echo Makes Case in De Francis Dash
TVG Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) champion Thor's Echo, racing in the Superman silks of Suarez Racing, made his case for a 2006 Eclipse Award, repelling a menacing challenge from the unlucky Diabolical to win the $300,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (gr. I) at Laurel Park Saturday.

Breaking from the far outside, Thor's Echo, the 11-10 choice in the field of nine, was four or five wide all the way for regular rider Corey Nakatani while surging past the pacesetting Crafty Schemer approaching the eighth pole. Diabolical, bottled up on the inside, angled out five or six paths wide for the drive under Mario Pino. He closed to the Thor's Echo's withers in deep stretch but the winner pulled away in the final strides to win by three quarters of a length under a drive from Nakatani. The final time was a sharp 1:08 3/5.

Diabolical held off the 3-1 second choice Nightmare Affair and jockey Ramon Dominguez by a neck for second.

The California-bred Thor's Echo, a four-length winner of the BC Sprint at odds of 15-1 on Nov. 4 for trainer Doug O'Neill, benefited from a sizzling pace Saturday, stalking Crafty Schemer, Attila's Storm and Coppertone Kid in fourth through fractions of :21 4/5, :44 3/5 and :56 3/5. He shifted inward after taking the lead but got straightened out in time to get the job done.

http://racing.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=36522