As Tom Durkin said best “a grey bullet” in today’s (Sep 17) feature race at Belmont!
At the top of the stretch with a wall of horses there is no way anyone was going to predict this race’s outcome. Impressive with a capital I. Javier Castellano made some sensational split minute thinking to reposition Winter Memories as he did.
Video replay: $250k Grade 1 Garden City Stakes on turf @ 1 1/8mi
Note the kiss that Javier gives to her on the neck after she wins.
just a little kick there at the end…wow
That was astounding! :eek:
The kiss, by the way, is seen at the video mark of 3.24 (total running time of the linked video is 4.52] …
DRF 9-17-11 “Winter Memories explodes …”
“I thought we were done for sure,” Phillips said. “I thought, ‘Well, it’s not today.’ “
“I put my glasses down at the eighth pole, because she’s dead last and she had no place to go,” Toner said.
But in the blink of an eye, Castellano got Winter Memories into the six path, and once clear she exploded with a rarely seen burst of speed that carried her from last to first, defeating Theyskens’ Theory by a neck in the $250,000 Garden City before a crowd of 6,845. It was 1 1/2 lengths back to More Than Real in third.
“That’s breathtaking,” Phillips said. “Breathtaking.”
Said Toner: “I cannot believe she won the race. I cannot believe the way she accelerated and exploded in a short space of time; you’re talking about a sixteenth of a mile.”
The win was the sixth from eight career starts and first Grade 1 victory for Winter Memories, a daughter of El Prado out of the Grade 1-winning mare Memories of Silver, also trained by Toner and owned by Phillips.
Watching the video over a few times I swear Castellano never goes to the whip after she swung into the middle of the track.
The Winter Memories we know and love!
[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;5844940]
As Tom Durkin said best “a grey bullet” in today’s (Sep 17) feature race at Belmont!
At the top of the stretch with a wall of horses there is no way anyone was going to predict this race’s outcome. Impressive with a capital I. Javier Castellano made some sensational split minute thinking to reposition Winter Memories as he did.
Video replay: $250k Grade 1 Garden City Stakes on turf @ 1 1/8mi
Note the kiss that Javier gives to her on the neck after she wins.[/QUOTE]
YES!!! I saw this! And her all snorty-looking after the kiss, as if to say: “Bring more!”
Jes’ proves my theory
the best horses running this year are indeed fillies!
Here ye’ here ye’: just one more race [in 2011] for Winter Memories.
DRF 9-18-11 “Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Keeneland last race of Winter Memories’s campaign”
“After the race she was pulling everybody around,’’ Toner said Sunday morning. “Ate up good last night, was good and bright this morning and none the worse for wear. It was just an awesome performance; it was an eye-opener, I’ll tell you that.’’
Winter Memories has now won 4 of 5 races this year and will make just one more start, that being in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Keeneland on Oct. 15, before being put away for the year.
Toner reiterated that Winter Memories would not be pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf this year, in part because its run just three weeks after the Queen Elizabeth.
Fear not those who cannot get to Keeneland - but you really should! - to see her effort. The QEII will be aired on NBC Sports as part of their new Keeneland broadcast deal.
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