Maiden Claiming

Chart notes

AMERICAN EMPIRE managed to avoid the trouble before the first turn but was forced to wide, moved into contention down the backstretch while always traveling well, surged into the lead when asked to quicken with three furlongs to run, opened up under strong handling in the stretch and won going away. THE SLAP was put in tight quarters at the fifteen-sixteenths pole when several runners converged, worked out into the clear around the first turn then started making up ground on the leaders during the run down the backstretch, had to steady briefly near the seven-sixteenths marker, tipped out a path and made a sweeping move through the far turn, responded when set down in the stretch, was no match for the winner but finished well clear of the third horse. PLAYBOY STYLE ducked in at the start, making light contact with AMERICAN EMPIRE, took up, and was last in the early running, made a sustained run when put into a stiff drive passing the three furlong pole, came into the stretch five wide and managed to gain the third spot. UPRIGHT broke sharply and was hustled to the front, was joined by UNCLE DUSAN by the midpoint of he first turn, kept slightly in front of that rival to the seven-sixteenths marker, was taken on by AMERICAN EMPIRE near the five-sixteenths pole, had no response, kept on with some courage down the lane but came up short of a minor placing. COUNTRY BOY got away well and got a good tracking position through the first turn, held that position down the backstretch run, became boxed in briefly through the far turn, followed the eventual winner into the stretch and ran on well up the rail but could not find another gear when needed. UPDRAFT was hustled from the start but unable to contest the early pace, got put in tight near the fifteen-sixteenths pole and was shuffled back, worked up into better position down the backstretch then launched a three wide bid around the far turn, came into the stretch about five wide and flattened out. L L L COOL raced mid-pack through the far turn, was boxed in through the far turn but had no response once clear. MISCHIEF'S THIRSTY lacked any speed from the break, moved over to save ground before the turn, trailed far back down the backstretch, regained contact going into the far turn but continued to chase and never made an impact. UNCLE DUSAN was hustled away from the gate and able to clear the field and move towards the inside going into the clubhouse turn, was eager to engage but was restrained from doing so by the rider all the way down the backstretch then came under pressure and was put into a drive between the seven-sixteenths and three furlong poles, struggle to keep up and came up empty in the stretch. THE RIDER OF THE SLAP LODGED AN OBJECTION AGAINST THE RIDER OF AMERICAN EMPIRE FOR INTERFERENCE SOON AFTER THE START. IN A UNANIMOUS DECISION, THE STEWARDS RULED THAT THE OBJECTION WOULD BE DISALLOWED AND THERE WOULD BE NO CHANGE.