Claiming

Chart notes

SPEED GRAZY was knocked off stride by CHICKENFINGERFRIDAY just after the break causing loss of a length or two at the start, then settled at the rear of the field, remained in that position to the far turn, circled the field to get into contention, came into the stretch five wide with huge momentum but on the wrong lead, sustained the run through the stretch, drifted in late and got a nose in front at the wire. UNION WAVE broke well but eased off the pace to avoid getting hung five wide on the first turn, settled comfortably mid-pack to the half mile pole, moved forward through the far turn but became boxed in, slipped through a successive pair of narrow openings in the stretch, surged up the rail when clear, was put in tight by ARTEMUS GORDON near the sixteenth pole, pushed back and knocked that rival off-stride near the wire causing the rider to stop riding for a couple of strides, got back down and just missed at the wire. ARTEMUS GORDON broke well and got a share of the lead into the first turn, pulled the rider to the front on the backstretch, led the field through reasonable fractions to the far turn, took a short lead at the head of the stretch, got challenged by UNION WAVE to the inside and SPEED GRAZY to the outside inside the furlong grounds, got put in tight at the sixteenth pole, then was bumped off stride by UNION WAVE in the closing yards and lost all chance. EL JOY settled behind early while holding the rail, remained unhurried down the backstretch, awaited room through the turn then got put in tight quarters at the three-sixteenths pole, re-rallied through a narrow opening mid-stretch, ran on and improved position. WODETON (FR) got forward position early and stalked the pacesetter down the backstretch, bid for the lead while racing between horses passing the three furlong pole, was unable to match strides passing the three-sixteenths marker, drifted in some late and weakened in deep stretch. ARREST was sent hard from the break and was able to secure the rail and share of the early lead, then was content to sit just off ARTEMUS GORDON when that one took over the pacesetting duties, tracked inside to the far turn, struggled to keep up from the five-sixteenths pole and finished one-paced. CHICKNFINGERFRIDAY broke in and bumped with SPEED GRAZY after the break, then was outrun into the turn, settled well behind the field to the far turn, tried to rally three wide through the turn ran into some traffic at the head of the stretch swung out a path for room and flattened out. BUTTONWOOD TREE got away well but was forced four wide through the clubhouse turn, stayed out in the clear while racing up close in the early going, made a three wide forward move through the far turn to challenge for for the lead near the five-sixteenths pole then stopped at the head of the stretch and was ridden out to the finish behind the field. THE STEWARDS CONDUCTED AN INQUIRY INTO THE DEEP STRETCH RUN. IN A MAJORITY DECISION, THE STEWARDS RULED THAT SPEED GRAZY DRIFTED IN, CAUSING ARTEMUS GORDON TO STEADY AND TAKE UP IN DEEP STRETCH, AND THIS ACTION COST ARTEMUS GORDON THE OPPORUNTIY OF A BETTER PLACING. SPEED GRAZY WAS DISQUALIFIED FROM FIRST AND PLACED THIRD.