San Juan Capistrano S.

Chart notes

GOLD PHOENIX (IRE) unhurried in the opening stages, saved ground through the first two turns, moved off the fence and advanced outside rivals on the backstretch, gained on the top pair three then two wide on the final turn, drew alongside GOLDENEYE entering the lane, surged clear in upper stretch under a drive then continued to widen in hand the final sixteenth. GOLDENEYE raced up close in hand on the inside, fell out of range of the pacesetter on the clubhouse turn, bid three deep past the half-mile pole, put a head in front leaving the backstretch, dueled around the far turn, put GROGU away turning for home but was quickly confronted by GOLD PHOENIX (IRE),yielded to that rival outside the eighth pole and stayed on for a clear second. AMERICAN HOPE sat off the pace on the inside, crept closer on the backstretch, gained three deep on the far turn, flattened in the lane but was able to hold third. FACTOR ANALYSIS settled in mid-pack along the inside, continued well off the pace leaving the clubhouse turn, drew closer up the backstretch, bothered by SMOOTH SALUTE and had to pause at the three-eighths pole, shifted over to the two path on the final turn and could not summon the needed rally. RIMPROTECTOR pressed the leader from outside down the hill, took a stalking position approaching the finish line for the first time, put in a mild bid between runners past the half-mile pole, failed to keep up with the top pair leaving the backstretch, lost ground around the last turn and weakened in the drive. LIVING LIFE content to the trail the field in the opening stages and steered to the inside, remained at the back to the final turn, angled out and came five wide into the stretch, then passed tired rivals in the lane. POOR CONNECTION settled in the two path or outside a rival, asked three then four wide on the last turn and failed to menace. GROGU set the pace under pressure down the hill, moved clear nearing the finish line for the first time, padded the lead around the clubhouse turn, challenged by a pair of rivals past the half-mile pole, overtaken by GOLDENEYE at the seven-sixteenths pole, fought back through the far turn, yielded to that rival exiting the bend and faded in the lane. SMOOTH SALUTE stalked outside a rival then dropped off the pace in the early going, coaxed closer on the backstretch, chased between foes into the far turn but had to steady at the three-eighths pole, fell back to last around the bend and had little left for the drive.