2010 Kent Stakes: A Grand Edition

This weekend acts as the prelude to the biggest non-Breeders’ Cup weekend of racing of the year on October 2^nd and kicking things off this Saturday is a highly competitive and talented field in the Kent Stakes. The partial post below is from an article I wrote on the Kent Stakes for ThoroFan website. To read the entire article just click on the link at the bottom of this post. Enjoy the weekend races!

Delaware Park’s 1 1/8 mile Kent Stakes (gr.IIIT) on Saturday has produced a solid field of nine competitive sophomore turf runners. The 2010 renewal promises to create an exciting running of the race while featuring a show-down of the one-two finishers in the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (gr. IIT).

Grand Rapport began his career on the dirt in all three juvenile starts of 2009, first winning an allowance race then losing badly to D’Funnybone and Buddy’s Saint respectively in the Grade II Futurity Stakes and Grade II Remson Stakes. After an almost 8 month hiatus from the racing scene Grand Rapport made his 2010 debut a winning one when taking an allowance race on the turf at Monmouth Park on July 16^th. He rallied from dead last and floated seven wide around the turn to get up for the win at odds of 40-1. The chestnut colt most recently finished a fast closing second to Interactif in the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (gr. IIT). After coming from last yet again and making a tremendous rally off the turn, Grand Rapport appeared unable to make up any ground on Interactif until moments before the wire he suddenly lunged forward under a full head of steam to take second in a three way photo finish.

Interactif finally lived up to his lofty juvenile billing last out when defeating Grand Rapport and a stubborn Krypton in the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (gr. IIT). In a very game and gritty effort, the son of Broken Vow sat just off the pacemakers in the Hall of Fame and then made his move in the stretch to reach contention before finally reeling in a tough-as-nails Krypton and just barely holding off the fast charging Grand Rapport for the win. He is the class of this field no doubt about it, but whether or not he is the best is a tough call. Before his Hall of Fame Stakes victory Interactif finished second to divisional leader Paddy O’Prado in the Virginia Derby, 1 ½ lengths behind the winner.

Workin For Hops is another contender who has tasted defeat at the hands of Paddy O’Prado, twice in fact. In his last start Workin For Hops finished third to the turf monster in the Secretariat Stakes (gr. I) on August 21^st. Previous to his third place finish in the Secretariat Workin For Hops won the American Derby (gr.IIT) in impressive fashion and prior to that he...

Read the rest of the article here.