I was really worried about this race. I didn’t know how “DD” would run and I was worried that someone would claim him, especially since believe it or not, he was the race favorite. Of course, if he was going to run last again, maybe I wouldn’t have felt so badly. Still, he’s our first home bred, the son of Ahvee’s Destiny! He’s 3 1/2 years old and we know him for his entire life.

He was sweet when we stroked him in the paddock before the race. Then they saddled him up. When Jose Ortiz, his rider, showed up, I mentioned that there was no speed in the race, so it should be easy to take him to the lead from the one-hole. Linda agreed but told Jose it was up to him. I felt like Jose was a little nervous on DD, especially when he asked Linda if DD needed to be accompanied out to the racetrack by a pony.

In his breezes, DD would take off and run as hard as he could for half a mile. then, he would have nothing left. Plus, Linda and Jose had teamed up on another horse earlier on Tuesday. They decided to send that horse out for the lead and then, that horse had nothing left in the stretch. So, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised about what happened.

DD, in the number one post position, was loaded first. With twelve horses, including one that reared up and had to be scratched from the race, DD had to stand in that tight enclosure for five minutes. That’s a long time to wait for the race to start.

When finally, the bell rang and the gates opened, DD was not urged on by Jose and did not go for the lead. Instead, he was in fifth and sixth and was on the rail, pinned in by other horses. He seemed uncomfortable and when they turned into the stretch, Jose seemed to take=up a little, losing momentum before trying to prod him into passing a tiring horse between that horse and the rail. When he completed that move, he had another horse impeding his ability to move forward. All the while, the faster horses in front of him and behind him were able to run freely. They either widened their leads or were overtaking DD from behind.

DD got through on the rail at the 1/16th pole. He started getting back into gear but it was clear he could not win. Now, we were just cheering for him to hit the board. It looked like a faster horse on the outside was going to pass DD for third place but DD regained enough momentum to hold him off by a nose for a third place finish!

Then we looked to the racetrack to see if any NYRA official would approach DD with a claimed tag in his hand. Whew, he was not claimed! So, we hope see him run in Saratoga, a surface loved by his dam, who won five times in Saratoga, including three Stakes races.

Seems like Linda has decided to wait for Saratoga to run Another Genius. So, hopefully, we’ll have at least two horses run at the Saratoga meet.

Hay Field is pointing to a race on July 14th at Belmont. If she performs well, maybe she’ll get to run in Saratoga too; but that’s probably a lot of wishin’ and hopin’. We can dream. Go, Hay Field!