Colonel John, the highly regarded 2 year old son of multiple Breeder’s Cup Classic winner Tiznow, romped to an impressive victory in the 3rd running of the $100,000 Real Quiet at Hollywood Park on Sunday.
Going off as a 3/5 favorite at post time, the colt broke towards the back of the field and chose to wait patiently before making his move. Many Rivers broke out on top and went to the front early, leading the field into the final turn. Colonel John exploded when they came to the top of the stretch moving from 4th to 1st in one move, clearly establishing his dominance over the field. A perfect running lane opened up beautifully for him and he took full advantage of the opportunity finishing clearly the best.
Jockey Corey Nakatani helped Colonel John to a perfect trip, especially once they reached the quarter pole, and the colt seemed to thrive from the added distance in this outing. The victory makes Colonel John 2 for 3 lifetime after breaking his maiden on October 7th at Santa Anita while travelling 7 furlongs in just over 1:21.
What my eyes tell me is that this horse still has room for improvement. I think he’ll want to be slightly more forward placed in future races, taking a better stalking position. He risks running into traffic or getting a bad trip if he hangs towards the back as he did today. He’s still very inexperienced, but with 3 races under his belt is flashing the signs of professionalism. The move he made at the top of the stretch today will make most horses look as though they are running in place.
I’ll be adding Colonel John to my horse watch list, and other Aspiring Horseplayers out there that are also playing the California circuit would be wise to do the same.
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