Corazon is the one for Pick3 Super Challenge
TITLE-CHASING Anthony Nunes has this afternoon’s Pick 3 Super Challenge Trophy by the scruff of the neck, attempting an ambitious exacta with unbeaten ante-post favourite CORAZON and speedy stablemate JUICE MAN, a feat that could wipe out the $2.68 million in stakes by which he trails champion Wayne DaCosta in the trainers’ standings.
With DaCosta sitting coy and awaiting next Saturday’s $6 million Diamond Mile payday, after SHE’S A MANEATER successfully pulled off a thrilling Superstakes victory over WILL IN CHARGE two weeks ago, winning by the bob of a head, Nunes needs his two-year-olds to have him eyeball the champion trainer this weekend.
He, basically, has one part of the exacta sealed, CORAZON, unbeaten in two starts and an overwhelming favourite to make it three-from-three.
By Nunes’ admission, plus her performances and breeding, CORAZON should stay the seven furlongs of the Pick 3 Super Challenge. Sheer class shown in two starts, especially her last, makes the Blue Pepsi Lodge-My Heartbeat offspring the automatic choice to grab the $1.96 million winner’s purse.
JUICE MAN, a cousin of CORAZON, has excited at exercise, putting down a fast 1:06.1 to beat non-winner-of-three stablemate EXHILARATE at five and a half furlongs. An improving colt, JUICE MAN showed his worth with the visor removed when impressively winning his second start, suggesting that he is not to be taken lightly and could take home the runner-up purse, $655,200, closing the exacta and wiping out DaCosta’s $2.6 million advantage in one swoop.
Whether JUICE MAN rises to the occasion, CORAZON remains the horse to beat, having shown on her October 13 debut that she would have no problem with an additional furlong or two, chasing LADY BLUE on to the main track and pulling away for a controlled win at five furlongs straight.
Therefore, it was no surprise when she returned to literally romp the Juvenile Sprint at six and a half furlongs on Superstakes Day, again chasing LADY BLUE before going about her business to win in a decent 1:19.2.
CORAZON will be treated with antibleeding race day medication, lasix, which a 1990 University of Pennsylvania study has shown invariably improves horses by a little over a length. Now on lasix, CORAZON’s Juvenile stakes time can be marked up to around 1:18.2 then extrapolated to seven furlongs, resulting in a projected 1:25.2 for the Pick-3 Super Challenge.
Races are decided on pace, which, on examination, again points to CORAZON, even with the addition of stablemate JUICE MAN and Steven Todd’s PHENOM, who dug in determinedly to beat DUKE and EL GRINGO at five and a half on November 3.
The pace of CORAZON’s Juvenile Stakes win was a cracking one, splits of 22.4 and 46.2, to the top of the lane, from where she took over and went on to register 1:11.2, a final time of 1:19.2, for a four-and-a-half length win. Returning with lasix administered for insurance, CORAZON is the one.
Meanwhile, the jockeys’ championship, decided on wins, not stakes, could also take a decisive turn with leader Anthony Thomas being aboard at least aboard four hot rides from his 10 mounts – RAMBUNCTIOUS LINKS, MINNIFFIA, MR UNIVERSE, and DUNROBIN.
Cardenas, eight winners behind Thomas, has CORAZON and EXHILARATE as his surest shots but should not be discounted aboard down-in-class ASKABOUTME and back-toform HELLO LADY.