Horse Racing News is the source of thoroughbred racing information with horse racing odds, betting tips, racing picks, race results, and handicapping. Latest news and articles on top horse racing contenders, jockeys, trainers, three-year-olds, race tracks, and major stakes races such as the Triple Crown races: the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes as well as the Breeders' Cup races.Breeders’ Cup Challenge Results: Commentator Wins Massachusetts Handicap at Suffolk Downs September 20
Posted on Saturday, September 20th, 2008
Commentator and jockey John Velazquez sat patiently in second position before taking the lead entering the far turn and driving home to a record-setting 14-length victory in the 66th running of the $500,000 Massachusetts Handicap at Suffolk Downs on Saturday.
The 7-year-old gelded son of Distorted Humor, Commentator, covered the MassCap distance of 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.97 and returned $2.20 across the board. Won Awesome Dude was second paying $4.60 and $3.00, a length ahead of Cuba showing $2.80.
Suffolk Downs’s Massachusetts Handicap is a 2008 Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” race, with the winner automatically qualifying to be one of the Breeders’ Cup horses for the Breeders’ Cup Classic to be held October 25 at Oak Tree at Santa Anita Park.
“It’s a wonderful blessing for me to have a horse like this,” said race horse trainer Nick Zito, who added his first MassCap victory to his illustrious resume. “He ranks up there with all the other great ones I’ve had. We have a horse at the top of his game. You’d have to say that Curlin, Big Brown and Commentator are the top three.”
Commentator had already qualified for the Breeders’ Cup Classic by virtue of his win in the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga on July 26.
“If he goes to the Breeders’ Cup, it would be the Classic,” said race horse owner Tracy Farmer. “I would enjoy seeing Big Brown and Curlin take him on. We’ll have to see what Nick says.”
Trained by Hall of Famer Nick Zito for race horse owner Tracy Farmer, Commentator was sent off at odds of 1-10, joining Cigar (1996) as the heaviest-favorite in the history of the Massachusetts Handicap horse race.
Commentator’s 14-length margin of victory easily surpassed the MassCap record set in 1938 by Menow, who won by eight lengths over a field that included the heavily-favored War Admiral, who finished fourth.
“He relaxed very well,” said jockey John Velazquez, who won his second MassCap. “I really didn’t want to be in a speed duel, so I was very content with the way we were going up the backside. I eased him away and he moved very confidently.”
Dr. Pleasure, third in last year’s MassCap and the second choice this year, was fourth followed by Volcanic Force, Beck and Call and Riversrunrylee.
Horse racing news edited from www.suffolkdowns.com.
Horse racing tags: Beck and Call, Commentator, Cuba, Dr. Pleasure, Riversrunrylee, Suffolk Downs, Volcanic Force, Won Awesome Dude
"Breeders’ Cup Challenge Results: Commentator Wins Massachusetts Handicap at Suffolk Downs September 20" was posted on Saturday, September 20th, 2008 at 8:54 pm and is filed under Horse Racing Industry, Horses, Race Tracks News, Results & Payouts, Stakes Races, USA Horse Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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