The One That Got Away!

by Ed Meyer

posted on March 22, 2009 in General Discussion, News, Other Events | 1 Comment >>

The $500,ooo Lane’s End Stakes lined up to look like a two horse contest. That was before hindsight kicked-in and knowledge fell upon me like pennies from heaven. It was just about 15 minutes too late….

Bittle Road and West Side Bernie looked as good as a home cooked meal. They both had credentials, workouts, and the timing looked right. It was just a guess at who would win. This also came to me a little late. Kinda’ like Santa receiving your list in July.

The winner as it turned out to be was #1 Hold Me Back. Trust me, that was the last thing this field could do on this date.

Kent Desormeaux was in town, and Bill Mott was the conditioner. They have only teamed up to win 18% the last 60 days, and this lightly raced colt had the look..

His first race was on a race that was taken off of the turf in Chicago. He rolled like a ball down a hill. He came back at Keeneland and scored on the poly track. ThisĀ  showed a versatile nature. You know, the kind of thing that makes you tough heading for the Kentucky Derby.

He finally headed into the G-2 Remsen and faced up with Old Fashioned. This was off of a small layoff, and Mott wins 22% coming off of the shelf. He was also shooting more bullets in the morning than Jesse James, and was the son of Giant’s Causeway. I know, things are starting to sound good.

Throw out that 5th place finish against Old Fashioned, as there was no competition of that level today. I know, this is sounding better.

Well, old Kent D came running like a lazy man from work. He also played against a bias that was kind to speed runners. You like apples? How ’bout them apples?

At the end of the day, we are always smarter after the race. But this may be one worth the watch. If he can transfer his ability to dirt, it could be “Katy bar the door.” Go ahead, and try to Hold Him Back. They couldn’t on this day, and this could be just the beginning as his graded earnings have grown big enough for the first Saturday in May.