Acclamation on a hot winning streak as he goes three of three in the Eddie Read Stakes at Del Mar
Five-year-old Acclamation kicked it on for jockey Joel Rosario to win the Grade 1 $300,000 Eddie Read Stakes on 23 July at Del Mar turf. On the final turn, Acclamation sealed the race with ease en route to a 3 ¼ length victory over runner up Jeranimo.
Trained by Donald Warren for owners E.W. Johnston and Judy Johnston in partnership with Peter & Mary Hilvers, Acclamation is the son of 21-year-old Unusual Heat.
Acclamation is on a roll as he landed his third straight graded stakes win and his second Grade 1 win on the trot. Two previous ones came at Hollywood Park on turf, the Grade 2 Jimmy Murray Handicap and Grade 1 Whittingham Memorial.
The son of Unusual Heat has had five starts this year and out of those he has won thrice, coming to his own and stacking up his winner tally at the end of the spring/summer meet.
Acclamation’s last race of 2010 was the Eddie Read Stakes at Del Mar 2010, but it was a lowly run race as he finished 6th on an 8 field horse under jockey Christian Santiago-Reyes.
Donald Warren’s horse turned his season around in the Grade 2 Jimmy Murray Handicap on 14 May 2011. Joel Rosario and Acclamation took on a reasonably challenging field over at a distance of 1 ½ miles.
Under Joel Rosario’s drive Acclamation responded which resulted in a display of brisk pace throughout the race making it hard for his foes to catch up on him, as he annihilated the field to become the second repeat winner of the $150,000 Grade 2 Jim Murray
Handicap.
The pair covered the entire distance in 2 minutes and 25.63 seconds, beating Falcon Rock and Haimish Hy.
Another second repeat winner came in the Grade 1 Whittingham Memorial under a different jockey Joseph Talamo. Over at a distance of 1 ¼ miles Acclamation ran a hard fought race, but eventually put his rivals Celtic New Year and Bourbon By to bed with 1 furlong
out.
This time around Acclamation was cut back to 1 1/8 miles, but it did not make an awful lot of difference as the pair comfortably covered the track in a sharp 1 minute and 46.99 seconds.
Most likely next for Acclamation is the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap run at 1 3/9 miles on 28 August, it could prove out to be a big race for Acclamation because the Del Mar Handicap is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge series, and winning it would catapult
Acclamation into the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf.
Jeranimo chased Acclamation throughout the race but could pose any threat and finished second, the 3 to 2 favourite Caracortado was way off as he finished third.
The field was slimmed down as Celtic Princess was scratched, had she been in the competition she would have challenged Acclamation for pace. King Edward was scratched a well.
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