Acclamation shell shocks his opponents as he goes on to win the $1million Grade 1 Pacific Classic
Recognised as a top turf horse, Acclamation has recently supplemented to his reputation after winning a series of important races recently in California, and after his win in the $1million Grade 1 Pacific Classic by a head at Del Mar on 28 August, 2011.
Front running ride from as good as they come, veteran jockey, Patrick Valenzuela, who guided Acclamation to a superb win, in between all the commotion, the pair held off the favoured Twirling Candy to slip in a head before him.
Acclamation’s brilliant win in the West Coast before a crowd of 29,267 was his fourth win in a row. The 5-year-old Unusual Heat has won his last three races on turf magnificently.
Now the streak includes three grade 1 wins and a grade 2 win, all starting on 14 May, 2011, when Acclamation was making his 3rd start of 2011 in the Grade 2 Jim Murray Handicap over a distance of 1 ½ miles at Hollywood Park.
Under jockey Joel Rosario, Acclamation spurted past his opponents to win the all important Grade 2 Hollywood Park feature by defeating Falcon Rock and Hamish Hy in 2 minutes and 25.63 seconds.
His second scalp was the Grade 1 Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap, also at Hollywood Park grass, on 11 June, 2011, over a distance of 1 ¼ miles. The Donald Warren trained horse came out victorious with 2 of 2.
His third was the all important and much anticipated Grade 1 Eddie Read Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on grass at Del Mar on 23 July, 2011, and it came by defeating Jeranimo and Caracortado in 1 minute and 46.99 seconds.
However, the Pacific Classic was the special of them all. The heavily pursed race on synthetic surface was just not at Acclamation's zone, so it was thought to be the case before the race.
He broke alertly and as usual got in the front and from then on in assumed control as he willed.
On the five length pole, the runners came to them and they were allowed to run by jockey, Patrick Valenzuela, and it seemed alright with Acclamation to see them go by.
Same thing happened on the sixteenth pole mark, but this time it was Twirling Candy and he had all the right in the world to go by, but Acclamation wasn’t ready to give in and let Twirling Candy go by.
Acclamation stuck his neck out and he inspired many at the course by his spirited run. The dual he managed with Twirling Candy for the wire led to the battle and he never let him by.
Twirling Candy finished second after a hard fought race, four lengths clear of the third place finisher, Stately Victor.
Bob Baffert trained Game on Dude didn’t have much of an impact on the race as he finished fourth, just before Quindici Man , Tres Borrachos, Don Cavallo, Jeranimo and Setsuko completed the finishing order.
Acclamation under equal weight of 124 pounds earned about $600,000 for the win and became the sixth Californian-bred horse to win the Pacific Classic.
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