After a successful 2011 on turf Ultimate Eagle will answer questions on dirt in the new season
B. J. Wright’s Ultimate Eagle had a pleasant experience when he got switched from synthetic surface to turf as a three-year-old colt, dwelling over poly tracks for his first three starts in the quest to break his maiden and getting his sophomore season underway, but those three starts were forgetful enough that trainer, Michael Pender thought of switching the surface.
This is the best decision he made regarding Ultimate Eagle’s future, because the Mizzen Mast colt relished the new change under his feet, and landed 4 on the trot, including breaking his maiden at first asking over the new surface at Del Mar, on 31 July, 2011, going over a distance of 1 1/16 miles.
It was his fourth attempt at the maiden overall, but Ultimate Eagle was reborn in the true racing sense, achieving much more that he possibly would’ve failed to, if persisted on poly track.
The Kentucky bred out of mare Letithappencaptain by Captain Bodgit, Ultimate Eagle stayed at Del Mar and annihilated an allowance/optional claimer field at 1 1/16 miles on 3 September, 2011, covering the distance in 1 minute and 42.64 seconds.
It was time for graded stakes company and that too on grass.
The Grade 2 Oak Tree Derby had a pretty good lineup, but Ultimate Eagle had his feel good factor on turf, and he was riding for his third straight win since switching to the new surface.
It was an easy win, and from going nowhere a few months back, Ultimate Eagle had now a grade 2 status to his name, and it wasn’t going to stop there as he downed the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at even farther distance of 1 ¼ miles, at Hollywood Park, to complete the comeback.
After a third place finish in the Grade 2 Sir Beaufort Stakes at Santa Anita over a mile to winner, Mr.Commons, at the year’s end, Ultimate Eagle is now to be tested over dirt for the first time in his 8 career starts.
He kicked off his career last April, and it was too late for a race over Santa Anita’s dirt track, but this time he is ready for it.
His first assignment as a 4-year-old will be tackling a hefty field in the Grade 2 Strub Stakes at Santa Anita. The race is scheduled on 4 February, 2012, at about 1 1/8 miles on dirt against the likes of Prayer for Relief and Tapizar.
The mouth watering encounter will also dish out whether Ultimate Eagle is made for dirt or not.
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