Graham Motion’s trainee Icabad Crane to conclude his season with a second straight victory in the Alex M. Robb Stakes
The 6-year-old Graham Motion trained gelding, Icabad Crane, concluded his 5-year-old season with a win in the 2010 edition of the Alex M. Robb Stakes as the last stakes race of the season, and again this year, Earle I. Mack’s Icabad Crane will be looking to wind down his 6-year-old season with a win in the Alex M. Robb Stakes.
The race offers a purse of $750,000 for New York breds on 31 December, 2011, and it is run over a distance of 1 1/16 miles on the inner dirt track of the Aqueduct race course. The race has reeled in eight horses, participating in the contest restricted for 3-year-old and above males.
The New York bred son of Jump Start, out of mare Adorahy by Rahy, Icabad Crane has shown his likeness of the Aqueduct inner track, where he has gone on to win three stakes races, including last year’s Alex M. Robb Stakes.
He kicked off the 2011 season with a win on the inner track in the G’Day Mate Stakes on 17 February, 2011, over a distance of 1 mile and 70 yards under his regular jockey, Rajiv Maragh.
He has won 2 stakes races this year, including a win at Saratoga in the Evan Shipman Stakes on 25 July, 2011, on dirt, over a distance of 1 1/8 miles, where he defeated Stormy’s Majesty in second and Mine Over Matter in third, while covering the distance in 1 minute and 51.41 seconds.
Icabad Crane is exiting a third place finish in the Adirondack Holme Stakes to winner, Groomedforvictory, and second place finisher, Johannesburg Smile, at about a mile over the Aqueduct’s dirt track.
“[The Adirondack Holme] was not an ideal race as it was one turn and was probably a little short for him,” said Motion. “He kind of just ran out of ground. I think [the two turns and extra distance of the Alex M. Robb] makes it a fairer match.”
“He’s one of our favorites, not only because he’s been around for so long, but also because he’s a lovely character,” said Motion. “He’s an ideal horse, really, for an owner. He’s made 29 starts, even though we have tried to space out his races.”
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