Grassy posts his first win of 2011 in the Grade 2 Bowling Green Handicap at Belmont Park turf.
The Christophe Clement trained 5-year-old horse, Grassy, owned the Belmont Park’s grass course when he rolled on home, downing 6 rivals in the Grade 2 $150,000 Bowling Green Handicap on the opening day of the Belmont fall meet on 10 September, 2011.
The 5-year-old gray son of El Prado was riding under jockey Garret Gomez, and went on to win the Bowling Green Handicap for the third time in his career.
Adele Dilschneider and Claiborne Farm owned Grassy, registered his first win for the year 2011. His last win also came in a Grade 2 race back in 2010 on Aqueduct turf course.
On 6 November, 2010, Grassy found his feet on his favoured distance, 1 3/8 miles, in the Grade 2 Red Smith Handicap where he destroyed his competition with the winning time of 2 minutes and 20.06 seconds.
Since the win in 2010, Grassy wasn’t allowed to run over a distance of 1 3/8 miles until on 10 September, as he picked up on the outside and moved up three wide on the turn to gain a huge advantage.
He outsprinted Chad Brown trained Centre Divider, under jockey Javier Castellano, and the James Toner conditioned Bold Hawk to hit the wire half a length ahead of them.
On a ground labelled good, Grassy under Garrett Gomez learned a thing or two about stalking, and the trip continued as the pair made tracks behind the pace setter Sal the Barber.
In the field of seven, Grassy was held off the pace, as Centre Divider and Kindergarden Kid advanced with the pace setter.
Though Grassy wasn’t winning races recently, basically winless in his last four starts, he was turning in good runs in each and everyone one of those races, but was unlucky not to convert those good runs into wins.
However, everything was in sync when Grassy turned for home, when Centre Divider had taken over form Sal the Barber for the lead.
Grassy outsprinted Centre Divider in the stretch to post a winning time of 2 minutes and 19.69 seconds, and is now improved to 5 wins out of 15 lifetime starts and he also upped his career earnings to $415,564.
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