Suntracer to top the field of nine in the Woodchopper Stakes at Fair Grounds
The 3-year-old Team Block owned colt, Suntracer and his connections will take a sigh of relief knowing that All in Stable’s highly regarded Willcox Inn is not participating in the Woodchopper Stakes at Fair Grounds race course on 25 November, 2011, over
at a mile on turf, strictly for 3-year-old males.
Willcox Inn has been a thorn in Suntracer’s side for the whole of the season, and kept him at bay on many occasions where Suntracer could’ve won without Willcox Inn running in the race.
The most recent occasion was the most important one, the Grade 3 Hawthorne Derby at Hawthorne race course on 15 October, 2011, over at a distance of 1 1/8 miles. There Willcox Inn with a pace that was held up, broke from near the back to swoop past his opponents
and win it in style.
The winner made it extremely easy, but made it tough for Suntracer who was forced to run four wide in the final furlong because Willcox Inn’s break away run from the pack. Suntracer was beaten by 4 and half lengths on the day.
Apart from Willcox Inn among the top 3 in the Hawthorne Derby, Suntracer and Friendly Banter who finished second and third respectively with a neck apart at Hawthorne will match strides once again in the Woodchopper Stakes at Fair Grounds when they top a
field of nine.
Apart from an allowance race at a mile and an allowance claimer at 1 1/16 miles, Suntracer wasn’t able to post a win anywhere else in his 8 starts this season, though came real close to winning in stakes company.
Willcox Inn got the better of Suntracer in the Arlington Classic at Arlington Park on 28 May, 2011, on turf, where Willcox Inn went all out in the final strides to spoil a spirited run by Suntracer to win the stakes race.
After a month or so, the two met again in the Grade 2 American Derby at Arlington Park, this time over at 1 3/16 miles on 9 July, 2011, Suntracer gave way again to Willcox Inn second time running who obliged the invitation to overhaul his competitor to make
him finish second behind him yet again.
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