Ultimate Eagle won the Strub Stakes for fun for owner B. J. Wright and trainer Michael Pender
It was all Tapizar, going into the Grade 2, $200,000 Strub Stakes, but Ultimate Eagle turned the tables on him, as he ran away to a massive win on many accounts at Santa Anita Park, under jockey M. Pedroza, on 4 February, 2012, at about 1 1/8 miles.
Against seven other 4-year-old males, Ultimate Eagle, after making 3 early starts of his career on synthetic surface and then opting for grass for his next 5 starts, made his debut on dirt in the Grade 2 Strub Stakes, and considering it was his first start of the 2012 campaign, the Kentucky bred eased past his opponents like it was nothing special, and posted a breath taking 7 ¼ length victory over a pair of Bob Baffert trainees, Jaycito and Prayer for Relief.
It was by no means a cake walk for any runner, building up to the race, but nobody would’ve guessed with the likes of Tapizar, Prayer for Relief and Ballardy present in one field that Ultimate Eagle would toss them aside like he did in the 1 1/8 mile test, especially when making his debut on a surface he has never tried before.
At the end, it was a big gamble and it paid off amazingly well for trainer, Michael Pender, and owner, B. J. Wright, as the Mizzen Mast colt bolted to victory.
Out of mare Letithappencaptain by Captain Bodgit, Ultimate Eagle showed some early speed off the inside, as he dueled for the lead.
He started his move under jockey M. Pedroza at the backstretch, as he inched away nearing the half mile pole, and under some hard urging, Ultimate Eagle dashed to victory over Jaycito, who angled back in the second turn, and was clearly the second best.
The year is still young, and there will be a lot expected from Ultimate Eagle, who cruised to victory in the most important race that will shape his career nicely, and after being thoroughly successful over turf, now he has to prove that he is equally good on dirt.
"We've been envisioning this race for the last six months," Pender said afterwards. "We wanted to show he's a dirt horse."
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