Ultra Blend surprises everyone at Del Mar after a major upset in the Clement Hirsch, outrunning Zazu and Switch
The longest shot in the field of five fillies and mares, Ultra Blend went all out to win the $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar on 6 August, 2011, after a hard fought race with Zazu and Switch in the stretch.
The Californian bred 5-year-old mare was sent at odds of 10 to 1 and she was the longest shot on board, the ultra consistent mare has finished on the cards 21 times out of her 23 lifetimes starts with 11 victories.
Tyler Baze was aboard Ultra Blend, who went on to win his first grade 1 race after returning back from a serious eye injury he sustained back in 2010.
Trained by Art Sherman for owner Nels Erickson, Ultra Blend is one of those game fillies, who don’t get a lot of respect being a Californian bred when she runs in open company said trainer Art Sherman.
Ultra Blend has shown promise this year, with 3 wins out of her last 5 starts and two runners up positions shows the she is going to blossom in to a formidable mare, and that impressive winning stretch included her first graded stakes win in the Grade 2
Milady Handicap, also giving trainer Art Sherman with his first stakes win of the Del Mar meet.
With the Clement Hirsch win, Ultra Blend earned an automatic spot in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic which will be held at Churchill Downs on 4 November, 2011. The Clement L. Hirsch is part of the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” series.
Daughter of Richly Blended out of Ankha by Desert Classic, Ultra Blend started off slow with jockey Tyler Baze, who was content to keep the mare off the pace in the 1 1/16 mile event.
On the other hand Freedom Star ran away with the lead over the grade 1 winning three-year-old filly, Zazu and Switch, the odds on favourite in a field victim of early scratches reduced to five.
Baze was waiting for the final turn as he urged the game mare, who obliged with faster and longer strides, ultimately she was in contention while riding on the outside.
It was wide open as the field progressed to the stretch, with Joel Rosario over Switch just edged by a head over Ultra Blend who was riding on the outside.
Zazu was tucked at the rails under Garrett Gomez.
It was anyone’s race until Tyler Baze decided to initiate the final blow, as he took her under a strong drive in the deep stretch and Ultra Blend responded in fine fashion as she fought her way courageously to the wire.
Zazu was handed a tough loss, who was in the race to be the first 3-year-old to win the Clement Hirsch while Switch finished third.
Ultra Blend shot up her earnings to a whopping $845,646 , with 11 wins out of 23 starts.
Tags: