Cut back to a shorter trip in yesterday’s six-furlong None Such Sprint after finishing third at the half-mile and fourth turning for home in last month’s Mouttet Mile, United States-bred PACK PLAYS wired champion trainer Jason DaCosta’s pair, DOTHRAKI and CALIFORNIA CROWN, reminding his Grade One rivals of his blistering speed.
Sent straight to the lead by nine-pound claimer Emelio McLean, PACK PLAYS first shook off the challenge of lightweight local-bred CALIFORNIA CROWN, ridden by Abigail Able, blunting DaCosta’s tag-team tactics and leaving fellow American DOTHRAKI with too much ground to make up in the stretch run.
PACK PLAYS won at odds of 5-2, defying doubts cast by his disappointing run as the 1-5 favourite at five and a half furlongs on June 20, when he finished five lengths fourth in the event won by Anthony Nunes-trained SIR DON, who upset stablemate OF A REVOLUTION.
Nunes’ OF A REVOLUTION was among the victims of PACK PLAYS’ return to form, finishing fourth, eight and three-quarter lengths behind the winner, who clocked 1:10.3 for the trip on a track that was still running fast around the bends. Strong east-west winds and parching heat continued to evaporate moisture from the surface faster than the water trucks could replenish it.
PACK PLAYS’ front-running victory propelled the five-year-old into the lead in the race for Mouttet Mile qualification points behind win-and-you’re-in qualifiers RIDEALLDAY and PHENOMENAL POWER, moving 10 points clear of GIRVANO after collecting 60 points in the None Such Sprint.
However, the Stay Thirsty-Standard Deal colt has failed to stay the Mouttet Mile distance in two attempts, outfinished by nemesis and two-time runner-up LEGACY ISLE whenever trying to dictate the pace in the US$300,000 event.
