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Home Run Derby Knocks It Out of the Park

Original article written by Fanta Arcadia posted 12 years 0 weeks ago

Out of all of the Triple Crown races this year, the Long Island Classic proved to be the most interesting of all. Sword was attempting to win two of the three jewels with relative ease, but it seems as though the hard spring campaign has finally caught up with the talented gray colt. He finished third, just three quarters of a length behind the fleet Akon.

Even though Sword lost, Laura Ferguson still walked away with two wins this year in the Triple Crown series as Sword's less touted stablemate Home Run Derby ran off with the garland of carnations instead.

The race was contentious from the moment the gates sprang open and the field was sent on its way. Bodega Head was quick to take command by a length and a quarter with all of the heavy hitters content to trail with the rest of the pack. Home Run Derby moved from his sixth place position to edge into fifth, two lengths ahead of Sword and Akon continued to hold eighth.

Sword soon began his move and ranged up into fourth as Home Run Derby drifted back to seventh, around the sweeping turns of Long Island Park they came as they hit the top of the stretch. Bodega Bay could not sustain his lead any longer and drifted back to fifth as the unlikely hero, the underdog Home Run Derby charged up to seize command of the race. Akon and Sword were chasing him in vain as Home Run Derby was prepared to run the race of his life.

Home Run Derby scored the win by a length and a half, with just three parts of a length separating Akon and Sword. Home Run Derby scored an eighty-six speed figure and grabbed $500,000 for his owner and breeder Laura Ferguson. Home Run Derby competed in the Louisville Derby and had skipped the Baltimore Crown in favor of coming straight to New York.

Home Run Derby is a son of sire Then (by End Result-Now [Blades Hill]) and out of Babe Ruth (by Loki Dynasty-Cherish the Moment [Tremendous]). His earnings are now within striking distance of the $800,000 mark, he has won five of seven starts with a second in the End Result Stakes and a fifth in the Louisville Derby. He is a dark bay colt, standing at 15.2 hands high and has no visible markings.

Second place finisher Akon has competed in all three Triple Crown races with a third in the Louisville Derby, fourth in the Baltimore Crown, and now a second in the Long Island Classic. He is a dark bay, three year old colt standing at seventeen hands high with a star and snip on his face. He has won five starts out of eight, with a second, a third, and a fourth. He also has $870,000 in career earnings. Akon is sired by Flames (by Oak Park-Wedon'tneedwords [Chesapeake Bay]) and is out of Part of My Heart (by Loki Dynasty-Piece of the Moon [Five Circles]).

Third place finisher is Sword, he is a gray son of War Daddy (by Advanced Guard-Shalevet Pass [Blades Hill]) and out of Wreath of Lillies (by Unheard Of-Sea Jewel [Sea Hero]). He has won five out of seven starts with a win in the Louisville Derby and Steward's Cup Juvenile, he finished second in the Baltimore Crown, and third in the Long Island Classic. He has $2.6 million in career earnings.


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