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Impacted Makes Huge One in London Derby

Original article written by Marzy Dotes posted 11 years 1 week ago

Dean Sparks drove up in his Trans Am just in time to saddle up for the $500,000 Grade I London Derby. His mount, a black colt with a blue shadow roll waited impatiently, stamping his hoof eager to do battle in one of the biggest tests of his life.

Sparks breezed in to the paddock and climbed aboard Impacted, one of five entries in this prestigious race. The clouds that threatened to shroud London Gallops before the race dissipated by post time as the horses proceeded to the starting gate.

Impacted took with him an impressive racing record and after the gates sprung open, he took the lead quickly enough and won the race nearly wire to wire by a half length over Moon Shattering. By doing that, he navigated his way through the neatly groomed grassy oval in 2:26 flat for the 1 ½ miles distance.

Cleo Patra picked up the winner at auction for $1.575 million and he’s been a model son so far for Tattered who’s done quite nicely at stud and Asian Champion Older Female Summer who’s by former European Horse of the Year July. Impacted trained quite well in the mornings working five furlongs in a swift 58.64 once he started wearing his beloved shadow roll.

Once he started racing, he started impressing everyone who laid eyes on him, winning his first start at a mile easily enough. He stayed at that distance winning the Red White and Blue Stakes quite nicely. But it soon became clear he loved routing best when he captured two stakes including the Deadly Stakes where he blew out an 87 speed figure.

That seemed to set him up perfectly for the Steward’s Cup Juvenile just over two weeks later. He’d be dropping back down to the mile distance but had shown his abilities there. When the gates opened, he helped set the pace early on but finished third behind two solid milers in Leader of the Keys and World Wide Fame.

He returned next year to contest in two of the Bunbury races at Louisville Downs and Sunshine Park where he hit the board behind Jack Frost in both races. Still it looked like he might appreciate running a bit further in his races so the London Derby appeared to be a good bet for his next start. He arrived in Europe looking ready to race.

Waiting for him there were some other contenders who brought credentials of their own to match up against his over the racetrack.

Robin Tan brought homebred Moon Shattering and this solid dark bay colt brought an undefeated record in five starts. This year he’d won the Sir William Stakes and then followed it up with the German Derby last time out which he won by 1 ½ lengths. He’s by South Pacific Horse of the Year Fact Not Fiction and out of European Champion Three Year Old Filly Star Shattering who’s by The Star Man. In his races, he’s taken the lead and never looked back sometimes opening up large gaps between him and the rest of the field. Would he be allowed to do the same in this race or would another horse run head to head with him up front? A question asked by many handicapping this race before they rushed off to the betting windows.

Jokerman who’s owned by Eric Nalbone who picked him up for $5 million is also out of a daughter of July, Julyette. He’s by Dark Implications, a son of Hall of Famer Black Condor who’s a half brother to the likes of European Champion Older Male Andre and South Pacific Horse of the Year Greatest. So far Jokerman has only won twice, both times outside of stakes competition but he finished second in the South African Derby last time out. He was hoping to improve on his performance this time and looked sharp being saddled in the paddock.

Rafe Usoz purchased Wish You Well for $1.303 million and he’s a nice looking son of South American Horse of the Year Celebrating, a son of July. Broodmare City Lost At Sea is a daughter of Fact Not Fiction and won quite a few stakes in her own career. Wish You Well won his first two starts including in stakes competition but the finished fifth behind Usain and Jack Frost in the Magellan Stakes. He rebounded to finish second in both the Sir Williams Stakes and German Derby behind Moon Shattering and hopes to turn the tables on his rival here.

Trapz About is a homebred of Talia Ichinari and a son of Trafalgar who’s one of the top turf routing studs. This grey colt is out of Romeo Loves Juliet who’s by Feat and he’d won three out of his five lifetime starts including the Prix Effortless Focus last time out. This race looked to be tough but jockey David Yagamata remained determined to give it his best shot.

After the horses loaded, the gates opened and not surprisingly, Impacted took the lead just a step ahead of Moon Shattering who nosed out Jokerman in the early strides of the race. The three of them muscled it out to the front of the pack in tandem while the others started falling behind. As they hit the backstretch, Jokerman snatched the lead away from Impacted and led him by a head while Impacted held onto second over Moon Shattering who opened up 7 ½ lengths on the next closest horse.

Rounding the far turn, Impacted decided he’d had enough and Sparks guided him as he took the turn wide leading by 1 ½ lengths over Moon Shattering who nosed out Jokerman. Wish You Well began to reduce the gap in fourth as he closed in on the leaders.

But in the stretch, Impacted couldn’t be denied as he battled down the lane with an equally determined Moon Shattering with Jokerman in third. All five horses raced within two lengths of one another as they hit the midstretch. Impacted prevailed at the wire though with Moon Shattering grabbing the second spot by a neck over Jokerman who finished third.

Impacted looked good as Sparks warmed him down before he took him back to the winner’s circle. He then took off to do some resting at Kensington Stud Farm before he makes his next start. He looks to be one of the top three year old male routers along with Usain, who’s been setting the racing circuit on fire in Australia and Race Rocks who reigns in Africa taking home the Cape Town Derby.


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