7F DIRT
Liberated Treasure – David Rittenhouse
Maleficent – Benjamin Pitt
Mochachina – Chloe Donahue
Pied Piper – Evander Thorne

There’s been a steady drizzle all morning, so the dirt track is damp, but not sloppy. We’ll see how this group goes with clumpier footing. This will be a nice longer sprint of seven furlongs, and all but one of our set today enjoys both surfaces, with two of them favoring dirt. Mochachina drew the first gate, she hates the inside so we’ll see how she breaks today. Her trainers are desperate to wrangle her racing to get her career shaped up – with only a little over a year and a half left before she retires, she’s at a low G4 at present. Piped Piper has drawn the gate next to her, the gray stallion has been a founding asset of NDM for several years, and like the next two is hitting the older HOTY division. Liberated Treasure is pitching a fit, but several hands have gotten her shoved in. Maleficent is taking the final post, she’s nicely listening to her jockey today.

On the run now, Maleficent has taken an easy reach for the lead, but she’s small compared to the steam train that is Liberated Treasure, who is following her. Pied Piper knows his stable mate, and is after dueling with the huge black mare, himself on the inside of her. The gray is dwarfed by the black, and the two are shifting who is ahead of the other every few strides. It’s unclear if the mare has taken up the stallion’s challenge of a match race yet. Mochachina had a clean break, and she’s let the field get ahead of her.

Liberated Treasure has accepted the contest by Pied Piper, the pair are growing faster and faster with each stride. Maleficent has seen their approach, her jockey has egged her into a faster pace. The speed is heavy now, the three sprinter stars of NDM are clumping together, the damp dirt is flying! Mochachina is still trailing the pack, her jockey has let her come wide around the turn, focusing on giving her a good ride and exercising those legs.

Liberated Treasure has broken free of the group and is bounding for the lead! Maleficent has increased her efforts in response, and Pied Piper is reaching hard to elongate his stride to catch up. The freight train black is fully on her game today, and she’s shoved her head out, brilliantly fighting for the win. She’s got it! Pied Piper and Maleficent are too close to call for second and third without a photo finish, and Chloe Donahue is pushing Mochachina past the wire after the heavy hitters, urging her to keep her speed to build some stamina after the race.