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Nightmare for favorite backers
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Nightmare Affair shocked in taking the Smile Sprint
(Eleanor Gustafson/Horsephotos.com) |
Timber Side Stables' NIGHTMARE AFFAIR (Out of Place) brought a three-stakes winning skein into Saturday's $500,000
Smile Sprint H. (G2), but he
figured to be overlooked against champion Lost in the Fog (Lost Soldier) and
other notable sprinters in the 13-horse field. Sure enough, the five-year-old
was dismissed at nearly 15-1 by the betting public, but the Manny Azpurua-trained
horse kept right on rolling despite the class hike, closing powerfully on the
far outside to collar Pomeroy (Boundary) and Weigelia (Safely's Mark) in deep
stretch. He drew clear late to post a two-length decision and provided
apprentice jockey Jeffrey Sanchez with his first graded win.Lost in the Fog didn't show his usual speed at the start, but he secured a
good stalking position in midpack. He lacked a rally when asked by Russell Baze
on the far turn and weakened to ninth. Last year's champion sprinter has now
lost two of three starts this year after winning eight straight in 2005.
Nightmare Affair is building a nice winning streak, capturing the Ponche H., Champali S. and Hilton Garden Inn Sprint S. after dropping his first five
attempts this year, and he's now won a total of eight black-type events,
compiling an admirable overall mark of 40-11-10-9. Saturday's $294,000 payday
boosted his earnings to $851,630. In the Smile, the gray raced in eighth as Joey
P. (Close Up) led the way through splits in :21 3/5 and :44 1/5, and Sanchez
still had a lot of horses to pass as he swung wide for the stretch drive.
Nightmare Affair responded, setting his sights on Weigelia, who took over
through five furlongs in :56 4/5, and Pomeroy, who had rallied into contention
in midstretch in his first start of the year.
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The winner returned $31.40, $10.80 and $6.20 as the eighth choice among 12
betting interests and keyed the $309 exacta with runner-up Pomeroy, who was off
at 11-1 with entrymate Chandtrue (Yes It's True) and turned in a very
encouraging performance in his first start back, paying $10.20 and $7.40. Weigelia,
who wound up another 1 1/4 lengths behind in third, gave back $8.40 and capped
the $2,227.80 trifecta at 13-1. Kelly's Landing (Patton) rounded out the
$16,721.20, 6-1-5-3 superfecta. Mister Fotis (Diligence), Joey P., Friendly
Island (Crafty Friend), Gold Storm (Seeking the Gold), Lost in the Fog,
Universal Form (Formal Dinner), Chandtrue, B.B. Best (Yes It's True) and Gaff
(Maria's Mon) came next under the wire.
Bred in Florida by Sandra McKinney, Nightmare Affair is the first foal to
start out of the multiple stakes-placed Beaux Arts Ball (Black Tie Affair [Ire])
and counts the Grade 3-placed filly Off the Richter (Richter Scale) and a 2006
filly named Perfectly Pleasant (Pleasantly Perfect) as half-siblings. This is
the same female family of stakes winner and 1996 Hollywood Futurity (G1)
runner-up Stolen Gold.
Azpurua said Nightmare Affair could ship to Saratoga for his next start.
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