Front-running Acclamation dominates Jim Murray

Falcon Rock (Ire) (Hawk Wing) launched his bid on the far turn, but although

he went to the front of the main body of the field, he could not come close to

threatening the leader. Acclamation was still five lengths in front through 1

1/4 miles in 2:03, and despite drifting out down the stretch, he was

unassailable as he crossed the wire in complete isolation.

"I wasn't planning to go to the front, but everybody took back so I just

inherited the lead," Santiago Reyes said through an interpreter. "I've never

been on him before so I wasn't sure what to expect. At the half-mile pole I

still hadn't let him run, he was just galloping along."

"When he came by the wire the first time, he looked beautiful, like he was in

a common gallop," Warren noted. "I was basically thinking to myself, the half in

:50, three quarters in 14 or 15. The horse will do the rest if he can."

Falcon Rock prevailed in a three-way finish for runner-up honors, and the 7-2

second choice returned $5.60 and $3.60. Rendezvous (Victory Gallop), a neck away

in third, yielded $3.60 at 4-1. Scintillo (GB) (Fantastic Light), the 2-1

favorite, checked in another neck back in fourth and was subsequently vanned

off. 

"He was in perfect position and was doing good," jockey Rafael Bejarano said

of Scintillo. "When we straightened out, he started lugging in real bad. For some

reason, he didn't feel right behind. I was trying to protect him after the

wire."

Unusual Suspect (Unusual Heat), Romp (Arg) (Incurable Optimist), Stalingrad (Glitterman),

History Boy (Grand Slam), Skellytown (Thunder Gulch) and sophomore Alphie's Bet

(Tribal Rule) completed the order of finish. Dynamic Range (Dynaformer) was

scratched.

Acclamation had previously run well at the graded level without managing to

win. Third in last year's Hollywood Derby (G1), Del Mar Derby (G2) and San

Gabriel H. (G2), as well as the Strub S. (G2) earlier this season, he was coming

off a fourth in the Inglewood H. (G3). Acclamation, whose resume also includes a

second in the 2009 Ralph M. Hinds Pomona Invitational H., now sports a mark of

18-3-2-6, $347,048.

Bred by Old English Rancho, Acclamation is the last registered foal from the

unraced Winning in Style (Silveyville), who is also responsible for the

stakes-placed pair of Strut Your Stuff (Bold Badgett) and Always in Style (Lucayan

Prince). Another of Acclamation's half-siblings, Flying in Style (Flying

Sensation), is the dam of 2007 Derby Trial S. winner, Flying First Class

(Perfect Mandate). This is the family of Grade 3 victor and multiple Grade 1-placed

Stylish Winner (Obraztsovy), and further back, multiple stakes queen Fleet Treat

(Fleet Nasrullah). Multiple Grade 1 star and $2.3 million-earner Marlin (Sword

Dance [Ire]) descends from another productive branch of this female line.

"We were sure hoping he would run like this at this distance," Warren said.

"He's out of a Silveyville mare. Silveyville could run all day on the front end.

We felt that when the time was right and he got a little more maturity, we're

going to make him a mile and one-quarter horse.

"You have to work up to it. He's actually a young four-year-old. We're lucky

if he's actually even four years old."

Acclamation's actual fourth birthday is Sunday.