Texas Mile

Thiskyhasnolimit (Post Position 5) gets a decent bump from Friesan Fire out of the gate, but from here Justin Shepard is able to work out a textbook perfect trip. He tracks in fourth down the backside about three wide, sitting chilly behind the dueling Gladding and Kate’s Main Man, who both had no trouble getting to the lead. It only gets better for Shepard when Gabriel Saez moves prematurely with Friesan Fire, widest of them all, still on the backside nearing the turn. Kate’s Main Man begins to drop out of it from the rail while Gladding is able to turn back Friesan Fire’s challenge from the outside as well. Shepard revs up four or five wide to pass Friesan and take on Gladding.  

With Gladding now having already deposed of two challengers, Thiskyhasnolimit should be expected to win going away, yet Gladding is as game as can be with Jon Court doing a tremendous job to get everything out of him, and does not give up the lead until 50 yards out from the wire. Thiskyhasnolimit can only muster a half length win.

Gladding, leading, doing all the dirty work up top. Thiskyhasnolimit, highlighted in white, sitting the perfect trip.

This wasn’t Secretariat’s Belmont, but Gladding was quite astonishing. To have matched strides with Kate’s Main Man, who’s no slouch himself and a solid Grade 3 type, turn back Friesan Fire (finishing 8 3/4s and 7 lengths ahead of these two) and throw down with Thiskyhasnolimit in the stretch was very impressive. Sure the pace wasn’t sizzling (:24:1, 47:4, 1:11:3) but he absolutely ran the best race and should be highly thought of next out, especially at a mile.

And despite winning, Thiskyhasnolimit continues to prove that he needs everything to go his way to win at this level. Be cautious of playing him next out, as this effort will look exceedingly better on paper than it was in all actuality.

Official Chart