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 Squirtle Squirt and Jerry Bailey take their walk down Victory Lane after winning the Sprint. |
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Dateline: 10/27/01
When the gate opened in the Sprint, Xtra Heat went straight to the front, with Caller One and Squirtle Squirt in chase. Leading the procession by a length most of the way, she set early fractions of 22.45, 44.75, and 56.30. But inside the final furlong, Bobby Frankel trainee Squirtle Squirt came through on the outside under a hard ride by Jerry Bailey, dug in gamely and prevailed by half a length. The win finally breaks the jinx, giving Frankel a Breeders' Cup win in his 39th try. Final time was 1:08.41 for the 6 furlong event. Caller One finished third, a neck back of Xtra Heat. Favored Kona Gold finished seventh, having been outpaced early and was dead last after the first half mile and lacked a rally.
Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show 3 Squirtle Squirt Bailey 21.20 10.60 9.20 1 Xtra Heat Chavez 16.20 13.20 6 Caller One Nakatani 10.00 Winning Time: 1:08.41 $2 Exacta 3-1 290.00 $2 Trifecta 3-1-6 2,162.00 $2 Superfecta 3-1-6-12 27,799.00Results Chart from Equibase
Jockey Jerry Bailey gives the thumbs up on Squirtle Squirt. He said: "He laid third and I didn't have much choice but to go on today. I didn't know about this one but I thought we could win (for Frankel) before the day was over. I just got outrun (out of the gate). I didn't want the lead and I certainly couldn't grab him and take a hold. It wouldn't have been good for him. I was hoping he would relax if they outran him, and he did. Then he punched it in pretty good."
Squirtle Squirt in the winner's circle. Trainer Bobby Frankel said: "This was my fourth choice to win a Breeders' Cup race. I thought I'd win one with You and Aptitude and he was my fourth horse. You can never figure it out. I thought the inside was going to bury him. I thought the speed was going to bury him but it just worked out good."
Squirtle Squirt in the post parade. He was named by Lanzman's son Justin but was supposed to be Squirtle Squirtle. The last two letters got cut off on the fax to the Jockey Club so he was registered as Squirtle Squirt instead.
Second place finisher Xtra Heat in the post parade. Trainer John Satzman said: "That's what I hoped she would do except the last two jumps. She won for me. I'm very proud of her. We have several races for her after this if she comes out of it okay. We were invited to Dubai and then there is the DeFrancis Dash (at Laurel Park). We'll just have to see how she comes out of this."
Third place finisher Caller One in the post parade. Jockey Corey Nakatani said: "I was trying to be as patient as I can because he hasn't run in a while. This horse is good. He's as stout as they come; what more can you ask for. This track isn't favoring speed. I tried to wait as long as I could but that other horse was just running a little better."
Favorite and last year's winner Kona Gold finished seventh this year. Trainer Bruce Headley said: "I have no idea. He just got outrun. Either he didn't like the track or he's just worn out."
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Photos ©2001, Cindy Pierson Dulay and Terence Dulay