Sharp Sensation, who had not placed in two prior grass attempts, held on to
defeat venerable fan favorite Ben’s Cat by a neck in the $300,000
Turf
Monster Handicap at
Parx Racing on Labor Day.
A 16-1 outsider ridden by David Moran, Sharp Sensation save ground while
tracking Bold Thunder through an opening quarter of :21 4/5 on the good turf.
Angling out for running around the far turn, Sharp Sensation wore down the
pacesetter in mid-stretch, opened up a 1 1/2-length lead with a furlong to go,
and just held off the 2-1 favorite in a time of :57 1/5 for five furlongs.
The winner returned $34.60 to win for owners Jim and Susan Hill and his
Woodbine-based trainer Reade Baker.
Ben’s Cat, seeking a third win in the Turf Monster and a 23rd career stakes
win overall, endured trouble around the turn while saving ground, moved outside
in the stretch to commence his bid and ran out of real estate. He finished 1 1/2
lengths ahead of Tightend Touchdown, who was 1 1/4 lengths ahead of 2013
Vosburgh winner Private Zone.
Completing the order of finish were Tell All You Know, A P Elvis, 2013 Turf
Monster winner Stormofthecentury, Bold Thunder, Risk Factor, Berlino Di Tiger,
and Petey Cramer.
An easy winner in two of his first three outings over Polytrack at Woodbine,
Sharp Sensation finished sixth in his stakes debut in the April 13 Jacques
Cartier at the Toronto track. Following a rebound allowance victory the
following month, the four-year-old gelded son of Sharp Humor crossed the border
to Erie, Pennsylvania, where he landed the $100,000 Karl Boyes Memorial on
Presque Isle Downs’ Tapeta surface.
Sharp Sensation faded in his first two outings on the grass. In the July 12
Parx Dash, he dueled for the lead before weakening to fifth, 2 3/4 lengths
behind Ben’s Cat. Last time, in the seven-furlong Play the King at Woodbine,
Sharp Sensation set a quick pace before faltering to seventh in a field of 10.
His record now stands at 9-5-0-0, $353,640.
Bred in Kentucky by Hunter Valley Farm, Sharp Sensation was produced by the
Royal Academy mare Accusation, who has also reared the stakes-placed Edgerin J,
True Religion, and Innocent Man.
Sharp Sensation’s third dam was the multiple stakes-winning Rascal Rascal,
whose offspring included 1997 Epsom Derby winner Benny the Dip, multiple Grade 3
winner Cryptic Rascal, and Group 3 winner Beggarman Thief. Also hailing from
this line is Grade 1 winner Western Aristocrat.
Sharp Sensation was a $55,000 Keeneland November weanling purchase.
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