US Handicappers Corner: Dullahan gets it right at last

Dullahan won the G1 TVG Pacific Classic

Simon Rowlands takes a look at the biggest performances over the weekend in North America...

The two biggest races of the week in North America were both million-dollar mile-and-a-quarter affairs, at Saratoga and Del Mar. But, to a large degree, that is where the similarities ended.

Whereas the TVG Pacific Classic on the latter track brought clarity to the upper echelons, the Travers Stakes at Saratoga the day before served mostly to muddy the waters further among the leading three-year-olds.

The Travers is usually a stopping-off point for one or more of the season's top classic males, but, with the generational leaders having fallen by the way side, it had a distinctly second-division look to it this time round.

In a bunched finish, the favourite Alpha got up to dead-heat with the unfancied Golden Ticket, both considered to have run to 120, substandard for a winner of the race. Fast Falcon (no better than 112 previously) and the Belmont Stakes third Atigun (now trimmed to 119) were snapping at their heels.

But perhaps the cupboard is not so bare among the sophomores. For, little more than 24 hours later, Dullahan struck a telling blow for the younger brigade over at Del Mar.

It's been a long time in coming, but Dullahan has promised to deliver a big performance before now and it finally happened when he lowered the colours of the high-class Game On Dude and Richard's Kid (twice a winner of this race) seemingly on merit.

Dullahan's 128 rating has him as comfortably the best of the active three-year-old colts around now and 1 lb ahead of the leading three-year-old filly, Questing. It remains something of a moot point as to whether Dullahan ideally needs a synthetic surface: he has won all three of his starts on one.

The main supporting event at Saratoga to the Travers, the seven-furlong G1 King's Bishop Stakes, was no less confusing than the big one. Outsider Willy Beamin came late to prevail, with only a length and a half covering the first five, and ran to an unexceptional 117. Trinniberg and Currency Swap got caught up in the predicted pace battle, and both are still rated more highly than the winner.

Otherwise, it was a week dominated by fillies and mares running at Saratoga. Turbulent Descent kicked off with a ready success in the G1 Ballerina Stakes at seven furlongs on dirt, running to 118 but remaining on 122; Zagora ran a lifetime best (121 rating) in breaking the extended mile turf course record in the G2 Ballston Spa Stakes; and Contested despatched some useful, rather than better, rivals in the G1 Test Stakes at seven furlongs on dirt.

Contested overcame a rather awkward start to show that she is not one-dimensional in running style, which should stand this 121-rated daughter of Ghostzapper in good stead for more exacting tasks ahead.

Contested's tribulations were nothing compared to those of It's Tricky in the G1 Personal Ensign Handicap. She all but came down leaving the gate but recovered to dispute the lead early in the straight before finishing a close and most creditable third to Love And Pride. At the same time, the favourite Royal Delta came wide and could not quite get to the winner.

The result might have been different on a different day, but there was no disgrace in any case in either Royal Delta (now rated 126) and It's Tricky (rated 125) - the 1-2 in last year's Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic - losing to a smart rival who received plenty of weight.

Saratoga's world-class meeting is drawing to a close, but there is still time for one last hurrah this coming Saturday, when the card at The Spa features the G1 $750k Woodward Stakes over nine furlongs and the G1 $500k Forego Stakes over seven furlongs, both for three-year-olds.