GOOD AFTERNOON AND WELCOME TO SUPURRR~SATURDAY
AT THE CHARLES TOWN RACE TRACK .... DOO-DA DOO-DA
OUR FEATURE EVENT TODAY IN HONOUR OF PRINCE
**THE PURPLE RAIN STAKES**
WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT FIELD OF 12 RUNNERS TODAY
WITH 2 SCRATCHES: OAKLAWN CAPPER
WHO IS STILL TRYING TO FIND HIS WAY OUT OF ARKANSAS
AND
POST TIME MIKE ALSO IS A NO SHOW
BUT, WE HAVE HAD NO EXPLANATION FROM HIS TRAINER
THE HORSES ARE ENTERING THE STARTING GATE
EXCEPT FOR STARK -- WHO IS BEING A NAUGHTY BOY
AND GIVING THE HANDLERS A HARD TIME
BUT A LITTLE SWEET TALKIN AND SWEET PEPPERMINT HAS NOW
CONVINCED HIM TO ENTER THE STARTING GATE
AND AWAAAAAAAAAAAY THEY GO
NOBODY SEEMS TO WANT THE EARLY LEAD BUT A FEW HAVE INHERITED IT ---
BLUNNY ..... DUSTY ...... PEEPTOAD ...... REAL QUIET
EL PRADO & CRIMINAL TYPE
JUST A COUPLE OF LENGTHS BEHIND THAT GROUP ARE
RUFFIAN - CATALINA - CIGARSHOP - TIGER DANCER
ANOTHER FEW LENGTHS BACK ARE JOHN HENRY & STARK
WHO LEFT THE GATE VERY SLOWLY --- NOT FINDING THEIR BEST STRIDE YET
OUT OF THE TURN THEY COME
AND NOW THE REAL RUNNING HAS BEGUN
AS SEVERAL HAVE TURNED UP THE HEAT TO HIGH
CATALINA & CRIMINAL TYPE
NOW TAKING COMMAND OF THE LEAD
JUST OFF OF THEIR TAILS ARE -- DUSTY, BLUNNY, REAL QUIET
TIGER DANCER & PEEPTOAD ARE NEXT
A FEW MORE LENGTHS BACK ARE
JOHN HENRY -- RUNNING FOR A REPEAT
EL PRADO, RUFFIAN & CIGARSHOP
AND WAY FAR BACK WE SEE STARK
WHO APPEARS TO BE STRUGGLING WITH THE TRACK SURFACE -
NOT GAINING ANY GROUND ON THE FIELD IN FRONT OF HIM
THEY'RE AT THE TOP OF THE STRETCH
CRIMINAL TYPE APPEARS TO HAVE JUMPED A SHADOW
ALMOST COLLIDING WITH CATALINA!
HE HAS LOST ALL MOMENTUM & DROPPING BACK QUICKLY
CATALINA IS NOW ALONE ON THE LEAD
BUT THE CLOSERS ARE PUTTING THE PRESSURE ON AND GAINING GROUND
ON THE SPEEDY CATALINA WITH EVERY STRIDE
EL PRADO SUDDENLY HAS SHIFTED INTO HIGH GEAR
AND NOW HAS TAKEN OVER THE LEAD
REAL QUIET WITH EQUAL DETERMINATION, POWER & SPEED
IS NOW RUNNING NECK AND NECK WITH EL-PRADO
CATALINA HAS DROPPED BACK TO 3rd NOW
PEEPTOAD IS JUST OFF OF THE TAIL OF CATALINA
IT'S A TIGHTLY BUNCHED GROUP OF FOUR
RUNNING JUST A COUPLE OF LENGTHS BEHIND THE LEADERS
DUSTY & CIGARSHOP NECK AND NECK --- SIDE-BY-SIDE
BLUNNY & JOHN HENRY ARE NEXT
RUFFIAN & TIGER DANCER, JOINED BY CRIMINAL TYPE
ARE AT THE BACK OF THE PACK
AND RUNNING IN HIS OWN TIME ZONE IS --- STARK
AND DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME
EL-PRADO FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS
REAL QUIET ---- JUST OFF HER TAIL
CATALINA --- STILL RUNNING STRONGLY AND NOT OUT OF IT YET
PEEPTOAD IS STILL IN WITH A SHOT
BUT HOLD ON FOLKS....
THE CROWD IS SUDDENLY ON THEIR FEET
SCREAMING LIKE A PACK OF BANSHEES
SOMEONE IS COMING UP THE RAIL PASSING ONE AFTER ANOTHER
LIKE THEY WERE JUST TROTTING!
IT'S HARD TO TELL EXACTLY WHO IT IS YET ---
NOW WE CAN FINALLY SEE THE HOT PINK SILKS ~
IT'S RUFFIAN WHO SUDDENLY FROM THE BACK OF THE PACK
LET HER "INNER CHEETAH" COME OUT TO PLAY
DOING HER BEST CRYPTOCLEARANCE IMPRESSION!!
THE ROAR OF THE CROWD MATCHES THE ROAR OF THE RUFF ONE
AS SHE HAS FLOWN BY EVERYBODY IN FRONT OF HER INCLUDING
EL PRADO WHO LOOKS A LITTLE BIT STUNNED
AT BEING PASSED SO CLOSE TO THE WIRE
AS RUFFIAN'S TAIL DISAPPEARS QUICKLY INTO THE DISTANCE
THERE IS NO DOUBT ABOUT WHO WILL BE STANDING
IN THE WINNER'S CIRCLE TODAY ---
IN THE FINAL FURLONG THE FIERY FILLY MADE A MOCKERY
OF WHAT HAD BEEN A CLOSELY CONTESTED RACE
THERE WILL BE A PHOTO TO DETERMINE SECOND-PLACE
WHATEVER FIRED RUFFIAN UP TODAY...
SHOULD BE PUT INTO THE OTHER HORSE'S FEED ON A REGULAR BASIS
PERHAPS HER TRAINER MIGHT GIVE US A CLUE LATER
THO "HIGHLY" UNLIKELY
$$-OFFICIAL ORDER OF FINISH-$$
1st ~ RUFFIAN ........................... $135.40
~WINNER / QUEEN OF THE TRACK~2nd ~ EL-PRADO ...........................$90.00
3rd ~ REAL QUIET .........................$86.40
4th ~ CATALINA ...........................$75.80
... (ANOTHER GOLDEN RING BUT ALSO MORE DANGER FROM GOLLUM)
======= ALSO RAN =======
PEEPTOAD ......................... $72.80
DUSTY AND
CIGARSHOP = DH ............... $65.20
BLUNNY ............................ $62.60
JOHN HENRY (DC) ............... $54.80
TIGER DANCER ................... $49.00
CRIMINAL TYPE .................. $48.80
STARK ............................... $25.40
PULLED UP IN FINAL FURLONG
WILL BE EXAMINED BACK AT THE BARN
.... THEN OFF TO THE DOG-HOUSE
..... *****************************************
WE NOW BID YOU A GOOD EVENING
AND A SAFE, SOBER, NON TEXTING DRIVE HOME
*****************************************
~Graphics By: TIGER DANCER~