Discreetness gets head-bobbing win in Springboard Mile

It was a blanket finish on the wire in Sunday evening’s closing day feature at Remington Park. In the end, Discreetness got the head-bob over Suddenbreakingnews to take the $250,000 Springboard Mile S. with jockey Jon Court aboard.

The race attracted a number of notable runners, including the well-bred Battle Tap and stakes-winning Uncle Brennie. Esposito attracted the most attention from the wagering public, though, and was sent off the 7-5 favorite off a Del Mar maiden win.

The field separated itself into two different groups when the gates opened, with Giant Trick leading the way through an opening half-mile in :23.50 and :46.58. Esposito was stalking along the rail at the back of the first group while Discreetness was near the front of the second group. Suddenbreakingnews had taken up position in the rear of the field.

Things got interesting rounding the turn as everyone began their runs. Esposito swung off the inside and was joined by Discreetness entering the turn. Those two circled the front runners with Suddenbreakingnews hot on their hooves.

Esposito took a short lead upon hitting the lane with Discreetness to his outside and Cash Bonus down on the inside. Cash Bonus began falling back and Esposito moved over a bit, leaving a gap between him and Discreetness.

Suddenbreakingnews saw that hole and moved up between the two just as Esposito began coming out a bit to close the gap. Discreetness stuck his head in front but Suddenbreakingnews was still coming hard to his inside while in tight between his rivals.

The wire hit just as Discreetness bobbed his head down. The official margin was a nose as the two-year-old son of Discreet Cat stopped the clock for a mile on the sloppy, sealed track in 1:39.15. Suddenbreakingnews was game in defeat, three parts of a length up on Esposito, who in turn held that same margin on fourth-placer Cutacorner.

Discreetness entered the Springboard Mile off a fourth-placing in the Street Sense S. at Churchill Downs on November 1. Prior to that, the Jinks Fires-trained juvenile recorded an 8 1/2-length score against allowance/optional claiming rivals at the same venue in September.

Discreetness opened his career for owner Xpress Thoroughbreds with a first-out win at Arlington but was unable to factor next out in the Arlington-Washington Futurity (G3). The bay colt earned his first stakes victory in this spot and improved his career line to 5-3-0-0 while boosting his earnings to $192,122.

Discreetness is reportedly headed to Oaklawn Park’s Smarty Jones S. on January 18 to begin his journey on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Earlier on the card, Cassatt added a fifth stakes win to her resume when wiring the $102,300 She’s All In H. by a neck.

The Fox Hill Farms colorbearer set a measured pace of :23.52 and :46.54 while chased by Grade 1-placed multiple stakes winner Diva’s Diamond, then had to contend with both Savings Account and Ribbon of Darkness through the mile in 1:38.41.

Cassatt kept motoring as those two made a run at her, with Ribbon of Darkness going best of the duo after saving ground on the turn. That local hopeful put her best hoof forward but just missed as Cassatt held to finish a mile and 70 yards in 1:42.96.

Jockey Ramon Vazquez piloted the winning daughter of Tapit for trainer Larry Jones. Cassatt was sent off the 9-5 second choice to Savings Account’s even-money favoritism and paid $5.60 for improving her career mark to 12-7-1-0, $665,233.

Savings Account, unraced since a third-place finish to multiple champion Beholder in the Zenyatta (G1) on September 26, finished 2 3/4 lengths behind Ribbon of Darkness in third.

Prior to the Springboard Mile, Joyce D. McGough’s My Master Plan ran her record to a perfect four-for-four in the $100,000 Trapeze S.

Like Cassatt, the Donnie Von Hemel trainee wired the one-mile contest while just lasting on the line by a head. The juvenile miss stopped the clock in 1:38.98 over the sloppy going with jockey Luis Quinonez in the irons.

My Master Plan romped in her initial two starts at Remington Park and triumphed against stakes rivals last out in the E.L. Gaylord Memorial S., also over the track. Sunday’s score nearly doubled her career earnings to $130,767.

Delancy kicked off the stakes action on Remington Park’s closing day card, taking the $50,000 Jim Thorpe S. in wire-to-wire fashion by a nose with Vazquez holding the reins for Andy Gladd. The Primary Suspect gelding finished a mile on the main track in 1:39.53 while making his stakes bow in the state-bred contest.

Bella Paella posted a 2 1/4-length score as the 2-1 favorite in the $50,000 Useeit S. for sophomore fillies later on the day. Jockey David Cabrera was aboard as the Clinton Stuart-trained daughter of Bellamy Road ran a mile on the dirt in 1:40.14.