The Pamplemousse captures Sham Stakes
On Saturday, 28 February 2009, the Santa Anita Racecourse was alive with anticipation and excitement, as everyone was waiting anxiously to see how The Pamplemousse would perform against a formidable competitor such as Take The Points. But as The Pamplemousse and his jockey, Alex Solis, headed into the home stretch, it was clear that The Pamplemousse is a force to be reckoned with, and the horse to watch in the upcoming Santa Anita Derby, which will take place on the 5th of April 2009.
Alex Solis is a highly respected jockey in the horse racing industry. He has ridden legendary horses and won great races, and it is said that he will probably find his name being inducted into the Hall of Fame one of these days. And it seems that the enthusiasm for horse racing did not fall to far from the tree, as his son, Alex Solis II, selected The Pamplemousse at an auction, which he co-owns with William Strauss, Ann Winner and Carol Bienstock. And having a top jockey as your father, to ride your horse, with a talented trainer in the other corner, is the recipe for success.
As the ten horse field left the starting gates for the running of the $200 000 Sham Stakes (Grade 3), The Pamplemousse went off as one of the favorites for the race, as he had entered into this racing event off a wonderful victory in the San Rafael Stakes, where he faced off against Square Eddie. Throughout the race, it seemed as if The Pamplemousse was going through his paces effortlessly, and only received a worthy challenge from Take The Points in the last corner. But The Pamplemousse managed to find another gear and pulled away from his challenger to win by six lengths, followed home by Take The Points, Mr Hot Stuff, Bourbon Bay, Unbridled Roman, Smart Bid, Mark S the Cooler, Hi Flynn, Indy, Tiz True and in tenth place, Balfour Park.
Trainer, Julio Canani, seemed extremely pleased with the performance given by The Pamplemousse. Alex Solis commented after the race: “The way he’s been training, I expected something like this. He has such a high cruising speed and he’s getting more and more amazing. He has such a good mind and he was real relaxed the whole way.” The Pamplemousse is making a huge name for himself, as the horse that has the ability to cause upset at the Kentucky Derby.
