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California Eagle soars back to his best on Polytrack

After being away for nearly a year, Polytrack speed dash specialist California Eagle was back in his element on Sunday.

California Eagle winning the WORLD AIRLINES 2007 STAKES OPEN BENCHMARK 67
California Eagle winning the WORLD AIRLINES 2007 STAKES OPEN BENCHMARK 67 Picture: Singapore Turf Club

This was when bursting through in the last furlong to claim victory in the $60,000 World Airlines 2007 Stakes, an Open Benchmark 67 race over 1100m on the alternative track.

A previous three-time winner over 1000m, the US-bred by Whywhywhy started to lose the plot around this time last year, finishing out of the placings a couple of times before trainer David Kok discovered he had fallen prey to one of racehorses’ common scourges – chip in the knee.

Two surgeries ensued followed by a long recuperation. He raced first-up on turf a month ago, without his customary blinkers, well beaten by Flak Jacket, but obviously a nice way to blow away the cobwebs.

Kok’s and the owners’ patience was finally handsomely rewarded at his second start on Sunday, this time on his pet surface, when an again-blinkered California Eagle, well supported down to $21, came with a withering run to overhaul another comeback kid in Makawao (John Powell) at the 200m mark. Well ridden by first-time partner Oscar Chavez, California Eagle (who used to be ridden by four-time Singapore champion jockey Joao Moreira) kept on well to score by one length from Laser Storm (Danny Beasley) with Smart Samurai (Corey Brown) third another length away.

The winning time was 1min 5.49secs for the 1100m on the Polytrack.

California Eagle’s win incidentally handed Kok his first win since September 14 when he recorded a rare training double with Fragrance Empire and Mini Boss.

“It’s good for the owners this horse has won again. They’ve shown a lot of patience as he’s had two knee chip surgeries,” said Kok.

“I’ve gradually brought him back and I was quite happy with his first run. It was a turf race over 1200m and I wanted to see him race without blinkers.

“But he showed he was more of a Polytrack horse, which is typical of those American-breds, and that’s where I will race him from now on.

“Joao knew this horse the best, but Oscar rode him very well, too. The horse in front got tired in the end as he was at his first race after a long absence and my horse just kept accelerating at the same speed.”

Raced by the California Stable, California Eagle has now brought his handy record to four wins and five placing from 13 starts for stakes earnings close to the $190,000 mark.


Singapore Turf Club

Kranji Sunday, 09th November 2014

5f103y ALL WEATHER STANDARD
SGD $60,000

WORLD AIRLINES 2007 STAKES OPEN BENCHMARK 67

SGD $60,000
Type: OPEN
5f103y ALL WEATHER STANDARD
FP Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 2. CALIFORNIA EAGLE (USA) 4yo G
WHYWHYWHY (USA) - JAPON (GB)
OSCAR CHAVEZ
DAVID KOK
$4.2
56.5kg
CALIFORNIA STABLE

Sales Information

2nd 4. LASER STORM (NZ) 4yo G
LUCKY OWNERS (NZ) - MISS IVANOVIC (AUS)
DANNY BEASLEY
ALVIN TAN
$4.6
56.5kg
WARPLAN RACING STABLE

Sales Information

3rd 10. SMART SAMURAI (AUS) 5yo G
HARADASUN (AUS) - SWISH TRISH (AUS)
COREY BROWN
CLIFF BROWN
$37.6
52kg
WANG HOCK KEE

Sales Information

4th 1. FAT POWER (AUS) 5yo G
ELUSIVE QUALITY (USA) - OUR SHARAPOVA (AUS)
JOHN POWELL
SHANE DONALD BAERTSCHIGER
$6.2
57kg
5th 6. SPRING THUNDER (USA) 4yo H
SPRING AT LAST (USA) - WASSIFA (GB)
W H LAO
J O'HARA
$45
55.5kg

Sales Information

6th 7. WARSPIRIT (NZ) 7yo G
SCAREDEE CAT (NZ) - LUCERNE (NZ)
WS CHAN
ALVIN TAN
$5.8
51kg
7th 8. COOL CAT (IRE) 8yo G
ONE COOL CAT (USA) - MAMARA REEF (GB)
IVALDO SANTANA
DAVID HILL
$11.4
53.5kg

Sales Information

8th 3. KAISER (AUS) 6yo G
SEIDNAZAR (AUS) - ONE WINK (AUS)
SOO KHOON BENG
ALVIN TAN
$3.2
56.5kg

Sales Information

9th 9. DRAGON SPIRIT (AUS) 6yo G
DUE SASSO (AUS) - ICICLES (AUS)
LISA ALLPRESS
ALVIN TAN
$67.6
53.5kg

Sales Information

10th 5. THISISIT (AUS) 6yo G
CHURCHILL DOWNS (AUS) - LAST MINUTE (AUS)
R RUEVEN
YEOH KHENG SOON SONNY
$41.6
54kg

Sales Information

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