The Town Finishes Sixth at Gulfstream Park
On Friday, April 24, at Gulfstream Park, The Town finished sixth in a one-mile on the turf allowance race for trainer Brad Cox
Breaking from post 7, The Town was a step slow and settled near the back of the field early, working his way over toward the rail into the first turn as the opening quarter was posted in :24.20.
Down the backstretch, he remained along the inside path, tracking in midpack as the half went in :49.09. Approaching the far turn, The Town found himself shuffled slightly and dropped back to sixth, still saving ground along the rail. Rider Samy Camacho appeared to have plenty of horse underneath him, sitting with a patient hold while trying to coax him into contention.
Turning for home, Camacho asked for more and went to the stick as the three-quarters was clocked in 1:11.94. While The Town had position along the rail and looked like he might make a move, he was unable to produce his usual late kick. Inside the final furlong, several runners to his outside accelerated away, and he finished evenly to the wire as Chicken Dance stopped the clock in 1:34.85.
Key Takeaways
The Town had a ground-saving trip but never fully engaged when it mattered most. Despite appearing to travel comfortably for much of the race, he lacked the acceleration turning for home that has been a strength in prior efforts. Whether it was pace-related, positioning, or simply an off day, he did not fire his best shot.
Final Thoughts
This was a bit of a puzzling effort. The Town seemed to have a favorable trip along the rail and every opportunity to make an impact, but the expected late run never materialized. Without input yet from trainer Brad Cox, it’s difficult to pinpoint whether this came down to race dynamics, condition, or something else on the day.
