Ken Casellas | Race Replay
Inexperienced four-year-old mare American Eyes gave a sample of her excellent potential when she overcame the disadvantage of starting from the outside barrier (No. 9) and proving difficult to steer in the 2130m $9 Swan Draught Pints Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
She was the $1.50 favourite and was handled expertly by Maddison Brown for Serpentine owner-trainer Gary Jones, who bred, broke in and educated the American Ideal pacer.
Polemarker Dispatcher ($12) was smartest to begin before Diamondsforever ($10) led by three-quarters of a length after 120m and then broke into a bad gallop. American Eyes was not bustled early and raced three wide before obtaining the favourable one-out and one-back position after a lap, with the $4.20 second fancy Up And Alive in the breeze, with Diamond World ($15) setting the pace.
Joey Suvaljko sent Up And Alive to the front 550m from home before being joined by American Eyes approaching the home turn. American Eyes was not extended in going on to win by a neck from Up And Alive, rating 1.56.9 after the final three 400m sections were run in 29.3sec., 28.8sec. and 29.3sec.
“American Eyes is still very green, and she was hanging down during the race,” said Brown. “But she still had plenty there in the home straight.”
Jones affixed a nearside lugging pole for the first time for Friday night’s race, and this is sure to improve her steering.
American Eyes did not race as a two and three-year-old and she has had seven starts in this her first preparation for five wins, two placings and $36,993.
Jones said that he was intending to send American Eyes for a spell and he would contemplate preparing her for the Group 2 $100,000 Westbred Classic for four-year-old mares on September 4.