Two Turns No Issue for City of Light in Oaklawn Handicap

[Wandering Eyes]

CITY OF LIGHT (c, 4, Quality Road–Paris Notion, by Dehere), heretofore a pure sprinting type, stretched out with aplomb in the GII Oaklawn H. Saturday, overcoming a wide journey and a tenacious runner-up to stamp himself as a serious player in the handicap division going forward. Going one for his first four, the $710,000 Keeneland September guy pulled off a 15-2 upset in the GI Malibu S. to close out his 3-year-old season and repeated as the favorite in the GI Triple Bend S. last out Mar. 10 at Santa Anita. Drilling a bullet five furlongs in :59 4/5 (1/71) last Sunday at his Arcadia base in preparation for this, the bay was given a 47-10 shot from the widest draw and broke alertly. He was hung four wide going into the clubhouse turn, however, before settling in fourth up the backstretch, a few lengths behind sharp splits of :22.97 and :46.63. Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky), favored off of a dominant win in the GI Santa Anita H. last out, made a bid for the lead three deep midway around the far turn, and City of Light followed him one path further out while under considerably less pressure to go. Those two separated themselves from the pack at the top of the lane, but City of Light quickly started doing the better work and opened up two lengths on his foe in midstretch. Accelerate was all heart though, and dug in to throw one last haymaker in the last sixteenth, but City of Light always had him measured, and hit the wire a half-length to the good in a sharp 1:48.26. The winner is a half to Pointsman (Mt. Livermore), SP, $212,417. Lifetime Record: 7-4-3-0, $940,600. O-Suzanne & William K. Warren, Jr.; B-Ann Marie Farm (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy.

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