SANTA ANITA TRACK FEATURE: LET EM SHINE
BY ZEETA CASE
The subject of this article is involving the racehorse Let
Em Shine. The colt shows lots of promise and is a 2 for 2 this year after
finishing 3rd in his debut. He is a 3 year old colt out of Songandaprayer and
the Johannesburg mare, Justaspell.
After leading the entire way until the finish as a 2 year
old in his debut the horse has only shown promise. He has gone up in class and
has been showing his talent and natural speed ever since and this time it has
been giving him wins. Whereas it is only two wins at 6 furlongs I think the
pedigree suggests that stretching out could not only be tactical but possible.
To judge the distance Let Em Shine may be able to go we need
to consider some horses in the line. The sire is Songandaprayer as previously
mentioned. We know that he was a contender in the 2001 Kentucky Derby and that
he finished 13th out of 17 horses. Before the running of the 127th
Kentucky Derby, the horse had won the Fountain Of Youth (G1) at 8.5 furlongs,
and placed 2nd in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1), contested at 9
furlongs. He had also raced 5th in both the Florida Derby (G1) and
the Holly Bull Stakes (ungraded at the time).
His record ended with a 8: 3 – 1 – 1 mark and earnings totaling
$380,480. He was a distance horse and has 190 foals running and 130 winners
along with 14 stakes winners including; Surplus Singer, Evelyn’s Dancer, Say A
Novena, and High Emotion.
Then you have the father and son, both in which were
distance horses and classic winners. They are Unbridled’s Song and champion
Unbridled. Unbridled’s Song is winner of the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile (G1,8.5f), Florida
Derby (G1,9f), Wood Memorial (G2,9f). Unbridled’s Song was also a winner at 7
furlongs in the ungraded Olympic Handicap as a 4 year old. Unbridled was a
winner at 10 furlongs in the Breeder’s Cup Classic but also won at 7, 8.5, and 9
furlongs. Together these two, father and son, won 51 furlongs in stakes races
including graded.
Johannesburg fits into the category as well. He won Breeder’s
Cup Juvenile in America and won races in England, Ireland, and France and all
were contested at long distances. Capote won the 8.5 furlong Breeder’s Cup
Juvenile and Norfolk Stakes.
Other long distance running horses include the famous
Seattle Slew, Fappiano, Caro, Storm Cat,
(a personal favorite) Ogygian, and many others down into the deeper end of the
line. The mares in this line however were not as great runners as the males. As
you look at what some of these mares have produced then it becomes more of an
eye catcher.
What, though, has Let Em Shine shown that would lead to
conclusions that he may be a force to be reckoned with? Well for one two wins
in a row by at least 10 lengths combined shows that tactical speed and he can
endure the distance of it. Note the times of both races. In his first win, in
my opinion a more impressive race involving time. The (number) will indicate
the second start he had this year the time. He went to the ¼ pole in 21.00 (21.39),
the ½ in 43.23 (43.88), 5/8
in 55.36 (56.24), and a finishing time of 1:08.36 (1:09.14).
So from his debut to his start now the horse has shown
nothing but improvements and promise. I believe with the right course this will
be a horse to watch in the future. Perhaps not a Kentucky Derby contender but a
legitimate horse that can win when asked. Sprinting (6-7 furlongs) should be no
problem for this colt and I hope to see him move up in class and to be another
great one among the horses that the racing world has seen.
Link to his pedigree for more research on horses in his line: Let Em Shine
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