The Old Cap (G3) went off this past week, the first of two graded stakes races on the card for this past week’s racing in Florida. The race went off on schedule, the thirteenth race of the day. Precious Passion, trained and owned by wv was a little hesitant to go into the number two slot, but the three-year-old daughter of Fusaichi Pegasus eventually loaded into the gate with the rest of the twelve other horses in the field.

The thirteen fillies waited anxiously for the start of the six and a half furlong dirt sprint to begin. When the gates flew open tek218’s filly Forest Fires T (FR), went out to an early three-fourth length lead. The French-bred daughter of Walk In The Park (IRE) was used to taking the lead in races, though it was not a requirement for the filly to do well. To the inside in second place was Issa, owned by hipica. This was another filly very well accustomed to being out toward the lead, but had faded in her most recent starts. A length and a quarter back from the pacesetter was ufslfarms’s Don Goomba (IRE), who was used to running almost exclusively on the lead and now found herself in a somewhat strange position in third. Trailing behind them were Officer Diana and Projectionist (IRE), trained and owned by mrv and seedly2, respectively. Out of the gates late and trailing the field early on by seven and three-fourth lengths was valhala’s Rainbow Shades.

Forest Fires T (FR) continued to lengthen her lead, drawing a one and a half length gap between herself and Issa. The Irish-bred filly Don Goomba (IRE) continued to run in third, trailing by about a length off of Issa. Projectionist (IRE) was starting to move up in position and was now running in fourth, passing by Officer Diana, who seemed to be fading quickly and early in this race. Touch Of Lust (IND), trained by bigbadwolf, was running in sixth position, biding her time until she would be urged forward to challenge the other fillies down the stretch. Dabears The Loot Is Loose followed behind her. Still trailing the field, back by twelve and a half lengths now, was Rainbow Shades.

As the field started drawing closer to the stretch, Forest Fires T (FR) kicked into gear and lengthened her lead yet again, opening up the gap to three lengths between herself and her nearest competition. Things were starting to get shaken around a bit further back in the field though. Issa had faded fast from her second place position and had surrendered that to Touch Of Lust (IND) and Projectionist (IRE) who had both went on by her. The Loot Is Loose was starting to move up and had gone from seventh to fifth. Moving up along with her was gldnmarlin’s filly, Great Town. Irish-bred Don Goomba (IRE) had faded far back into seventh. Hot Kat, owned by coqui4, was starting to gradually get into gear and moved up into eighth. Officer Dania was still fading fast, right in front of Midnight Surf, trained by brightvalr, who was rapidly gaining ground on the inside. Precious Passion was running towards the rear of the field while Rainbow Shades continued to bring up the rear.

Despite the impressive stretch drives of the likes of Touch Of Lust (IND) and Midnight Surf at the end of the race, there would be no catching the likes of Forest Fires T (FR), who blazed a trail from wire to wire, securing her victory by a fair margin of a length under jockey V. Gardner in 1:16 3/5. Touch Of Lust (IND) would finish a length behind her in second, with third place going to Midnight Surf in her graded stakes debut.

Also Rans: Great Town, Projectionist (IRE), Hot Kat, The Loot Is Loose, Precious Passion, Issa, Don Goomba (IRE), Silver Denarious, Officer Dania, and Rainbow Shades.