![\"\"](\"https:\/\/equestrianinfluence.com\/horsehappenings\/files\/2015\/01\/horseracing-300x214.jpg\" "\\"horseracing\\"")
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RCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 25, 2015)\u2014Texas-bred Pure Tactics rallied from off the pace to take Sunday\u2019s $75,000 Clockers\u2019 Corner Stakes by a half length under Mike Smith, negotiating 6 \u00bd furlongs down Santa Anita\u2019s hillside turf course in 1:12.28. Trained by Doug O\u2019Neill, Pure Tactics shortened up out of a sixth place run in the Grade II, 1 1\/16 miles turf Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar Nov. 28 and notched his second win from five tries down the hill.
\n\u201cHe\u2019s run well down the hill before and this came up good on the calendar so we thought we\u2019d give it a chance,\u201d said O\u2019Neill. \u201cMike rode a brilliant race, like he always does. When you have a horse that likes the hillside, it\u2019s a real advantage.\u201d
\nOff at 6-1 in a field of 11 older horses, Pure Tactics paid $14.40, $7.80 and $5.20.
\nMidpack under a snug hold past the half mile pole, Smith overhauled favored Sweet Swap inside the sixteenth pole and held off the late surge of runner-up Hay Dude to register his ninth win from 21 overall starts. Owned by Nita Winner, LLC, Pure Tactics picked up $46,980 for the win, increasing his earnings to $360,836. The Clockers\u2019 Corner victory marked his second win from five hillside engagements.
\n\u201cWe broke extremely well and when I wasn\u2019t laying second and everyone was rushing up there, I thought \u2018Wow, all these closers are trying to stay close,\u2019\u201d said Smith. \u201cThere wasn\u2019t much speed, so I just thought \u2018Let\u2019s go to plan B and I\u2019ll just be the closer.\u2019 I eased back a little bit and that set up a closing (type of) trip.\u201d
\nHay Dude, who had to wait for room while Pure Tactics got first run, was, in the words of track announcer Trevor Denman, \u201ca little unlucky,\u201d and flew late with Kent Desormeaux to finish second by a neck over Sweet Swap. The second choice at 7-2, he paid $6.20 and $3.60.
\nWhen apprised of Denman\u2019s deep-stretch description, Desormeaux responded, \u201cHe\u2019s right. I had a couple doors close\u2014first at the eighth pole and again at the sixteenth.\u201d
\nSweet Swap, who broke from the rail with Joe Talamo, was in tight quarters crossing the dirt at the top of the lane, but Talamo just managed to find room inside pacesetter Fly Lexis Fly but couldn\u2019t hold off the one-two finishers late and was beaten less than three quarters of a length for the win. Off at 5-2, he paid $3.20 to show.
\nRacing resumes at Santa Anita on Thursday, with first post time at 1 p.m. Admission gates open at 11 a.m.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
RCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 25, 2015)—Texas-bred Pure Tactics rallied from off the pace to take Sunday’s $75,000 Clockers’ Corner Stakes by a half length under Mike Smith, negotiating 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita’s hillside turf course in 1:12.28. Trained by Doug O’Neill, Pure Tactics shortened up out of a sixth place run in the Grade II, 1 1\/16 miles turf Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar Nov. 28 and notched his second win from five tries down the hill.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4040,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[97,52,2044],"tags":[1480,256,39,40,1482,843,1479,1481],"class_list":["post-4039","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english-events-magazine","category-events-magazine","category-magazine","tag-clockers-corner-stakes","tag-doug-oneill","tag-equestrian","tag-horse","tag-horse-racing","tag-mike-smith","tag-pure-tactics","tag-sanita-anita"],"yoast_head":"\n