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Spirit of Royal
Closer
“Spirit of Royal comes from well off the pace and relies on closing speed to pick up the pieces. The late turn of foot is real — GPS data confirms genuine acceleration — but sometimes the front runners are just too far gone.”
Fun Facts
- Raced at FG on 2026-03-21 in a $1M Stakes event
- Longshot at 82.6-1 odds — the kind of horse that makes trifectas pay
- Peak GPS speed of 18.3 ft/s recorded during the race
TrainerSteve Asmussen
JockeyTyler Gaffalione
SireKingman (GB)
DamNordic Spirit
Age6 yrs
Weight1171 lbs
$875K
Career Earnings
4
Career Wins
✓ Strengths
- ✓Elite top speed of 18.3 ft/s — in the upper tier of GPS-tracked horses
- ✓Patient running style preserves energy for a strong stretch run
- ✓Stride efficiency of 2.30 indicates excellent biomechanics
⚠ Weaknesses
- ⚠Closing kick doesn't always arrive in time — can run out of real estate
GPS Performance Data
Speed Curve (ft/s across race)
18.3
Top Speed
ft/s
16.4
Avg Speed
ft/s
2.30
Stride Efficiency
7.0
Avg Finish
of 1 races
9.5F
Best Distance
Dirt
Best Surface
Recent Results
DateTrackFinish
Mar 21, 2026FG7th