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Weekend Graded Stakes Action – Big Races East and West
Written by trackmasterplus on August 26, 2010 – 11:19 am -A weekly rundown of Grade 1 and Grade 2 races from around the US.
Saratoga hosts the “Midsummer Derby”, the $1,000,000 Grade 1 Travers Stakes on Saturday. Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver is entered as are Ice Box, Fly Down, First Dude and late developers A Little Warm and Trappe Shot. With de-facto division leader Lookin at Lucky passing this race, the assembled three year olds are looking to pickup a little cred here. It’s one of the most wide open Travers in recent memory, so be sure to get value if you’re going to be wagering on this one.
Supporting the Travers is a nice group of stakes races…the $200,000 Grade 2 Ballston Spa has a wide open field of nine going 8.5 furlongs on the Inner Turf. Scolari is an interesting longshot as the Mott/Desormeaux team has been doing very will in stakes races…the $250,000 Grade 1 Ballerina Stakes kicks of an all-Grade 1 Pick 3, with Informed Decision expected to the choice of the betting crowd…The $250,000 King’s Bishop features a showdown between D’Funnybone and Discreetly Mine.
On the West Coast, Del Mar hosts the $1 Million Grade 1 Pacific Classic . The seminal race of the seaside meeting features a couple of top turf horses going for the big money on the Polytrack. The Usual Q.T. won the Grade 1 Eddie Read Handicap during the first week of the meet, and skipped the Arlington Million, where he would have been one of the betting choices, for this race instead. The ageless Awesome Gem won the Hollywood Gold Cup in his last start and makes his fourth start in this race. The field also includes last year’s winner Richard’s Kid, along with top older males Battle of Hastings, Temple City, and Dakota Phone…supporting the Pacific Classic are the $250,000 Grade 2 Del Mar Mile and the $100,000 Grade 1 Pat O’Brien Stakes.
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Weekend Graded Stakes Action – Five Grade I Races Highlight Schedule
Written by trackmasterplus on August 19, 2010 – 3:30 pm -A weekly overview of major stakes races around the country.
Arlington Million Day is a day that horseplayers look forward to. A trio of Grade 1 races on the grass with big fields and horses coming from all points on the map. The “big” race, of course is the Arlington Million which features reigning US Turf Champion Gio Ponti (winner of the Million last year as well), a heavy favorite to repeat. The consistent Just As Well and enigmatic General Quarters rate the main domestic threats. A pair of Euro-shippers, Tazeez, and Summit Surge (IRE) figure to have a big say in the outcome…The $750,000 Beverly D. Stakes looks to be a wide open affair with any of the 10 fillies and mares entered having a legitimate shot. Rainbow View is the tepid 4-1 morning line choice, the up and coming Hot Cha Cha could make a breakthrough here. We’re going to give a slight push to Treat Gently (GB) with the Juddmonte/Mott/Desormeaux connections. Eclaire de Lune is a sentimental choice, being owned by the man who rebuilt Arlington after a fire in 1985 in a race named for his late wife, and trained by the man who won the first Million in 1984 with John Henry..Rounding out the turf trio is the $400,000 Secretariat Stakes for 3-year-olds where Paddy O’Prado will be an overwhelming favorite.
Saratoga has the Grade 1 $500,000 Alabama Stakes as Saturday’s feature, and what a matchup of Blind Luck and Devil May Care. The first named will try to run down the other in the stretch, the rest are running for peanuts. In a small field like this the edge has to go to ‘Devil who has more tactical speed, but Blind Luck has shown the ability to close off of any pace and we think she’s a better filly anyway. No value here but will be a great race to watch.
The Grade 1 $300,000 Del Mar Oaks field was not available at the time of writing but was expected to include Evening Jewel.
In other races of note, I Want Revenge shows up in the $300,000 Grade 3 Phillip H. Iselin Stakes. He might have been the favorite in the 2009 Kentucky Derby but was scratched the day of the race.
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Weekend Graded Stakes Action – Zenyatta & Rachel Alexandra Return To Action
Written by trackmasterplus on June 10, 2010 – 4:27 pm -Equine superstars Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra are back in action this weekend, albeit in different races…On Saturday, Rachel Alexandra will take on four opponents in the $200,000 Grade 2 Fleur de Lis Handicap at Churchill Downs. Then on Sunday Zenyatta will attempt to win the $250,000 Grade 1 Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park for the third straight year while carrying 129 lbs. It is expected that only 3 or 4 other filles and mares will take on The Amazon.
There are other big races on tap…Belmont Cards the Grade 1 Odgden Phipps Handicap where a field of 5 will gather and decide how to split up the $250,000 purse. There are a trio of contenders – Unbridled Belle, Funny Moon, and Life at Ten – who seek the top prize. Also on the bill at Churchill Downs is the Grade 1 $400,000 Stephen Foster Handicap where a field of 11 will face the starter. General Quarters, Blame and Battle Plan should get most of the attention at the betting windows. And finally, at Hollywood on Saturday the feature is the $150,000 Grade 2 Californian where Rail Trip will be the favorite against 8 rivals in the traditional prep for the Hollywood Gold Cup, a race that Rail Trip won last year.
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