The United Invitational
The highlight race for the Sunday card in California will be the mile and one-eighth United Invitational (G2) for three-year-olds and up over the turf. A total of ten starters will be going to the gate in the race, set to go off at 2:30 pm EST. The field sports several prior graded winners, including a couple of local champions, that will be going head-to-head for the $375,000 purse. Let’s take a look at this year’s competition.
Protozoa Bulb (GER) – 2021bulbs3 – G. Wolfe – 7/1
On the rail will be a German-bred gelding, who is out of Grade II winning broodmare Passed Za. The four-year-old gelding is lightly raced with just fourteen lifetime starts to date. The most recent start for the gelding came over a mile and one-eighth in Kentucky in May during the Woody Ford (G1). The gelding was held off the pace in eighth out of the gate before making a move at about the seven-furlong mark. The gelding would cross the wire in third, setting a speed figure of one hundred seventeen, a lifetime best. His last win was just in his prior start during the Jabba The Hut (G2), also at a mile and one-eighth, in the UAE. In this race, the gelding was placed closer to the pace out of the gate in fourth and won by two and a quarter.
Sabino Icon – bets3 – W. White – 42/1
In the second slot is the longshot of Sunday’s race. The locally-bred bay is stakes placed, but will be making his first start in graded stakes company in the United Invitational (G2). By Saburo, the brown horse last stepped out onto the track in a starter allowance in Colorado over four and a half furlongs. Sent out of the gate at the rear of the eight-horse field, the horse picked up one spot to cross the wire seventh, back by three lengths, while setting a speed figure of eighty-three. The most recent win for the horse was two years ago under former owner/breeder roar99. This was in a five-furlong allowance race, won by a length after setting just off the pace.
Serious Sarcasm – lordpye5 – AJ Parker – 7/1
Next up will be a five-year-old gelding who will also be making his first start in stakes company, either in graded or listed company. The bay is out of the Grade I winning broodmare The Joy Never Ends. The gelding made his most recent trip to the starting gate in an allowance race over a mile and one-eighth in Arkansas. Out fourth from the gate in the six-horse field, the gelding held his position throughout the race, finishing fourth and back by nine and three-quarter lengths, setting a speed figure of one hundred five. His most recent win was in Kentucky, also an allowance over the same distance. The gelding was held closer to the pace, just a half-length off the pacesetter, whom the gelding overtook to win impressively by three and a quarter, while setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred seventeen.
Young Jap (JPN) – latebred – U. Cunningham – 10/1
The oldest horse to go into the starting gate this Sunday, the brown horse will be making his thirty-second lifetime start and will be making his first Grade I start, though he is an accomplished graded winner. The most recent start for the Japanese-bred horse came across the country in New York this past April during the Marcy’s Fort (G3) at a mile and one sixteenth. Just four lengths off the early pace out of the starting gate at the break, the horse unfortunately saw this margin widen as the field flew through the furlongs. The horse would finish thirteenth at the wire, setting a speed figure of one hundred two. We would have to go back to 2019 for the most recent win for the horse, this coming in Australia during The Emirates (G2) over a mile
Dubawi Is Loose (ENG) – elkstables0 – R. Bokie – 6/1
Midway through Sunday’s field, the English-bred four-year-old is by top sire Dubawi (IRE). The bay colt will be making his first start in the States this weekend after primarily racing in Germany. However, his most recent start came was in Australia over a mile and a quarter in The Aussie Queen (G1). Out of the gate, the horse lingered back in eighth out of the twelve starters. He gave up ground part way into the race and rallied in the stretch, crossing the wire in seventh and setting a speed figure of one hundred thirteen. The race leading up to his first Grade I start resulted in a win, this in the UAE during The Road Rash (G3) over a mile and one-eighth. More forwardly placed in this start, the horse made his move in the stretch to win by two and a half lengths while setting a lifetime best speed figure.
Dubai Metro (ENG) – asmodean – J. Drozd – 9/2
In the sixth slow we’ll have yet another son of Dubawi (IRE). The six-year-old bay horse will be giving it another go at graded stakes company after taking a brief step down in class. The most recent start for the horse was during a listed stakes in Virginia over a mile and one-sixteenth. Well off the front running pace at the break, the horse was held back in eleventh until they approached the five-furlong mark and the horse was let loose. He got up to finish fourth while setting a speed figure of one hundred fourteen. His most recent win came in his prior start, this during an allowance race over a mile in Kentucky. April saw the horses most recent graded start, in The Bourbon Mile (G2) where the horse finished ninth.
Channel Of Giants – hotfuzz – L. Herren – 6/1
In the number seven slot we will have the first of our local champions going into the gate. The four-year-old bay colt by English Channel is an accomplished Grade I winner and will be making his fifteenth trip to the post this weekend. The most recent start for the colt was in New York during the Marcy’s Fort (G3) at a mile and one sixteenth. Held off the pace early on off the pace of the main speed in the race, the colt settled into fifth and started to move forward midway through the race, crossing the wire in third after setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred thirteen. December of last year saw the colts most recent win, this in a listed stakes race in Kentucky over a mile and one-eighth.
Mob Devious (IRE) – mafia – A. Jolly – 3/1
In the eighth slot will be the second of our local champions, who is currently on a hot streak winning his last four consecutive races. The four-year-old gelding by Teofilo will be making his second Grade I start as a gelding. The most recent win for the gelding was across country in Maryland during the Confederate Stakes (G1) at a mile and one-eighth. The gelding was held just four lengths back off the front running pace at the break and cruised in the early going before making his move on the front runners and coming home to win by an impressive three and a half lengths while posting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred twenty. His gelding, then a colt, ran second in the 2021 Sydney Derby (G1).
Rowdy Kingdom – stablesim – V. Jennings – 10/1
Making his first graded start since 2021 the four-year-old son of Animal Kingdom last ran in a mile long allowance in Colorado which the colt won in wire-to-wire fashion, setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred fourteen. The only graded start for the colt to date came in 2021 during The Hall of Fame (G2) in New York where the colt finished eighth. This Sunday, this colt will probably be our pacesetter out of the gate, and the connections of the chestnut colt are hoping he rebounds well off his personal record in his prior allowance start and has enough left in the tank to hold off the rest of the late closing field as they come to challenge in the stretch.
Drinkin’ Problem – beerkeg1 – R. Hansen – 9/1
The final horse to load into the gate on Sunday will be this handsome Grade II winning gelding by Uncle Mo. The four-year-old has been shipped back to the States after his run in The Dishpan (G2) over a mile and one-eighth in France. The bay gelding was held just off the pace early on, just a quarter of a length off the leader, keeping the pressure on the front runner until he gave way and the bay rocketed forward to take command, winning the race by two and a quarter lengths and setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred fourteen. The gelding has also made a name for himself early on over the dirt, finishing second in 2021 Sand Castle Derby (G1), a Derby lock prep, before finding his calling over the turf.
Flrancho’s Picks
Win: Mob Devious (IRE)
Place: Drinkin’ Problem
Show: Channel Of Giants