The Kegasus Upper Deck Turf Extravaganza
The second of two Grade I races set for Florida this weekend, The Kegasus Upper Deck Turf Experience (G1) is set for a post time of 8:10 pm EST for this Saturday. The race will be held over a mile and three sixteenths over the inner turf track. It’s been a fairly sunny week here in Florida which looks like it will continue into the weekend, leaving us with a firm turf track at post time. The Grade I race, with its purse of $1,000,000 has attracted a full field of fourteen runners. The race is open to four-year-olds and up, so let’s take a look at this year’s contenders.
- Toll And Thunder – sremel9 – N. Lawton – 13/1
The first into the starting gate for Saturday, who will be on the inside rail is this six-year-old horse by Awesome Again. The brown horse is a Grade III winner, though Grade I victory has remained elusive for the half-million-dollar earner. The most recent start for the horse was across the country in California during the Sanders Stakes (G2) over a mile and one-eighth. The horse broke towards the middle of the field at the break, but began to lose ground midway through. The horse would finish fourteenth, back by seventeen lengths, with a speed figure of one hundred. The horse saw his most recent win in March of last year during The Kingman (G3) at a mile and three sixteenths. Again, setting out of the gate towards the middle of the field, the horse would win by two and a quarter lengths.
2. The Paradigm Shift (IRE) – valesa5 – J. Lowich – 12/1
Next in the lineup, we have this five-year-old son of late top sire Galileo (IRE). Lightly raced with just eighteen lifetime starts, the bay horse is looking for his first graded win, though the five-year-old is graded placed. The horse most recently started overseas in Hong Kong during the King Kong Cup (G1) at a mile and a quarter. The horse broke fifth out of the gate of the fourteen-horse field, maintaining his position to the wire, finishing five and a quarter lengths back with a speed figure of one hundred thirteen. October of last year saw the horse’s most recent win, which was in a listed stakes race over ten furlongs in Canada. The horse won the race handily by three and a quarter lengths.
3. Dragon’s Chant – dragonrider – Z. Edwards – 22/1
In gate number three, the four-year-old bay colt will be making his graded stakes debut. Out of the Hall of Fame broodmare Sisson’s Chant and by Medaglia d’Oro, the Kentucky-bred has made just eleven starts before going to the gate on Saturday. The most recent start for the colt was during a listed stakes race in Idaho over nine and a half furlongs. Ninth out of fourteen leaving the gate, the colt was urged forward midway through, going on to win the race by two and a quarter lengths. The colt set a speed figure of one hundred fourteen, which is a lifetime best speed figure for the colt.
4. Financial Times (ENG) – grenoble2 – D. Matas – 8/1
The only million-dollar earner to go to the gate for the race this weekend will be this five-year-old gelding by Dubawi (IRE). Set to make his eighteenth career start this weekend, he will be shipping in from California for the race this weekend. His most recent start was in The Parking Ticket (G1) at a mile and one sixteenth. Straight to the lead at the break, the horse lost ground later on in the race. He came home to finish fourth at the wire, eight lengths off the pace. The horse set a speed figure of one hundred fourteen for the race, under D. Matas. Onboard for the horse’s most recent win as well, in the Eddie O Cap (G1) at a mile and one eighth, the horse took this race win wire to wire fashion, winning by two lengths.
5. Warfront Queen – dmbwr – J. Ledwith – 6/1
Out of the million-dollar earning broodmare, Canterbury Queen, the six-year-old bay horse will be making his twenty-sixth lifetime start this Saturday. Most recently starting in Arizona during a listed stakes race over nine and a half furlongs, the horse broke towards the rear of the field but picked up the pace midway through, crossing the wire in thrid with a speed figure of one hundred thirteen. The most recent graded start for the horse was in the race prior, this coming overseas in Japan during The Fall Tent Show (G1) over a mile and a quarter. Again, breaking towards the rear of the field, the horse would make up some ground, but only enough to cross the wire in sixth. Last September saw the horses most recent win, coming in France during the Euro Grand Prix (G2) at a mile and three sixteenths, which the horse won by three.
6. Dubawi Is Loose (ENG) – elkstables0 – K. Ledwith – 7/1
The first horse to be sired by Dubawi (IRE) in the field on Saturday, this five-year-old bay horse will be making his fifteenth career start. The horse most recently started in November of last year overseas in South Africa during the Jolly Summer Cup at a mile and one quarter. Out of the gate towards the middle of the pack, the horse would make his move later on and crossed the wire third, just three-quarter lengths off the pace of the winner. He set a speed figure of one hundred thirteen. January of last year saw witness to the horse’s most recent win, when the horse won by two and a half lengths in The Road Rash (G3) at a mile and one-eighth in Dubai.
7. Streets Of Granite – pbcash – L. Radzinski – 5/1
Set off as the early morning line favorite, the five-year-old gelding has yet to win a graded race. The son of Hard Spun most recently ran in New Zealand in the Galaxian Stakes (G3) at a mile and one quarter. Stright to the lead out of the gate, the horse faded in the finial furlongs and finished fourth with a speed figure of one hundred sixteen. He won his prior start, which was in Australia, during a listed stakes over nine and half furlongs, where impressively led the field home, once again in wire to wire fashion, to win by four and a half lengths.
8. Neo Given (ENG) – sansa – Q. Cassell – 10/1
Working our way towards the middle of the field, we have our second Dubawi-sired runner in this five-year-old, who is out of the Hall Of Fame broodmare Neo Forty, who has produced two Grade I winners. The bay horse will be making his third attempt at graded company this weekend, returning after a step down in class. Most recently the horse started during a listed stakes race in Arizona over nine and a half furlongs. The horse went straight to the lead out of the gate, but was just caught at the wire in a photo and placed in second by a head. The horse set a speed figure of one hundred fourteen for the race. Prior to this the horse won two consecutive allowance races, both in Illinois at nine and a half furlongs. August of last year marked the horses most recent graded start, which came in the Windy City Turf Classic (G1) at a mile and a quarter. The horse would finish twelfth in the race, after breaking on the lead.
9. Desired Effect (IRE) – supapogs6 – S. Blade – 9/1
The first of two contenders sired by Sea The Stars, the Irish-bred four-year-old colt is coming off an impressive win in California during the Nines Are Wild (G1) at a mile and one-eighth. The colt was sent out of the gate eighth out of fourteen and gained ground quickly once urged forward, going on to win the race by three lengths and setting a speed figure of one hundred twenty-one. This is the second of two graded wins for the colt, his first also coming in California during The Movie Cup (G3) at a mile and one eighth in his three-year-old season.
10. Jim N Tom Dream – jimntom1 – H. Harzheim – 12/1
Immediately following is our second Sea The Stars sired runner, who is also coming out of the same race as the horse who be loaded into the gate to his left. The four-year-old is still looking for his first graded win. He would finish third in the Nines Are Wild (G1), three and a quarter lengths off the pace, though he would set a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred seventeen. The colt last won this past October during a listed stakes race overseas in Denmark over nine furlongs. The colt settled just off the pace off a few other runners early on before going on to win the race by a length at the wire.
11. Pivano (SAF) – safbb2 – N. Bonus – 17/1
A local champion in his native South Africa, this five-year-old horse by Silvano (GER) is seeking out his first Grade I win after securing a Grade II victory late last year. The most recent start for the bay horse was in Australia during the New Years Magic Mile (G1). The horse broke out of the gate in fifth, a little over three lengths off the pace of the leader early on. While the horse made up some distance in the final furlongs, he crossed the wire in fifth. Three and three-quarter lengths off the pace with a speed figure of one hundred fourteen. The most recent win for the horse was his aforementioned Grade II victory which came in Japan during The Mink Oak (G2) at a mile and one-eighth. The horse won the race by three and a quarter after being held just off the pace in fourth at the start.
12. Merry Mambo (IRE) – crash99 – M. Scott – 28/1
Next up we will have the longest short of the board going into the gate towards the outside. By Galileo (IRE) and out of a Kingmambo mare, the four-year-old bay colt most recently raced in the Los Angeles Derby (G2) at a mile and a quarter. Held back at the start to run ninth early on at the start, the colt would fade at the end of the race, coming across the wire in eleventh, seven lengths off the winner. The colt set a speed figure for the race of one hundred three. The colt is graded placed, finishing second in last years The Usain Bolt (G2) and The Guillaume (G2). The colt has made just one attempt against Grade I company, last year in the German Derby (G1) over a yielding turf course in which the colt finished fourth. The most recent win for the colt was in an allowance race last year in Kentucky over nine furlongs.
13. Sea King Kamilla (CAN) – canadiangate – A. Jolly – 10/1
In the thirteenth slot, the Canadian-bred gelding will be making his eleventh lifetime start. The four-year-old most recently started in the Nines Are Wild (G1) along with two other horses that will be going into the gate in this race on Saturday. In the mile and one-eighth race, the gelding was sent out of the gate and held just off the pace early on in fifth and made up some good ground after the midway point of the race to rally for third. The bay finished three lengths off the pace with a speed figure of one hundred seventeen. Prior to this, the gelding won two consecutive races, both also in California, during the Cherry Limb Stakes (G2) and the Boston Derby (G2), both over a mile and an eighth. The former gave the gelding a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred and twenty.
14. Wells Exceeded (IRE) – massatoga9 – D. Givins – 10/1
Last into the gate for the weekends race will be this six-year-old horse, and the second of our two horses to go to the gate with previous Grade I victories. It will be start nineteen for the bay Irish-bred by Exceed And Excel. His most recent start was in November in California during The Parking Ticket (G1) at a mile and one sixteenth. The horse was sixth out of the gate, tucked away on the inside rail in sixth. The horse would lose ground during the eight and a half furlongs and cross the wire in eleventh, thirteen and a half lengths off the pace. The horse would set a speed figure of one hundred seven for the race. June of last year was the horse’s most recent win, this coming in New York over a mile and a quarter during the NY Island Cap (G1). A little closer to the pace early on in fourth, the horse would cross the wire two and a quarter lengths out in front.
Flrancho’s Picks
Win: Desired Effect (IRE)
Place: Sea King Kamilla (CAN)
Show: Financial Times (ENG)