The Land’s End
The highlight race this weekend in Kentucky is The Land’s End (G2) over a mile and one-eighth on the the main dirt track. The race will be open to three-year-olds only and has attracted a full field of fourteen horses for this years’ running. The race offers up a purse of $375,000 and is set to go off on what will be track listed as fast for its 2:45 pm post time on Sunday. Let’s take a look at this years field of runners.
- Samuel – 22toga – Z. Ayya – 8/1
Drawing the inside rail for Sunday’s race, the light grey colt is returning to graded company after taking a brief step down in class. Most recently raced over eight and a half furlongs in a listed stakes in California, the colt won the race by a length and three-quarters after stalking the field early on from the back of the pack. The horse set a speed figure of one hundred four for this race, which was a lifetime best for the colt. His most recent graded start was his race prior, this in The Happytime Stakes (G3) over a dirt track rated as good. The colt was again held well off the pace in this race and finished third with an impressive drive in the stretch, coming up just a half length short in the six-furlong sprint.
2. Rocks Ghostzapper (FR) – rocksters1 – W. Kewmwa – 21/1
Despite being a longshot going into the race this weekend, the bay colt is the only graded winner to make it to the post in this Sunday’s race. The French-bred colt most recently started across the country in California during The Saint Vincent (G2) over seven furlongs. Held back off the pace towards the rear of the field in this race, the colt didn’t make up much ground later on and crossed the wire eleventh, setting a speed figure of eighty-nine. His most recent win was here in Kentucky in June of his two-year-old season during The Manor of Bashford (G3) at six furlongs. He was slightly more forwardly placed in this race, more towards the middle of the field, and got up to win by three-quarters of a length. The colt will be moving up in distance for this race, previously not having run past a mile.
3. Honor A Dream – stonestreetbred – V. Gardner – 15/1
Making his graded stakes debut in this race, the brown colt is out of Grade III winning broodmare Iggys and will be making his seventh career start. His most recent start, coming in California, is the only off-the-board finish for the colt, which was in an eight and a half furlong listed stakes race. Settling just behind the pace in second out of the gate, the colt would fall back to cross the wire seventh. He posted a speed figure of ninety-one for the race. His most recent win was just his prior start, a nine-furlong allowance race in Delaware, which the colt won in wire-to-wire fashion.
4. OG Authentic Again – xpansion4 – W. Cahill – 12/1
In the fourth slot we have a colt which has not finished off the board in any of his six lifetime starts to date. By Authentic, the colt most recently started in a listed stakes race in Michigan over eight and a half furlongs. After breaking far off the pace towards the rear of the field, the colt gathered himself in the stretch and launched down the inside to close in on second, just a length behind the winner. He set a speed figure of ninety-eight for the race, a lifetime best for the colt. The race prior was the colt’s most recent win, this in an eight and a quarter length allowance race, which the colt won in a similar come-from-behind fashion.
5. She’s My Amber – azuma25 – M. Kelly – 11/1
Next up in line, this gelding will be making his first stakes start from gate five. The light grey gelding most recently started in New York in an allowance race over eight and a half furlongs, impressively winning the race in wire-to-wire fashion by one and a half lengths while setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred three. Since being gelded towards the latter part of the previous year, the gelding also finished second in another allowance race, nearly carrying that race wire-to-wire as well.
6. Omaha Empire – aam – T. Ace – 7/1
An early favorite for the race this weekend, the brown colt is graded placed, but still seeking that stakes win. Most recently started in California during a listed stakes race at a mile, the colt settled just off the pace in third and took control of the pace over the tiring front-runners in the stretch. The colt would win the race by a length and a half and set a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred four. He also won his start prior, an allowance race over seven and a half furlongs. The colt has made a lone start against graded company during The Comstalk (G3) at a mile late in his two-year-old season. The colt finished third in this race after stalking just off the pace.
7. Goldfang – confessor – W. McClendon – 21/1
Undefeated since being gelded late last year, the brown gelding is out of the Grade I winning broodmare Frostfang. Most recently racing here in Kentucky in an allowance race, the gelding won the race in wire-to-wire fashion by two lengths in the nine-furlong race, setting a speed figure of ninety-seven, which was a lifetime best for the colt. He also won his prior start, another allowance race over nine furlongs, also here in Kentucky. The colt has made just one stakes start, this a listed six-and-a-half-furlong race, also in Kentucky, where he would fade in the final furlongs of the race to finish eighth last June of his two-year-old season.
8. But But I Just – paynter – D. Givins – 8/1
Midway through our field for Sunday, this chestnut colt is by Triple Crown winner Justify and out of a graded placed broodmare. The three-year-old is already graded placed himself and will be seeking victory in his eighth career start this weekend. The most recent start for the colt came in California during The Saint Vincent (G2) over seven furlongs. Settling towards the middle of the pack out of the starting gate, midway through the colt would be urged forward to challenge the front runners. The colt would cross the wire in second, setting a speed figure of ninety-nine, which was a lifetime best for the colt. The most recent win for the colt was here in Kentucky in August of his two-year-old season as he won an allowance race over a mile.
9. Take Your Chance – nationalore – E. Sharp – 10/1
Returning to graded company for this race, the bay colt most recently started in a listed stakes race in Oklahoma over nine furlongs. Well off the pace at the break, the colt would make his move late in the stretch, but it was only enough to bring the colt home to cross ninth at the wire. The colt would set a speed figure of ninety-three for the race. In December of last year the colt made his only graded start to date, this in the Pleasure Stakes (G3) in Idaho at a mile and one-sixteenth. Again, towards the rear of the field at the break, the colt would close this race much better, crossing the wire just off the board in fourth. His race prior to this, an eight-and-a-half-furlong allowance race in Florida, saw the colt’s most recent win last October, where he was held closer to the front running pace out of the gate.
10. Quality Fast Slew – crash8 – C. Gerhke – 7/1
From the tenth post and making his ninth start this weekend, the brown gelding is a listed stakes winner and will be making his third graded start this weekend. Most recently starting in the Vermont Is 4 Lovers (G1) at nine furlongs last month, the brown gelding set out of the gate in the back half of the field, twelfth early on. He would make up some ground in the stretch to cross the wire tenth with a speed figure of ninety-seven. Prior to this start, and in his only other start as a gelding, he would win a listed stakes race at eight and a half furlongs in California. The only other graded start for the then colt would have been in July of his two-year-old season when he finished eighth in the Hoserhead Juvenile (G2).
11. Ascending Tide – lenny20 – R. Cerda – 12/1
Making his seventh career start this Sunday, the colt recently started in his first listed stakes race and is making a step up into graded company for the first time in this race. The most recent start for the Kentucky-bred light grey gelding was in an eight and a half furlong listed stakes in Arizona. Held back just off the front runners in third early in the race, the colt would advance in the stretch to cross the wire in second, setting a speed figure of one hundred for the race, which is a lifetime best for the gelding. Prior to this the gelding would win three consecutive allowance races, all of which were in Vermont.
12. Flower Ready – brooklyndurant – M. Shockey-Lopez – 9/1
One contender sure to get some attention at the betting windows this weekend will be this brown colt, who is graded placed and has just narrowly missed going to the winner’s circle. The most recent start for the son of More Than Ready was in the Swale Stakes (G2) last January in Florida over six and a half furlongs. The colt would cross the wire second in this race, setting a speed figure of ninety-nine. Prior to this race the colt would win a listed stakes race over five furlongs and finish on the board with a third place finish in The Los Angeles Prevue (G3) at seven furlongs.
13. Zensationally Fast (ARG) – slowrollny – K. Stabler – 10/1
Nearing the end of the field, this Argentian-bred colt will be making his second graded start on Sunday, and has finished on the board in a half of his starts. The most recent start for the bay colt was in a listed stakes race in Florida over eight and a half furlongs on a track rated as good at post time. The colt was sent straight out to the lead in the race but was overtaken midway through the race to ultimately finish third, setting a speed figure of one hundred one, which was a lifetime best. The most recent win for the colt was in September of his two-year-old season during an allowance race in Oklahoma. His lone graded start was here in Kentucky later that year in the Club Stakes (G2) over a mile and one-sixteenth where he finished eighth.
14. Drydock – spoit – N. Lawton – 7/1
Last in the field in the far outside gate, this colt will be making his first graded stakes start on Sunday. By top sire Tapit, the colt has finished off the board only once in his career. The most recent start for the colt was in New York during a nine-furlong allowance race. The colt won the race in in wire-to-wire fashion with a speed figure of one hundred one. The only stakes start for the colt to date came in a listed stakes in Mexico over eight and a half furlongs. The colt was held just off the pace of the front-runners in third and eventually crossed the wire in twelfth. This was the only start in which the colt did not finish on the board.
Flrancho’s Picks
Win: Flower Ready
Place: But But I Just
Show: Quality Fast Slew