The Jockey’s Weapon

The highlight this Saturday in Italy will be The Jockey’s Weapon (G1) which is set to be run over a mile and a half on the turf at 3:00 pm EST. The prestigious race is offering up a total purse of $750,000 and has attracted a total of seven horses. The race is open to three-year-olds and up, though this year all contenders going to the gate will be age four or older. Despite the threat of rain earlier in the week, it looks like we will be set for a firm course at post time this weekend. Let’s take a look through the contenders. 

1. Tour Van (JPN) – catholicboy – F. Gossett – 7/2 

Drawing the inside rail for the race this weekend, the Japanese-bred light grey colt has been racing in England recently and is shipping in from there to run in what will be his second attempt at a Group I race. The most recent start for the colt came during the Autumn Stakes (G3) in England over a mile and a half on a yielding course. The colt would be held just off the pace at the start of the race, tucking the grey colt back just off the pace in third. He would overtake the front runner midway through the race and go on to win by two and three-quarter lengths, setting a speed figure of one hundred seventeen. This was a lifetime best speed figure for the colt. His prior start would be the colt’s first and only Group I start, which came in the King Geoff and Queen Beth’s Emerald Stakes (G1) at a mile and a half. The colt would place eleventh in this race. 

2. Tete Kreft (IRE) – sabbath2 – B. Wu – 6/1 

In the second slot we will have another light grey going into the gate. The Irish-bred five-year-old gelding most recently started in Sweden during the Stockholm Champion (G3) over a mile and five sixteenths. The gelding was well off the pace at the start of the race, eleventh out of the gate. He would start to make his move late in the race, but it would only be enough to get him across the wire in eighth. The most recent win for the gelding was August of last year during The Freer Stakes (G3) at a mile and five-eighths. This win resulted in a lifetime best speed figure for the gelding of one hundred eleven. 

3. Pharoah Seeks Gold – elkstables22 – T. Small – 6/1 

Coming off of four consecutive wins, this five-year-old son of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah will be making his first Group I start this weekend. The most recent start for the horse was in the Stockholm Champion (G3) in Sweden at a mile and five-sixteenths. The horse settled just of the pace in fourth out of the gate at the start and started to make his move midway through race. He would take over the lead in the stretch and go on to win by two lengths with a speed figure of one hundred fourteen, which was a lifetime best for the colt. His other consecutive wins have all been at the allowance level.  

4. Extreme Cuffs (AUS) – oldmoondrifter1 – M. Zeus – 9/2 

Returning to graded company for this weekend’s race, the four-year-old Australian-bred bay gelding most recently started in a listed stakes race over eleven furlongs in Ireland. The gelding was well off the pace at the start of the race, held back off the pace by more than seven lengths from the front runner. The gelding would be urged to make his move late in the stretch and would cross the wire in fourth, setting a speed figure of one hundred and eight. The most recent graded stakes for the gelding was here in Italy during The Milan Grand Prix (G1) at a mile and a half this past June. The most recent win for the gelding was in March during an allowance race in New Zealand over eleven furlongs. The gelding would take the field from gate to wire in this race, winning by three. 

5. Coagulate Shock (NZ) – coagulate – GD Mate – 28/1 

In the fifth slot we will have the longshot for Saturday’s race with this four-year-old New Zealand bred colt. The colt will be making a major step up in class for this race, going from med-level tag claiming races to making his first graded start of his career this weekend. The most recent start for the bay colt was in September during an eleven and a half furlong claiming race for a $50,000 tag. In his native New Zealand. He would take the field gate to wire in this race, winning by three and a quarter lengths and posting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred. This was the second consecutive win for the colt, the other coming in another claiming race at eleven furlongs. The colt has started in listed stakes previously, the most recent of which was in May of last year at ten furlongs in Queensland where he would finish thirteenth. 

6. Fast Vidar (IRE) – daniel2 – J. Ledwith – 7/2 

Nearing the end of our field for Saturday, this Irish-bred colt is by Fastnet Rock (AUS) and out of the Hall of Fame and Group I winning broodmare Dynawells, who has produced three group winners including this four-year-old brown colt. The most recent start for the colt was in Germany during The G P Von Baden (G1) this past August over a mile and a half. The race had a small field of six horses go to the gate and the colt was last out of the gate at the start. He started to make his move midway through the race and would cross the wire in fourth setting a speed figure of one hundred eleven. The most recent win for the colt was in June during the Capitals Major Price (G3) at a mile and a half in Sweden. Again, the colt was sent off out of the gate towards the back of the field, not making his move until midway through the race. This time the colt would get up to win at the wire by two and a quarter with a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred seventeen.  

7. Takavacho (IRE) – viperfive – L. Radzinski – 2/1 

The final horse in our field and going into the far outside post, this four-year-old gelding is the only horse in the field to have already won a Group I race. The top rated long distance turf son of Brian Goru (GB) most recently started in England during the Autumn Stakes (G3) at a mile and a half over a yielding turf course. The gelding was fourth out of the gate and maintained that position throughout the race, crossing the wire in fourth as well with a speed figure of one hundred eleven in the race. The most recent win for the gelding was in May during The Grand Brazilian (G1) at a mile and a half. Out of the gate in seventh, he started to make his move midway through the race, going on to win by two and a half lengths and setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred twenty. 

Flrancho’s Picks: 

Win: Tour Van (JPN) 

Place: Pharoah Seeks Gold 

Show: Fast Vidar (IRE)