The DiCaprio Handicap

The highlight in Italy this weekend will be The DiCaprio Handicap (G1) which is set to be run over a mile on the turf with a post time of3:00 PM EST this coming Sunday. Th race is offering up a total purse of $750,000 and this year we will have twelve horses that will be going to the starting gate. The race is open to three-year-olds and up, though no contenders in the race line up are younger than the age of four. It looks like we will be set for a firm course at post time this weekend. Let’s take a look through the twelve starters. 

1. Merry Mambo (IRE) – crash99 – C. Gerhke – 7/1 

Drawing the inside rail for Sunday’s race, this four-year-old son of top sire Galileo (IRE) most recently started in France during the Maudlin Cup (G1) over a mile. Making his seventeenth lifetime start in the race, the colt settled just off the front runners into fourth out of the gate early on. He would make his move late in the stretch, but it wasn’t enough as he came home to cross the wire in third while recording a speed figure of one hundred fifteen. The most recent win for the colt was in April of this year during The Bourbon Mile (G3) in the United States. The colt was much farther off the pace at the start of this race along with starting to make his move to the front earlier on the race before going on to win by half a length. 

2. Acting Foolish (AUS) – redhill – D. Ledwith – 9/1 

In the second slot we will have this four-year-old bay gelding who will be seeking out his first group win as well as returning to group company this weekend after taking a step down in class for his recent races. The most recent start for the gelding was in late August during an allowance race over a mile in Hong Kong. The son of Group III winner Bend The Knee led the field gate to wire in the race, winning by two lengths while recording a speed figure of one hundred eighteen. The last Group start for the gelding came under a ride with jockey D. Ledwith who will be onboard again this Sunday. This prior start was in The Yasunda Mile (G2) which took place this past May on a course rated as good. The gelding was second out of the gate, but faded in the late stretch to finish fourth. 

3. Golden Vidar (GB) – dannejaka4 – R. Truitt – 6/1 

Doing the blue saddlecloth for Sunday’s race, the four-year-old chestnut colt is making another attempt at securing a Group I win. Already a Group II winner of just over half a million in lifetime earnings, the colt made his most recent start overseas in the Canada Mile (G1) this past September. The colt set out of the gate and settled into the middle of the field early on, going along easily in fifth. He would go on to cross the wire in sixth, setting a speed figure of one hundred ten. He saw his most recent win in his start prior to this race, which was in Japan during the Fried Rice Mile (G2). In seventh out of the gate in the race, he made his move midway through the mile long race and crossed the wire in front by one and three-quarter lengths. 

4. Kiama Kenhi (IRE) – cuprunners – A. Jolly – 6/1 

The second horse in our field to be sired by No Nay Never, this four-year-old brown colt most recently started in the Central Park Stakes (G2) over seven furlongs this past September in England. The race was run over a yielding course and the colt broke out of the gate towards the rear of the field in the race, though he quickly started picking off other runners in the race. He would only pick up a fifth-place finish in the race, setting a speed figure of one hundred eighteen. His most recent win came in Germany, also on a yielding course, where he was much closer to the pace early on in fourth. He would go on to win with a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred twenty. 

5. Battletrooper (IRE) – padrestc – B. Scott – 11/1 

In the fifth post, this four-year-old colt by Shamardal will be making his nineteenth career start this weekend. The Irish-bred most recently started in Germany during The Rennen Mile (G2). The colt took off out of the gate and was placed towards the middle of the pack early in sixth. He began to make his bid for the front at the midway point of the mile long race, and did emerge first under the wire by a neck, setting a speed figure of one hundred twelve. He will be making his Group I debut on Sunday. The Rennen Mile (G2) was the first Group win for the colt, though he had been placing in several Group II and III events prior to his first win. 

6. In Constancy (ENG) – ambrosia – M. Zeus – 7/1 

Returning to Group company after taking a step down in class for his past two starts, this four-year-old gelding will be going into the center slot in our field for Sunday. Most recently starting in Germany during an allowance race over eight and a half furlongs, the bay gelding would settle into seventh early on at the start. At midway point he’d moved up into sixth but was still a little over eleven lengths off the pace. He would display an impressive closing kick in the stretch as he went on to place second with a speed figure of one hundred nineteen, which is a lifetime best for the gelding. The most recent Group start for the gelding was this past June during the Kakarazuka Tenen Cup (G2) at a mile and one quarter in which he finished third. April saw the gelding’s most recent win which was in a listed Local Championship Stakes in England over nine and a half furlongs. 

7. Blue Straggler (IRE) – cloister – R. Bokie – 10/1 

Our second entry to be sired by Galileo (IRE), this four-year-old colt is coming off of four consecutive wins before going into the race on Sunday. It will be his first start against Group I company. The most recent start for the bay colt was in August during The Desmond (G3) in Ireland over a mile. This was the colt’s first start against graded company, and after breaking towards the rear of the field in twelfth and quickly picking off the other runners strung out in front of him on the track, he would emerge victorious at the wire by one and three-quarter lengths, setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred and eighteen. The other three races in his winning streak included a listed stakes over a mile, also in Ireland, and two allowance races over longer distances in France.  

8. Jitterbugger (KY) – given28 –Q. Cassell – 11/1  

Next we have a second horse this is coming off of a four race winning streak before coming into this race on Sunday. The only American-bred horse in the field for the race, the four-year-old bay gelding is by War Front and out of the EOY and Group I winning mare Lindy Hop, who has produced six foals to date. The gelding going into the number eight slot is the only Group winner of the six so far. The most recent start for the gelding came in August during The Crimson Bank (G3) over a mile in New Jersey. After setting into fifth out of the gate I the middle of the pack, the gelding started to make his move around the four-furlong mark and went on to win by a length and a half with a speed figure of one hundred fifteen. His other three consecutive wins are rounded off with a listed stakes in Canada and two allowance races in Louisiana with all races being set at a mile. 

9. Shady Crystals (IRE) – lankajoe2 – S. Tate – 6/1 

Returning to Group company in this race after stepping down to allowance company, this gelding by Crystal Ocean (GB) will be the first five-year-old to go into the starting gate on Sunday. An accomplished Group II winner, the gelding most recently started in an allowance race over a mile in England where, after setting well off the pace in eighth at the start, he rallied to finish second, just off the pace by half a length while setting a speed figure of one hundred fourteen. The most recent Group start for the gelding was this past June during The Queen Sam (G1) in England at a mile. The gelding never seemed to fire in this race, breaking at the rear of the field and crossing the wire in twelfth. His most recent win was in April of last year during The Bourbon Mile (G2) in the United States. 

10. Mature Manure (AUS) – corzak9 – A. Craig – 14/1 

The longshot of Sunday’s field, this five-year-old Australian-bred horse is by Not A Single Doubt (AUS). The bay horse will be returning to Group company this weekend after stepping down to listed stakes races for his last two starts. His most recent start came in the United States during a listed stakes race over eight and a half furlongs on a good turf course. Breaking towards the rear of the field in the race, the horse would make a late move down the stretch to cross the wire in fifth, setting a speed figure of one hundred ten. He last started in a Group race in Ontario, Canada during The Edward’s Kingdom (G2) at a mile and one-eighth. Again, breaking towards the rear of the field, the horse would cross the wire in eleventh. The most recent win for the horse was in July of last year during a listed stakes race in his native Australia over nine furlongs. 

11. Widow’s Blade (AUS) – icbomber15 – R. Cerda – 9/1 

Nearing the end of our entries for our race on Sunday, this four-year-old by Snitzel is coming off of four consecutive wins. The most recent start for the gelding was in New Zealand during the Homelick Challenger (G2) which is held at a mile. Settling into the back half of the field in eighth, the gelding was quickly positioned to start going around other horses. Midway through the race he had moved into third and took over the lead in the stretch, going on to win by two and a half lengths while setting a speed figure of one hundred and eighteen. This is the only Group start for the gelding. His three remaining races that made up his four-race consecutive winning streak were all allowance races over a mile.  

12. Bellvue Bling (AUS) – guru16 – T. Ace – 10/1 

The last horse in our field for Sunday will be another Australian-bred colt. The four-year-old’s most recent start came in France this past September during the Moudlin Cup (G1) at a mile. The colt was forwardly placed in the race, held just off the pace of a couple of front runners in third out of the gate. He maintained this position for most of the race until fading back in the stretch and crossing the wire ninth with a speed figure of one hundred eleven. The most recent win for the colt was in June during an allowance race over eight and a half furlongs in England. The colt is group-placed, finishing second in last years’ Lipstick Guineas (G3) in New Zealand over a mile last November. 

Flrancho’s Picks: 

Win: Merry Mambo (IRE) 

Place: Golden Vidar (GB) 

Show: Blue Straggler (IRE)