The Best Of Rome

The feature race this weekend here in Italy will be held on Saturday with The Best Of Rome (G1) set to go off at 3:00 PM EST. The prestigious Group I race is open to three-year-olds and up for the fillies and mares and will be held over a mile and a quarter on the turf. Set to go off over a firm course, the race, offering a total purse of $750,000 has drawn a field of twelve horses, including one three-year-old that will be taking on the older fillies and mares. Let’s take a look at the contenders going into the race. 

1. Metajet (IRE) – huginn – T. Tees – 8/1 

Set to go into the post on the inside rail we will have the first of three Galileo (IRE) sired fillies going into the gate. This four-year-old will be making her first start against Group I company after winning at the lower-level group races. The most recent start for the brown filly came in Ireland during The Beat Up Ford (G2) at a mile and a quarter early last month. The filly took the six-horse field from gate to wire in this race, winning by a four and a half length margin with a recorded speed figure of one hundred fourteen. 

2. Nathh (ENG) – holdfast – T. Small – 10/1 

Making her twenty-ninth lifetime start on Saturday, the five-year-old mare will be making her third Group start. The bay mare most recently started in The Tapit (G3) at a mile and one-eighth here in Italy over a track rated as good earlier this month. Sent out of the gate towards the rear of the small field, the mare made her move late in the stretch to finish second, setting a speed figure of one hundred ten. The mare’s prior start, held in an allowance race over the same distance in Spain in late August, brought the mare her most recent win. She was up closer to the pace in this race, stalking the early speed early back in third. 

3. Evil Jezzabel (IRE) – asrstar5 – J. Wilson – 22/1 

The longshot of this weekends, race, this filly is the sole three-year-old to take on the older horses and will be making just her second Group start. The most recent start for the Sea The Stars filly came in Ireland during a listed stakes race over nine and a half furlongs. The bay filly took the race in wire-to-wire fashion, winning by three and a half lengths and setting a speed figure of one hundred thirteen, which is a lifetime best. Her sole Graded start came in late March during The Penelope Cruz (G3) at a mile and five-sixteenths where she crossed the wire in second. 

4. Blushing Dyna Gal (IRE) – bbt3 – H. Knott – 9/1 

The second entry in our field to be sired by Galileo (IRE), the five-year-old mare is coming off of two consecutive wins before going into this race. The most recent start for the mare was in Sweden during the Stockholm Distaff (G3) at a mile and three-eighths last August. Settling just off the pace into third out of the gate, the mare made her move midway through the race and took over the lead in the stretch to win by a quarter of a length while setting a speed figure of one hundred eighteen. Her other win took place in an allowance race over the same distance in Germany. 

5. Palace Sniper K – giventest0 – Z. Edwards – 9/2 

Making her sixteenth career start in the race this weekend, this four-year-old chestnut filly is out of the Group I and two-million-dollar-earning broodmare Silver Shot K. This filly is the only Group winner of three foals to race for the broodmare. The most recent start for the filly came last month in Canada during The Molson Export (G2) at a mile and one-eighth. Coming out of the gate towards the rear of the field, the filly started inching up on the other runners midway through the race and would cross the wire in third, just a length off the pace and setting a speed figure of one hundred and seventeen. The most recent win for the filly was in the United States this past January in the Shawnee River Handicap (G3) over the same distance. Again, off towards the back of the pack, the filly would rally late to win by one and three-quarter lengths while recording a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred eighteen. This race will be the first time the filly has gone ten furlongs. 

6. Saint Etienne (IRE) – fernando – P. Harzheim – 13/1 

Midway through our field for the race, this four-year-old bay filly will be making her Group stakes debut with this race. The Irish-bred daughter of Camelot (GB) most recently stared in a listed stakes race in India at nine furlongs. Settling into fourth at the start, the filly would finish third in the race, setting a speed figure of one hundred eleven, which is a lifetime best for the filly. Her prior race was her most recent win, and this came in an allowance race in the UAE over ten and a half furlongs. She took the field from gate to wire in the race, winning by a quarter of a length. 

7. Forty Elephants (GB) – skogby3 – H. Harzheim – 8/1 

This four-year-old filly is still on the search for her first group win despite coming close in her last few starts. The four-year-old bay filly by Oasis Dream (GB) most recently started in France during the Prix Opera (G1) at a mile and one quarter. Placed into the middle of the field out of the gate, the filly started inching up midway through the race and ended up crossing the wire in third, setting a speed figure of one hundred eight. The most recent win for this filly was in her prior start, which took place in an allowance race over the same distance in England. 

8. Gasgano (FR) – lenny14 – Z. Kentucky – 6/1 

The only horse coming into this race having already won a Group I race, this five-year-old mare by Wooton Bassett (GB) most recently started in the United States during the Yellow Submarine Stakes (G1) at a mile and a quarter last month. Running just off the pace in second, she overtook the front runner midway through the race and went on to win by two lengths with a speed figure of one hundred nine. Coming into this race off of three consecutive wins, this victory is also rounded off by two wins in listed company. 

9. Glasshopper – stoners – V. Drosos – 6/1 

In the ninth post, this filly will be looking for her first win against group company despite having a few near misses which left her group placed. The most recent start for the four-year-old bay daughter of Distorted Humor was in the United States during the Yellow Submarine (G1) at a mile and one quarter. She would be forwardly placed in the race, fourth out of the gate, but would cross the wire fifth at the end, setting a speed figure of one hundred five. Prior to this, she would start in the Cedora D Stakes (G1) at a mile and three-sixteenths and finished third. Her most recent win was during a listed stakes race over nine and a half furlongs, also in the United States. 

10. Gottacatchsanta (IRE) – babies4 – S. Thrasher – 10/1 

Nearing the end of our field for this Saturday, this Irish-bred mare by Invincible Spirit (IRE) will be going into gate number ten. The most recent start for the five-year-old bay mare was in Sweden during the Stockholm Distaff (G3) at a mile and three-eighths in late August. Maneuvering into ninth out of the gate, the mare seemed to have an off day in this trip as she never fired as the field came into the stretch. She would finish the race eighth, setting a speed figure of one hundred eight. Prior to this she would finish third in both The Friendly Wager (G1) and the Capitals Distaff (G2), both at a mile and a quarter. Her most recent win was in her native Ireland during an allowance race over ten furlongs. 

11. Defund The Derby (ENG) – appower – S. L. Ledwith – 14/1 

Making her group stakes debut this race, this five-year-old mare by top sire Dubawi (IRE) and out of the Group I winning broodmare Quiteria, is coming off of two consecutive wins before coming into her start this weekend. Her most recent start was in New Zealand during a listed stakes race over a mile and a half. Out of the gate sharply and into second, the mare took the lead in the backstretch and went on to win the race by an impressive three and a half lengths while setting a speed figure of one hundred fourteen, which is a lifetime best speed figure for the mare. Prior to this race, she also won an allowance race over the same distance in a similar fashion.  

12. Vic Alouqua (IRE) – beerkeg15 – D. Brock – 9/1 

The finial horse to go into the starting gate for our race this weekend, and also the last of the three fillies and mares to be sired by Galileo (IRE) in the race, this five-year-old bay mare most recently started last month in the Yellow Submarine Stakes (G1) at a mile and a quarter in the United States. Off the pace at the start and settling into tenth, the mare would rally some deep in the stretch to cross the wire in eighth, setting a speed figure of one hundred three. June saw witness to the mare’s most recent win, which came in Ireland during The Hot Polly (G2) at the same distance. Again, the mare would be well off the pace at the start, lagging behind in eleventh, but would begin to make her move earlier on in the race, getting up at the wire to win by two and a quarter.  

Flrancho’s Picks: 

Win:  Palace Sniper K 

Place: Gasgano (FR) 

Show: Gottacatchsanta (IRE)