The Seattle Stayer

The lone graded stakes race for this weekend in Washington is The Seattle Stayer (G1), to be held over two miles on the dirt. The Grade I race will be offering up a total purse of $750,000 for the three-year-olds and up that are eligible for entry. We will have clear skies for the weekend of racing, with a track that will be set as fast at the race’s post time of 3:00 PM EST. Ten horses  will take up the daunting two mile distance this year, let’s take a look through the contenders. 

1. Computing Ape – bmoney – J. Dizzle – 7/1 

Drawing the inside rail will be a local champion in his native Kentucky, this five-year-old gelding is by Cloud Computing and most recently started last month in Hong Kong during The Big Show (G2), also over two miles. Facing a field of ten, the gelding was out of the gate towards the middle of the pack. He wouldn’t advance much throughout the race, crossing the wire in tenth with a speed figure of one hundred. His most recent win was in December of last year during The Hit Man (G1) in Italy over the same distance. Against a slightly larger field, the gelding once again was sent out towards the middle of the pack. In this race the gelding was urged to make his move early on in the race. He would win the contest by three and three-quarter lengths. Currently the gelding as ranked as the best older dirt long distance runner.  

2. Buffalo Barbara (TUR) – retired – G. Skaggs – 8/1 

Bred in Turkey, in the second slot this four-year-old chestnut gelding most recently started in the Equinics during The Secretariat (G1) at a mile and a half in Vermont. The son of Bodemeister was out of the gate near the rear of the field and didn’t make a move in the race until asked in the stretch. The gelding responded but was only good enough to cross the wire in fifth for this race, setting a speed figure of one hundred six. His most recent win was in February during a listed stakes race in New Jersey over two miles. Here too, the gelding was held well off the pace early, though did make his move at about the midway point of the longer race. He would win the contest by a length and a quarter. He will be seeking his first graded win in this race, coming up empty in his two prior attempts.  

3. Lorne Voyager – chatham04 – B. Scott – 7/1 

Into this race off of three consecutive wins, the four-year old light grey colt is out of top sire Tapit and out of HOF and three-time graded stakes producing dam Outback Voyager. The most recent start for the colt came in The Razorback Route (G1) in Arkansas over a mile and three quarters. Sent out of the gate to stalk the front runners in fourth, he would start to make his way halfway through the race before surging to the front in the stretch and to win by a length and a quarter while setting a speed figure of one hundred twelve, which is a lifetime best for the colt. This was the stakes debut over dirt for the colt, who previously won consecutive races at both the listed and allowance level. 

4. Warmest Regards – plano40 – C. Orza – 6/1 

Looking to come back for this race with a win, this five-year-old chestnut horse last started in June during The Razorback Route (G1) at a mile and three quarters in Arkansas. Going out of the gate towards the middle of the pack, the horse started to fade back at the midway point in the race to cross the wire in ninth, setting a speed figure of one hundred four. He won his prior start in May which came in The Baltimore Special (G2) at two miles. Closer to the front running pace at the start of this race, the chestnut horse was held back in third at the start, though quickly started to pursue other horses. Midway through the race the horse had taken over the front running pace and went on to win by four and a half lengths. 

5. Barbecue Shape (GB) – laq – K. Banner – 7/1 

Midway through our field and returning to the dirt for this start, the four-year-old by Oasis Dream (GB) most recently started in England during The Gold Case (G1) at two miles over the turf. Going straight to the lead out of the gate the colt led the field right up until they reached the stretch where he was overtaken by late closers to cross the wire in fourth while setting a speed figure of one hundred seven. His most recent win was in May across the country in New York during The Cayuga Lake Special (G1) also at two miles. The colt took this race in gate to wire fashion, winning by one and a half lengths. 

6. Keen Like Sheen – uncleduppy – MJ Kelly – 5/1 

Making his graded stakes debut with this race, the son of Keen Ice is one of the favorites going into the race after coming off of two consecutive wins in the lead up to this start. His most recent start came in a listed race over eleven and a half furlongs in Arkansas. The five-year-old bay gelding took the field in the race in gate to wire fashion, setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred and nineteen while winning by two and three-quarter lengths. His prior win was also in a listed stakes race, though in Oklahoma at fourteen furlongs in which he would win by three and a quarter.  

7. Daniol – acarigua147 – A. Cutry – 19/1 

The longshot of Saturday’s field, the four-year-old gelding sired by Violence will also be making his first graded stakes start. He’s only made two starts for his current owner, both at the allowance level. The most recent start for the gelding came this past July during an allowance race over fourteen furlongs in Kansas. The gelding was sent off out of the gate to settle into the middle of the pack and was urged to make his move at the midway point of the race. He would go on to win the race by a daylight margin of four and a quarter lengths while setting a speed figure of one hundred two.  

8. Gunning Quality – amir1737 – F. Duffy – 5/1 

Another betting favorite will be in the eight slot. The son of Gunnevera is a local champion in his native Florida but has not started against graded company before this race. The bay five-year-old most recently started over the turf in California during the Rayal Roo Turf Memorial, a listed stakes race over twelve furlongs. Facing a field of seven runners, the gelding was sent off fourth out of the gate, gained some ground briefly midway through the race, and was shuffled back again in the stretch to finish fourth, setting a speed figure of one hundred six. His most recent win was in Florida during the Local Championship Stakes at nine furlongs, also on the turf. The colt won this race going gate to wire, winning by two and a half lengths. The gelding is no stranger to racing on the dirt either, winning an allowance start over the surface in April with a speed figure of one hundred eleven. 

9. Catalina Gold – mightyforego – J. Sands – 10/1 

Making his third graded start, though his first against Grade I company, this son of Catalina Cruiser is an accomplished Grade III winner and will be making his nineteenth career start on Saturday. The most recent start for the four-year-old chestnut gelding came in July during the Grumpy Old Man Marathon (G1) at a mile and five-eighths, which was held this year over a track rated as good. Flying out of the gate and settling into the middle of the pack early, the gelding started to make his move midway through the race but came up just short at the wire, crossing second with a speed figure of one hundred eleven. His prior start was his most recent win, which came during The Dying Breath (G3) at a mile and three quarters.  

10. Ghoulish Delight – asrstar5 – J. Benisz – 9/2 

Drawing the far outside post, this four-year-old is by Ghostzapper and is continuing to seek his bid for a win against graded company. The bay colt is lightly raced and will be making his fifteenth career start with this race. The colt is returning to running on the dirt for this race after giving turf a try with his most recent start. This start was in the Dawn To Dusk Cup (G2) at a mile and a half in California. The colt was last out of the gate in his first try over the turf, but he would start to advance on the field midway through the race and eventually crossed the wire in fourth, setting a speed figure of one hundred four. By contrast, the colt’s last, and only start, with graded company on the dirt was in the Nakatomi Stayer (G2) at a mile and seven-eighths, in which he also finished fourth with a speed figure of one hundred three. The colt last won in April during a listed stakes race held in Kentucky at thirteen furlongs. Well off the pace early like his other races, the colt made his move at the halfway point and went on to win the race by three and a quarter lengths. 

Flrancho’s Picks: 

Win: Lorne Voyager 

Place: Catalina Gold 

Show: Warmest Regards