The Iceberg
The feature race for this weekend in New York is The Iceberg (G1), which will be held this coming Sunday. The Grade I race is open to three-year-olds and up and is set to be run at six furlongs on the dirt. The race, offering up a total purse of $750,00 has drawn a full field despite the rain over the weekend, which will leave the race to be run in the slop. The race is set to go off at a post time of 2:50 PM EST on Sunday. Let’s take a look through the fourteen contenders.
- The Resolver– derekclarkson7 – R. Sanders –27/1
Drawing the inside rail for Sunday’s race, the four-year-old will be making his first start as a gelding in this race. The son of War Front has made a total of fourteen career starts. His most recent start was in late June during a listed stakes race over six furlongs in Kentucky. Out of the gate in eighth at the start, he would be shuffled back to tenth at the wire, coming home to post a speed figure of one hundred four. His most recent win was the month prior in Florida over a six-and-a-half-furlong allowance race held on a sloppy track. Just off the pace of the front runners in fourth early, he would dig in and make his move midway through the race and go on to win by a quarter of a length. He will be taking a step up in class to go against graded company for the first time on Sunday, though he has finished on the board in both of his starts on off tracks.
2. El Sin Nombre – lopo – E. Cerda – 6/1
Looking to return to winning ways after two consecutive second place finishes, this five-year-old son of Bernardini most recently started in the Symphony Of Speed (G1) overseas in Hong Kong at six furlongs. Facing a field of seven, the horse was held off the pace just off the leaders in third early. He started to make his move midway through the race before crossing the wire in second, setting a speed figure of one hundred eleven. Prior to this the horse also finished second in The Smile (G2) over the same distance in Florida last June. The most recent win for the horse came during the Bruce Leeroy Stakes (G1) at five and a half furlongs in Iowa. Sent out of the gate in fourth, the horse started picking off other runners early in the race. By the midway point of the sprint, the horse had gained the lead and did go on to win the race by half a length.
3. Cronenworthy – allfrankel – J. Hernandez – 11/1
Looking to rebound off his last start, the four-year-old light grey colt is by Candy Ride out of the listed stakes winning dam Ashbringer. The colt most recently started in late July during the Booker T. Handicap (G2) at seven and a half furlongs in Virginia. The colt was one of the last out of the gate and never seemed to find his footing in the sprint, falling back in the last half of the race to finish thirteenth with a speed figure of one hundred three. Prior to this the colt saw his most recent win in June during a listed stakes race over the same distance on a good dirt track in Arizona. Once again, the colt was late out of the gate and trailed most of the field early. Here however, he would gradually start to pick off other runners early in the race. He would go on to win the race by one and three-quarter lengths. He would also win The Ice Lurge Handicap (G3) at seven furlongs here in New York in January over a track rated as good. The grey colt is undefeated over an off track.
4. Return To Awesome – ddstables42 – D. Givins – 11/1
Coming into this race off of a win in the Middle Of Nowhere Sprint (G3) at six furlongs in Iowa, the chestnut five-year-old horse is taking a step up in class to contest for a Grade I prize for the first time this weekend. The son of Speightstown won by a length and a quarter after setting a speed figure of one hundred sixteen and setting just off the pace of a couple of front runners early on out of the gate. Prior to this the horse also finished second in The Happily Runnin Stakes (G3) over the same distance here in New York.
5. Bushwick – straightdeal – T. McLaughlin – 17/1
Looking for his first graded win, the five-year-old sired by Runhappy is lightly raced with thirteen career starts. His most recent start came last month in the Supernatural Stakes (G3) at six and a half furlongs overseas in the UAE. Facing a seven-horse field, the horse was out of the gate in sixth early on, not making his move until midway through the race. With a late charge in the final furlongs he would get up to cross the wire in third, setting a speed figure of one hundred seven. His most recent win came this past April during a listed stakes race over six furlongs in Minnesota. The horse ran this race in a similar fashion, starting out near the back and going on to win by a length.
6. Kaima Ilfia – ygeldings – B. Scott – 7/2
With earnings approaching three million dollars, this five-year-old bay gelding is the son of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and out of a listed stakes winning dam. The most recent start for the bay gelding came in late July across the country in California during The Binger Handicap (G1) at six furlongs. At the start, the gelding was well off the pace trailing towards the back of the field. He would steadily build up momentum throughout the race, steadily passing by a few horses early. But it wasn’t until the field came into the stretch that he showed his real turn of foot. He would get up to grab a spot on the board with a third place finish, setting a speed figure of one hundred one. His prior start, taking place in the middle of June in Vermont during the Equinics – Unbridled’s House (G1) at six and a half furlongs, saw his most recent win. Again, off towards the back of the field, he would make an earlier move in the race and go on to win by half a length.
7. Starfield Spacer – lenny10 – D. Raymond – 34/1
Midway through our field and one of the younger contenders in our field this weekend, this three-year-old is by top sire Curlin. The chestnut colt will be taking a step up in class for the race this weekend. His most recent start was last month in the Sharp Island Stakes (G1) at six furlongs overseas in Hong Kong. The colt broke sharply out of the gate and went straight to the lead in the race. He was never contested throughout the race, taking the field from gate to wire to win by a quarter of a length and with a speed figure of one hundred nine. The colt has made only one other graded start, which came in late April during The Mary Bellium Stakes (G2) in England, and also at six furlongs. Breaking just off the pace of the front runners, he would gain the lead briefly, before being overtaken and being shuffled back to third.
8. Texkindofjustice – beefcake6 – R. Foster – 13/1
Vastly improving in his past few races, this four-year-old gelding is by Mohaymen. The bay gelding most recently started in late August during a listed stakes race in West Virginia over six furlongs. Facing a seven horse field, the gelding came out of the gate settled behind the front runners in third. He maintained this position throughout the race, crossing the wire in third as well. He would set a speed figure of one hundred and eight for the race. However, before this, the gelding would finish second in his first graded start, which was in The Binger Handicap (G2) in California, also at six furlongs. Early June was the most recent win for the gelding, which was in a starter allowance race over four and a half furlongs in Oklahoma. He was well off the pace at the start of the short sprint. Making his move midway through the race, he would go on to win by half a length.
9. OMG It’s A Haack – stormhaack – J. Seldon – 8/1
Looking for his first Grade I in what will be his twenty-second career start, the five-year-old son of War Front is one of two earners of over one million dollars for broodmare Miss Universo. The most recent start for the bay horse was across the country in The Binger Handicap (G1) at six furlongs in California. Fourth out of the gate at the start in the twelve-horse field, the bay horse would fall back in the stretch to cross the wire in eighth, setting a speed figure of one hundred five for the race. His prior race, coming in Florida in early May, was in The Smile (G2), also at six furlongs, and was the horse’s most recent win. He came out stalking the pace in second out of the gate here, not challenging for the lead until they came into the final furlong. He grabbed the win by three-quarters of a length with a more impressive speed figure of one hundred fourteen.
10. Think Of Things – asrstar24 – N. Lawton – 43/1
The longshot of the field for Sunday, the Kentucky-bred three-year-old colt is also one of the younger contenders for our race. Sired by Gun Runner, he has placed twice in graded company. His most recent start came here in New York in late July during the Hetfield Stakes (G3) at seven furlongs. Coming out of the gate second and trailing along behind the leader out of the gate for most of the race, he made a bid for the front in the stretch but was got upset in the final strides to finish a heartbreaking third by only three-quarters of a length. He set a speed figure of one hundred seven for the race. In late March he would finish third in the Electric Feels (G1) at a mile and three-sixteenths over a sloppy dirt track. His most recent win came just prior to this in a listed stakes race over the same distance in Colorado.
11. New Year’s Date (JPN) – zbarb7 – H. Desitter – 8/1
The Japanese-bred gelding, like many of our field is coming into this race out of The Binger Handicap (G1) in California over six furlongs. The five-year-old bay broke out of the gate in this race in second at the start. At the midway point he had taken over the pace and led the field into the final furlongs where he was shuffled back by closers in their bid for the front to end up crossing the wire in fourth, setting a speed figure of one hundred eleven. Prior to this, his most recent start came overseas in Sweden in The Kroner Cup (G3) at six furlongs, which was held over a sloppy track this year. This race, the bay gelding took in gate to wire fashion, winning by one and a quarter lengths. Though only making two starts so far over off going, he is undefeated on an off track.
12. Street Scout – canada4 – K. Ebner – 7/1
A sentimental favorite in the race is the local New York bred horse. The five-year-old sired by Honest Mischief is making the second graded start of his career. His most recent start was here in New York during late July during a listed stakes race over six furlongs. Off the pace early in eighth, he wouldn’t make his move until midway through the local championship race. He would go on to win the race by one and three-quarter lengths with a speed figure of one hundred fourteen. His only other graded start to date was in September of 2022 during The Uncle Mo (G3) at seven and a half furlongs when he would finish fifth.
13. Magnanime – haack07 – B. Orazio – 15/1
Coming into this race off of three consecutive wins, the four-year-old brown colt is a son of More Than Ready. Making his eighteenth career start on Sunday, his most recent start came in Japan during the Cyber Attack Sprint (G3) at six furlongs on a track rated as good. The colt trailed the field towards the rear of the field early in the sprint before making his move midway through the race. He would get up in time to win the race by a length, setting a speed figure of one hundred fourteen. Prior to this, he would win two other consecutive races; a listed stakes race and an allowance race, both over six furlongs.
14. Atlantic Dootsin – zcutty – S. Ausilo – 7/1
This five-year-old by Stormy Atlantic made his most recent start last month overseas in the United Arab Emirates during the Game Of Chance Stakes (G3) at seven furlongs. The horse came out of the gate in second, less than a length off the front runner early. He maintained this position for the most of the race, only falling back in the stretch to cross the wire in third, setting a speed figure of one hundred nine. We have to go back to October of 2022 to the horse’s win which took place in The Select Bud (G3) at seven furlongs in Kentucky. The horse was placed more towards the middle of the pack early in this race, though he started to pick off other runners early in the race. He took over command of the pace in the final furlongs to go on to win the race by half a length.
Flrancho’s Picks:
Win: Kiama Ilfa
Place: Magnanime
Show: El Sin Nombre