The Long Island Sprint
The first graded stakes on the card on Sunday here in New York will be the Long Island Sprint (G2) which will take place over six furlongs on the dirt. Open to fillies and mares, three-years-old and up, the race is set to be run at 2:55 PM EST over what is sure to be a fast track at post time. Offering a total purse of $375,000, the race has drawn a total of ten fillies and mares. Let’s take a look for our field for Sunday.
- Balloon Check – migstheman – D. Givins – 5/1
Making her twentieth career start this weekend, the five-year-old chestnut mare most recently started in late January during The Everclear Handicap (G1) at seven furlongs across the country in California on a track rated as good. The mare was positioned off the pace out of the gate in eight at the start. Midway through the race she picked up the pace and moved into seventh. The mare couldn’t dig in in the stretch however and would cross the wire in seventh while setting a speed figure of one hundred four. The most recent win for the mare was in her prior start which took place in November of last year during the Miss Mags Sprint (G3) at seven furlongs. Placed off the pace here as well, she would again make her move towards the middle of the race but dug in during the stretch run to go on to win by half a length.
2. Winter Captain (SAF) – deathgoat4 – A. Rolling – 6/1
Taking a step up in class and returning to graded company with this start, the five-year-old bay mare is the most accomplished offspring produced by the Grade I winning broodmare Captain Awesome and the only one to be graded placed. The mare’s most recent start was last month during a listed stakes race over six furlongs here in New York. Held off the pace at the start of the sprint in seventh out of the gate, she was asked to make her move midway through the race and got up to cross the wire in third while setting a speed figure of one hundred one. Her most recent win was in January, also in a listed stakes race, though in Delaware at six and a half furlongs over a track rated as sloppy. The mare was closer to the pace in this race, didn’t make her move until the stretch, and went on to win by a neck in the final strides. Her most recent graded start was in October of last year during the On A Whim Stakes (G3) at seven and a half furlongs in which she would finish sixth.
3. Tour De Fer – fernando – J. Piotrowski – 6/1
This five-year-old brown mare will be making her twenty-seventh career start in this race. Her most recent start was last month across the country in California during the Santa Maria Stakes (G2) at seven furlongs. The brown mare was sent out of the gate and went straight to the lead at the start. She surrendered the lead midway through the race and continued to fade back until she crossed the wire in fourth, setting a speed figure of one hundred two. Her most recent win came in September of last year during the six furlong Excuse Me Miss Sprint (G3) in Vermont. She was held off the pace in this race, fifth out of the gate. She started to challenge other contenders by the time the field reached the halfway point of the sprint. She gained the lead in the stretch and would go on to win the race by half a length.
4. Tan Trick – xtees – J. Drozd – 8/1
Making her graded stakes debut this weekend the light grey mare is one of two six-year-olds going into the gate this weekend. The daughter of Creative Cause has finished off the board only twice in her career, spanning a total of sixteen career starts. The lightly raced six-year-old most recently started in January during an allowance race over seven furlongs here in New York. The mare was sent out of the gate and went straight to the lead. She maintained this position right up until the final furlongs of the race when she was overtaken before the wire. She would finish second, setting a speed figure of ninety-five. Her most recent win was in October of 2022 during another allowance race over seven furlongs, this time in Ohio. She was held off the pace in this start, third out of the gate. She gradually inched forward in the race, steadily gaining on the front runners. She would go on to win the race by one and a quarter lengths and setting a speed figure of one hundred three. The mare has started several times in listed stakes company, always coming up short of a win, but consistently hitting the board.
5. Realm Of Fantasy – amir1627 – P. Haynes – 10/1
This five-year-old mare will be seeking out her first graded stakes win after making a few attempts earlier on in her career. Her most recent start came in January during a listed stakes race over six and a half furlongs in Maryland. She was sent out of the gate to settle just off the pace in second but faded in the final furlongs to cross the wire in fourth, setting a speed figure of one hundred two. Her most recent win was in May of last year in a listed stakes race in West Virginia over five and a half furlongs. She took the field from gate to wire in this race, narrowly leading the field at the start, widening her lead to about a length midway through the race, and then holding off challengers by a neck at the wire. Her most recent graded start was last August during The Sticky Business Stakes (G3) at five furlongs in Maryland in which she finished sixth after stalking the early pace.
6. Home Real Late – asrstar23 – N. Lawton – 19/1
The morning line longshot of the race, the four-year-old filly is the youngest horse to draw into the field this weekend. The filly is returning to graded stakes company this weekend after taking a step down in class. Her most recent start came overseas in Norway during a listed stakes race at six furlongs. Facing a smaller field the filly was held off the pace out of the gate and was asked to challenge the pace in the final furlongs, through she would run out of ground and would cross the wire in fourth, setting a speed figure of one hundred. Her most recent win was June of last year in an allowance race over five and a half furlongs. Fourth out of five horse field out of the gate, she began to advance towards the front towards the middle of the race. She would go on to win the race by half a length. Her most recent graded start was October of last year in an attempt over the turf in the My Only Hope Stakes (G3) at six furlongs in Australia in which she would finish eighth.
7. Lukazapper – darthblur – D. Singhi – 4/1
This six-year-old mare will be making her twenty-second career start with the race this Sunday. The daughter of Ghostzapper was bred in Kentucky and has won seven of her twenty-one career starts. Her most recent start was late in December last year during the Sugar Cookie Cup (G3) at six furlongs. The mare took the field from gate to wire in the race, ultimately winning the contest by a length and setting a speed figure of one hundred three. This was the first graded stakes win in her career. The mare had also previously won two listed stakes races.
8. Fish Sauce N Lime – diversify – F. Gossett – 8/1
Finishing off the board just three times in her career, the four-year-old daughter of Limehouse most recently started last month in Pennsylvania during The Rancho Dash (G1) at six furlongs. The mare was sent out of the gate to stalk the pace in second, less than a length behind the pacesetter. She would maintain her stalking position right up into the stretch when she was overtaken by late closers to fade to eighth, setting a speed figure of one hundred one for the race. Her most recent win came in her prior start, taking place in November of last year during the Liam’s Little Lady Stakes (G2) and also at six furlongs. The mare took the field from gate to wire in this start, hanging on to win by half a length.
9. Western Book – coagulate1 – C. Orza – 7/1
Taking another shot against graded stakes company, the five-year-old bay mare is making her twenty-fifth career start this weekend. Her most recent race was in January during a listed stakes race in Maryland over six and a half furlongs. She was held well off the pace at the start of the race and wasn’t urged until the final furlongs in the race. She would come up just short in the race, crossing the wire in second and missing the win by a heartbreaking head bob at the wire while setting a speed figure of one hundred seven. Her most recent win was in November of 2023 during a listed stakes race in Florida at seven furlongs. Off the pace here as well, she started to make a move on the rest of the field earlier in this race and went on to win by one and a quarter lengths. Her most recent graded start was September of last year during the Excuse Me Miss Sprint (G3) at six furlongs in Vermont where she would finish in seventh.
10. Unknown Artifact – sinner – S. Noles – 7/1
Coming into this race off of two consecutive wins, the five-year-daughter of Authentic has made twenty-three lifetime starts and is returning to graded stakes company after a step down in class last year. The bay mare’s most recent start came in late January during a listed stakes over six furlongs in Indiana over a sloppy dirt track. The mare was off the pace in ninth out of the gate and started to make a run for the front midway through the race. She would go on to win the contest by a head and set a speed figure of one hundred five. Previously in December of last year she had won another listed stakes race, this time on a fast track over five and a half furlongs in California, by half a length. The mare’s most recent graded start was May of last year during the Ferry Dust Handicap (G3) at six furlongs in Iowa where she would cross the wire in seventh.
Flrancho’s Picks:
Win: Balloon Check
Place: Tour De Fer
Show: Winter Captain (SAF)