The Trotter Stakes

The lone graded stakes race on the card for this weekend in New York is The Trotter Stakes (G2), open to three-year-olds and up and held over seven furlongs on the main dirt track. With the weather looking clear for this weekend’s racing, it looks like we will have a full field for the race named in honor of the famed sim trainer. The seven-furlong sprint will be offering up a total purse of $375,000 and is scheduled to go off on Saturday at 3:15 PM EST. Let’s take a look through our fourteen contenders going to the starting gate.  

1. Woette’s Vizion  – zeco10 – J. Maloney – 10/1 

Drawing the inside rail, this five-year-old mare will be taking on the boys in this race and returning to graded stakes company after a brief step down in class. Sired by the little known Botswana Taps and out of a listed stakes winning dam, the mare will be making her twenty-fourth career start on Saturday. Her most recent race was in a listed stakes race down in Florida at seven furlongs in January. Off the pace and back in ninth early on, she rallied late but came up short to cross the wire in fourth with a speed figure of one hundred six. Her most recent graded start was in December of last year during The Exit Stage Left (G3) at a mile and one-sixteenths in which she would finish third, again running late. Her most recent win was April of last year during The Virginia Madison (G2) at seven furlongs where she was off the pace in seventh at the start and went on to win by a length and quarter after making another late run down the stretch.  

2. Top Giant – evbracing – V. Elliott – 19/1 

Bred in Arizona, the brown colt has made seventeen career starts to date. The son of Top Hit is a Grade III winner and is returning to graded company after a step down in class in his most recent start. This race came last month during a listed stakes race over seven and a half furlongs in Washington. Off the pace in ninth out of the gate, the colt wasn’t asked to move until the final furlongs where he responded only enough to get up to seventh, setting a speed figure of one hundred ten in the race, which is a lifetime best for the colt. His most recent win came in July of last year here in New York during The Everything’s Legal (G2) at six and a half furlongs. The colt was one of the last out of the gate in this field, was asked late in the stretch to make his move, and got up to win the graded stakes by a quarter of a length.  

3. Phantom Humor – stcbiesbol – N. Lawton – 5/144 

Coming into this race off a win, the six-year-old bay gelding is by the little known Phantom Boss and out of the allowance winning broodmare Packbot. His most recent start was this past January during the Cocked and Loaded Stakes (G1) at seven and a half furlongs in Kentucky. The gelding was well off the pace at the start of the race, held back in ninth out of the gate. He started passing up other contenders early on in the race before going on to win by a length and setting a speed figure of one hundred fourteen. The gelding has finished on the board in his three most recent graded stakes races including a second-place finish in last years’ Never Gonna Stop Stakes (G2) and a win in The Strong Leader (G3). 

4. The Soulfire – wonder2 – S. Tate – 29/1 

The longshot of Saturday’s race, this four-year-old gelding is by the late Speightstown and is lightly raced at fifteen career starts. His most recent start came in January down in Florida during the Arlo’’s Turmoil Sprint (G1) at six furlongs. He was well off the pace at the start in twelfth and never seemed to find his stride in the race, crossing the wire where he started in twelfth while setting a speed figure of ninety-six. His most recent win was in December of last year during a listed stakes race across the country in California at seven furlongs. He was more forwardly placed in this race at fourth out of the gate before going on to win by two and a half lengths. March of last year was the geldings most recent win against graded company, which came in the RoxyKen Stakes (G2) at five and a half furlongs.  

5. Joy Finds A Way (TUR) – ballyinch – I. Poindexter – 10/1 

Bred in Turkey, the four-year-old chestnut gelding is shipping in from Japan and taking a step up in class from Grade III races. The most recent start for the son of Tizway was during The Negative Stakes (G3) at seven furlongs in Japan. The chestnut came out of the gate and settled towards the back of the eight-horse field. He was asked to make his move midway throguh the sprint and would eventually go on to win the contest going away by four and a quarter lengths while setting a speed figure of one hundred sixteen, which was a lifetime best speed figure for the gelding. Prior to this start, coming last December, the gelding would secure a third-place finish in just the second graded start of his career in the United Arab Emirates during the Remember The Day Stakes (G3) over six and a half furlongs, in which he also displayed a strong closing kick in the final furlongs. 

6. Westward Mischief – legendary2 – J. Piotrowski – 7/1 

Hoping to bounce back after his most recent start, the five-year-old bay horse has made seventeen lifetime starts, most recently racing last month in the Schruffle Stakes (G1) at six and a half furlongs in Pennsylvania. Going straight to the front out of the gate, the son of Into Mischief would fade back in the stretch to finish tenth while setting a speed figure of one hundred five. The most recent win for the horse came in May of last year during the Bluegrass Sprint (G2) at seven furlongs in Kentucky. True to form, the colt ran in his preferred manner as the front running pace setter out of the starting gate. He led the field from gate to wire, winning the race by one and a half lengths while recording a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred fifteen. 

7. Sir Alfred – uscsteve20 – H. Ross – 15/1 

Making his third lifetime start against graded company and seeking out his first win with this level of competiton, the light grey son of Munnings has made eleven career starts. His most recent race was last month across the country in California in the Pablo Cruz Handicap (G2) at seven furlongs. Forwardly placed and just off the pace in third early on, the colt picked up the pace midway through the race but would fall back in the final furlongs to cross the wire in fifth, setting a speed figure of one hundred sixth. His only other graded start was in November of last year during the Action Hero Stakes (G2), also in California over the same distance, in which he finished second. His most recent win was in August of last year during a seven furlong listed stakes race here in New York which he won by a nose after stalking the pace early, fourth out of the gate. 

8. Tap Your Babe – fdlodgeh – I. Thomas – 21/1 

One of the fillies in our race for Saturday is sired by Tapit, most recently starting last month in The Rancho Dash (G1) at six furlongs in Pennsylvania. The light grey filly was well off the pace at the break when she was towards the back of the field in ninth. She would be asked to make a move towards the final furlongs of the race and ultimately crossing the wire in sixth, setting a speed figure of one hundred two. Her most recent win was in April of last year during the Be Reasonable Stakes (G1) in Arkansas over six and a half furlongs.  Breaking towards the middle of the pack out of the gate, the filly made her move earlier in the race at the midway point before going on to win the race by a quarter of a length. 

9. Croneworthy – allfrankel – D. Fendlay Jr – 9/1 

Nearing the latter half of the field, this five-year-old light grey horse is sired by Candy Ride and has seven wins in twenty-two lifetime starts to date. The most recent start of the Kentucky-bred horse came in January here in New York during The Ice Luge Stakes (G3) at seven furlongs. The horse was off the pace at the start in seventh and never fired in the sprint rice, crossing the wire in seventh where he started and recording a speed figure of one hundred two. His most recent win was in June of last year during a listed stakes race over seven and a half furlongs on a track rated as good out in Arizona. The horse was further off the pace in this race at thirteenth out of the gate. Advancing on the field midway through the race, he would go on to win the sprint by one and three-quarter lengths. His most recent win against graded company was in The Ice Luge Stakes (G3) of last year which was also held over a good dirt track. 

10. Saturna – ebro – R. Case – 10/1 

The second of three horses sired by Tapit in the field, the five-year-old is coming into the race out of the Schruffle Stakes (G1) over six and a half furlongs last month in Pennsylvania. Out of the gate in third early, the horse would fade in the final furlongs to cross the wire in sixth, setting a speed figure of one hundred six. The most recent win for the horse was in his prior start, which was in December of last year during the Deep South Sprint (G2) at six and a half furlongs in West Virginia. Middle of the pack out of the gate, the horse would move up midway through the race before going on to win the contest by a quarter of a length. 

11. Tapit Tornado – dkstables25 – Z. Ayya – 5/1 

By the popular sire Tapit, this five-year-old grey horse is consistently finishing on the board for his connections. The most recent start for the horse was in January during the Cocked and Loaded Stakes (G1) at seven and a half furlongs. Setting out of the gate towards the middle of the pack in fifth early, the horse was held back in this position until let loose late in the race where she showed an impressive turn of foot but came up short to cross the wire in second, setting a speed figure of one hundred twelve. His most recent win was in December of last year, also in Kentucky, during the Aim Is True Sprint (G1) over the same distance. He was held back in this start as well, though was let to challenge other horses fairly early in the race. He would win the sprint contest by a quarter of a length.  

12. Prussian Forest (AUS) – acarigua66 – M. Trull – 14/1 

Sired by King Of Prussia (AUS), the five-year-old gelding has far surpassed his dam who was a winner on the claiming circuit. Like much of the field coming into the race this weekend, the gelding is coming out of a start in the Cocked And Loaded Stakes (G1) at seven and a half furlongs. The gelding was sent off towards the middle of the pack but faded in the stretch as the closes passed him by to cross wire in eleventh while setting a speed figure of one hundred two. His most recent win, which was his start prior to this, came in November during the Never Gonna Stop Stakes (G2) at seven furlongs in Pennsylvania. He was more forwardly placed in this race, stalking the front runners in fourth early on. He was urged to make a move midway through the race and would go on to win the race by a neck. 

13. Broad Mo – kailey – Q. Miller – 12/1 

With connections hoping he rebounds off his last start, this four-year-old gelding is by the late Uncle Mo and will be making his thirteenth career start with this weekends race. The Kentucky-bred saw his most recent start last month in Louisianna during The Pineshift Handicap (G3) at a mile and one-sixteenth. The gelding was out of the gate towards the rear of the field in tenth and after never seeming to find his stride, fell back at the halfway point through the race to cross the wire in twelfth, setting a speed figure of one hundred six. The most recent win for the gelding, then a colt, was during a listed stakes race in September of last year overseas in India over seven and a half furlongs. Facing a small field, the horse was last out of the gate trailing the field in fourth. He wouldn’t be asked to challenge other runners until the stretch where he would go on to win the race by three and three-quarters lengths. 

14. Woette’s Sea Tizzy – woette5 – D. Raymond – 7/1 

Drawing the far outside post, this five-year-old by Tiz The Law is the final entrant for our field this weekend. The bay horse is seeking out his first win against graded company, having come close in his most recent start. This start took place early last month in Maryland during The Curious George (G2) at seven furlongs.  The horse was held just off the pace in fourth on breaking out of the gate, fighting back and forth with another horse for the third position early. He would eventually secure that third place position at the wire, coming short of the win by just three-quarters of a length. The horse would set a speed figure of one hundred seven for the race in what was his graded stakes debut. His prior start was his most recent win, which came during an allowance race over seven furlongs here in New York. Out of the gate stalking the leader in second, he would overtake the front runner in the final furlongs to win by two and a quarter lengths. 

Flrancho’s Picks: 

Win: Phantom Humor 

Place: Tapit Tornado 

Show: Joy Finds A Way