Miles and Miles Stakes
As we close out this racing seasons, we take a look at the Miles and Miles Stakes (G2) which will be held this Saturday in Ontario, Canada. The race, which is restricted to three-year-olds will be held over two miles on the dirt, a distance that few horses are ever tired over. The track should be fast at post time this weekend, as the horses go to the gate for the $375,000 race. Eleven horses will be lining up to the post for this year’s race. We’ll take a look now through all of the contenders.
- Gunzapper – asrgun0 – M. Ritchie – 9/2
Making his first graded start this weekend, the chestnut colt will be making his eleventh career start on Saturday. The son of Gun Runner is coming off a win before coming into this race. His most recent win was in a listed stakes race in late October at twelve furlongs. Facing a small field, the colt was sent out of the gate in fourth, in what would be the middle of the pack in the small field. The colt would steadily gain ground after the midway point of the race and would go on to win the contest by two and a quarter lengths while setting a speed figure of one hundred nine, which is a lifetime best speed figure for the colt.
2. The Rough Hunt – amir1645 – J. Lowich – 22/1
With just seven career starts, this bay colt is off of two consecutive wins and will be making his graded stakes debut with this race on Saturday. The son of Hard Spun most recently started in an allowance race over thirteen furlongs in late September. Sixth out of the gate in a field of six, the colt started to advance on the other contenders midway through the race and would eventually go on to win the race by one and a quarter lengths while setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred two, which was also the colt’s first triple digit speed figure. Prior to this the colt would break his maiden this past June over sixteen furlongs by over twenty lengths.
3. Suncoat (NZ) – bets6 – S. Egger – 23/1
Just off of his maiden win before coming into this race, the step up in class will be a big one for the son of Coats Choice (AUS). The bay gelding will be making his fifteenth career start this weekend and first outside of either the maiden or claiming ranks. His most recent start was last month and a return to the dirt for the gelding, who had raced for most of his career over the turf. The bay broke out of the gate and settled into fourth early in the two-mile maiden special weight and started to advance through the rest of the field early. Midway through the race the gelding had taken over the lead and he would go on to win, breaking his maiden by a length with a speed figure of eighty-eight. He has made only one other dirt start, which was in another maiden race in just the third start of his career over the shorter mile long distance. Out of the gate in ninth, he would only put it together to cross the wire in seventh.
4. Meet Me In Da Room – 6ward – C. Childress – 11/1
Taking his second try at graded company with this start, the son of Exaggerator has nine lifetime starts. His most recent start was his graded stakes debut, which came in The Control Stayer (G3) in New York last month along with two other runners that he will be facing again in this start. In this past race, the bay colt was well off the pace a the start, lingering towards the rear of the field in tenth early. He would start to challenge the other contenders early, however, and would get up for a third-place finish in the stretch while setting a speed figure of one hundred two. Prior to this the colt would win two consecutive races, one an allowance race over twelve furlongs and the latter a maiden special weight at thirteen in which he thrilled the crowd with a nine and three-quarter length victory.
5. Frank Incident (GB) – roberto2 – S. Catanzaro – 6/1
Running for the first time on the dirt this weekend, the gelding sired by Frankel is an allowance winner on the turf and has attempted a couple of starts against graded company. With ten lifetime starts, the bay gelding most recently started last month in Ireland over sixteen furlongs. Facing a field of just three other contenders, the gelding staked the early pace from second but overtook the lead early in the race and would go on to win by thirteen and a quarter lengths while setting a speed figure of one hundred three. His most recent graded start was this past October during the Chardonnay Prix (G2) at fifteen furlongs. The gelding was further back off the pace here in ninth, though he began advancing early in the race. He would get up to fourth at the wire. With a pedigree that doesn’t suggest dirt, the biggest question mark for the gelding this Saturday will be whether he can handle the dirt.
6. Edoute – lightening108 – I. Rhodes – 10/1
Returning to take another shot at group company for the first time this year, the lightly raced bay colt by Always Dreaming has won just once in his eight-race career and has lifetime earnings approaching the one hundred-thousand-dollar mark. His most recent start was last month in a listed stakes race over eleven furlongs in Arizona. Last out of the gate in the six-horse field, the colt hung towards the back until the last quarter of the race. When asked, the colt responded with a strong finishing kick that would take him up to third at the wire with the bay posting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred four. The colt’s only win was on debut in July of his two-year-old season when he broke his maiden at seven and a half furlongs in New York. After that he made two attempts at graded company, the first of which came in the Closest Friend Stakes (G2) where he would finish third over the six and a half furlongs, and then a disappointing ninth in The Future Stakes (G2) at seven furlongs.
7. Revolutioninthests – bodelocal – R. Heller – 7/1
Off the board only twice in his career, the son of Americanrevolution is making another attempt against group company after coming close to victory in his last start. The three-year-old chestnut gelding most recently started in the No Surrender Stakes (G2) last month in Texas at a mile and three quarters. Stalking the pace early for most of the race in second before a pack of late closers came up in the stretch to pass the gelding by as he would be shuffled back to fourth in a tight race. Despite the fourth-place finish, the gelding was only a length off the pace of the race winner while setting a speed figure of one hundred two. Late June saw the gelding’s most recent win, which came in a listed stakes race over twelve furlongs in New York. Again, stalking the front-running pace, the gelding took over the lead midway through the race and would go on to win by an impressive six and a half lengths. The gelding will likely be looking to stalk the pace again on Saturday, likely not further than third or fourth off the pace early.
8. Lunar Flight – rainstar1 – S. Dawson – 10/1
Coming into the race off two consecutive wins but making his first start against graded company, the former claimer is a bay gelding by Invader. Foaled in New Jersey, the gelding has finished off the board just once in his nine-start career. The most recent race for the gelding was last month in a starter allowance race over sixteen furlongs. After settling into sixth position out of the gate, the gelding wasn’t asked to move until midway through the grueling race. He would go on to win the contest by eight lengths while setting an easy ninety-seven speed figure. Prior to this the gelding also won in restricted allowance company at a furlong less in Oregon.
9. West Minister Abby – dancigar – J. Maloney – 4/1
Narrowly missing a win in his last start, the three-year-old by top sire Into Mischief is graded placed and running in his fifteenth career start this weekend. The bay gelding most recently started in New York during The Control Stayer (G3) with another rival who he will be facing again in this start, Nhill Effigy. In this graded start, the gelding was held off the pace in seventh and was urged to advance midway through the race. He would not be able to overtake the other colt, however, and would cross the wire in second while setting a speed figure of one hundred two. His only other graded start came in the Chicago Derby (G3) at a mile and one-eighth in late March where he would get another piece of the purse with a third place finish. His most recent win was early October against allowance company over a sloppy track at twelve furlongs. Forwardly placed, the gelding stalked the pace in second right up until the stretch before taking over the lead to win by six lengths. While usually off the pace at the start towards the middle of the field, the gelding has proven with his last win that he can be versatile, which could be useful on Saturday.
10. Nhill Effigy – chatham07 – M. Hartel – 6/1
One of only one other horse in the field to have already won against graded company, the brown colt by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, will be making his tenth career start. The colt has finished his last five starts on the board, the most recent of which was The Control Stayer (G3) at a mile and three-quarters in New York. Held off the pace early in sixth, the colt was let lose midway through the race before moving up to the front in the stretch and winning the race by two lengths with a speed figure of one hundred four. Prior to this the colt had either won or came a close second in three consecutive allowance races. The colt will likely linger towards the middle of the pack out of the gate but start showing forward momentum midway through the race if he gets his way on Saturday.
11. Awe Mineshaft – asrblue2 – G. Skaggs – 6/1
An accomplished Grade II winner, the brown colt is one of the top ranked dirt long distance runners currently active. Sired by Mineshaft, as his name suggests, the colt has just twelve career starts. The most recent start for the colt was late last month in Texas during the No Surrender Stakes (G2) at a mile and three-quarters. Taken straight to the lead out of the gate, the colt looked like he was going to take the field from gate to wire in the race before being caught in the final strides by a couple of late closers who shuffled the colt off to a third place finish. His prior start was his most recent victory and came in Maryland the month before in the Shagfarms Stayer (G2) at a mile and five-eighths. Kept off the pace in this race with a fifth place position out of the gate, the colt did challenge other runners early in the race and had worked himself into the lead in the final furlongs to go away winning by two and a quarter lengths with a speed figure of one hundred five, which is a lifetime best for the colt.
Flrancho’s Picks:
Win: Awe Mineshaft
Place: Nhill Effigy
Show: West Minister Abby