The Kegasus Upper Deck Turf Extravaganza
With a big weekend of racing here on the card in Florida, here we will take a look at one of the races leading up to the feature race on Saturday. In The Kegasus Upper Deck Turf Extravaganza (G1) we will, once again, have a full field of fourteen horses coming into the race for this year. At a mile and three-sixteenths on the turf and offering up a total purse of $1,000,000, the race has attracted top turf runners from across the globe. Open to four-year-olds and up, the course has come as firm for the weekend, despite the early threat of rain. Let’s take a look through the contenders for this year’s race.
- House I Built (ENG) – beerkeg2 – R. Hansen – 7/1
Making his twentieth career start this weekend, the five-year-old gelding is a scratch bred by the top wire Frankel (GB). His most recent race came across the country in California in July of last year during the Eddie O Cup (G1) at a mile and one-eighth. The gelding came out of the gate in eighth out of the eleven horse field. He didn’t make a move in the race until late in the stretch where he would get up to cross the wire in fourth, setting a speed figure of one hundred thirteen. His most recent win was in April of 2024 across the pond as a three-year-old in The 2000 Guinea Pigz (G1) at a mile. Further off the pace in this race, he was twelfth out of the gate. He began to increase the pace midway through the race before going on to win by a length.
2. Letthedicestayhot (IRE) – asrstar – N. Labreche – 7/1
One of multiple horses in the field sired by Sea The Stars, the six-year-old bay horse is one of the more experienced runners in Saturday’s field. The scratch bred is an End Of Year Award winner and has accumulated four and a half million dollars in career earnings over twenty-one lifetime starts. The most recent start for the horse was last November during The Four Diamonds (G1) at a mile and one-eighth. Exiting the gate in fourteenth, the very last out of the gate, he began to pick up the pace midway through the race and would manage to get up to second at the wire, setting a speed figure of one hundred twelve. October of 2024 was the colt’s most recent win which would come in the Eclipse Stakes (G1) overseas in England at a mile and a quarter. Held back in tenth at the start, he would again move forward at the midway point, this time going on to win by one and three-quarter lengths.
3. Final Finale (ENG) – teamasr1 – M. Buck – 15/1
Coming into this race off of two consecutive wins, the son of Dubawi is making his first graded start since July of last year. The five-year-old gelding is out of the graded winning dam Bom Bom who has produced one graded winning colt, a full brother to the gelding running on Saturday. His most recent start came in December of last year during a listed stakes race over nine furlongs overseas in Denmark. Stalking the pace out of the gate in second, the gelding would take over the pace midway through the race and would go on to win by one and a half lengths, setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred fifteen. He also won an allowance race over a mile in Italy in his prior start in gate to wire finish, rounding out his two consecutive wins. His most recent graded start was in the Scandinavian Championship (G3) at a mile and a half. Out of the gate third in the nine-horse field, the gelding would start to fall back at the halfway point and would eventually cross the wire last in ninth, in what was then the only graded start for the gelding.
4. Cause I Believe (IRE) – niteman – R. Bokie – 29/1
In the fourth slot, the four-year-old son of Lope De Vega is one of the longer shots on the board and will be returning to graded company for the first time since May of last year. The chestnut scratch bred most recently started in December of last year during a listed stakes race over ten furlongs in New York. Coming from well off the pace after breaking out of the gate in thirteenth, he would rally late but it would only be enough for a tenth-place finish at the wire. His most recent win came in February of last year during another listed stakes, this time in Virginia over eight and a half furlongs. Closer to the pace in this race at sixth out early, he would begin to advance halfway through the race before winning by a quarter of a length.
5. Upwey Magic (IRE) – linde – I. Diris – 7/1
Coming into this race off of a win, the five-year-old brown horse is a scratch bred son of Teofilo who has made twenty-one career starts. His most recent win came in December of last year during an allowance race in Germany over nine furlongs which was held on a track rated as good. Breaking out of the starting gate in seventh, the horse started to make his move midway through the race and would get up to win the start by a margin of five lengths while setting a speed figure of one hundred seventeen. The horse is a listed stakes winner but has yet to be able to crack through the graded level. His most recent graded start was in November, also in Germany, during The Harry Potter (G3) over a mile and a quarter. Again, out of the gate in seventh, he would make a late move to cross the wire in fourth, narrowly missing the podium and achieving a graded placement.
6. Le Artur Fiende (IRE) – given007 – T. Ace – 16/1
Making just his second start against Grade I company, the Irish-bred four-year-old is sired by Camelot (GB) and is one out of just two offspring from his Grade II winning dam Le Tracteur Blinde. The most recent start for the colt was this past November across the country in California for The Los Angeles Derby (G2) at a mile and a quarter. Sent out for the lead out of the gate, the colt led right up into the stretch where he was overtaken and shuffled back to third at the wire, setting a speed figure of one hundred eight. The Cant Breeders Cup (G3) at a mile and one-eighth in Delaware last August saw the colt’s most recent win with him stalking just off the pace in second before taking command of the front midway through the race and eventually winning by a length and a quarter. The colt’s sole Grade I start in the lead up to this weekend was the Sydney Derby (G1) early in last year’s season in which he would fade to fifth after going straight the front. In the colt’s eleven starts to date, he has never been further back than second out of the gate, so we can likely expect him to be on or very near the front on Saturday.
7. Sea Of Applause (IRE) – jaastables19 – P. Appolonia – 10/1
Making his fifteenth career start this Saturday, the five-year-old gelding is sired by Minzaal and is out of the stakes winning dam Native Seas. The bay gelding is a Grade II winner and most recently started last November in Australia during The Four Diamonds (G1) at a mile and one eighth. Well off the pace early, the gelding settled into tenth out of the gate. Not having his day in this race, he would also cross the wire in tenth, setting a speed figure of one hundred seven. We have to go back to March of last year for the most recent win for the gelding which also came in Australia. After breaking out of the gate in sixth and making a strong run down the stretch, the gelding would win The Victoria Cup (G2) over a mile and a quarter by a quarter of a length.
8. City Of Vengence (ENG) – givendragon – O. A. Haack – 15/1
This four-year-old chestnut colt is currently rated as the top turf router in the sim. With eleven career starts and earnings just over a million and a half dollars, the son of top sire Dubawi (IRE) is out of the dam City Of Blades who has prodcued two other graded winners and one other million-dollar earner. The most recent start for the colt was last year in November in Australia during the Vic Champion Stakes (G1) at a mile and a quarter. Tucked in behind the front runner in second at the start of the race, he would be overtaken and fade late in the stretch to cross the wire in eighth while setting a speed figure of one hundred seven. Prior to that race the colt won two consecutive races in The Roberto Clemente (G1) and the Big Red Stakes (G1).
9. Privilege Plus (IRE) – lasthope1 – C. Mecklenburg – 7/1
At five-years-old, the light gray horse is quickly approaching the two-million-dollar mark in lifetime earnings. By Dark Angel, he has surpassed the talents of his dam, Mercato, herself a Grade III winner and producer of four other graded winners. The most recent win for the light gray horse came in Hong Kong in early December of last year. Last out of the gate in fourteenth at the start, the horse never seemed to find his stride in the King Kong Cup (G1) distance of a mile and a quarter. He would cross the wire in twelfth, setting a speed figure of one hundred two. The horse would see his last victory in October of last year during the AC Turnbulls Stakes (G1) in Australia over the same distance.
10. Gorgon King (ENG) – givengorgons – M. Perez – 15/1
Lightly raced with thirteen career starts, the son of Kingman is also seeking his first Grade I with this start on Saturday. The four-year-old brown gelding has six wins and career earnings approaching half a million dollars. He is out of the Hall Of Fame dam Demogorgon who has produced one other graded stakes winner. His most recent start was his most recent attempt against Grade I company and came across the country in California during The Parking Ticket (G1) at a mile and one-sixteenth last November. Well off the pace at the start in twelfth, he was urged forward midway through the race and would just reach the money with a fifth-place finish with a speed figure of one hundred eleven. His most recent win would be just the month before, also in California, during the Cherry Limb Stakes (G2). Breaking sixth in the eleven-horse field, he held back until asked at the halfway point of the mile and one-eighth contest before taking over the lead in the stretch to win by a length and a quarter.
11. Throw You Back (IRE) – xpansion – D. Givins –5/1
One of the older horses in the field at six-years-old, the son of Sea The Stars has earned almost two and a half million dollars and is the first offspring produced by his dam A Little Thunder. The most recent start for the bay horse was late October during The McKinnon (G1) at a mile and a quarter in Australia. Exiting the gate in eighth at the start the horse would start to pick up the pace midway through the race and would go on to cross the wire second, off the win by only a quarter of a length, with a speed figure of one hundred fourteen. The horse had his most recent win the month before in France during the Euro Grand Prix (G2) taking place over a mile and three-sixteenths. Running a similar race to the one that would follow, the horse would win in this spot by a daylight margin of six and three-quarters.
12. Hungry Orphans (GB) – silis2912 – C. Capper – 11/1
Trying to get his first graded win with his fifteenth career start, the scratch bred five-year-old bay is by Nathaniel and is approaching career earnings of half a million dollars. The most recent start for the horse came in October of last year during the Eclipse Stakes (G1) overseas in England over a mile and a quarter over a track rated as good. Leaving the gate in ninth, the horse started to advance forward midway through the race and would cross the wire in fifth, setting a speed figure of one hundred and a five. Prior to this he would finish second in The Plaid Skirt (G3) over the same distance in Ireland, achieving his first graded placing. His most recent win was at the allowance level in a local bred race this past July which was also held on a track rated as good. More forwardly placed in this race, he would be up into second by the midway point of the race and would go on to win by four and three-quarter lengths.
13. Zupa Grand (JPN) – rumpunch – T. O’Conner – 33/1
The long shot for Saturday is the only Japanese-bred horse in the field. The four-year-old chestnut gelding has made thirteen career starts and is a listed graded winner. His most recent start was last month in Germany during a listed stakes race over nine furlongs. Breaking out of the gate and settling into seventh, the gelding steadily started gaining on the other runners midway through the race. He would come up short with a fifth-place finish in the race and setting a speed figure of one hundred eight. His most recent win came in his prior start in the UAE last October at the same distance. The race went off over a yielding track with the gelding hanging back in eighth. He would challenge others early in the race before going on to win by two and three-quarter lengths. The gelding has made a lone graded start which came in 2004 during The Founders (G3) at a mile and one-eighth which ended in a fourth place finish.
14. Golden Nay Wonder (ENG) – fdllodged – J. Dawg –9/1
The final horse in our field and drawing the far outside post, the five-year-old chestnut gelding is by New Approach (IRE) and out of an allowance winning dam. The stakes placed gelding most recently started last month in a listed stakes race over nine and a half furlongs in Arizona. Fifth out of the gate, he would start gaining some ground midway through the race and would cross the wire in third, setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred thirteen. His last win came in December of 2024 against allowance company over the same distance. Held over a good course in Ireland, the colt was forwardly placed in third and took over the lead midway through the race before going on to win by nine and a quarter lengths. His most recent graded start was October of last year during the Coxless Stakes (G1) over a mile and a quarter where he would cross the wire fifth.
Flrancho’s Picks:
Win: Hungry Orphans (ENG)
Place: Throw You Back (IRE)
Show: Letthedicestayhot (IRE)