Movieland Turf Cup
The feature race this weekend in California is the Movieland Turf Cup (G1), a race open to three-year-olds and up on the turf over a mile and a quarter. The race offers up a total purse of $750,000. The track will be listed as firm for this year’s running of the race and has attracted a total of ten horses that will be going to the starting gate. Let’s take a glance through the contenders for this year’s running.
- Spirit Of Roxy (IRE) – tiesto – B. Fairfield – 9/1
The five-year-old bay gelding is still searching for his first win against Grade I company while making his twenty-third career start. His most recent career start came here in California last April during the Arcade Handicap (G2) over a mile. Settling into seventh out of the gate, the gelding was quickly shuffled back into eighth and ultimately crossed the wire in ninth in the race while setting a speed figure of one hundred five. His most recent win came in January during the Strange Brew Turf Handicap (G3) at a mile and one-eighth in Louisiana. Well off the pace early in ninth out of the gate, he wouldn’t start advancing through the field until midway through the race. He would eventually win by two and three-quarter lengths.
2. Ghost Goblin Gone – ddkstables20 – T. Ace – 5/1
Making just the second graded start of his career the five-year-old bay horse is lightly raced with just seventeen career starts. Sired by Ghostzapper, the horse most recently started overseas in Japan last March during The Sanka High (G2) at a mile and a quarter. Stalking the pace from second the bay horse would take over the lead midway through the pack and would go on to win by three lengths. Pror to this race he would also win his listed stakes debut which came over nine furlongs and an allowance race over the same distance leaving the horse to come into Saturday’s race off of three consecutive wins.
3. River No Stars (JPN) – pun – C. Lanoo – 5/1
In the third post, the six-year-old gelding is sired by Kinshasa No Kiseki and is one of the older entrants in this weekend’s field. With career earnings approaching the million-dollar mark, the bay gelding is taking a step up in class for this race, his most recent start coming this past April against listed company over ten furlongs. Breaking and settling into eighth, the gelding started to move up midway through the field and would eventually cross the wire in fourth while setting a speed figure of one hundred eleven. He last won in December of last year during another listed stakes race over the same distance held across the country in New Jersey. Off the pace in ninth early he would make his move at the halfway point and would go on to win by three-quarters of a length.
4. The Coolant (IRE) – cjt0 – C. Orza – 12/1
Seeking his first graded win with this race, the Irish-bred four-year-old has twenty-one career starts. His most recent start came in New Zealand late last month during the Chaucer Gold Cup (G3). Held back from the early pace in sixth he would start advancing on the other horses midway through the race before crossing the wire in fourth while setting a speed figure of one hundred nine. We have to go all they way back to October of his two-year-old season to find his most recent win which would come in listed stakes company over a mile on a track rated as good in Massachusetts. Stalking in fourth, the colt would change late in the stretch to win by a head.
5. Big Sexy Thang (GB) – beerkeg – J. Hornibrook – 6/1
This six-year-old sired by top sire Frankel (GB) has made a total of twenty-seven. His most recent start came in April of this year during The Good Day (G1) in France over a mile and five-sixteenths. Out of the gate in seventh, the gelding moved up to sixth at the wire but was still seventeen and a quarter lengths off the pace of the eventual winner. He set a speed figure of one hundred and three for the race. His most recent win came in October of last year in England during the Eclipse Stakes (G1) at a mile and a quarter over a track rated as good. Well off the pace in tenth out of the gate, he started advancing through the horses out in front of him midway through the race. He would win by a half a length while setting a speed figure of one hundred eight.
6. Daiwa Ghost (JPN) – ebracing – I. Chillton – 16/1
The second Japanese-bred in the field is making his graded stakes debut on Saturday on what will be his twenty-first career start. Sired by Daiwa Major, the chestnut four-year-old class is taking the step up in class from listed company having never won against listed company. The most recent start for the colt came earlier this month over a mile in listed company. Out of the gate in tenth, the would quickly start to challenge other contenders in the race and had moved up to seventh by the time the field was at the four furlong mark. He would cross the wire in third, setting a speed figure of one hundred seven. His most recent start came in late February during an allowance race over eight and a half furlongs after chasing the front runners from fifth early.
7. Thinkthingsthrough (AUS) – asrblue2 – M. Buck – 14/1
Lightly raced with sixteen career starts, the four-year-old colt is sired by So You Think and most recently started in France last month during The Good Day (G1) at a mile and five-sixteenths. Held off the pace in fifth early out of the gate, he fell back to sixth early but would recover to cross the wire in fifth, setting a speed figure of one hundred three. His most recent win came in September of last year against listed company over twelve furlongs. Stalking from third, the colt made his move halfway throguh the race to win by a length.
8. Midnight In Moscow – xpansion1 – C. Mecklenburg – 6/1
Sired by dirt-sire Curlin, the four-year-old bay colt began his racing career on the dirt but after four starts over the surface was moved to a surface change by his connections which resulted in a win his first out over the surface in a nine furlong allowance race which he took from gate to wire. A year later the colt has been running in graded company. His most recent start was this past April in Hong Kong during The Queen’s Spring Cup (G1) at a mile and a quarter. Breaking from the gate and settling into fourth, the colt started to pick up the pace midway through the race and would eventually cross the wire in second, setting a speed figure of one hundred ten. His most recent win was in October of last year in Australia during the Spring Fling Stakes (G1) over the same distance and run in a similar fashion to his most recent start.
9. Strippie Heaven (IRE) – redhill12 – E. Seifert – 5/1
Looking for his first graded win, the five-year-old brown gelding is sired by Earthlight (IRE) and has made twenty-four lifetime starts. His most recent start was last month in New Zealand during the Chaucer Gold Cup (G3) at a mile and a quarter. Off the pace in fifth at the start, he steadily started gaining ground throughout the race and would cross the wire in second while setting a speed figure of one hundred thirteen. His most recent start came in late January during an allowance race over the same distance. Out of the gate in fourth, he would once again challenge early in the race and would go on to win this time by four and three-quarter lengths.
10. Barbaric Bivo (AUS) – intencity – A. Jolly – 7/1
Drawing the far outside post the five-year-old bay gelding is lightly raced at fifteen career starts and is seeking out his first graded stakes win. His most recent start came in France during The Good Day (G1) at a mile and five-sixteenths. Stalking from fourth, he would rally slightly down the stretch to a third place finish while setting a speed figure of one hundred fifteen. His most recent win was in his prior start in an allowance race over nine and a half furlongs. Further off the pace in sixth, he advanced forward at the midway point of the race and would go on to win by a length
Flrancho’s Picks:
Win: Ghost Goblin Gone
Place: Midnight In Moscow
Show: Strippie Heaven (IRE)