Virginia hosts Sarrat De Bon Turf Memorial

Virginia welcomes Derby week with a showcase for long sprinters in the Sarrat De Bon Turf Memorial.  The race will invote all horses four years old and older to run over seven furlongs of turf for a piece of a $30000 purse.  The weather has been beautiful this week and the turf will be rated firm for this event.  In one of the longest stakes fields of the year, the race draws eleven entries, and oddsmakers are finding it hard to choose between them.  They have seet five co-favorites at a long 6/1, with three more at 7/1 or 8/1 odds.  A 10/1 and a pair at 16/1 round out the field.  With the long odds favorites, there is some money to be made here, but you may need as much luck as skill to take advantage of the payouts here.

PP 1) Too Much Vig(JPN)  Sired by South Vigorous, Trained by rmcbride.  Too Much Vig is a five year old horse, taking his thirty second trip in this race.  He’s been running a strange amalgam of claims, allowance and stakes recently, and over the course of his career he has three stakes wins, with his most recent coming nearly two years ago.  In his last ten starts he’s gone 3-0-1-0-1 with a top speed of 98.9 coming two starts back.  His last start was a stakes at this distance, where he mounted a late flurry, but still ended ninth in a field of ten.  All but one start have been on turf, and he prefers it.  He has been solid at anywhere between six and eight furlongs, and in this distance range, he has a pair of wins and a place in eight tries.  He’s a mid pack to deep closer, and his close has generally been quite consistent, though outside of claims, he’s had a hard time bringing it back against stronger fields.  His last 100+ speed outing was a year ago and he faces a tough field here.  I can’t see putting any money on him here.

PP 2) Saved By Zero(KY)  Sired by Street Cry(IRE), Trained by ndrysdale.  Saved By Zero is a relatively lightly raced five year old, making his twentieth start.  He’s recently stepped up to stakes level, in his last seven starts, and he has notched three wins at this level.  Overall for his last ten he has a record of 5-0-1-1-1 with seven 100+ speeds, capped by a 112.3 last year.  His last run was a six and a half furlong stakes where he bested a field of ten by a length and a half.  Sixteen of his start have been on grass and he’s earned twelve top three finishes.  He’s another who has performed well anywhere from six furlongs to a mile and while a furlong longer or shorter has seemed to work better for him, he has two wins in five tries in this distance range.  He’s at his best coming from just off the pace, and it’s worked quite well for him as long as he doesn’t fall back too far early.  He has had the most consistent recent stakes success in this field and the speed to back it up.  Only downside is the fact that his last two at this distance have been bounces, faced with torrid early speed.  He shouldn’t have that problem here, and he should see some of the smart money here.

PP 3) Excevellain  Sired by Excellent Art(GB), Trained by peeps9.  Excevellain is a five year old horse taking the gate for start number thirty two here.  He’s had nine straight stakes starts, but he’s still looking for that elusive first win at this level.  His last ten have netted him a 0-1-4-1-1record with seven 100+ speeds, topping out at 107.5 last year.  HIs last start was a six and a half furlong stakes, where he faded down the stretch, settling for sixth in a field of nine.  Outside of two early dirt starts, the rest of his career has been spent on the grass.  His money race has been in the six furlong range, but he has eight top three finishes in thirteen starts, but only a single win.  He generally runs from the head of the midpack, but he’s shown little inclination toward any kind of close in his last several starts.  He shown some decent speed, but there are stronger closers here.  I’ll have to pass on him here.

PP 4) Mudhoney(JPN)  Sired by Johannesburg, Trained by larsonisto.  Mudhoney is a five year old horse, making his thirty third start in this race.  This will be his second stakes try after spending most of his recent starts in conditional allowance and high level claim races.  He’s gone 3-2-0-1-0 in his last ten, with three 100+ speeds, with his best of 105.4 coming two starts back.  His last race was a five furlong stakes where he trailed a field of six home, four and a half out at the wire.  All but one start has been on the grass over the course of his career.  He’s been ahis best in sprints, with his stats about even in the six furlong and seven furlong ranges.  He’s a midpack closer, and his sweet sot is about two to three lengths out at the half.  The horses likely to be in front of him in this race have shown significantly higher average speeds and his best recent success has come in the claiming ranks.  Should be a steady outing for him here, but I don’t see him threatening late.

PP 5) Fleetwood Pulpit(KY)  Sired by Pulpit, Trained by bobangod.  Fleetwood Pulpit is a six year old horse, stepping to the track for start number thirty eight here.  He has four career stakes starts, but is still seeking his first win at this level.  He has run to a 4-2-0-0-0 record in his last ten, with six 100+ starts, his best being a 108.2 last year.  His last race was a seven and a half furlong stakes where he posted a decent 102.3 speed while finishing eigth in an eleven horse field by just over nine lengths.  He’s made fourteen dirt starts with decent but not spectacular success, but has fifteen top two finishes in twenty three turf starts.  He has three wins in five starts in this distance range.  He’s a pure closer and his close has been quite good recently up until his last three starts, where he’s just not been able to make up much ground in the second half.  He’s going to have to show more effectiveness at this level of competition before I can recommend him.

PP 6) Argentum(KY)  Sired by Heatseeker(IRE), Trained by xmas10.  Argentum is a four year old colt, facing career start fourteen in this race.  This will be his second try at stakes, still seeking his first stakes win.  He has a 5-3-2-0-0 record in his last ten, with six 100+ speeds topping out at 110.1 two starts back.  His last run was a six and a half furlong stakes, where he battled hard into the stretch before settling for second in a nine horse field by just under two lengths.  His career has been about an even split between dirt and turf, and he has yet to finish out of the top three on either surface.  On turf though he has really blossomed, and has yet to post under a 100 speed figure.  He has two wins and a show in three starts in this distance range.  He’s a midpack closer and his close has been quite consistent.  He’s got young legs and some of the most consistent recent speed in this field.  Definitely worth a second look when you are placing your bets on this one.

PP 7) Fanayltic(GB)  Sired by New Approach(GB), trained by jkj5.  Fanayltic is a well run four year old colt, making his twenty seventh start here.  He’s stepped up to stakes competition in his last three, but he’s still trying to crack the barrier at this level.  He’s put together a 3-2-1-1-1 record in his last ten with seven 100+ starts, capped by a 107.2 in his first start this year.  His last race was a stakes at this distance, where he faded to fourth in a field of six, six lengths out at the wire.  He made a couple of lackluster dirt starts in his two year old season, but has stayed on the grass otherwise.  This has been his distance of choice, and he has seven top tewo finishes in twelve tries in this distance range.  He’s a fast starter but has recently had trouble getting any kind of clear cut lead earkly recently, and when he has, he hasn’t been able to hold it late.  He should have at least a piece of the early pacesetting here, but he’s likely to be pressed hard again early.  Expect him to be in the mix into the stretch, but fasding as they drive to the wire.

PP 8) Ice Land(IRE)  Sired by Carnegie(IRE), Trained iceman77.  Ice Land is the old man of this field at eleven years old, making his thirty first start here.  This will be his first try again stakes competition.  HIs last ten have netted him a 3-0-1-4-0 record with four 100+ speeds capped by a 108.0 last outing.  That race was an A2t at this distance, where he fought hard down the stretch to gain a three quarter length victory over a backed field.  Three dirt starts all came in his two year old season and he has been running turf ever since.  He’s a pure sprinter with only a single career route, and he has four wins and four shows in eleven starts in this distance range.  He prefers running just off the pace, but his close has been spotty at best in recent starts.  He’s been doing some of his best career running recently, and he is a specialist at this distance, but he’s taking a goodly jump in class here.  I won’t totally rule him out for a check here, but willreserve judgement until I’ve seen him perform at this level.

PP 9) Disappearing Acts(KY)  Sired by Johannesburg, Trained by nzhorse.  Disappearing Acts is a six year old horse taking trip number thirty three here.  He’s had plenty of stakes experience since being claimed by his new trainer, and has a Grade 3 win to show for it.  Over the course of his last ten he’s run to a 3-0-1-1-2 record with four 100+ speeds, with a best of 110.4 in his graded win last year.  His last start was a five and a half furlong Grade 3 where he trailed a field of thirteen home by nine and a half lengths.  He started his career on dirt, but soon discovered he preferred the grass.  Three of his five wins have some in this distance range along with four of his five 100+ speed figures.  He’s a deep closer, and his close has generally been consistent, but much of the time he’s been finding himself too deep out to be truly effective in the second half  He’s been on an extended bounce since his graded win last year, managing a best speed of only 96.4 since that race.  Unless he musters a serious return to form, he could well find himself in the middle of the also ran list in this one.

PP 10) Cerberus Trick(KY)  Sired by Grand Slam, Trained by mrhwi3.  Cerberus Trick is a four year old horse making his seventeenth career start here.  He has three career stakes starts under his belt and comes off his first stakes win.  In his last ten he’s run to a 3-5-0-0-1 mark in his last ten, with five 100+ starts, with a best of 111.9 coming last outing.  That race was a six and a half furlong stakes, where he took a field of nine gate to wire, hanging on for a three quarter length victory.  His been primarily a dirt runner, but all five 100+ speeds have come on turf, and he’s only finished out of the top two once on grass.  All six career victories have come in shorter races, and in three starts at this distance he has a pair of seconds, and the closest he’s come is a length and a quarter.  He’s another in this field that generaly runs just off the pace, but he’s at his best with a piece of the early lead.  This colt has speed to burn, but the distance may be just a bit long for him.  Couldn’t hurt to box him in your exotics here, though.

PP 11) Premium Haack  Sired by Curlin, Trained by superhaack.  Premium Haack is a four year old colt, facing his eighteenth career start here.  He hass stakes experience, but this is his first try this season, and he’s still looking for his first win at this level.  He’s galloped to a 4-1-3-0-1 mark in his last ten with six 100+ speeds, highlighted by a 107.4 in his last outing.  That run was an A2s at this distance, where a powerful stretch run earned him a quarter length victory in a field of six.  After a pair of lackluster dirt starts at the beginning of his career, he switched to turf and the cash started rolling in.  This is arguably his best distance range, with four wins and seven top three finishes in nine turf runs.  He’s a midpack to deep closer and his close has generally been quite good.  He’s shown consistently good speed in his last few, and has shown the stamina to stretch out even a bit further.  He could definitely be threatening late here.