FIVE SEEK FIRST STAKE SCORE

Hong Kong-It’s been a long time since we have covered a race at our home track.  It has been a busy year covering the best horses in the game, but here we are, a week after the exciting BB races, back home to do some chillin’ and recharge the batteries.   The big Hong Kong race this week is the $60,000 Gonta’s Slew Bonanza Stake.  Five three year olds will race seven and one half furlong’s over a fast track to see if they can obtain their first stake score.  There isn’t really a favorite or a longshot in this race as the odds of the entire field are between 2-1 and 9-2.  Official Track Handicapper, Pete ‘The Hatchet’ Wang will analyze each horse and give you the skinny about them so you, the bettor, can better throw away your worthless sim money.

PP1, Bizor’s Smart Quest (2-1, Stokes).  “It’s nice to spend a weekend at home.  All that nonstop partying in New York was rough.  I was beginning to wear out.  I must be getting old.  Well to the race at hand.  Another year has come and gone.  Not too many of these three year old only races left.  It’s already time to start thinking about next year’s breeding.  This son of Smart Strike has won three of thirteen and earned over $79,000 in his career.  He is a morning line co favorite at 2-1.  Closer stalker is four for five in the money when sprinting.  The only time he was off the board was when he tried this distance in the slop and was fifth.  In that race he earned a 94 speed rating.  His best speed rating is a 100 that he earned in a nine furlong allowance race two starts ago.  This is a tough colt to figure out.  Eight starts ago he had a big race and showed a huge upside and then he flattened out in his next several starts.  His last two races have seen him increase his speed ratings.  Is he looking at a huge breakout race in this race or is his optimum race not yet defined?  I’m thinking the latter.  Best speed ratings come in routes rather than sprints.  Perhaps with maturity he might want to go twelve furlongs with all that stamina on his dam sire.  He might want to race on the grass again.  Only time and races will tell.  A nice puzzle to have in your barn.”

PP2, Kindone’s Dr. Bloom (7-2, Brett).  “Son of Menifee is two for twenty-four in his career.  Closer has the field’s best seven and one half furlong speed rating.  That rating is a 102 that he earned when finishing third two starts ago in an allowance.  He has as good of chance as any in this field to earn his first stake score.  Form cycle appears to be peaking.  Perhaps this is his ‘right’ distance.”

PP3, Tomfly’s Royfly’s Year (2-1, Ly).  “The other co favorite.  Has the most wins of any starter, five from sixteen starts.  Career earnings for this son of Event Of The Year are over $118,000.  Best speed rating in his last eight starts is a 101 that he earned while finishing second in a 6.5 furlong allowance.  In his last race he was ninth.  It appears in that race that he was involved in a five horse speed duel and he was cooked trying to gain the early lead.  In this race, he only has one potential early speed opponent so opening half might not be as taxing for him and he might be the fastest of the early speed.   His best races have come when he was first or second early and that should happen here.  Next big question is whether or not he can handle the distance.  In his only try at seven furlongs he was fifth with a 98 speed rating.  In that race he had a less then optimum early placement.  Placement should be better here.”

PP4, Kirby55’s Kirby’s Big Event (9-2, Brewer).  “The longshot at 9-2.  Another Event Of The Year colt.  This one’s dame is Gone West.  Has sixteen prior starts, he has won four and earned over $130,000.  Closer was running pretty well until he was injured three starts ago in week 2545.  Has been brought back slowly by his connections and could be sitting on a big race.  Prior to the injury he had a 99 speed rating that he earned in an allowance win.  He is also stake placed, finishing third in a Dubai stake.  With top jockey aboard he is a huge threat.”

PP5, Slownags’ Clean Out (7-2, Aldridge).  “Jockey is having a fantastic year.  This used to be a jockey that you would try to avoid, but not now.  Son of Septieme Ciel is another who is on the come back trail.  Clean Out won his first two career starts then raced in a stake, was unplaced and given time off.  Has made two starts since the lay-off and has improved in each effort.  In his last race he put up a 102 speed rating while finishing third in an allowance.  That race saw a change in tactics as he rated for the first time.  If Aldridge elects to send to the front early, he might be the fastest of the early speed.  Has the biggest upside of any horse in the field as this is just his sixth career start.  The colt I’m backing”

There you have it. Until next time, may the racing Gods favor you.”