The West Point Thoroughbreds California Jewel attracts Full Field
In California this weekend, the final race of the day will be The West Point Thoroughbreds California Jewel, a Grade Three event over a mile and a quarter on dirt for three-year-olds, with a purse of $125,000, which has attracted a full field of fourteen colts. This race gives publicity to West Point Thoroughbreds, a racing organization whose Psychotic Reaction recently gave Sim trainer afc his first taste of real life racing success.
On the rail here is Toy Maker, who is bred and trained by darshaan. He comes here off a recent hat-trick, having won two Allowance races and a Stakes race, The West Point Thoroughbreds California Fall Classic, also over ten furlongs, in which he recorded his best speed figure to date of 102. He has only finished out of the first two on two occasions this season, the first on his seasonal debut when stepping up to Allowance class from Maiden Special Weights, and the second when tried too soon in a Stakes race, which was the only time he has ever finished worse than fourth. Leading jockey F. Gossett has the ride again and will be looking for a repeat of last time.
Drawn on his outside is the lightly-raced Forty Scoobs, who is bred and trained by theogbarn. He has won four out of five races at Maiden Special Weight and Allowance level and finished second in the other, then finished fourth in two Stakes races to date, both graded. Last time out, he was fourth in a Grade Three race over a mile and half a furlong, recording a speed figure of 103, his best to date. He has yet to run further than nine furlongs, but the step up in distance may help him here and he will have the assistance of B. Rahill in the saddle.
Kris Noia, bred and trained by noia, is the outsider here, having run some disappointing times over his last four races. However, his most recent run was over two miles on good turf, which does not appear to have suited him. Before that, he finished third in a Grade Three race over thirteen furlongs and previously had been disappointing when well-beaten in a Stakes over eleven furlongs and a Grade One over ten on good going. The highlight of his career to date was when winning the Grade Two PD New Yorker over eleven furlongs, in which he ran a speed figure of 102. Either side of that, he ran a speed figure of 100 when winning a Stakes race over nine and a half furlongs and finishing third in the Grade One New Yorker over a mile and a half. If he could return to that form he would have a good chance here. The jockey will be A.Lewis.
Rock Cutter(IRE) is bred and trained by liblelady3. His latest two races were a Grade Three over nine furlongs on turf and a Stakes race over ten furlongs on dirt, yet he managed to get beaten exactly the same distance, eleven and three-quarter lengths, each time. In the dirt race he finished sixth, running a speed figure of 95, which was somewhat disappointing considering that he recorded a figure of 113 when winning a Grade Three over nine furlongs two races before, which is the best that any of this field have produced. Able to stalk or close from off the pace, this colt has a major chance if he can return to his best. R. Hoffman is languishing near the bottom of the California jockeys’ table and will be hoping for a big run from this colt here.
Act Of God, bred and trained by lenny13, finished fourth in an invitational Stakes over this distance last time out, recording a speed figure of 101. Previously, he was well-beaten in the Grade One LA Derby over the same distance. He recorded his best speed figure to date of 108 when second in the Grade One Citation Cup over nine and a half furlongs three races ago. He finished second in a Stakes race over the same distance the time before and gained his most recent win the time before that, also in a Stakes race over nine and a half furlongs, at the end of July. A deep closer, he has found one or two horses getting in the way recently and jockey P.Incay will be hoping some gaps open up for him here.
Hattori Hanzo, bred and trained by capeside, won his most recent start, an Allowance race over nine furlongs, recording his best speed figure to date of 107. Previously, he found the opposition too hot in the Grade One G.S.R. Derby over a mile and a half, and before that he also found Grade Two company too competitive in a sprint over six furlongs. Previously he had reverted to sprinting and finished third in a Grade Two race over six and a half, but routes look to suit him best. His breeding is pure class, but he still has something to prove on the racecourse. F. Allen is the jockey here.
Indespensable, bred and trained by stretch, won a Stakes race over this distance last time out, recording a speed figure of 106, his best to date. Previously, he was well-beaten in the Grade One Citation Cup. Before that, he finished fourth, beaten just three-quarters of a length, in an Allowance race over nine furlongs, running a speed figure of 102. Having also run speed figures in excess of 100 over nine and a half furlongs and improving last time out, he may have found his distance here. He is in good form and should put up a good performance under Mc. Cooper, but class is the key here.
Feild Green (sic) was bred by jobean and runs for the paceman2 stable. Last time out, he won an Allowance race over a mile and a half. He has won twice over today’s distance, Allowance races and NW2L and NW3L level. He has run in one Stakes race before, over nine furlongs, in which he finished seventh of eleven, beaten eight and a half lengths. His best speed figure to date is 99 and he needs to improve to have a chance here. The capable M. Staples will be in the saddle.
Kentucky One, bred and trained by kalsing, is one of the outsiders here. He is without a win since February, when he took an Allowance NW1x. He has finished second and third in non-graded Stakes races, from eight and a half to eleven furlongs, but otherwise has been highly tried this season, running in graded company, where his best placing was fourth in a Grade Two race over nine furlongs. As a two-year-old, he ran a top speed of 89, and his top speed as a three-year-old has been 99, showing less improvement than might be expected. This may have something to do with his very cheap sire, who has only one Stakes winner to date and only this colt with a Stakes placing, it may be that he improves when dropped down to ungraded Stakes. C. Ginzo has the ride and would like more winners.
The quirkily-named Hisnamis Mr Ed G was bred by pgpg and runs for zz. Last time out, he recorded a speed figure of 106, his best to date, when winning an Allowance race over nine and a half furlongs for non-winners of two in nine months. He still has the NW3L condition to get through, and will have his work cut out to repeat his latest race here, in his first race at Stakes level. K. Murano has the ride and he, too, needs to improve on his current form.
The favourite in a fairly open betting market is Laconia Light, who is bred and trained by whitehall. The winner of six out of ten of his previous races, he recorded a speed figure of 109, his best to date, when winning a Stakes race over ten and a half furlongs last time out. Previously, he had finished fourth in the Grade One LA Derby, beaten two and a half lengths. Before that, he had scored a hat-trick of victories, one in an Allowance NW2x over a mile and two in Stakes races over nine furlongs. This one is in form and can handle the trip and the class, and is the one the others have to beat. E. Land is the jockey.
Beyond Forever, is bred and trained by sarava02. Last time out, he ran in a Stakes race and finished sixth, beaten three lengths, over a mile and half a furlong. Before that, he gained two victories at Allowance level, first over a mile and half a furlong in NW2x company and then over the mile at NW4L level. In the previous race, he put up his best speed figure of 106 when second in an Allowance NW2x over a mile. He does not look ready for Grade Three level at present, but should find success at ungraded Stakes level if given a chance. His jockey here will be N. Bonus.
Bright Sal, who is bred and trained by keryn, ran a speed figure of 103 last time out to finish second in an Allowance race for non-winners of two in nine months over nine and a half furlongs. Before that, she had been disappointing in several races, finishing out of the money in all but one race since April, when she won a Stakes race over eleven furlongs on yielding turf. The other race in which she earned some dollars was a Grade One over nine furlongs on good dirt, when she put up a speed figure of 105. Her improved figures on rain-softened ground are significant, and at this level of play a downpour would have been immensely helpful. T. Bates has the ride.
Drawn on the outside is Hawk A Doodle Do, who was bred by win4me2day and runs for steelcard (obviously unable to win for his breeder today). Last time out, he won the GR Simsters Classic over today’s distance, recording a speed figure of 103 to get up by a nose. Today’s re-opponent Act Of God finished fourth then and the hawk looks to have the measure of him. His best speed figure to date is 108, which he gained when winning an invitational Stakes over today’s distance, and that puts him among the leading contenders. R. Simcox will be his jockey,
This looks to be quite an open race, but the favourite is the one they have to beat. There are a few horses here who performed really well earlier in their three=year-old year but have somehow lost their way, and this race may be a chance for them to return to form.