A Rub Of Irish Will Be Hard To Beat

A Rub Of Irish Will Be Hard To Beat

Washington – The Slew Exalting Challenge will definitely keep the crowd around as they can probably stay inside and have dinner and drinks while it is being run.  The mile and a half race over the grass is for all horses four and up and will carry a purse of $60,000.  With the wild weather that has been plaguing Washington state, the course is expected to be listed as ‘good’ on Saturday.  The race was named in honor of a 9YO horse by Pocket Book, who was stakes placed and earned eight wins from 54 starts.

Not that post positions matter much in a race of this length but on the inside will be Mighty Hawk (8/1), a plain brown 4 YO colt with a lovely way of moving.  He is by War Chant and is trained by Lonepine.  He is still eligible non three but has a second and two wins from his last three starts.  Lightly raced he has never run over nine furlongs and is a total unknown in this race.

Post two will hold the favorite A Rub Of Irish (4/5).  Ranked # 10 in the long turf division he has nine wins from 26 starts and is a recent winner of the Grade II Dawn to Dusk (12 furlongs) and the More From Project (2 miles).  He has also finished second in the Grade II Longchamp Marathon, the Warm Coral   (both at 2 miles) and was third in Grade I Breeder’s Bowl Turf.  Mitenpower trains this son of Rubloff and let’s hope winless jockey Willie Bankston can hang on long enough to get his picture taken.

Stolen Crown (5/2) sounds like he is from one of Theavenger’s stables and is a chestnut, 4 YO son of Cat Thief.  Trained by Tothetop he has managed two wins from 20 starts, the last being five back in an allowance race over a mile and a quarter.  He did try a mile and a half in the Glen Overture where he closed to be third but he will need his best on Saturday.

Arced (2/1) will be in the outside post if you can call post four outside.  He is a big tall chestnut colt, by Arch and is trained by former Nexis member Sallygee.  This colt loves an off track and although he is stretching out for the first time, he closed well four back to win at a mile and a sixteenth and was fourth last time out in the one mile Slew The Sky.  Trainer Sallygee seems to look for the off going for this specialized horse.