Big Race Preview 2783

A couple of Breeder’s Bowl winners take to the track this weekend. Swift Kick will take on the boys, Horseshoe Bay and Sunnybank Memorial lock horns and Zytown looks to confirm her status as a top Bluegrass Oaks contender.

Race: 2783.0114 California Handicap – Grade I – $1,000,000
Track: California
Restrictions: All horses, 4 years old and up
Distance: A mile and one quarter on the Dirt

The year’s first big grade I for older runners happens this week in California. The race has co favorites but I am not confident in either runners ability to get this distance at the needed speed figures. Swift Kick is probably the best filly in training. She was extremely impressive winning the Breeder’s Bowl Distaff. She only has one race at this distance, which she won. However her speed figure was not overwhelming and now she faces mature colts.

Unprecedented is probably one of the best dirt milers in the sim. Stretch him out this far and he is uncharted territory. He is pretty solid at a mile and an eighth but his one try at this distance does not fill one with confidence he can handle a field like this.

There are several runners that have to look of a winner. Kissin Cousin II has stepped back to listed stakes and responded with back to back wins. His speed figures have been solid and this is a runner that competed at the top last year. Last years Bluegrass Derby winner steps back up to the grade I level. He had a down last half of the year last year and looked good last time out in an allowance prepping for this race. Despite his Bluegrass win he seems to have issues at this distance.

Sensationalize flashed some brilliance last time out just missing at the wire in the grade I Glenn Handicap. He stretches out a bit and if he is maturing he could be a factor here. Barb’s Adventure is the best long shot in this field. He has been very fast and consistent at longer distances. Stepping back in distance could be a plus.

Race: 2783.5315 John Scott Appreciation Stakes – Grade I – $1,000,000
Track: Victoria
Restrictions: All horses, 4 years old and up
Distance: A mile and one half on the Turf

Horseshoe Bay and Sunnybank Memorial hook up in a show down of top turf horses. These two runners clearly tower over their rivals. Sunnybank Memorial is the favorite here despite not winning a race in his last four. The turf course is yielding and Sunnybank has done well over a soft course. Horseshoe Bay closed ok on a yielding surface last time out in the equinics.

Pepe’s Pipes is a bargain bred runner and a grade I winner. He ran with the top two last time out fading to finish behind them. The pace maybe more to his liking as he could be the pace setter. Band of Budas ran a big race last time out taking a grade II race at this distance with a 107-speed figure. That is good enough to put him right in the thick of things here. He is a closer so will have to close with two of the best late running turf horses going.  

Race: 2783.0115 California Oaks – Grade I – $400,000
Track: California
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 3 years old
Distance: A mile and one sixteenth on the Dirt

Zytown leads this group of three year old fillies. The number two ranked filly is fresh off a grade I win at the equinics. She is in excellent form right now with three graded wins in her last four starts. She should be considered one of the favorites for the Bluegrass Oaks.

Northern Red (AUS) was a grade I winner at two. She had a rough start to her three year old season finishing second in a slow race but rebounded very well at the equinics. She has started to fall off the early pace a little more as a three year old so the question for her is can she make up the extra ground. Whip Smart draws next to the favorite. She was a grade II winner at two and has been placing at the graded level recently.