Is it Final Request for Dan’s Colony?

A short field of five head to post in the mile and three quarter Paris Cup Memorial, over a firm turf course in Northern California.

1) The Prospect – 4/1 on the morning line and is coming off a victory over this course against allowance competition. Was a winner first out for new connections after being claimed for $13,500, this is a huge step up in class. Not without a shot in this short cast, but would need to run a career number to get it done. Look for him to sit a trip and running at the end.

2) Final Request – 2/1 on the line and the co-favorite. She is a filly facing the boys, but is certainly not out of her element. She is coming off back to back stakes wins, this distance posing no problems, but the firm ground might prove problematic. She has been running on soft ground of late and running very well, so we’ll have to see if she can duplicate her form on firmer ground.

3) Dan Colony – 2/1 co-favorites with Final Request. The 23rd ranked long turf male, he was dominate winning a two mile stakes race in Washington last out. Trainer is one of the best around, so his stock has to be taken seriously and is the one to down on Saturday. Firm turf and distance is not an issue, so look for him to be in the back of the pack and come with a blazing kick down the lane. Was 2nd to Confederacy in the 2005 running of the Cavalcade Cup and that one has gone on to be impressive 2nd in a grade 1 race. The one they all have to beat to collect the winner’s share of the purse.

4) Best of the Best – 5/2 on the morning line. Showed speed and faded in similar conditions last time out and will need to find more staying power to get the job done. Does not show a win at this distance in his last 8 outings, and that could be a deterrent against this bunch. Will need to show his best to cross the line first, but should be good enough to hit the board.

5) Bob the Cob – 5/1 and the longest shot on the board. As with short fields going a long distance, the prices tend to be close together. He comes off a 2nd in similar conditions against 8 in Michigan, but the final time of the race is lacking. He will need to step it up to hit the board and his prior 5 outings don’t show he is fast enough to win this. Hard to knock a horse who has won 25 race and banked $1.3 Million dollars. Certainly has the back class to get the job done, but will need to step it up off his most recent stuff.

Should be a great race to watch as the field turns for home. I look for Dan Colony to run them all down, with Final Request and Best of the Best battling it out for 2nd and 3rd. Good luck to all entrants as they go for Paris glory!