Best Of The Sun Favored In Smart School
Best Of The Sun Favored In
Northern California – A full field of older horses and one 3 YO will test the waters in the Grade III, Smart School Cap at a distance of 1 1/8 miles over the main track on Saturday and it is a very diverse field. Three, at least, of the horses should be gunning for the lead, a couple likes to run mid pack, two are definite closers and the rest are happy wherever they are put. The race carries a purse of $125,000 and it is definitely up for grabs with half the field usually racing at a longer distance and most of the rest starting to gasp for air as they hit deep stretch. Let’s look at the field by post position.
Breaking from the inside will be Gold Sacrifice (15/1), a 4 YO, chestnut colt by Seeking The Gold. Trained by Whirlaway this colt has rattled off five wins from 17 starts but, in his only recent graded stakes attempt he finished 12 of 20. He comes into the race off a 4th place finish in a sprint allowance and did win a nine furlong allowance two back although he was stopping fast.
Tunnel Vision (14/1) is another 4YO and is by Seeking Daylight. Trained by one of
AP Indy will be represented by Tempest (6/1) one of the few legitimate contenders in this race. Ranked # 19 he has six wins from 19 starts. He was closing fast to finish second last time out in the Head Schott with a 108 speed figure at nine furlongs. If you go back eight races, the Oscar trainee, won the Grade II Flat Land. This colt just needs to run back in the 108 area and he will be there for part if not all.
Super24 either made a super sized mistake in entering the 3 YO bay colt, Etude (42/1) in this race or they have some new super training strategy. You decide. The Super trainers are some of the best, but even they occasionally screw up as owned up to on the main message board a week or so ago. I’m not sure which this is but the 3YO colt by Street Cry is still eligible non three life and will need a ten point jump in speed figures to even be competitive.
Post five will hold Vegas Vacation (16/1) who is conditioned by Pick4. With five wins from 12 starts this lightly raced son of Capote won his last two at distances of nine and 10 furlongs. He is jumping two rungs up the class ladder, but looks like he will be a nice one, at least at the stakes level if not at the graded level.
Star Kris (10/1) probably could have won the Old Man series in Vermont this week but trainer Vallorbe opted to run the Soviet Star horse here in stead. The former $30,000 claimer has become a solid allowance horse, running second last time out at a mile with a 102 speed figure and is at lower odds than most of the field. His biggest hurdle might be his jockey who is still looking for his first win of the year.
Vicious Circle (10/1) is a 4 YO dark grey colt by Wild Again. Conditioned by Zwango1 he has five wins from 21 starts and comes in off a winning effort last time out at nine furlongs. He has reeled off two 100 plus speed ratings in his last two stakes but only beat one in his only graded attempt.
Post eight will hold the chestnut horse, Leaky Tap (7/1) a son of Pleasant Tap. Lightly raced for a 6 YO he has eight wins from 25 starts and is trained by Carolover. This is another horse that belongs here. He won the Old Lucas Lane four back at nine furlongs and was an honest fourth in the Grade III Maxxed Platinum Plate where he tried to wire the field but couldn’t hang on.
Calle4 has dropped the name of her star, Beneath The Stars (19/1) into the entry box and the big bay 4YO colt has won five of 19 starts. Unfortunately he has been racing badly at the stakes level, but when dropped back into an allowance last time out he perked up and won drawing away. That race might have helped as a confidence booster.
Another that truly belongs in this race is Set Me At Ease (8/1) a 6YO horse by Intikhab. Rawleycans trains this eight time winner. The bay horse was third in the Grade III Toilet Scrubbers Anonymous at longer two back and finished second last time out in the All From The Sum at a mile and a quarter. Less real estate may help this one get home on top.
Affair of The Tiger (10/1) is trained by Delta2tigr and is a 4 YO copper son of Black Tie Affair. This is another horse that belongs at this level scoring seven wins from only 20 starts. He led by as much as six lengths in the Louisiana Wingo with a 100 plus speed figure. If he fires he should be in contention at the finish.
A top allowance colt from the Fly Conglomerate has won his last two at nine furlongs and seems ready to step up. Flytastic Indy (9/1) is trained by Tomsfly and likes to run just off the leaders. I think this chestnut son of Fantastic Light has a real chance to be around at the finish.
Post 13 will hopefully not be unlucky for Sunline’s Best of The Sun (7/2); a 5 YO horse by Best Of The Bests. Ranked number 79 he has scored eight wins from 32 starts. He has been winless for sometime, last scoring in the Psycho Clown where he went gate to wire in an impressive effort. He also holds the top speed figure in the race, a 113. If he runs back somewhere close to that the dry streak should be over.
The 4 YO colt, Auror Sarah (24/1) likes to win on the lead. He has won four of 24 and wired the field at nine and a half furlongs in the Minstral Smiling, three back. I think owner/ trainer Auror was hoping for a filly when he named the bay colt but maybe that is why he runs so well on the lead – he can’t hear what others are saying about his name behind his back. Whatever the reason, Sarah is going to have to give his best and then some to be competitive here.
Maybe it is just the plethora of graded stakes or even stakes in general but there are an awful lot of horses that are entered in these races that do not belong. I am sure several are entered by mistake or ignorance but the other side of the coin is – if you don’t enter, you can’t win, so maybe trying, if you learn from it is ok. There are a lot of front runners, a few speedy types that can be rated and two that like to come from well off the pace. Best Of The Sun and Tempest have the top speed figures and there are several horses that have never broken a 100 as far as speed ratings go. They will all need to improve drastically.
Good Luck to all on Saturday.