Looking For Kentucky’s Magic Elixir
This week we take a look at the Grade I Elixir Sprint, part of a series from the KYHorsemen. We have a full field in Kentucky (would it be going too far for me to rename the track “Digit-hill Downs”? The test audience says yes, so we’ll move on) going six furlongs over a very fast dirt track for a million dollar purse. This is an open race, although no fillies showed up at the entry window, for four-year-olds and up. With no clear favorite and many top colts, we have an exciting day ahead of us.
On the inside post is Roll Tide Roll, lenny8’s four-year-old son of Carson City. He is coming off of a pair of second place finishes, although unfortunately for Roll Tide Roll the two horses who beat him in those races are here today. He’ll have to take a big step forward in order to come back against them. He tried stakes level once as a three-year-old, and stepped back to allowances until his last couple of starts. Look for this 14/1 colt to run about four and a half lengths from the leaders at the start before making his bid.
At post number two is Atakachaw, a six-year-old son of El Corredor. He is currently the number 3 ranked dirt sprinter and is coming off a win in the Scraggly Telephone Stakes. Cadiz’s horse ran second in two Grade 1 sprints last year, but once again he will be facing both of the horses who beat him. Atakachaw should not be counted out, especially at 8/1, and will most likely make a bid for the lead.
Breaking third is zwylde’s Hard To Handle. At 13/1, most seem to be overlooking the four-year-old son of Miswaki, but he will probably be at the front fighting for the early lead with Atakachaw, and as the number 4 sprinter may make it quite the speed dual. However, Hard To Handle has shown in the past that he is more than just an early leader, fending off late charges from other runners. He has had two good runs recently following some mediocre efforts, and his connections are surely hoping that this is the beginning of a trend.
Although there is no clear favorite in this race, there are a pair at 7/1 and one of those is in the number four slot. King Of The Cats, by Cat Thief, has the top earnings in the field. Aaafarms’ five-year-old will look to sit about two lengths back while the likely speed dual is run at the front, though it remains to be seen whether he has the speed to close on them as his best recent figure is 108. King Of The Cats is accustomed to finishing in the money though, and is sure to affect the outcome of this race.
In the fifth post is grrm’s Casterly Rock (IRE). This four-year-old is the number one ranked sprinter and when he wins he tends to do it by at least a length. The odds makers have cooled off on him slightly, putting him at 9/1, which may by attributed to losing the Sand Castle Golden Sprint to Looking For More by half a length. Yet Casterly Rock (IRE) cruised home in winning last year’s Breeder’s Bowl Sprint, and his one recent disappointment was at 6.5 furlongs rather than 6. This son of Giant’s Causeway (IRE) will hang back a few lengths at the start but is a smart pick to win, although he will not have an easy time of it.
At 12/1 in post position six is Flying Wild, a seven-year-old son of Wild Again. Ashford sends this horse out after finishing second in the Gillespie Cap and in the Gold Seattle Handicap. Flying Wild won a pair of allowances last year, but has not seen the winner’s circle since. On his side, however, is the fact that he is as lightly raced as the four-year-olds here after running at two and then taking a four year hiatus from the track. He may try to run for the lead, but chances are he will not get it.
Sulphur (IRE) breaks from the seven spot. Mainline’s Giant’s Causeway (IRE) colt is fresh from a win in the Nitro Stakes where he outran Roll Tide Roll by one and a half lengths. This four-year-old is a deep closer who will fall five to seven lengths back before making a run. Sulphur (IRE) has only run in graded company once when he was crushed in the Grade II Pablo Veroes Handicap (won by Hard To Handle). At 14/1, his hope is that recent successes at the stakes level have increases his confidence going into this race.
In the eighth post is vegasjef’s Spank The Monkey. He comes into this race from a decisive victory in the Slavers River Journey, a field that included Hard To Handle. The four-year-old son of Dynaformer has improved his speed figures in his last two starts, but may need an extra eighth in able to show off his full power. He is a closer, and can sit anywhere from one to five lengths back when they leave the gate. Spank The Monkey goes off at 12/1.
Breaking ninth is kevoman4’s Ancient World. At 20/1, this Silver Ghost four-year-old is the long shot of the field. He has had mixed results in his runs recently. Ancient World won a Grade I last year, but apparently been unable to recover from that effort to date. He has shown some nice versatility with two good allowance runs on the turf. Look for this colt to sit just off the lead and wait for any speed dual to run itself dry.
Gnokenny sends five-year-old High Gain (IRE) out from the tenth spot. Like Ancient World, this horse put out a huge effort in a graded win and has only begun to recover his form. The son of El Prado (IRE) put out a 112 in that start and finished second his last time out in the Savage Hillbilly Challenge. High Gain (IRE) will likely try for the lead but may not get there. He has come from behind before, so he does have options depending on how this race plays out. He goes off at 9/1.
In the eleven spot is Final Thoughts, a son of Wild Again from the lenny8 stable. He is yet another colt coming off of a second place finish, this one in the Virginia Affair Stakes. The four-year-old, who is the ninth ranked sprinter, was on a winning streak last year until facing Casterly Rock (IRE), and he hasn’t won since. Final Thoughts likes to be up to a length and half from the leaders, but he seems to have lost some rhythm lately and has odds of 9/1.
In the twelfth post is the Sand Castle Golden Sprint winner Looking For More. The fifth ranked sprinter is trained by gene, who would no doubt be glad to see any kind of speed dual happen as his Brahms colt is a deep closer. Look for him six or seven lengths back at the start but closing ground late. Looking For More has had only a few disappointments in his career and usually finishes one or two. The four-year-old lost to Casterly Rock (IRE) by a length last year, but could make a legitimate run for a win this time at 9/1.
In thirteenth is the 8/1 entry Empire Of The Sun. Joanneb’s five-year-old is the second ranked sprinter, and has a few not so great runs lately but has been improving. He has previously won at the GI level and would like to be about a length back at the start. Although this son of General Meeting won the Delaware Sprint Championship and Scottsdale BB Stakes, Empire Of The Sun’s last three starts resulted in a 13th, a 6th, and a 4th place finish, so he will be looking for a change.
Our final entrant, breaking fourteenth, is Bfifty Two out of the tirekicker stable. He won his last start, the G3 Count Fingers Sprint. Even though this son of Cryptoclearance seems more at home over longer distances, this last win did come in a sprint. The only downside for this four-year-old colt may be that his only two graded sprint attempts resulted in 5th and 6th place finishes, so there is some question as to whether he can handle this field. His speed over the routes has impressed someone out there, and he has low odds for this race at 7/1.
With a potential speed dual in the front and many of the top ranked sprinters throughout the field, this race will be an easy romp home for no one. Provided he can grab the lead from Atakachaw, Hard To Handle could very well be around at the end and very difficult to catch. At the end of the day, though, we will probably see Casterly Rock (IRE) coming home first, although he will have to fend off what look to be hard charges from King Of The Cats and Looking For More.