DUE NORTH STAKES

Due North Stakes
Grade II
Six furlongs
Fast Dirt
$250,000
All horses, 3 years old and up

            The field of 13 is set for the 8^th running of the Grade II Due North Stakes.  Over half the field has graded stakes wins and only one of the 13 has not won at the stakes level.  Some very good horses have run in this race in its long history such as Happy Geronimo and Rigidly Plus Hill.  This field also includes seven of the top 50 dirt sprinters making this most likely one of the fastest races to be held this weekend.  The question will be whether or not the speedsters can hold off the deep closers in this six furlong sprint

Studio Remixed T (Gone West X Blushing Groom) is beautifully bred horse that has had its difficulty in the Graded Stakes with 20 starts and no wins.  Its done well in the regular stakes races.  This horse will join many of the others in the race at the back of pack hoping to charge up and steal the victory.  It’s breeding puts it up as one of the top 4 horses in the race according to the GSV and it does have 3 seconds and two thirds in Graded races. 

Raul’s Prospector (Royal Academy X Mr. Prospector) will be one of the front runners Saturday.  O/T Cunningham has done an outstanding job bringing this horse up slowly into the Graded States races.  This horse had 15 races in stakes races winning four and hitting the board in five others.  Its Graded Stakes history has only a second place finish in three starts, but that was in the Grade III Kentucky BB Sprint held just two weeks ago.  Its speed ratings place it in the top four or five of this race making it one of the three co-favorites.  It will have competition from the other speedsters for the lead creating some problems for this 4YO colt.

Da Dentist (Sadler’s Wells X Theatrical) has one of the highest GSV’s in the race at 78.6.  At first thought I’m thinking this is a turf horse and it started off as a turf horse finishing first or second in its four starts.  O/T doctahg began experimenting with this 5YO switching it to the dirt and then one more time with a switch from routes to sprints.  This horse is now ranked #22 overall in the dirt sprints and the last race was more of a being at the wrong distance than its 8^th place finish shows.  This winner of the Grade II Wicker Sofa Stakes has become one of the elites of the sprint world after O/T made its last switch from routes to sprints ten races back.  That switch has resulted in five wins and a second; including victories in two Grade II races and a Grade III race.  Expect this horse to be at the back for most the race and with its ability to close and one of the top jockey at the track on board, expect a close finish.

Pulling Strings (Bestyoucanbe X Gone West) is the favorite at 3-1.  It has wins in the Grade I Bill Hartack and the Grade II Bluegrass Sprint this year.  This speedster is hoping to wire the field Saturday and just might do it.  This another great example of O/T’s learning about their horse.  This 5YO started in routes and then was switched to the turf before finally O/T danknight made the final switch to dirt sprints.  It has won 14 of its 25 sprint races on the dirt and finished second or third in 4 other races.  This six time winner of graded stakes has earned $2.1M for its stable and is on a hot streak by winning five of its last seven races and also has one of the top jockeys at the track.  One last thing, its 5^th in Dirt sprints.

Pequin Cat (Tabasco Cat X Spinning World) has lived in the Graded Stakes races and as with the case for most of the field has a very high GSV.  At first glance this horse has had some problems in the Grade Stakes races winning just once in 18 attempts.  A closer examination shows that O/T quietly made a switch 10 races back resulting in three wins and a third including the Grade I Billy and Jimmy Stakes.  I’m still uncertain why it was pushed up to a route race in its last attempt, but today it seems to be at its right distance.  Once again this horse will be at the back hoping that Pulling Strings will burn itself out with its expected duel with Raul’s Prospector and Hard to Handle. It has the speed ratings to possibly steal the win going off at 9-1.

Mountain Ted (Monashee Mountain X Victory Speech) has good sprint breeding that will sit mostly in the middle of the pack during the race.  This is a great stakes race horse winning seven of it 12 regular stakes races, but it has been unlucky in the Grade Stakes races (0-9).  At some point this 4YO colt will win, but I’m not sure Saturday is the day with an averaged speed rating of only 96.         

Statue of Pye (Statue of Liberty X Lear Fan) is an interesting horse to say the least.  It took 12 races to break its maiden and then O/T themainman showed more patience by racing it in seven allowance races, winning three before making the big jump into the Stakes races.  Its only competed in 2 stakes with one being the Grade III Kentucky BB Sprint in which it won the race just two weeks ago with an outstanding 110 speed rating.  This beauty loves run way back during the race and close hard.  That’s the problem with this 4YO it has a tendency bounce, at least 9 points, after a hard race, and this will be its fifth race in 8 weeks.   

Indiscretion (Danzig X Mr. Prospector) is the highest rated GSV horse in the field.  A lot of people will discount this horse, don’t.  It seems primed to run a great race Saturday with improving speed rating numbers.  It only has 2 wins in 14 stakes races, but it has a first or second in three Graded Stakes races including victory in the Barbara Walters Special.  Its last five races has resulted in two seconds and two thirds.  It seems that O/T babycolt experimentation’s with distance five races back by switching it to sprint races has been successful.   Its gonna try to fight for the lead creating a very difficult situation for the front runners with those explosive closers in the race.

Kung Fu (Fu Peg X Alydar) is expected to fight hard in this race.  O/T siama has shown great patience and has been willing to try different styles.  This horse has seen some success in the stakes races winning two of six, but has been unlucky in its five Graded Stakes races.  The last race might have been a perfect primer for this 5YO that was coming off a six week break.  The change in running style from going for the lead to sitting off pace will pay huge dividends for the O/T I believe.   It probably won’t win Saturday, but look for this horse to find its streak sometime later this summer once its running style is established.

Sir Tolerant (Lancastrian X Alysheba) is a 10YO that has one of the lowest GSV’s in the race.  It’s lightly raced (10) and has only competed in two stakes races so far with a second place finish.  This will be its first attempt at the Graded Stakes level.  I will be honest I discounted this horse almost from the start because it has so few races, its ranking of 523 in dirt sprints, also never heard of the sire, and the fact it is 10 years old.  Then I noticed something that maybe the O/T zeusjockey also noticed, this 20-1 longshot posted a 109 speed rating after a nine week layoff in a race of 1 mile.  This horse is coming off a nine week layoff and oh yeah it’s in the 10^th position.  Too many 10s for me not to stick a 1000 to show on this aggressive O/T attempt to shock this New York track with a very good jockey on board

King of the Cats (Cat Thief X Unbridled) has one of the lowest GSV’s in the race which lessens the value of the GSV with this horses 16 stakes wins, including 9 at the Graded level.  This former winner of the Breeders Bowl Sprint and Sand Castle Golden Sprint has earned $2.5M for O/T aaafarms in its career.  This horse will join many of the others in racing near the back of field, but this 5YO is on a cold streak.  In its last 8 graded stakes races it only has 3 thirds.  Something seems to be off on this horse and seems to be going in the wrong direction.

Bermuda Pirate (Rahy X Theatrical) is a beautifully bred horse that has one of the highest GSV’s in the race, but not certain that means anything after looking at King of Cats.  This will be its 18 attempt at a stakes race with only one victory, and its zero for four in Graded Stakes.  This horse has had four different owners and the current O/T march2nd has raced it in 14 of its 16 races in stakes competition getting a second and a third.  Its speed rating of 102 will make it competitive Saturday but it might need a little bit more distance than six furlongs for this closer to succeed.

Hard to Handle (Miswaki X Green Desert) is the highest GSR rated horse with a 79.1 rating.  It’s a winner of the Grade I Radio City, Grade II Pablo Verces Handicap, and Grade III Arizona Silver Spoon.  In its six graded stakes races it has won three, with a second and third place finish.  O/T zwylde picked the right name for this horse.  After its Grade I victory, it put together five uninspiring races.  Even prior to that it had a couple seconds in regular stakes races, and a couple allowance wins, before it shock the Graded world with its Grade I Radio City win.  The O/T switch in running styles to Go for the Lead four races back has resulted 2 wins, a place and a third all in Graded Stakes races.  Watch out for this 4^th ranked dirt sprinter as I expect it to post at least a 109 rating, yet the one negative is that its jockey is not that good.

At the wire:  It’s gonna be a great race with at least a speed figure of 110 or better to win Saturday.  The problem is that most of the horses I like are the front runners and with the expected duel to occur, something from the back could steal the win.  Saturday will also tell me just how important the jockey selection is. 

Prediction:  3 – 13 – 4 – 5

LONGSHOT: 10

Send comments or suggestions to Euro321@aol.com