Rose Garden Handicap
Rose Garden Handicap
Grade III
A mile and one eighth
1 111717 S R OIL sheeba P Greggor 36/1
2 9989 MUST BE A SLEW chesapeake P Carrier 14/1
3 85111 CADDILAC MOON blackswan B Carley 6/1
4 58728 SKIP DANCER russ M Ketron 15/1
5 537 JARRAH taztiger B Sipe 15/1
6 85224 QUIET GLORY kobras3 D Givins 9/2
7 94334 NORTHERLY NICOLE skirom L Cardinal 7/1
8 80244 HANNAH’S BOO BOO rharfo2 R Staples 7/1
9 88326 ANSWER BACK T graceful B Marston 17/1
10 97720 BETTER THAN HEAVEN cvbear D Sherman 17/1
11 89872 FILET CHEVAL hansg S Blood 8/1
12 12260 WESTEGEN(IRE) tazzzdevil K Bortz 28/1
13 60629 OPENINO deuces Y Kester 13/1
14 67386 WAKI NOTION looney1 P Cadigan 5/1
Afullfield of fourteen for the GradeIII Rose Garden over9f on the dirt track.The morning line odds compilerhas taken a bit of a strange view of ths race- around halfthe field are 7/1 or less and the remainder are mostly around the 15/1 mark.If this were a UK race it would suggest a massive draw bias but it may just be a case of the handicapper having a few too many drams the night before !!
Lets take a look at the field in racecard order-
S R OIL (MONTBROOK x TSUNAMI SLEW x NATIONAL ASSEMBLY)
Nice record with four wins from eight races, the last two being allowance wins over an extended mile. Interseting runner but she’s taking a huge hike in class and looks likely tostruggle first time out in graded company.
MUST BE A SLEW (SLEW CITY SLEW x SLEW THE KNIGHT x CANADIAN SLEW)
One of the older runners, she has some nice runs this year, including three 100+ sp races, however her last run in a stakes was a shocker and it may be that after 47 races she’s running out of steam.
CADDILAC MOON (UNBRIDLED’S SONG x KRIS S. x NATIVE DANCER)
Definetely a major player with two grade I wins this year at around this trip and five recent runs over the 100sp. It’s probably just a coincidence but by far her worst run of the year was her only other run down in this grade. It was also over an inadequit 8f.
SKIP DANCER (SKIP AWAY x GREY DAWN II x NATIVE DANCER)
Only 14 races for this five yer old, with three allowance wins at the start of the year, followed by a more recent grade III win. She has been a bit disapointing since and may have reached a plateau, especially as she had almost a year out.
JARRAH (ALJABR x A.P. INDY x SADLER’S WELLS)
Has a recent stakes and allowance win but does not reaaly look like stakes material and certianly not a graded runner, only one recent run at 100sp seems to bear that out and she’ll struggle today.
QUIET GLORY (BUDDHA x MISWAKI x DIXIELAND BAND)
Reaally nice filly who has only finished out of the top two once in her last nine races and that was a third place! Some sparkling runs, including victories in gade I, II and III she will sit at or near the front and looks the one to beat.
NORTHERLY NICOLE (DYNAFORMER x SUNDAY SILENCE x FAR NORTH)
Another with a nice recent record if not quite up to the level of Quite Glory, she comes from the middle of the pack and looks best at around this trip. Should reach the money today.
HANNAH’S BOO BOO (STORM CAT x SINGSPIEL(IRE) x GONE WEST)
Don’t know quite what to make of her, some lovely runs earlier in the year including comfortable allowance and stakes wins she then went flat for a few runs before storming bsck to form latest, again with a stakes win. Could be she can’t quite cut it in this grade and the percentage call is to oppose her today.
ANSWER BACK T (ALMOSTASHAR x TIME TO EXPLODE x GREEK ANSWER)
Cheaply bred filly with some nice stakes runs this year, but again well beaten in her graded runs. Looks another stakes horse who will struggle at this level. Again, the percentage is to oppose.
BETTER THAN HEAVEN (SKIP AWAY x CHIEF’S CROWN x SILVER HAWK)
Three recent stakes wins over a furlong further and going away at the finish in each suggests to me that she wants 11f +, not a drop down to 9f. Things may happen a bit quick today and she may be tapped for toe at thefinish.
FILET CHEVAL (MINESHAFT x STORM CAT x VAGUELY NOBLE)
Nice season so far with a couple of stakes wins and two really good runs, including her latest when posting a 107 sp over 8.5f.Another who likes to go from the front she will find herself taken on by the favourite and she willhave to pull out a career best to win. However if that last run was no fluke she can holdon for a top three.
WESTEGEN(IRE) (GENEROUS(IRE) x GONE WEST x SADLER’S WELLS)
Has been struggling a bit in allowanc eand stakes level with only one recent win in a restricted allowance. Cannot see anything other than the wooden spoon.
OPENINO (RED BULLET x SUMMER SQUALL x UNBRIDLED)
Again has had some nice allowance runs and a second in a grade II but was hammered in a grade I latest. On balance her form does not really look upto this and a few runs in stakes may be in order before another crack at this level. Not today.
WAKI NOTION (MISWAKI x NIJINSKY II x DR. FAGER)
The second favourite on the morning line mainly thanks to her latest grade I victory. That was over 10f and in all her runs at this distancel she’s come form the back and failed to catch the winner. This is too short, especially with two front runners in the field and whislt she’ll run onfor a share of the money I can’t see a win.
Overall an interesting race with a good mixture of improvers and proven runners at this level. for me, it has to be QUIET GLORY for the win, followed by FILET CHEVAL and WAKI NOTION in that order.