Midsoil Stakes attracts Thirteen Two-year-olds

Graded races in Europe are few and far between this week, but one of them is the Midsoil Stakes, which is a Grade/Group Two race for two-year-olds over six furlongs on the dirt, to be run at the Spanish track on Sunday evening.  There are thirteen contestants for this $375,000 purse and the predicted going is fast.

 

1          LION’S SLEW (TUR)                        2 brc   LION HEART x SEATTLE SLEW x GIANT’S CAUSEWAY

elkstables0                 Z Kentucky                 1112               9/2

This Turkish-born colt has raced only on dirt.  He ran up a hat-trick in his first three races, a Maiden Special Weight followed by two unrestricted Allowance races, all three of which he won fairly handily.  Last time out he stepped up in class to the Grade Two Vermont BB Juvenile, in which he finished second, beaten a quarter of a length, recording his best speed figure to date of 85.  His last three races have been over today’s distance and he seems to be improving.

 

2          NEVER TOO FAST (IRE)     2 b c    NO NAY NEVER x FASTNET ROCK (AUS) x LYPHARD

palacemalice              M Kiprusoff               119                 7/1

This bay colt started his racing career by winning a Stakes race over today’s distance of six furlongs, over which distance he has run all his races to date.  He followed up with a win in an Allowance race for non-winners of two, in which he put up his best speed figure to date of 83.  Next time out, he was stepped up in class to the Grade Two The Coventry Steaks, in which he finished a rather disappointing ninth of fourteen.  He makes his dirt debut here.

 

3          SHADY J (KY)                        2 b c    TO HONOR AND SERVE x FUSAICHI PEGASUS x BLUSHING GROOM

plunk                          B Wu                           1                      7/1

On his only start to date, this colt won a Maiden Special Weight race over six and a half furlongs on the dirt over in Maryland.  Running a speed figure of 84, he made a promising start and has been shipped over here with some confidence behind him, despite which he is available at a fairly generous price on the betting market.

 

4          PYRO CHANT (JPN)             2 b c    PYRO x WAR CHANT x STRAVINSKY

saddleup                    J Ledwith                    10571                        26/1

This colt has had plenty of exposure over his juvenile season, both on turf and dirt, having raced every month from January to May.  He began his career with a win in a Maiden Special Weight race for locally-bred horses over five furlongs on the dirt, then stepped up in class to a Stakes race over half a furlong further on the turf, in which he could finish only fourteenth of the twenty runners.  Back in Allowance races for non-winners of two, he was unplaced in races on both surfaces before returning to winning ways last time out in an Allowance NW1x race over five furlongs on dirt, when he recorded his best speed figure to date of 73.

 

5          DANCING DAYS (JPN)          2 b c    TANINO GIMLET x OASIS DREAM (GB) x KINGMAMBO

2tohold                       D Evans                      1251               9/1

This bay colt began his career with a win in a Maiden Special Weight “HOT” race over five furlongs on turf, in which he made all the running.  Attempting an Allowance race for non-winners of two over six furlongs next time out, he finished a creditable second, beaten a length.  Back to five furlongs next time out, he finished fifth in a Stakes race, when he was beaten two and a half lengths.  Last time out, he was back to an Allowance race for non-winners of two, again over five furlongs but for the first time on dirt, in which he put up his best speed figure of 81 to win by a quarter of a length.

 

6          DARK BULLET TRAIN (KY)           2 b c    BULLET TRAIN (GB) x PULPIT x STORM BOOT

adeeprock4                D Ledwith                  5812               34/1

Tried on turf for his first two Maiden Special Weight races, he was unable to make an impression until switched to dirt, where he won over the shortest distance of four and a half furlongs.  In his only other race, last time out, he finished a length down in second in an Allowance NW1x race over five furlongs, also on dirt, in which he put up a speed figure of 68, which is his best to date.

 

7          FEEL LIKE FUN (FR)           2 b c    FEEL LIKE DANCING x MORE THAN READY x DISTORTED HUMOR

nighthawk15             R Whisper                  211111          14/1

Bred by 4nighthawk

This colt has run all his races to date on the dirt.  He began his career back in January, when he finished second, beaten three quarters of a length, in a “HOT” Maiden Special Weight race over five furlongs.  Subsequently he ran only in Allowance races for locally-bred horses, in which he ran up a sequence of five wins.  In his most recent race, he recorded his best speed figure to date of 80 over today’s distance of six furlongs.  Although he has yet to prove himself in open competition, the price looks generous.

 

8          GLOBAL HALO (CA)                        2 br c  WORLD RENOWNED x JOLIE’S HALO x FORTY NINER

pilgrim1                     T Monk                       321                 11/1

Having run all his races on the dirt in the United States, he ships over to Europe for this race.  Last time out, he won his Maiden Special Weight race at the third time of asking, recording his best speed figure to date of 83 over six and a half furlongs.

 

9          GROOM TO MEDAL TED (AUS)     2 gr c  MEDAGLIA D’ORO x GONE WEST x BLUSHING GROOM

good                            P Jones                       1228               7/1

Bred by starsearch

This light grey colt won a Maiden Special Weight race over five furlongs for locally-bred horses on his debut, then finished second in two races over five and a half, which were an Allowance race for non-winners of two and a Stakes race.  Last time out, he recorded his best speed figure of 79, but was able to finish only eighth of ten in a Stakes race over six and a half furlongs.  The price seems a little short considering what he has achieved to date.

 

10       VT MANO (KY)                     2 br c  GIANT’S CAUSEWAY x A.P. INDY x LOMOND

mano                          S Ex                             311                 9/1

Bred by lizzie

After making his debut in a Maiden Special Weight race on turf over five and a half furlongs, in which he finished third, beaten one and three-quarter lengths, he was switched to dirt, on which he won a similar race.  He followed up with a win in an unrestricted Allowance race over today’s distance of six furlongs, in which he put up a speed figure of 79, his best to date.

 

11       SHAMA HAWK (SKOR)       2 b c    HAWK WING x TWINING x SHAMARDAL

asfarms                      M Cheatham              512                 18/1

This South Korean-bred colt made his debut in an Allowance race for non-winners of two over six furlongs on turf, in which he finished fifth, beaten three lengths.  Subsequently he was switched to the dirt, on which he won his Maiden Special Weight race over six and a half furlongs.  Back to today’s distance in an Allowance race for non-winners of two, beaten three-quarters of a length, putting up his best speed figure to date of 78.

 

12       MINER JONES (PA)              2 b c    SMARTY JONES x MALIBU MOON x NUMEROUS

pauls                           H Artack                     12                   7/1

Bred by sargent

This colt has run two races over six and a half furlongs on dirt thus far in his career.  He won his Maiden Special Weight race by two lengths, then finished second, beaten a neck, in a Stakes race, in which he recorded a speed figure of 88.

 

13       THE SWEET SPOT (KY)      2 b c    CANDY RIDE x ELUSIVE QUALITY x FAIRY KING

corka                           C Wyatt                      1                      7/1

He made a pleasing debut when winning an Allowance NW1x race over five furlongs on the dirt, recording a speed figure of 73.  Whether or not he is up to running in this class yet remains to be seen, but his dam was a Grade Three winner.