Wake Up for the Turn Off the Alarm
For a little Grade III no one’s heard of, the Turn Off the Alarm has quite a history. Last year, Elsinore tied the consecutive graded stakes record with a win here. The previous year, Gaudenzia ran an astonishing 118 speed figure in this race. This year, a full field of 14 fillies and mares seek to add their names to the roll of winners of this 6 furlong turf race.
Candy Cane, trained by Wally123, will go off at 9/2 and will break from the inside. This veteran mare has a case of seconditis when it comes to the big races, but this race is a great opportunity for her to shine. She is a consistent performer who has been a competitive second in her last two graded outings. She has a big chance to break out with a win here; failing that, I’m confident she’ll be second.
Unkept Restroom, trained by Isitingood, will go off at 14/1. This talented 3yo is coming off a nice win, but it was a furlong longer and on an off track. She flopped badly two back in a G1 at this distance, which leads me to believe this race won’t suit her. Still, she’s a speedy gal and if that G1 was a fluke, she could do some damage at an attractive price.
Canta en Espanol, trained by Oasis3, hopes to sing her victory song after a gritty win at this distance in an overnight stakes. Her graded debut, the Grade 1 Mas Tequila, was pretty dreadful, but given her stellar race last time out, she deserves a close look. This is a softer field than the Tequila was, so there’s plenty of reason to hope she’ll do well at 10/1. Watch for her try to steal this one from the front.
Dynagreen, trained by Cylla2222, is a tough nut to crack. On the one hand, she hasn’t won in ages. On the other, she’s in the money regularly in overnight stakes. On the one hand, she was 6th in her only graded attempt. On the other hand, she was only 1 ½ behind the winner. On a third hand, her speed figure wasn’t that impressive. Ultimately, her speed figs are pretty consistent and I don’t see them as good enough to win here, though with a very strong run she could get up for third.
Believe, trained by Aceracer, is consistently in the money in allowances and overnight stakes, which is pretty typical of this field. Her best performances have been going a little longer and/or on an off track, so I don’t expect her best here. On top of that, her jockey just isn’t that good. A useful mare who just may not be comfortable in this race
Tequila Shooter, trained by Sdmf, is an uneven performer who has won a graded race impressively at 6.5 furlongs and has flopped brutally other times. I think she’s been set up for a successful run here: she’s coming off a dirt race which may give her an edge and she has enlisted ace juckey A Craig, who has a 24% strike rate. She’ll need a strong effort to win, but I think she’s been positioned well for this race.
Ploy, trained by Atc, goes off at 8/1 and has won a graded turf sprint. It looks like she is coming back from an injury. This will be her second race back, making this a very important race for her. Her first race back wasn’t too good, but maybe she needed a tuneup. This race will tell us a lot about her future, and she’s been fortunate enough to have J Bradley in the irons, who should get her best effort. A lot of questions for her to answer today.
Dance School, trained by Jockfan12, is quite the longshot at 37/1. The Smart Strike daughter has been okay in allowance company, but is taking a huge step up here. I expect this race to be a bit much for her.
Video Killed It, trained by Chongtong, has mostly run allowances and hasn’t shown all that much in her stakes efforts. I’d prefer to see her sticking in allowances and softer overnight stakes fields. I think she’ll be outrun here.
Kylie, trained by Thediv, is a veteran Langfuhr daughter who is capable of competing in graded company. After 43 starts, she’s probably starting to wear out, but may have a couple of good races left. I think this is a case where the jockey could matter – she could hit the board with a strong effort, but her jock has only a 4% strike rate. I don’t expect her to be able to do her best today.
Crypto Mesa, trained by Sjmeola6, is the 4/1 favorite for this race and she is a very, very nice mare. But she is happiest at 7.5 furlongs and has always come up short in graded company. She is capable of a strong speed figure at this distance and has a very good jockey aboard, so I’m certainly not writing her off, but I don’t like her at the price. I won’t be shocked if she wins, but I think it’s more likely that this just won’t be her race.
Snooty Fox, trained by Apmccoy, is a Spinning World daughter going off at 10/1. Her best efforts have been at 7-7.5 furlongs and I don’t expect her to produce a big effort at this distance. Another quality mare for whom this is not an ideal race.
Century Quest, trained by Punta, goes off at the long odds of 35/1. A sophomore who was a terrific claim a while back, she’s picking a very tough spot for her stakes debut. She’s a nice mare, but she’s in awfully deep here and I don’t see her having much of a chance.
Wheres Slimfast, trained by Ironstable, probably has a good story to her name. She has some strong runs in overnight stakes, but has been less impressive in her few graded runs. I don’t see her as having the speed to excel in this big crowd.
Good luck everyone and may your mares come back safe and sound.