Big Race Preview 3042

Just three grade I races this week as the BTB prepares for Winter vacation. We get maybe one of the premier mile and a quarter turf races on our racing schedule. Along with the Eclipse we get a prestigious two year old race and a turf sprint with a few Breeder’s Bowl Turf Sprint runners present.

Race: 3042.4914 Eclipse Stakes – Grade I – $1,000,000
Track: Newmarket
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance: A mile and one quarter on the Turf

We have co favorites for this years running of the Eclipse Stakes. New Storm is the number two ranked runner in this division behind Seeking Sal the winner of the Breeder’s Bowl Mile. This may be New Storms favorite distance as he beat a very good field earlier in the year at the Equinics. He runs pretty consistent speed figures out at these distances. The negative here is that he is coming out of a poor race where he never got going. It was at a mile which is not his best distance so maybe you can throw that effort out. He will be closing from well off the pace and will have to run down his fellow co favorite.

Mizzen Dizzie has been lightly raced this year. He has flashed some brilliance with super fast front running wins at a mile but it seems the vast amounts of time between races could be the reason he did not fire at the Breeder’s Bowl. There he set the pace in the Mile before fading to finish eleventh. Now he comes back on two weeks rest which may be a good sign. The negative is that he has not run this distance in almost two years. The big question will be if the miler can successfully stretch out.

Bristol Rovers is a very interesting horse here. This is a field he can handle at the old age of six with forty-four career races. He has earned an impressive seven million in his career. He is the class of the field coming out of races at longer distances. He won his last time out in a grade II. He has been raced lightly over the summer and has plenty of rest coming into this race. The old timer has a really good race at this distance in his past and if he if feeling well could easily put this field away.

Race: 3042.4915 Duetoburst Stakes – Grade I – $750,000
Track: Newmarket
Restrictions: All horses, 2 years old
Distance: Seven furlongs on the Turf

Leo’s Jewels (IRE) takes another shot at grade I competition. He has won three of four career races with his only loss coming last time out in the Nationwide Stakes. He had been stalking prior to that race but as he has stepped up in class the speed horses have gotten faster so he is finding himself further off the pace. He has had plenty of time to get ready for this race if he matures a bit he could be in a good position to win his first grade I race.

Magnificent Hero (GB) really took a big step forward last time out. He improved his speed figure to earning a 92 speed figure in a listed stakes win. He has been stalking off the pace and closing well. It probably will only take a little improvement off his last race to put him in the winner’s circle here. See My Baby Jive (IRE) has won seven of eight starts now as a two year old. He is a multiple graded stakes winner but the problem for him could be that he has not seemed to improve in his last five races. He almost seems to have hit a wall and his front running style will put him upfront where several others like to run. Still you cannot discount a runner that has won seven of eight starts. 

Race: 3042.3415 Because I Said So Stakes – Grade I – $500,000
Track: Epsom
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance: Six furlongs on the Turf

The third and fifth place finishers in the inaugural Breeder’s Bowl Turf Sprint roll back on two weeks rest to be co favorites here. General’s Chariot is saddled with the thirteenth post. He finished third in the Breeder’s Bowl Turf Sprint finishing just three quarters of a length behind the winner. It was a good effort for the General who closed from nearly last. That is a bit of a departure from his normal stalking although he was only five lengths back in that race. He is in a good groove and gives an honest effort each time out he will be a player.

Digging The Grave pressed the pace in the Breeder’s Bowl Turf Sprint before fading a bit in the end finishing fifth. He was only two lengths behind the winner last time out. He too has been in good form in recent months and draws favorably for his running style.

Gold Inferno is a pretty good miler that will be cutting back in distance for this race. Speed figure wise his mile runs look much better than his sprint attempts. He has won three of his last four races all graded stakes at a mile. His deep closing style usually puts him in a position hard to overcome at this distance.