Grade II Club Stakes… Wide Open Tough Contest

 

Kentucky (KY) Sunday, November 29, 2015 — 2:20:00 PM EST | Race ID : 1415274
Club Stakes
Grade II / Group 2 – Purse : $375,000
Restricted to 2 Year Olds
8.5 Furlongs | ~1700 Meters | One Mile and One Sixteenths	Fast Dirt

 

 

ASHLYDAR comes out of his last race The End Of The Line Futurity G1 pretty much wondering what happened when his usual come from behind style was less than effective and he was left sitting in 9th although he never gave up through the stretch in his first attempt at the  G1 ranks and that race should prove as a learning curve for all involved as he will try his luck once again here at the distance in Kentucky in this G2 tilt. Dpprofit2 stables has nurtured this one along nicely only racing him sparingly well watching him blossom into a top runner and decided to jump into the graded levels two back when nicely finishing up in the money in the first four tries in the ALw level and made a dazzling come from behind run in the G 2  Pea Patch Juvenile just missing in that one while finishing 2nd coming from way back to get there. It was certainly a weird sort of romp as the winner Hadrosaur was a longer shot than Ashlydar but got on the lead early and was never threatened. The increase in SP that day was a realization that they might have something special here. Could never rule out as he loves to come from anywhere and if the speed is well contested here it should set up nicely for him.

HALCON had been racing in Japan winning his first three at the Alw levels. Argentino8 Stables decided to move him out to Washington to try the Grade level races and in the G 2 Big Hill Stakes he did not disappoint finishing second when it looked like he might steal the race on the lead only to have a closer catch him in the final strides. Halcon buzzed a 99 SP that day making him an instant star and he looks to get another shot here at the win. Considering this was only his fourth race his excel rate up the ladder has been astonishing and is an obvious contender to get the win here in this tough field. He will get a chance to stretch out here somewhat. This Uncle Mo colt will want Mo and Mo. A definite impact player in this race.

DARK IMPETUOUS may not quite up to this lot as of yet but that does not mean he can not be considered. In seven races so far he has a tendency to hanging in mid pack while still posting good SP numbers  which means bad racing luck or he just doesn’t have that extra to be a main player on most nights and this was completely true when last out in the G3 Cryogenics Juvenile he left the gate in 8th of 14 and just sort of sat for half the race and when asked made some minor moves but found himself not having what it takes to catch the leaders while others were catching him.  When he is not surrounded by the high end talent he finds a way but has yet to be able to solve the higher end talent and until he does he will remain just an after thought rather than a winner. He did sport a nice 96 Sp last time out which was a 10 pt improvement over previous so he is there. Would be a surprise but not impossible.

I SAID A BAD WORD  is certainly no stranger to the podium finishing first or second in all of his races to date and the latest on his schedule proved to be no difference where trying the G 1 Sparkling Wines Stakes and in normal fashion found himself scampering for the finishing line chasing the speed only to be the brides maid again. The winner of that race  had gotten a long ways away from the pack and just never looked back. Had to like the smoking 99 SP in that one though and in previous graded attempts had much of the same fortune where in the G3 the same horse The Left Shark got up on top again and refused to look back leaving I Said A Bad Word in the second spot again. He has yet to score in stakes company but he is definitely the one to fear. As far as I can tell there is only a couple of speed horses to worry about here so this day just might be his.  F Gossett retains the mount .

MR. STING YEA  got off to a great start with a pair of wins to start his career and then was put into a G 3 Television Stakes and was completely disrespected by the public going off at 13 to 1 but the public certainly seem to know what they were doing as Mr Sting Yea ran a disappointing  race finishing mid pack and never fired at all. He subsequently tried his luck in the G 3 level again in the Faber College where he faded bad finishing eleventh and showed very little improvement off his debut races. A couple of races later he once again tried his luck in the Buckeye G3 and once again refused to fire finishing 6th but there was good news for this one as he finally  showed signs of improvement busting an 86 SP and then during his last try in a stakes race The Fact Of Matter Dirt Juvenile he had a rebirth of sorts where he just missed settling for second spot as another long shot had a big day as well to steal it from him. He posted a nice 98 SP that day a 12 point jump and that makes him competitive here. Jockey I C Gordon gets the mount.

INTO GEAR Agnes Digital colt Into Gear has had five races to date winning three of them and shows improvement in each race and just comes off a  very nice win in the Alw. 39000 race running a nice 95 SP in the process. He will be trying to find his way here now in the Graded levels and should be a big part of the race if his continued progressed is any indication.  He will get a shot here at some of the more seasoned and it is obvious he prefers to be stretched out so this should just suit him just fine. Still I can’t help but think he is at least a step behind these right now and will take a wait and see approach on this race. I think he will  show well though. He should be all out in the end just finishing short of the top 4.

O Ridenour claims the ride.

MORE TALK LESS DRINK  has won three of five this season and has tried stakes and graded company twice where he has failed to be a factor. Two back where he decided to try the graded company in the Gr 3 The Founders he was there ready to pounce most of the race but had stretched out to 9 f and this might have just been the decided as he faded when it counted most finishing 8th. In consolation the horse he was still within ear shot of the eventual winner so the fade was not bad and then the Jarrod3 Stables did a smart thing in my opinion and dropped him into an Alw. level race to try a similar distance once again where he showed his true colors winning taking the early lead and never looking back. Want to call him the speed here but cannot as his SP rankings have been low and he will certainly find this lot much tougher. He is a step or two behind this field I am thinking.

Jockey C. Orza will regain the mount from his G3 Founder race.

CARPET TRADE Running from the 8 hole will be the Cairo Prince colt Carpet Trade who has yet not hit the board now in seven races winning three along the way and has the trifecta of finishes in all of its stakes races , a first , second and a third with improvement in position every time. This is a likely elevation for him right now to strut his stuff coming off a big win in the Rhibus Dirt Juvenile Stakes well clocking a nice SP 98 just coming off the pace. It was his first stretch out to the 8.5 f distance and seemed to thrive on that little extra. Jockey S Blade had the mount that day, but now J Drozd takes over to try his luck on this colt. There is not a lot of front speed in this race and this might be hurtful in his late style so tactics will be strongly advised for this one as this field will be considerably much tougher than what he has faced. Still though , one can’t help but wonder just how good he really is and I like him here as a positive possibility for the win.

CITY OF QUEENSLAND switched from the turf to the dirt last time and was successful in his bid scoring a decent SP in the win. Now having a  close look at him he was just in the Alw. level race when he did this and he has taken quite some time to figure where he belongs. Perhaps this graywolf23  Stables colt has just been underachieving or perhaps the latest was just a mirage but he certainly will be in very tough here. The more I look the less I can figure this horse out and I guess at this point I will not even bother. I will take a back seat on him and watch this time so we can truly get a good look at him.

C Ambrose has the ride

 

TACTICAL GENIUS is a well bred Quality Road colt for the megablaze stables and just recently debut at the races and doing fine indeed scoring twice in a three race stretch and just missing in the other. The quick Sp ratings tell you all as he has been quick to get up to a lot of these and t his is what makes him a threat in here. In his last race the Alw 48700 level he moved up to the 8 f distance fro the first time and found the extra room even more to his liking as he opened up and kept opening up going off as the strong favorite for the locals in New York. It may be at least a race too early for this lot for this guy but he is quite capable of shocking mildly and taking it all. The multi move up in class concerns me and  because of this I will take a watch approach in this one favoring more seasoned up to this point.

M Kelley is in the saddle.

I LOVE LUCY’S KASH Awesome Again , Awesome Again , Awesome Again, everywhere you look there is an Awesome Again colt ripping up the tracks where ever they may be. This horse in real life made me some real cash and therefore I am a personal favorite of this horse. Having said that can I Love Lucy’s Kash live up to his pedigree and be Awesome Again ?  He has been paced nicely in his races in which although the results were not always ideal the improvement of this colt was and while dropping down last time to break his maiden he did sparkle with a nice SP of 94 well coming from well back to pass the small field as the betting favorite. He  tried these same tactics in both the June Stakes and the Trixy Delight Special and although was  just a tad short of the win in the June , he waited way to long to make his move in the Trixy and got trounced finishing well back in a closing sixth on a day when a ton of closers made their moves much earlier and did well. Jockey error possibly as G Wendorff was on him that day and he now has N Lawton on the mount. Awesome Again was known to come from out of no where to bite you on the butt and maybe I Love Lucy’s Kash has it in him too.

 

HUSSONET’S GHOST   Elkstables20 sends out Hussonet’s Ghost for his sixth run of the year and his first out of the Alw levels where he has been  doing well coming off a win at the 48700 level showing steady improvement with each race. Judging from what I have seen up to now as good as he can be he just might be a step behind this lot right now and maybe he will excel as a three year old but I prefer many other in here right now.

Bf Abman has the mount and the experience will do Hussonet’s Ghost  a chance to gauge his forward progress

 

MALIBU RUM RUN TED   Five for six landing on the podium and 3 wins makes this boy a legitamate runner in this race and as many in here have done, steady forward motion in his races make him a big part of this field. When he made the initial jump into the raded races from the Alw he learned just how tough the jump can be especially on your first time through and was subsequently trounced finishing 9th in a 14 horse field while dropping positions. This was certainly a learning curve fro him and the Shanx stables but still had improved off his last race. He was dropped in to the Alw races again and showed his new found class as he went off as the 2nd favorite and it took all that class to get the win that day. For me I will wait and see how he does .

R Rickford has the ride.

 

CONFIRM THIS ONE    Aquadeep10 Stables are hoping for a late thanksgiving with this colt who is on a two race win streak but will need to find much more to have a shot at the podium here.  The move up although maybe a tad too much for him will offer one thing and that is much needed experience for the upcoming year and since this is horse racing anything I guess is possible. 

E Lagrant will get the try on this one in hopes of a good showing

 

 

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