Nine In For Royal Calm Stakes
The highlight race in Florida this week is the Grade III Royal Calm Stakes over a mile and one sixteenth and is open for all horses three years of age and older. Thunderstorms rolled through the sunshine state earlier in the week and have disipated throughout the week, however, with the overcast skies it is unexpected for the turf track in which the race will be run, to dry out before the call to post. Expect the track to be listed potenitally as good for Saturday’s race. Perhaps scared away by the threat of an off track on race day, the race has drawn a field of nine contenders who will battle it out for victory on Saturday. Lets take a brief look at each of the contenders.
Drawing the rail is Don Pedro (Danzig x Unbridled x Buckpasser) and is out of the stakes-running dam Unbridable. This five year old horse is owned and trained by afc2 and has a total of twenty-three career starts including seven wins, all of which have been on the turf for the homebred. The horse’s most recent start came in an eight and a half furlong allowance caliber race in Ohio in which the stalked just behind the front-runniner the enitre race up until the wire where he took command and rocketed forward to win by a length and a half and post a speed figure of ninety-nine.
In the number two post is Perfect Karma (Pleasantly Perfect x Danzig x Summer Squall) and is trained and owned by remedy. This four year old homebred has a total of twenty lifetime starts with a total of six wins, five places and five shows to his title so far. The coltsmost recent start came in Texas during The Tarbash Justice Stakes where the impressive colt went wire to wire, winning by two lengths over his closest challenger with a speed figure of one hundred five.
Next is Artificial Crisis (Machiavellian x Silver Hawk x Pleasant Colony) and is owned by notitsdark. This bay five year old horse has been lightly raced with only eleven career stars. Of these eleven starts, five have resulted in wins so far and all have been on turf. The colts most recent start was in the neighboring state of Geogria during the Grade II Sanders Stakes, where after battling an outside post position, the colt came up a disappointing eighth place after never firing in the stretch. His most recent win came two starts before, in the Grade III Brown Fields Handicap, where he came from slightly off the pace and gradually picked off tiring horses throughout the race, winning by one and three-fourths lengths with a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred seven.
Following will be Able Giznad Ted (Macabe x Danzig x Grundy (IRE)) and is out of the graded stakes-running dam Gray Lion. This four year old bay colt is trained by xtchamps and has a total of twenty-four lifetime starts with four wins to credit. The hombred’s most recent start came in Alabama during The Song About Pye Memorial where he stayed tucked behind chasing the leader in second but faltered at the wire and dropped back, finishing third. The colts most recent win was just the start before, in an allowance caliber race over eight and a half furlongs in Illinois in which he again stalked the leader the entire race in second, but short forward at te wire, winning by two and three-fourth lengths with a speed figure of ninety-eight.
Breaking mid-pack is longshot Bubba Jess (Hubba Hubba x Little Vagabond (GB) x It’s Fleetwood Mac) and is owned and trained by reems11. This four year old bay homebred colt has a total of twenty-five lifetime starts, including nine wins, two places and three shows and is an accomplished horse, winning races both on the turf and the dirt. The coltsmost recent stasrt came in an allowance caliber race in Michigan on the turf listed as good, where he had an impressive wire to wire performance on the off track, winning by nine and three-fourth lengths with a speed figure of eighty-nine.
Spewu trained Kiwi Mountain (Dynaformer x Kingmambo x El Gran Senor), out of the dam Sister Sarah, is next. This five year old bay horse has been lightly raced with a lucky thirteen career starts so far, including five wins, all on the turf. The horses’ most recent start came in an nine furlong allowance caliber race in which he stalked behind in second and then overtook the leader coming into the last turn to win by half a length and record a speed figure of one hundred, tying a lifetime best speed figure.
In the seven slot is Elufly’s Goldie (Elusive Qualilty x Seeking The Gold x Danzig) and is owned by shazfly. This four year old chestnut colt has had a total of eighteen lifetime starts with six wins, five places and three shows to his title. The colts most recent start came in a eight and a half furlong allowance caliber race in which the colt came from just off the pace in seventh and began to pick off horses early in the race, taking total control of the race by the turn and winning by a length and one-fourth over the rest of the field and recording a speed figure of one hundred two.
Favorite for Satruday’s race is Super Coverup (Squirtle Squirt x Forestry x Avatar) and is out of the race-winning dam Senorita Milk. This homebred colt is owned and trained by taleofcat9 and has a total of twenty-three lifetime starts, including fourteen finishes on the board. The colts most recent start came during The Eye Plus Plus Stakes where he came from off the pace and picked off horses. However, the wire came up short and the colt finished third, just one and one-fourth lengths back. His most recent victory was just the start before, in The Limited Kiwi Special where the colt stuck closer to the front runners and took the lead at the final strides, winning by half a length with a speed figure of ninety-eight.
Breaking from the far outside is Soy De Ponce (Danehill x Mr. Prospector x Wild Again) and is trained and owned by ivanyamil. The oldest horse in the field at six years old, the homebread has been very lightly raced with a total of nineteen lifetime starts, including nine wins, most of them on the dirt, not turf. The horses most recent start came in The Tolerant Tide Memorial where he stayed back tucked behind in third chasing the front runners the entire race until they came up to a few furlongs before the wire. There the bay horse took the lead and won by one and one-fourth lengths over the rest of the field, posting a speed figure of one hundred one.