The G1 Windy City Classic Attracts Fine Turf Route Field

Well, the Equinics are behind us, but that certainly doesn’t mean there will be a temporary shortage of top-level horse appearances or races; not like that at all. The field assembled for Sunday’s Windy City Turf Classic over the firm turf at Illinois has some $20 million in earnings and ten of them have Grade 1 badges in their possession.

One gap that exists in racing categories in that event is the fact that for older turf horses, there were no turf races in between 8 furlongs and 13 furlongs. Of course, it could very well be possible that the existence of this 10-furlong Windy City Turf Classic just one week afterward is exactly the reason why the Equinics has left that apparent “hole” in their events.

That leaves this little 3-million-dollar Grade 1 race as a “consolation” for some fine horses who didn’t have an Equinics event to aim at; a very nice “consolation” indeed.

So, what kinda virtual horseflesh do have here? Real good; let’s have a look:

BARB’S BABY BOY won the Grade 3 Little River Band Stakes in November, but hasn’t won since and goes off at 13/1. A 4yo son of Oasis Dream, this jakematt7 trainee has distance questions, considering his only 10-furlong attempt went quite poorly. Will need a huge effort in this crowd.

RAGPOINT DANCER won the Grade 2 Kinsho Cho Classic in fine style, but his three Grade 1 tries have all gone poorly. The 4yo Danehill Dancer colt trained by jrogue5 could be dangerous if he can get free on the front end, but that’s a tall order here.

THE JOY OF LIFE has three wins in his last five starts, but he was upset at odds-on in a minor stakes last time out, though he still fired a 113 in that loss. As a matter of fact, the consistent 4yo Kitten’s Joy colt has run 110 speeds or better in nine of his last ten starts. Trained by icbomber1, this guy is almost a complete certainty to fire a big shot every time he enters a starting gate. Gets much respect at 6/1.

I WILL FIX YOU is a head short of having three graded-stakes wins in a row coming into this, having barely missed in the Grade 2 Karakuza Tinen Cup last time out. Before that, the handshobb7-trained 4yo Bernardini colt garnered wins in the Grade 1 Queen’s Spring Cup and the Grade 3 Night At The Exbury, both by large margins. This very dangerous runner gets 8/1 odds.

WEEKEND JOY is a veteran of the graded-stakes wars, having tried the level sixteen times. The 5yo by Tapit has hit the tote board in five of those, grabbing wins in the 2015 Grade 3 South Florida Mile and the 2014 Grade 1 Coalminer Cup. The blankpoin4 trainee has remained competitive in 2016, though he only has an allowance win to show for it. Going off at 15/1, he has at least a bit of upset potential.

STREETS OF SIN found 11 furlongs a bit too far in the Grade 1 Man Of War Stakes and couldn’t make much of an impression on NO CHANCE CADET in the Prince Of Whales in June. However, if the simsters5 trainee can find the form he showed in the Grade 1 Manha Manha Challenge just before that, he’s certainly got a big chance in here. The 4yo Street Cry colt goes off at 6/1.

THE ESKAJESTY won a pair of Grade 1’s last year, but things have really gone south for the 4yo Eskendereya colt in 2016. The meguire4th trainee will need a big turnaround in form to compete here, but he could possibly respond favorably to today’s shorter distance. Lots of questions to answer, and the 21/1 odds reflect that.

RUN THROUGH FIRE has just nine starts thus far in his career, but he has quickly become a superstar. The 4yo Galileo colt’s a perfect 5-for-5 for 2016, with impressive 3-length wins in the Grade 2 Kinsho Kho Classic and the Grade 1 Eclipsed Stakes. Both of those wins were at double-digit odds,yet the mattyw2 trainee gets little respect yet again, this time at 13/1.

STREET SECRET has only managed one allowance win for 2016, but trainer gioponti takes another shot in hopes his 5yo son of Street Sense can regain the fine form he showed while winning the Grade 1 Canada Turf and the Grade 1 Singapore Cup last fall. Going off at 9/1, he fired a 112 while running 2nd in an allowance last time out; this form improvement brings hope.

BOBBI ENGLISH took his first shot at graded-stakes racing in almost a year last time out, running a strong 2nd vs. a slomewhat light Grade 3 field in the Chicago Handicap while firing a 114 speed rating. This much tougher field will present quite a challenge for this rlogan trainee, a 4yo son of English Channel. He goes at 15/1.

RAMBUTAN comes from the gcliffo5 barn. If he can bring the same kind of form he showed in winning the Grade 1 Tattersalls Gold two starts ago, the 4yo son of Arch can certainly make an impression here at 9/1. A very consistent colt, he also won the Grade 2 Guillaume Stakes last summer. He took almost four months off this past winter in preparation for this year’s campaign, and that appears to have paid off well.

NO CHANCE CADET is a 4yo son of Galileo who has won over $2 million in just eight starts while winning six. He has a pair of Grade 1 wins in three tries, and the cadetdagen trainee won the Grade 1 Prince Of Whales last time out while putting up a ridiculously fast 120 speed rating, and he has run no less than 112 in each of his last six. Will be a major factor on or near the early pace, and should remain a factor all the way to the wire.

MY PREROGATIVE is in with a 12/1 chance for trainer mtk2010. Last time out, the 4yo Cape Cross colt finished a solid 3rd, 4 lengths behind RUN THROUGH FIRE in his grade 1 debut, the NY Island Cap. He dominated lesser in two turf starts just before that with high speed ratings, and has been on a 9-week mini-vacation since that last try. If the break did him good, he could pop a big one.

OLD DYNAMICS may be the only 6yo in this field, but he’s not exactly drying up and fading away; the son of Dynaformer was a solid 3rd last time out in the Grade 1 Eclipsed Stakes and won the Grade 1 Movieland Turf Cup just before that. This flagdown1 trainee has a pair of Grade 1 wins to his credit and almost $4 million in the bank; if he gets his stretch drive going early enough, he certainly could threaten here at 8/1.

I’ll go with NO CHANCE CADET to attend the early pace closely and shoot on by to get the win.

RUN THROUGH TIME is my choice for 2nd; and he certainly could very well win… but I’ll stay with 2nd.

I’ll pick the ultra-consistent THE JOY OF LIFE to grab 3rd.

Good luck to all!