The More Nay G1
Two year olds converge on the course at Deauville for the Grade One More Nay Stakes at six furlongs on the firm turf. Leading the pack is the undefeated Dubalaal who already has two graded wins from his six overall victories. Fellow graded winner Suzerainty has never been off the board in five starts and fresh hitters like Si Se Quiere and Flame of Freedom are knocking at the door. Let’s take a look at the field.
#1 Zoo Bones 8/1
Zoo Bones is a son of Zoustar out of a stakes winning City Zip x Storm Cat mare. This is her first stakes winning offspring after producing two stakes placed runners from her first four foals. He’s won three of seven starts with two places and a show to his credit, all on turf. Zoo Bones won a stakes race going six furlongs over a yielding turf course in Surrey back in May. Since then he has run in three grade three races at six furlongs. He finished fourth in the first and then was second in both the Railaway and the Cyborg. Payton Red, the horse who beat him in the Railaway just ran second in the Equinics last weekend, beaten less than a length.
#2 Chasing Vawn 20/1
Chasing Vawn is a son of Quest For Peace out of a graded placed, stakes winning daughter of Silver Charm x Fusaichi Pegasus. Named Charming Chase, this is the mare’s ninth foal and first runner to hit the board in a stakes race. Chasing Vawn won his first two starts before finishing second in a listed stakes race in May. He lost that race by a neck but it was enough to catapult him into the Grade Three Mother Lois at five furlongs where he finished third by less than two lengths.
#3 Westwood Adelaide 14/1
Westwood Adelaide is a son of Adelaide out of the stakes winning Zabeel x Summer Squall mare Westwood Fields. This is her third foal, her three year old daughter is stakes placed. Westwood Adelaide won his first three starts in a row, including a debut on the dirt. His third victory was a listed stakes going five furlongs. Since then he was off the board in two graded stakes efforts.
#4 MT Opp 39/1
MT Opp is a son of One Tuff Oop out of a Joyeux Danseur x Mt. Livermore mare Opera. This is the mare’s eighth foal. MT Opp has won two of eight career starts with one second and three thirds. He broke his maiden in his fourth start and first on the dirt in a $50,000 maiden claiming event for Virginia local-breds. He’s kept to local-bred competition since then and has added an allowance victory going four and one half furlongs. His speed figures are on the low side against this field.
#5 Solo And Fin 16/1
Solo And Fin may have the coolest name in the race but this son of Artie Schiller out of the Danzig x Caerleon mare Danzigia needs to improve his record to live up to it. He’s only got two wins from seven starts, one of which came on the dirt where he spent his first four starts. He won an allowance going five and one half furlongs in his turf debut and then was off the board in two straight graded efforts.
#6 The Ducking Awards 16/1
The Ducking Awards is a son of Shamus Award out of the grade three winning Northern Drake x Zabeel mare Duck the Pro. This is her seventh foal and first to hit the board in a stakes race. After winning his first start going five furlongs, The Ducking Awards finished well beaten in a listed in April and then came back to close into a strong pace in another listed going six and one half furlongs to lose by a head. That race came on a good track and he’ll have to prove he can repeat that good run on a firm course. He followed that up with a lackluster finish in a grade two.
#7 Si Se Quiere 9/2
Si Se Quiere is a son of Frankel out of the A.P. Indy x Seeking the Gold mare Si Se Puede. She has already produced grade two winner Si Se Bueno by Frankel’s sire Galileo who ran her best season as a three year old as well as two graded placed stakes winners from five foals. Si Se Quiere is undefeated in two starts, both at six and one half furlongs and both with a speed of 80 or higher. He’s got tactical speed to sit off the pace and a strong closing kick.
#8 Paunchi White 9/1
Paunchi White is a son of Xtension out of the Forestry x Mr. Prospector mare Smokey Coon. Smokey Coon is a daughter of grade one winner Smokey Prospector. She produced a grade two winner in her first foal. Paunchi White is her seventh foal and first stakes winner since. Paunchi White won his first two starts going five furlongs including a listed stakes win. He followed that up with a crackerjack run in the Grade Three Salisbury Medallion where he finished second by just one quarter length. Most recently he ran in the one mile Grade three Premie Champion Stakes where he finished third.
#9 Harp Lessons 7/1
Harp Lessons is a scratchbred son of Muhaarar x Storm Cat x Danehill. He’s undefeated in two starts, both on the turf. Both of those wins came at five furlongs against fellow British-bred runners. In both runs he started slowly but worked up a head of steam coming into the stretch to run down the leaders. He should appreciate the added ground here.
#10 Dark Aint’ Great 31/1
Dark Ain’t Great is a son of Global View out of the stakes winning Marcus Andronicus x Seattle Slew mare Great Karma. This is only her second foal and first to hit the board in a stakes race. Dark Ain’t Great started his career on turf with a lackluster debut that was so disheartening he was moved straight to dirt. He broke his maiden over a good dirt course in a South Africa local-bred allowance race. Back on the dirt he performed poorly in a listed but then came back and ran a strong second in a listed on the grass.
#11 Cold Spring 47/1
Cold Spring is a son of Majin Prosper out of the Judiths Wild Rush x Indian Charlie mare Justawinner. Justwainner produced a stakes placed offspring from her first foal; this is her fourth. Cold Spring has two wins and two placings from seven starts. One of each of those came on the dirt and one on the turf. He broke his maiden on the dirt in a $20,000 maiden claiming event in his fourth career start. He switched straight to turf where he won an allowance. Both of those races came at four and one half furlongs. He was off the board in a listed run and most recently was second in a $60,000 claiming event for Japan-breds.
#12 Suzerainty 7/1
Suzerainty is a son of Main Aim out of the Dansili x Galileo mare Dancileo. This is her fourth foal and first stakes winner. Suzerainty has three wins from five starts with one second and one third. He enters this spot off a strong win in the Grade Two Bobby Papin Stakes at five and one half furlongs. In that race he battled for the early lead before taking control around the turn and pulling away down the stretch.
#13 Flame of Freedom 7/1
Flame of Freedom is a son of Dubawi out of the grade one winning Kingmambo x Seattle Slew mare Torch the Flame. Torch the Flame has been a solid broodmare without reproducing herself so far. From her eight foals, six of them are at least stakes winners or graded placed runners. Flame of Freedom has only three starts so far but he’s already among those graded placed foals. He broke his maiden at first asking before finishing third in a listed, beaten less than a length and then was second in the Grade Two Norfellow Stakes, again by less than a length while closing stoutly through the stretch.
#14 Dubalaal 4/1
Dubalaal is a scratchbred son of Makfi x Caerleon x Lyphard. The favorite in this spot is six for six with two grade two wins already on his resume. He’s a midpack closer who always seems to know where the wire is. His closest victory was the Grade Two Coventry Steaks Stakes which saw him win by only one quarter length but he typically wins going away by a length or more.
Good luck to all!