Whisper Softly Off as Favorite In Dante Stakes

This week in Florida the last race on the card will be the Grade III Dante Stakes, held over a mile and three eighths on the turf. The race is open to all three year olds and offers a purse of $125,000. The weather here in Florida has been rainy the past few days, but the rain showers we have been experiencing in the later afternoon are expected to subside by this weekend so look for the turf track to probably be listed as firm for the race on Saturday, A full field of fourteen horses has drawn into this years running of the Dante Stakes, lets take a look at each of the individual contenders in the race.

Drawing the post is Otto Rocky (Kingmambo x Rock Of Gibraltar (IRE) x Giant’s Causeway (IRE)) and is owned and trained by sunkitten. The chestnut colt has been lightly raced with a total of eight lifetime starts with six of these resulting in finishes on the board. The colts most recent start came in Nebraska during the ungraded Gallant Career Memorial where the colt looked to be going wire to wire but was caught in the stretch and finished fifth, five and a half lengths back with a speed figure of eighty-five. His most recent win was just the start before, in an allowance caliber race in Oklahoma where he was held back in fourth and sent to go to the lead just before the stretch, winning the nine and a half furlong race by one-fourth of a length.

Longshot Flying A’More (IRE) (Azamour (IRE) x Fusaichi Pegasus x Generous (IRE)) is next. This bay colt is trained and owned by resting and has a lucky thirteen lifetime starts including to wins to his title. The colts most recent start came in an eleven furlong allowance caliber race in Upper New York where he went off sluggishly and finished a disappointing eighth, thirty and three-fourths lengths off the pace, with a speed figure of fifty-three. The colts most recent win was just the start before during an allowance caliber race in District of Columbia where he was held far off the pace near the back of the field and made his move in the stretch, winning the race by one-fourth of a length and setting a speed figure of eighty-one. The colt has had only one previous stakes start, back in September of last year during the ungraded Off Till Star Bonanza where he finished ninth, ten and three-fourths lengths back. This Saturday is the colts first attempt at a graded stakes race.

In the third post is Holdo (Smarty Jones x War Chant x Ack Ack) and is out of the graded race winning dam Holda. This bay colt has is owned by layeguada and has a total of eleven lifetime starts including two wins and five places. The colts most recent start came in an allowance caliber race on an off track in California where he was held off the pace in fifth and began to pick off struggling horses from the get go, winning the eleven furlong race by five lengths over his nearest competition with a recorded speed figure of eighty one. This Saturday will be the colts first attempt at any stakes race, graded or otherwise.

Next is C You At The Wire (IRE) (High Chaparral (IRE) x Rainbow Quest x Danehill) and is trained by lawyerron. This bay homebred colt has a total of fourteen lifetime starts including five wins and four places. His most recent start came in the Grade III Chantilly Lace Cap in Ohio where he was rated behind the front runners in fifth but faded as the race progressed and finished eighth, six and a half lengths back with a speed figure recorded of ninety-two. His most recent win came just the start before however, during the ungraded Abbess Roding Special where he stayed tucked behind in second until mid-way in the race then took control winning by four lengths over the rest of the field.

Following will be Plucky Hero (Macho Uno x Sovereign Dancer x Round Table) and is trained and owned by seedly. This striking dark gray colt has been lightly raced with only five starts to date. The homebreds most recent start came in Kansas during the Grade III The Smallville Cup where he set off off the pace and gradually lost ground throughout the entire race, finishing a disappointing twelfth, eighteen and one-fourth lengths back with a speed figure of seventy-five. His most recent win came just the race before during an allowance caliber race in Alabama where he was held just off the front-running pace in sixth and began to take down horses before the stretch, winning the race with an eighty-two speed figure, a lifetime best for the colt, by one length.

Rori owned Otto Nights (Seeking The Gold x Northern Dancer x Blushing Groom (FR)) is next. This bay colt has been fairly lightly raced with a total of eight lifetime starts including three wins. The bay homebreds most recent start came in the ungraded Get Well Soon Supertoy7 Stakes where the colt stayed off the pace in fourth and challenged in the stretch but ran out of ground and finished third, one and a half lengths back with a speed figure of eighty-nine. The bay colts most recent win came in February of this year during an allowance caliber race held in Tasmania where he stayed a little closer up in the pace in third and again challenged in the stretch this time to win by a length and three-fourths.

I Zimbra (Empire Maker x Danehill x Secretariat), out of the race-winning dam Danetariat, is next. The well-bred bay colt is trained by gradeone and has a total of ten lifetime starts with seven of these being finishes on the board. The colts most recent start was in the nine furlong ungraded Tiger Trot Special where he was held back off the pace in third and gradually picked off the front-runners as they went into the stretch to win by a length over the rest of the field and set a speed figure of ninety-six, a lifetime best for the colt. This Saturday will be the colts first attempt at graded stakes competition.

In the eight slot is Two Chiefs An Brom (AUS) (Delago Brom (AUS) x Chief’s Crown x Chieftain) and is owned and trained by thebaker2. This bay colt has had a lucky thirteen career starts to date along with two wins to his title. The colts most recent start came in the mile long Grade III Chantilly Lace Cap where he uncharaistically set off at the back of the back and finished last in the field of fourteen, seventeen and one-fourth lengths behind the winner with a speed figure of seventy-eight. The colts most recent win came in June of last year as a two year old during the ungraded Wild Minstrel (GB) Handicap where he was held off the pace in sixth and began picking off other horses immediately, overtaking the field in the stretch and winning by a length and a half with a speed figure of sixty-eight.

Next is E Town (ENG) (Cape Town x E Dubai x Bahri) and is out of the race-winning dam Ruby Morning. This bay homebred is trained and owned by overbrooks and has a total of fourteen lifetime starts including four wins, three places and a show. The tall colts most recent start came over in Spain during the ungraded Delightfully Build Memorial where he held back in fourth and picked off horses as the race progressed, finishing a fast-closing second, one and three-fourth lengths back with a speed figure of eighty-nine. The colts most recent victory came in February of this year during the ungraded Dinky Liqour Special where he was held a little closer to the pace in third and overtook the front runners at the wire to win by two and a half lengths. The colt has been run in graded stakes races before, his most recent coming in March on an off tracking during the Grade III Theregoesmyhero Stakes where he finished second, narrowly beaten by half a length. Of an interesting note, this colt was previously a high-level claimer who had unknown graded stakes potential.

Following will be Face My Demons (War Chant x Easy Goer x Caerleon) and is owned by seedly and is this trainers second runner in this race. The chestnut colt has a total of eight lifetime starts including three wins. The colts most recent start came in Louisiana during the eight and a half furlong Grade II All Saints Derby where he set off uncharistically at the back of the pack and finished last, eighteen and a half lengths off the pace with a speed figure of seventy nine. The colts most recent win came in an allowance caliber race in Texas where he was held much closer to the front running pace in fourth and started taking down horses before the stretch, winning the race by three lengths with a speed figure of eighty-six. The colt has also had three starts on the turf, the surface in which he broke his maiden.

Catahoula trained Eight Straight (Smarty Jones x Pulpit x Danzig), out of the stakes race-winning dam Pulpit Bay, is next. The bay homebred colt has had a total of ten lifetime starts including three wins. Six of these total starts have resulted in finishes on the board. The colts most recent start came in an allowance caliber race here in North Florida where he was held off the pace in seventh and began to take down horses just before the stretch to win by a length over his nearest competition and posting a speed figure of eighty-six. The colt has has an ungraded stakes start in The Your Rules Special where he finished second, beaten by a slight head with a speed figure of ninety-five. This Saturday will be the colts first start with graded company.

Storm’s Fire (JPN) (Forty Niner x Storm Cat x Diesis (GB)), out of the stakes-running dam Firing With Cat, is next. The royaly-bred bay colt is owned and trained by cdragon and has a total of ten lifetime starts with one career win. The colts most recent start came in the ungraded S. Captain Stakes in New Hampshire where he was rated back in sixth and finished fifth in the race, ten lengths back behind the victor with a speed figure recorded of seventy-eight. The colts only win came in February of last year in his two year old season in the My Little Baby Special MSW Owner Restricted where he won by three-fourths of a length with a speed figure of sixty-seven. The colt has only had one previous start in graded stakes company, during the Grade I Knick Knack Juvenile last year where he finished twelfth, fifteen and one-fourth lengths behind the winner.

Favorite Wisper Softly (Langfuhr x Candy Stripes x Baldski) is next. The accomplished chestnut colt is trained and owned by rocket23 and has a total of seven lifetime starts. Six of these starts have all resulted in finishes on the board for the colt. The colts most recent start came in the ungraded S. Captain Stakes where he set just off the pace trailing the front runners in fifth and started to move past horses before the stretch to win the nine and a half furlong race by three and one-half lengths over the rest of the field with a recorded speed figure of eighty-nine. This Saturday will be the chestnut homebreds first attempted with graded stakes company.

Breaking from the far outside post position will be Alpine Academy (Academy Award x Gone West x Seattle Slew) and is out of the race-winning dam Dear Slew. This homebred bay colt is owned by stlcards and has a total of eleven lifetime starts including three wins. The colts most recent start came overseas in Queensland during The Pro Amad Stakes where he sat behind in third and began picking off the front-runners early on in the race and won by three-fourths of a length with a speed figure set of ninety. This Saturday will also be this colts first start with graded stakes company.