Galt House Stakes to test marathoners

This week Virginia lengthens the track to thirteen furlongs for the third annual running of the Galt House Stakes. The turf is rated as firm for this thirteen furlong outing for all horses four years old and older. It carries a $45000 purse for the best horseson this given Saturday. Last year’s winner was Hawk River(IRE), in the first of back to back stakes wins. This year’s race has drawn a field of ten, ranging from multiple stakes winners to claimers stepping up in class, and there is even a lightly raced filly taking on the boys in her first stakes run. Eight of the ten entries weigh in at under 10/1 odds, with the favorite going off at a fairly long 7/2 on the morning line. There could be money to be made at the betting window, with upsets being common in longer distance races.

PP 1) An Urban Legend Sired by Machiavellian, Trained by martialis. An Urban Legend makes his thirty second career start here. This five year old horse has four career stakes wins to his credit, the most recent coming back to back earlier this season. His last ten starts have seen him run to a 3-2-1-2-0 record, with a best speed off 100.3 earned in his first stakes win of this year. His last start was a Grade I effort in Kentucky on Breeder’s Bowl day at twelve furlongs, where he found himself in a big hole early, and was never able to bring it back, finishing tenth in a full field. This horse hasn’t seen dirt since early in his three year old season, and he has gone on to prove that is exactly how he likes it. His speeds seem to be at their best in the ten to eleven range, but he boasts five top three finishes in eight starts at twelve furlongs and beyond. He is a deep closer, and outside of graded level, his close has been superb. Both recent graded efforts have seen him get way too far out way too early to be effective. There is some early speed here, but not enough to cause him any problems. Look for him to be knocking at the door with a powerful stretch run.

PP 2) Westward Dancer Sired by Gone West, Trained by forli. Westward Dancer is a four year old horse, taking his twenty eight career run here. He has three stakes starts, and is still seeking his first victory at this level. Over the course of his last ten, he has put together a record of 3-0-1-2-1 in a hodgepodge of allowance, claim, starter allaowance and stakes races. His best speed figure is 91.0 earned in a starter allowance earlier this year. His last race was his first stakes try since the middle of last season, and he finished foruth in a field of six at nine and a half furlongs. Turf is definitely where he wants to be, and the ten to eleven range seems to be his best race, though his best career speed came at twelve furlongs. Beyond twelve furlongs, the best speed he has mustered has been in the low eighties. He’s a midpack closer, and you will generally find him sitting two to three lengths off the leaders, waiting for a late fade. While his close has been good in high level claims, it has been less than stellar when he has stepped up in class. Between the longer distance and the higher level of competion, not to mention a field of this size, I can’t realy recommend him here.

PP 3) Coral Sea Sired by Jade Hunter, Trained by bigtime. Coral Sea is a four year old colt who is running for the twenty eighth time here. He is looking to break his stakes jinx here by grabbing his first win at this level. In his last ten starts he has compiled a 2-1-3-3-0 record, with a best speed of 101.0 earned on an off track late last year. His last outing was a stakes at this distance at Ascot, where he finished fourth in a field of six with his best speed of the season to date. This colt loves the grass, and lots of it, posting six top three finishes in eight starts at twelve furlongs and beyond, including three victories. He his a midpack closer, and while showing excellent form at allowance level, he just hasn’t been able to pull it together in stakes competition. He should be well within striking distance in the second half here, but he is going to need to hold off some good deep closers to be effective as they go into the stretch.

PP 4) Glasgow Kiss(IRE) Sired by Marienbard(IRE), Trained by rigel. Glasgow Kiss(IRE) is a six year old horse, making a field high fifty ninth start in this race. He made a name for himself in the claim/starter allowance ranks, and is still seeking his first stakes win as the crowning achievement of his career. In his last ten starts he has cobbeled together an 0-1-1-0-2 record, with a best speed of 86.4 earned ealier last season. His last run was an A2n at twelve furlongs on a tough Kentucky track, where he finished a fading seventh in a field of thirteen. He has only had two career dirt starts, both miserable, so turf is his surface of choice. He has ten victories in twenty seven starts at twelve furlongs and beyond, but all except one came in claims and starter allowances. He runs as a midpack closer, but his close has recently been the exception, rather than the rule. He hasn’t shown the speed recently to crack this field. Look for him to hang in the mix early, then start to fade as they cross the half.

PP 5) Tassominator G(IRE) Sired by King’s Theatre(IRE), Trained by oldcrow. Tassominator G(IRE) is a six year old horse, taking the gate for his fifty fourth career run in this race. He comes in here off his first career stakes victory, looking to make it two in a row. Over the course of his last ten, he has gone 3-5-0-1-1 in a combination of starter allowance, allowance, and stakes races, with a best speed figure of 96.1 earned in a stakes race earlire this year. His last start was a stakes at this distance in Masschusetts, where he took a short field gate to wire to eke out a three quarter length victory. His dirt speeds have generally been higher than those on turf, but he has made his mark as a turf marathoner, with with six wins and twenty top three finishes in twenty four starts at twelve furlongs and beyond. He is a fast starter, who generally likes to set a torrid early pace to try and bury the closers deep at the half, then just hold on late. As evidenced by his recent record, the system has worked well for him. He will definitely help set the early pace here, but he also has some good early speed to his out side, and will have some early pressure. Should be in the mix late, but early pressure will most likely keep him from the victory.

PP 6) Vampirella Sired by Scatter The Gold, Trained by wumpscut. Vampirella is the only filly to grace this field, as well has the most lightly raced of the entries. This four year old filly is making her eleventh start, and after smartly marching up through her conditions, step up to stakes level for the first time in this race. Her first ten starts watched her run to a record of 4-2-0-1-2, with a best speed of 95.0 earned two starts back. Her last race was an A3x on an off track in Norway, where she dominated a field of nine at fourteen furlongs, winning by three and a quarter lengths. Her trainer got her distance races as soon as they could, and she responded well, posting career best speeds and three top two finishes in four starts at twelve furlongs and beyond. She is a midpack to deep closer, and while her close has been ok, it has been her stamina that has been holding her in most of these races. A faster break could benefit her given this fact. She won her only other outing against the boys, so this field doesn’t intimidate her. Should collect another check here, and as lightly raced as she is, we may not have seen her best yet.

PP 7) Kirk’s Mambo Sired by Selkirk, Trained by swampy. Kirk’s Mambo is a four year old colt, making the fifteenth start of his career in this race. He has one stakes win to his credit, coming in his final race of last season. His last ten starts have netted him a record of 3-1-0-0-0, with a best speed figure of 93.9 earned in his first start this year. His last race was a fourteen furlong stakes effort where he finished sixth in a field of seven, in a tightly match field. He lanquished on dirt for a good portion of his early career, but responded well to a switch to turf near the end of last year. His distance running has been good as well, posting two wins and a place before running into trouble in his last two starts. He generally like to stalk the early pace, and has shown some ability to close some short to medium distance late. After some excellent runs in short fields, his last two starts have been confusing to say the least. He may have some problems with heavier traffic, which he will likely find himself right in the middle of in this race. He has shown he is capable, but will need to break out of his slump to shine here.

PP 8) Barb’s Snack(IRE) Sired by High Chaparral(IRE), Trained by jockfan12. Barb’s Snack(IRE) is a five year old horse, running for his thirty eighth career time. He takes a big jump in class and distance in a try to grab his first career stakes win here. His last ten runs have lead to a record of 1-2-0-0-0, with a best speed of 91.2 which he earned in his last start. That run was a nine furlong starter allowance in West Virginia, where he finished second in a field of ten, holding on late after an early speed duel. He has never tried dirt, spending his whole career on turf, and this will be his longest start to date. His only other run at twelve furlongs resulted in a victory, but it was in a low to mid-level maiden claim race, where he faced little to no speed. He has tried both stalking and closing, and the results have been mixed at best with either style. His only try at distance was not really a true test of his potential, but I’m going to hold off recommending him here till I see how he performs in real competition in a race this long.

PP 9) Pyeinthesky Sired by Elusive Quality, Trained by jgaudet. Pyeinthesky is a five year old horse, taking the gate for his thirty eight career race here. He is still seeking that elusive first stakes win. Overall in his last ten starts, he lays claim to a record of 2-1-3-1-0 with a best speed of 95.2 earned earlier this season. His last start was an A2t at this distance in Colorado, where he bested a field of ten in a thriller by a half length. He has shown some surface versatility, but turf is where he has found his best success. He is fifty/fifty at distances beyond twelve furlongs, and his bred and butter race has been the ten furlong range. He generally prefers the role of a deep closer, and his close has been fairly consistent, though not stellar. He treads a fine line between trying to duel the early pace or finding himself too deep to come back in the second half. Distance is going to be a big question mark for him here in a field of veteran marathoners. He will need a happy medium, a little luck, and more long speed to bring this one home.

PP 10) Prized Indy Sired by Prized, Trained by m92885. Prized Indy is a six year old horse, making start number twenty nine here in this race. He is still looking for his first stakes win after moving up through his conditions. His last ten runs have worked out to an 1-2-3-2-0 record, with a best speed of 99.4 earned in the middle of last year on an off track. His last outing was a ten and a half furlong stakes in Louisiana, where he gave up a lead late to finish third in a field of six. He tried dirt one time, but that was enough to tell him to get back on turf and stay there. He has five top three finishes in nine starts at twelve furlongs and beyond, posting some nice speed numbers. He is a fast starter, with an excellent break from the gate, but he has shown himself to be vunerable to closers. He’ll have an early duel on his hands here, and a couple good closers waiting to pounce if he flags. On an off track, I wouldn’t even hestitate to give him the nod. But with the firm turf and the setup he faces here, I look for a late fade, though it is likely he’ll collect a check.