Lone Star State Hosts Competitive Grade II

Texas hosts a very nice card on Saturday that is highlighted by the Grade II Big D Park Handicap.  The big cats of Texas put up a fat purse of $300,000 to lure in some quality horses.  It worked quite well as a solid field of eleven showed up to battle over a mile and a sixteenth on the dirt.

Let’s take a look at the 11 going to post.

WOODLAWN (17-1) This 4 year old colt comes to post from the topicount4 stable.  He exits an allowance race where he finished 1^st with a 105 speed figure as a 9-1 long shot.  That was his 2^nd straight win in an allowance race.  His success has earned him a steep class rise to Graded competition on Saturday.  He is a solid closer that likes to kick it in around the 2^nd call.  He comes in to this race in top form and likes to win at long odds.

GLOAT OR GOAT (5-1) Here we have a 5 year old horse from the estreli stable.  He comes in off a gate to wire win in The His Roos Handicap.  In that race, he managed a 104 speed figure and held off the late closers.  He has been solid in stakes races but in his one attempt at a Graded stakes race he could not get the lead and finished 7^th.  He is a fast horse and if he can get the lead he is dangerous but he must have the lead to win this race.

BOOK LINK(IRE) (11-1) This 4 year old colt comes to Texas from N. Florida for the bjbandit stable.  Last out, in The Chief Bag Challenge he took on six rivals and finished 3^rd beaten by over 10 lengths.  We will just toss that one and try to find a better race.  He has had quite a few races with speed figures over 100 but they have been at longer distances.  He showed a solid 109 figure in The Lord River Stakes over a little longer distance.  If he can repeat that figure at this shorter distance he will be able to compete but it seems like a tough task. 

STORM SIREN (10-1) The lopic stable brings this 4 year colt in off an ok 5^th place finish in The His Roos Handicap.  GLOAT OR GOAT won that race on the front end but maybe this one can turn the tables Saturday if a pace duel ensues.  Two back he ran a very fast 108 speed figure while sitting just behind a quick pace.  It was a cheap allowance race but if he can get that scenario today he can make a claim to some of the purse.

GETTY UP GO (12-1) The coda stable brings this 4 year old colt in off back to back wins.  In his last, he won The Cleveland You Handicap with a 100 speed figure.  The speed was a bit slower than what it will take to win this.  We can look back one more race and find a quicker 107 speed figure in a decent allowance race.  In that race he sat in third and set himself up in the garden spot versus only a four horse field.  This huge jump in class should be too much for him today.

HALF A WORLD AWAY (7-1) Foxvbullet brings this 4 year old colt in off a solid 3^rd place finish in the Grade II Eviscerator Stakes.  In that one, he ran a quick 106 speed figure while setting the early pace and getting out finished late.  He has loads of class but lately it seems that he needs the lead to win and has not actually won a race since August of last year.  This will be a challenge but he does have some serious class.

SLITHER  (9-1) Trainer peeps6 brings this 6 year old veteran in off a few less than spectacular performances in graded races.  Basically his last six races are not nearly close enough to make him anything more than a possible small purse winner here.  He has had a very special career with winnings of almost $2 million but from the looks of it his better days may be behind him.

MYLEDES(IRE) (7-1) Ets9 ships this 5 year old in from Tennessee to try and get back to back wins.  Last out, he took the early lead in The Northern Wing Cap and never looked back.  In that race, he beat nine rivals easily with a 105 speed figure.  This one is another that has to have the lead to win.  Since there are at least three that will be dueling on the front this one will have his hands full.

QUINCANNON (7-2) Here we have a 6 year old horse trained by lilbitfarm.  This morning line favorite comes out of The Grade III Fus Gonner Handicap.  In that race, he went to the lead and faded to 5^th.  His speed figure was a nice 106.  He has some very nice class, running in seven straight graded stakes races.  The only negative is that the only win came late last year in a gate to wire win.  In his last five races he has lead each of them early but faltered in the stretch.  He probably has the best shot at the lead but he will be challenged by numerous horses.  He is a contender but he has left a lot of win money on the table at low odds recently.  If he can find a race with less early speed he is surely an excellent horse with over $1 million won.

FORGOTTEN HALO ( 5-1) The stoners stable keeps this 5 year old in Texas after a convincing allowance win that earned him a 108 speed figure.  In that race, he sat off a hot pace and flew home late to victory.  Three races back, he ran in The Metro Ack Handicap.  That day, he was in prime form as he sat back and closed strongly to gain a 109 speed figure while winning.  He has a very good style for the way this race should set we must consider him a strong contender.

RAINY DAY BLUES (10-1) This 6 year old comes in from the ontarget2 stable off a string of sub par performances.  His last two speed figures were 95 and 94 and that will not get him the money against these.  His best race in the last six months was an allowance race in which he ran a 105 speed figure.  Most of the field has been much quicker than that lately.  He has had an excellent career but it looks as if his 50 races may be slowly catching up to him. 

My take:  The early speed in this one will hurt quite a few very good horses.  It looks to be a extremely fast pace on the front end and that hurts about half of this field.  I am looking to FORGOTTEN HALO to sit behind this hot pace and slip by late for the win.  He is my top choice but some respect has to be given here for the long shot WOODLAWN.  This one just likes to win at big odds and has a solid closing kick.  He will need to run a career best race but his form seems to be peaking right now.  At 17-1 he is an interesting option.