Eight To Run In Golden Platter Handicap

The highlight race in Northern California this week is the Grade II Golden Platter Handicap. The race is run over a mile and a quarter on the turf and is open to three year olds and up with a prize purse totaling $250,000. The weather has been pristine here for the beginning of the week and is expected to carry on throughout the rest of the week. Look for the turf track to be listed as firm for the running of the Golden Platter Handicap, race fifteen on the card for Saturday. Its a short field for this Saturday’s running with only eight horses entered in the field. Lets take a look at the line up.

The favorite, Confederacy (IRE) (High Chaparral (IRE) x Caerleon x Conquistador Cielo) has drawn the rail in this race. The five year old bay horse is out of the graded race-winning dam Con Unit and is owned and trained by dawgpound. The horse has been lightly raced with a total of twenty-nine lifetime starts, including an impressive ten wins and career earnings amounting to over two million dollars. The striking horses most recent start came in the Simply The Best (G1) over twelve furlongs in Kentucky where he took off to an early lead and looked to seem to possibly be making a wire to wire run, however, he lost ground in the stretch and finished second, five and a half lengths off the winner, while recording a speed figure of one hundred four. His most recent win came in December of last year in Pennsylvania during The Penn Marathon/Allied Assault Stakes (G1). In this start he was held back just a length back in second and gained the lead over the tiring front-runner in the stretch to win the twelve furlong race by half a length.

In the second post is Brabastorm (Storm Cat x Sadler’s Wells x A.P. Indy), who is trained and owned by brabant. The four year old colt has had a total of twenty-one career starts including six wins, four places and two shows. The bay’s most recent start came in the nine furlong ungraded Sucking Sudafed Memorial where the colt led an impressive wire to wire finish to win by one and three fourth lengths while setting a speed figure of one hundred three. The race before this, an allowance caliber race in Epsom, also resulted in a win for the colt. Should he win again here on Saturday, it will be his third straight victory.

At odds of 7/1 is Surgeon Tubes (Rousillon x Be My Guest x Never So Bold (IRE)). The six year old chestnut is proudly owned by squirrel4. The impressive horse has had a total of thirty-six lifetime starts and career earnings of just over one million dollars, most of the victories and earnings coming over the turf. The horses most recent start came in the sixteen furlong marathon Bourbon Cup (G1) where he was held back in eighth in the field but gradually picked off runners as they tired throughout the grueling race. The end result led the horse to finish third with a speed figure of ninety-five. The horses most recent win came in early March during the sixteen furlong ungraded Shy F. Challenge where the horse was held much close to the pace in third and took down the tiring horses in the stretch to win the race by an impressive seven and a half lengths.

Next is Gerfly’s Deed (Geri x Shadeed x Naskara). The six year old bay horse is trained by tomsfly and has a total of thirty-six lifetime starts and career earnings quickly approaching one million dollars. The horses most recent start came in the ten and a half furlong ungraded Rally Cat Memorial where he was held off the pace in fifth, gained fourth early on in the race, but was pushed back to fifth in the stretch when he crossed the wire, setting a speed figure of ninety-four. His most recent win came in late December in the ten furlong ungraded Thunder Gleaming Stakes on the dirt track where he was held further back in eighth and snuck up on the front runners to narrowly win the race by a head with a speed figure of one hundred four.

Following will be New Found Cyclone (Newfoundland x Northern Dancer x Mr. Prospector). ydrbargain has trained the four year old chestnut and raced him in a total of twenty-six career starts. Of these starts, eight were wins, and the colt has accumulated a total of almost three million dollars in career earnings. Interestingly, most of these victories and earnings have come on the dirt, including wins in the Travelers Stakes and Middle Jewel Stakes (both G1). However, the colt has had two stakes appearances, in which he is undefeated. His most recent start came in the nine and a half furlong Maryland Special Handicap (G1) where he broke uncharacteristically toward the back of the field and finished a disappointing eleventh, posting a speed figure of ninety-two. The colts most recent win came in the Travelers Stakes (G1) last year where he sat back in fourth behind the front-runners and challenged in the stretch, going on to win by three-fourths of a length and setting a speed figure of one hundred eight, a lifetime best. His two turf runs came in the ungraded Barely For Bold Challenge and an allowance caliber start in Louisiana, both of which were victories.

Tbgifted is the owner of impressive Bluegrass Derby starter Achaemenes (Birdstone x Cozzene x Relaunch). The light gray three year old is out of the stakes winning dam Your Launches. The Kentucky-bred colt has been lightly raced with a total of thirteen career starts and earnings of about half a million dollars. All of this colts previous starts came come on the dirt. Time will tell if the colt is as good, or maybe even better, on the turf than he is on the dirt. The colts most recent start came in the eleven furlong Giacomo Stakes (G3) where he stalked the field in seventh and alternated between that position and sixth, battling with the back portion of the field. He made his bid in the stretch and went on to finish fourth, back five and one-fourth lengths, while posting a speed figure of eighty-nine. His most recent win came in late March during the nine furlong Sand Castle Derby (G1) in which the colt was held far back in fourteenth but began to gain ground on other runners early on in the race, going on to win by one and three-fourth lengths with a speed figure of one hundred, a lifetime best speed figure.

Swainny (IRE) (Swain (IRE) x Desert King (IRE) x Noholme II (AUS), is next on the card. The four year old chestnut is owned and trained by fatflab and has been lightly raced with a total of eleven lifetime starts, including five wins. All of this colts start to date have come on turf routes. His most recent start came during the ten furlong Doomben Cup (G1) where he was held off the pace in eleventh and made his move on the front-running pack and went on to finish just out of the money in sixth with a speed figure of one hundred three. His most recent win came in the nine and a half furlong Hallelujah Turf Cup (G2) in Florida where he was held much closer to the front-running ace in third and made his move on the tiring front runners in the stretch, going on to win by one length.

Breaking from the far outside will be longshot Hayden’s Splash (Afleet x Seattle Slew x Danzig). The four year old bay colt is out of the stakes winning dam Her Friends and is trained and owned by bobby2khw. The colt has been lightly raced with a total of thirteen lifetime starts, including five wins. Three wins came on the dirt and two on the turf, where the colt has been undefeated. His most recent start came in an allowance caliber nine furlong turf race in Idaho where he sat behind front runners in third and went on to win the race by two and a half lengths. The previous race was also a turf allowance start in Idaho which he also won, with a speed figure of ninety-seven, a lifetime best. The colt has had one stakes start, the ungraded Jason’s Colony Cap over five and a half furlongs as a two year old where the colt finished third.