The Cremation Stakes 3 yo Fillies and Mares Grade 1 Ostend 8 furlongs good turf
We are again on mainland Europe on Saturday as we visit Ostend for their feature race, the Grade 1 Cremation Stakes ran over 8 furlongs turf for 3 yo fillies and mares with a prize fund of a cool half million. Unfortunately the rain couldnt stay away and the ground has been called good but it shouldnt detract from what looks like an open and exciting race. Twelve line up to do battle for these grade 1 honours so lets have a look at them in racecard order. 1) THE EDGE(KY) stormboot T Maes 5/1f 3 yo Pleasantly Perfect mare. 10 runs 2 wins 4 seconds and 2 thirds winning $167008 in prizemoney. Ranked 16th 3 yo turf router. Coming off the best performance of her career when second in the 1000 Guineas, 8 furlongs turf grade 1 with a career speed rating of 103, coming from well off the pace. That run puts this horse in with every chance today, although it is noted she is yet to win in stakes class. 2) BUDA FOR A DAY(KY) vicki A Smith 6/1 3 yo Dayjur mare. 12 runs 7 wins and she has won $681050 in prizemoney.Became a grade 1 winning mare lto when lifting the 1000 Guineas beating The Edge into second place (always handy that day). Got the 8 furlong turf trip well that day. Before that won a 8 furlongs turf grade 3. Classy and improveing it looks like a repeat of her last run would be enough to take this race today, Ranked 1st 3yo Router turf and looking tio confirm that today. 3) 114883 BRABASONG(KY) brabant M Bouzidi 7/1 3 yo Unbridled`s song mare. 15 runs 8 wins 2 seconds and 2 thirds winning $558230 in prizemoney. Grade 3 winner and multi stakes winner as a 2 yo, she hasnt been seen to the same effect as a 3 yo. Ranked 3rd best 3 yo sprinter turf and 1th 3 yo router turf, this one looks like she has it all to do over this 8 furlong trip which seems to test her stamina. 4) EAAAXMASGIFT(IRE) bevron J Holmes 10/1 3 yo King of Kings mare. 6 runs 3 wins and a third winning $170240 in prizemoney. They say never look a gift horse in the mouth, and im sure Bevron was more than pleased when he woke up on Christmas morning to find a strapping King of Kings filly as his EAAA christmas prezzie. This game frontrunner has already won a grade 3 in her short career, running a lifetimes best 2 runs back to lift the grade 3 Nell Gwyn stakes over the same trip as todays. May need to improve to figure here, but after only six runs that may be expected. 5) MERLIN THE CAT(KY) biznes F Trossard 13/1 3 yo Catthief mare. 7 runs 3 wins a second and a third winning $65330 in prizemoney. She has been mixing it on both dirt and turf, but put up her best performance lto when running 2nd in an owner restricted 8 furlongs turf $50000 allowance, hitting the lead 2 1/2 out before just being ground down near the line to go under by a head, Ran a lifetime best 94 speed rating. she has never won instakes company and needs to improve again to get in the money here. 6) LATERALAS(KY) jlincoln Ji Walsh 10/1 3 yo Pine Bluff mare. 8 runs 2 wins 4 seconds and a third winning $133780 in prizemoney. She is a stakes winner over 5.5 furlongs turf as a 2yo, and has never been out of the first 3 in any of her 6 career stakes starts. Became graded stakes placed lto when finishing second in the grade 3 Woodpeckers Edge Handicap, beaten less than a length. Recorded a 98 speed rating that day. May be p[laying for a place again today, but at least she is going the right way. 7) AND JESUS WEPT(IRE) theprofit7 T Iommi 16/1 3 yo Refuse to Bend mare. 13 runs 6 wins and 2 seconds winning $298350 in prizemoney. Multiple stakes winner, she was not seen at the best of her form lto when flopping over 9 furlongs good turf . Before that running reasonably well, but overall balance of form leaves this one with plenty to find. She wont be carrying my dollar today. 8) FOUGHT THE LAW(KY) ritchie B Ampe 7/1 3 yo Empire Maker filly. 10 runs 4 wins and 2 seconds winning $332275 in prizemoney. She has won 2 ungraded stakes races over 8.5 furlongs turf, so no worries about the trip here. Became graded stakes placed lto when finishing 2nd in the grade3 Filly Turf Bonanza 8 furlongs turf, just failing by a nose to get up and win after coming from off the pace. This is tougher, but she may be capable of pulling off a surprise. 9) THE KING’S HUNTER(IRE) ticketman0 Se Morris 6/1 3 yo Azamour mare. 14 runs 4 wins 2 seconds and a third winning $437875 in prizemoney. Grade 1 winner earlier in the season over 9 furlongs turf . She has been running well in the best of races and put up her best performance when finishing 3rd in the 1000 Guineas beaten 5 3/4 lengths by Buda for a Day and recording a 98. Hard to see her reveseing that form but may go well for a place. 10) VY THE QUARTERBACK(KY) catahoula J Van Dam 6/1 3 yo Kittens Joy mare. 13 runs 6 wins 3 seconds and a third winning $1317520 in prizemoney. Grade 1 winner as a 2 yo and multi stakes winner. Has looked back to her best last twice, winning a grade 3 over 8 furlongs turf and finishing second in an 8.5 furlongs turf grade 2, both times running a 99 speed figure. Ranked 5th 3 yo mare routers turf and looks to have every chance here. 11) PJ BUDEJOVICKY P(LA) tarepjff T Littleton 26/1 3 yo Bierstadt mare. 12 runs 2 wins a second and a third winning $34946 in prizemoney. The only mare in the field with obscure breeding, it would be an upset of Tyson v Douglas proportions if this one got in the money. She has shown nothing in her career to suggest that this is her class. 12)
3 yo Catthief mare. 13 runs 7 wins 2 seconds and 2 thirds winning $265064 in prizemoney. Appeared to improve with some cut in the ground lto when winning a grade 2 over 9 furlongs turf with a lifetime best speed rating of 100. She has rattled up 6 straight wins since switching surface and looks a most interesting runner with the rainy conditions.
Pogo Predicts
S/F 2 to beat 12