GRADE I RACE HILITES THE START OF NEVADA SUMMER MEET
The summer meet starts this weekend in Nevada and The Grade I Red Light District Special is the first feature race in the summer season. An open field event for 3 years old and up who will go 1 3/16ths miles on the turf chasing the top share of the $500,000 purse. A field of 10 has entered the race and the turf has been listed as firm with clear skies and a perfect summer racing day.
Let’s take a look at today’s field:
1)WOETTE’S DELIGHT(IRE)—6/1—totje sends this 5 year old horse out of FALBRAV(IRE) with a record of 32-8-3-6 and lifetime earnings of $832,130. He is out of the mare DALGETY BAY who was 3/24 at the track,no stakes wins, and of which this is the only foal on record after her having the famed simulated sports equine sex change. This 77th divisional ranked horse run for The Royal Stables of Ostend that resided in the Benelux Organization. This horse has 6 stakes victories in his career and won a stakes race in his lifetime debut and is also a multi Graded stakes winner after having won a Grade III event in his 2 year old season and winning another in his last start in Ontario where he captured the KingGeorge BB stakes posting a 106 speed rating over the 9 furlong turf race. That race was only slightly off the 107 lifetime best speed rating posted last year in Australia. He comes into this Grade I race off 2 straight wins and appears to be in super sharp form. Fishback (16.7%) will be in the irons today and will have to ensure giving this closer a clear path in the stretch for his patented late run.
2)BEE WHISTLING—9/1—mac35 sends out this 4 year old colt out of MEDAGLIA D’ORO with a record of 15-5-2-1 and lifetime earnings of $151,740. He is out of the mare ROYAL TEA(IRE) who was 6/54 at the track, no stakes wins and this is the only foal on record. This 150th divisional ranked colt was unraced at 2 years old and began his career on the dirt at 3. He broke his maiden in an MSW race in his second lifetime start but was not progressing and did not manage another win that year. After another disappointing dirt start this year in his 2007 debut his connections switched over to the turf. He then found his mark and proceded to go on a 4 race win streak on the green surface, all allowance races. He posted his lifetime best speed rating mark in that streak when he ran a 104 rating in a NW3L 9.5 furlong race. He made his stakes debut last time out where he finished 3rd in the Grade I Newcastle Stakes in Australia. This horse seems to get out of the gate a little slow but usually makes a run in the backstretch to get close to the leaders and then makes the final kick in the stretch. Campbell (7%) will be the jockey in today’s race.
3)PULPIT FICTION—5/1—foxon3 sends this 5 year old horse out of PULPIT with a record of 23-9-5-1 and lifetime earnings of $258,020. He is out of the mare RAINAH who was 21/60 at the track with 13 stakes wins and who has 4 foals on record—3 winners of which 2 are stakes winners. He races for the Foxon stabes and is stabled in the Vermont division of this outfit. This 98th divisional ranked horse seemed to have a tough time making it to the races as he began his career in his 4 year old season. After breaking his maiden in his lifetime debut on the dirt he was switched to the turf by his connections in his 4th start. He then proceeded to win 7of 13 starts for the rest of the season including a stakes victory. Included in that streak was his lifetime best 107 speed rating earned in an 8 furlong open allowance in Louisiana. He has 1 win in 7 stakes starts this year where he took the Arc D’Triomphe Special Stakes over 9 furlongs in Alabama earlier this year. In his last 2 races, both Graded starts he has failed to show his top closing effort and may in fact need the extra distance of today’s race to show his best stuff. Robinson (6.6%) is the jockey for this horse today.
4)SHARKS INDIGO—9/2—dcsharks sends this 4 year old colt out of AP INDY with a record of 22-10-4-4 and lifetime earnings of $386,070. This 60th divisional ranked colt runs for the unaffiliated Marabou stables. This colt was a two time winner in his 2 year old campaign and a 5 time winner at 3 including 4 overnite stakes races. He has cashed a cheque in all 8 starts so far this year, all stakes races. He put together a nice 3 race winning streak recently winning overnite stakes races in Kansas, Conneticut and Deleware. His lifetime best speed rating of 108 was posted in the race just prior to the win streak in a 2nd place finish in the Grade III Strange Brew Turf Handicap in Deleware. He has posted 4 straight triple digit speed ratings entering this race and races best while on or very near the lead. One of the best jockey’s on the circuit in Cooper (18.3%) should have this one out very fast as soon as the starting gate opens today.
5)CREEPSHOW(IRE)—11/1—lenny28 sends this 4 year old colt out of ROCK OF GIBRALTER(IRE) with a record of 19-8-3-1 and lifetime earnings of $1,721,630. He is out of the mare DEPUTY FLANDERS who was 6/30 at the track, no stakes wins, and who has 3 foals on record all winner with 1 Graded winner and another stakes placed. This 26th divisional ranked colt races out of the Evil Empire racing circuit based out at the GR Simsters racing club. He was a two time winner at 2 year old including a stakes victory. This colt started his 3 year old season with a tripe Grade I winning streak including a victory in the prestigious Equinics race over 9.5 furlongs on the Turf in Italy. He appeared to tire after the first half of last year after running big earlier in the year and after an experiment on the dirt he has returned to the turf this season. He has won 2/4 starts this year including an overnite stakes in Ontario and enters this race off a second place finish in the Grade I Movieland Turf Cup in California. His lifetime best speed rating was posted last year when he finished 2nd in the 10 furlong Grade I Big Red Stakes in Illinois posting a 103 rating. While this horse has shown closing tendencies in some races he appears to race best when running a stalking style laying just behind the early speed and trying to close the gap in the stretch run. Apprentice jockey Brenner will ride this one today looking for his first career victory after posting a couple of seconds and thirds in 9 starts so far in his career.
6)ALE N’ SKITTLES—5/1—bigtime sends this 5 year old horse out of JADE HUNTER with a record of 31-14-7-3 and lifetime earnings of $1,012,170. He is out of the mare BEER N’ SKITTLES(IRE) who was 4/48 at the track, no stakes wins and who has 3 foals on record all stakes winners with 1 Graded stakes winner. This 16th divisonal ranked horse races for the Lilbitfarms located in the Green Pastures of Vermont. Unraced as a 2 year old this horse opened and closed his 3 year old season with big bangs. He opened up his career with 4 straight allowance race wins and closed the same season with 4 straight overnite stakes race victories. He followed that up last year with a 4 win season including 3 overnite and one Grade II stakes race. He has 2 wins in 5 starts this year, his first was an overnite stakes race in South Korea and his last where he defended his title by winning the Grade II Kinsho Kho Classic in Japan for the second straight year. His 106 speed rating earned last time out in the 10 furlong turf stakes race was his second highest of his career after posting a 108 rating in his 2006 finale race where he finished 2nd in the Grade I Harry Trotsek Turf Classic in Louisiana. He has shown wire to wire speed in some of his previous starts but appears to race best when stalking or pressuring the early speed and moving up in the stretch drive. Holmes (13.75) will be in charge of judging the early speed today to see whether to go right to the front or just apply pressure to the early speed horses today.
7)TREBRE MACHIA(IRE)—11/1—bdhp sends this 4 year old colt out of PEINTRE CELEBRE(IRE) with a record of 26-4-5-7 and lifetime earnings of $225,892. He is out of the mare MACHLEON who was 6/30 at the track, no stakes wins who has 3 foals on record all winners with 1 stake winner and another stakes placed. This 479th divisional ranked colt races for the Minnesota Downs based stables of Randy. This horse broke his maiden in an open allowance at 2 years old and while knocking at the door did not win again that year. He was a 2 time stake winner in his 3 wins at 3 and has yet to find the winners circle so far this season. He seems to run best on the lead and will probably have a couple of others keeping him company up there today. I am not sure this is the best distance for this horse but am sure he will give it his best today. His lifetime best speed rating is 101 which he posted in his 2007 season debut, finishing 3rd in an open allowance in Taiwan over 8.5 furlongs. Maddocks (11.2%) will have this one gunning out of the gate early today.
8)STRONGHOLD—10/1—jonsnow sends this 5 year old horse out of POINT GIVEN with a record of 29-10-2-8 and lifetime earnings of $377,646. This 191st divisional ranked horse races for the Given conglomorate of stables based in the GR Simsters racing club. He was 1/4 in his 2 year old season, with the win coming on the turf after 2 starts on the dirt to start his career. He was a 4 time allowance winner at 3 and won his first stakes race in his 4 year old season debut over 14 furlongs on the turf in Danzig’s Swede Stakes. He has 2 overnite stakes wins already this year. It should be noted that this horse has been running mostly in extended route distances and paired back down to 10. 5 furlongs in his last start where he won The Rally Cat Memorial Stakes in Nebraska posting his first triple digit speed rating of 102. He cut’s back down another furlong for today’s race so it will be new territory for this horse in quite some time. Spielman (10.6%) will have to time this closer’s move just right as it will have to be sooner than his normal race with the shorter distance in today’s race.
9)PERFECT KARMA—3/1—remedy sends this 4 year old colt out of PLEASANTLY PERFECT with a record of 24-8-6-5 and lifetime earnings of $397,692. He is out of the mare KARMA who was 4/29 at the track, no stakes wins and this is the only foal on record. This 43rd divisonal ranked colt runs for the Minnesota Downs divison of The Doza Racing Stables. He won his MSW race on the turf in his 2 year old finale after starting his career on the dirt surface. This colt was a consistant cheque earner last year earning a payday in all of his races including 3 wins of which one was an overnite stakes race. He has 4 wins already this year including a dominant win in the Grade III Florida Turf where he posted a 113 speed rating over 9.5 furlongs on a yielding turf. In his last start his rally fell just short in The Grade I NewCastle stakes but he has shown to be in top form in his last 5 starts, all triple digit speed ratings. He has shown a versatile racing style with both winning wire to wire and coming from off the pace and that will leave the options open for Jef (25.8%) who is one of the highest winning percentage jockeys on the continent this season.
10)S R AWARENESS(IRE)—25/1—lordpye2 sends this 4 year old colt out of TIROL(IRE) with a record of 6-3-0-2 and lifetime earnings of $51,604. This 322nd divisional ranked colt runs for The Big Oil Conglomorate based at the GR Simsters racing club. This speedster was unraced as a 2 year old and won his only race at 3. He is giving up alot of experience to the field in this race today. He is 2/5 this year with his big win being in The Swiss Waffle Handicap Stakes in Connetticutt where he wired a field posting his lifetime best 105 speed rating over the 9.5 furlong race. He tried the Grade I NY Island Cap Stakes in New York last time out and after cutting the first half could not keep up the pace in the 10 furlong race ending up in 8th place. While fast, there are others inside of him today who will also be challenging for the lead and this may prove to tough for this one to handle today. It will be up to Blythe(10.9%) to rate this colt’s speed today to ensure he has something left for the stretch drive.
A solid field for this Grade I turf route race and I am going to take a shot at #1 WOETTE’S DELIGHT(IRE) to extend his winning steak to 3 races today while he is in top form.
GOOD LUCK AND GOOD RACING
THEO