Aberlour Challenge hosts juvenile sprinters
Race coverage returns to Virginia this week, just in time to check out some up and coming juvenile stars in the Aberlour Challenge. The race is open to all two year olds, and runs over six and a half furlongs of firm turf. The entries will share in $50000 purse. This is the third running of the stakes, a springboard for young stars. Six of the nine entries have gone on to become decorated stakes veterans, including two experiencing success in the graded ranks. Last year’s race was handled easily by Carolina Quickstep(JPN), the first of six stakes victories, including a Grade III triumph in his first three year old start. This year’s race draws a short field of four colts, boasting only 12 starts between them. Odds are tight here, with two 9/5 co-favorites, backed by two other entries going off at 2/1 and 5/2 odds. Juvenile stakes are tough to call, at best, at any time, and this one is no exception.
PP 1) Local Dancer(SWE) Sired by Loacl Hero(SWE), Trained by ccc. Local Hero(SWE) is making is fifth career start here, and his fourth consecutive in stakes. He is still seeking his first win at stakes level. In his first four, he has run to a 1-1-0-0-record, with a best speed of 72.6 earned in a losing Grade III effort, two starts back. His last start was a six and a half furlong dirt stakes, where he was never really part of the race, fading from the gate to trot in eleven lengths behind the winner. He’s never raced on turf, so that is going to be a wild card for him in this one. His sire, Local Hero(SWE), is out of the Lyphard line, and his progeny have shown a very strong preference for turf, so that should hold him in good stead. They also tend to prefer more distance as they mature. Green Desert, on the dam side, breeds back into the Northern Dancer line through Danzig, also shows a marked preference for turf, equally divided between sprinters and routers. His dam, La Green, earned her living as a dirt sprinter. This colt generally takes a midpack closer’s break from the gate, but has shown little inclination to close any kind of distance in his first four. He seems to work best with a piece of the early lead. If the softer surface slows down the early pace, his distance proclivity could let him surprise here.
PP 2) Barb’s Assistant(ENG) Sired by Red Ransom, Trained by eurobarn. It wouldn’t be a Virginia stakes season without one of Barb’s colts in the field, and here he is, making his fifth career run. He has a place and a show in two prior stakes starts, but is still seeking that elusive stakes win. He is 1-1-1-1-0 over the course of his first four races, with a best speed of 71.3, which he psoted in his maiden win, three starts back. His last start was a five and a half furlong turf stakes on a tough New York track, where he finished third in a tight field of four, not able to hold his close down the stretch. He has never been off the grass in his first four, and he is stretching out a furlong past his previous long here. Red Ransom, his sire, is a premier sire of of turf routers, and this colt could have a future in longer races. His female line are through Machiavellian, who as a sire tends to dirt runners, tends to reinforce turf tendencies through his female offspring. He also tends towards routes, though it is close, and he has quite a few good sprinters. His dam, Barb’s Cecelia, was a multiple stakes winning turf router. He shows the appearace of wanting to be a closer, but three of his first four have been too tight on the break to really show what kind of close he might have. In his last, he showed a good second half jump, but a field of closers was his undoing. The added distance here should show whether he has the close in him, and that close will be what it takes to threaten here.
PP 3) Parole(KY) Sired by Swain(IRE), Trained by bellamyrd. Parole(KY) makes only his second career start in this race. He broke his maiden at first asking in a five and a half furlong turf stakes in New York, easily handling the short field, posting a very nice 76.3 speed figure for a first time run. Swain(IRE), his sire, comes out of the Blushing Groom line through Nashwan, and is a strong turf influence, at a variety of distances. On the other side of the lines, we find Repent, from the Sovereign Dancer line, a first year dam sire, whose only winner of four offspring is the colt we see here. As a sire, he has produced a mixed bag, not really showing any marked preferences. Juvenile season is a hard time for closers to shine, with the shorter races and slower breaks, but this colt showed an picture perfect close in his last, in a shorter race. If that race is an indicator, the extra distance should be nothing but good for him. He also posted a top notch turf speed. First starts tend to be more of a warm up, and if he improves on that start, no one is going to touch him here.
PP 4) Give Me A Reason(KY) Sired by Afleet Alex, Trained by 4gone. Give Me A Reason(KY) is the veteran of three previous starts. He has one prior stakes start, but still seeking his first stakes win. In his first three starts, he has posted a 1-1-0-0-1 record, with a top speed of 70.4, earned in his maiden win two starts ago. His last race was a six furlong turf stakes in New Jersey, where he held on for fifth in a race where he looked like he was not sure exactly how he wasnted to play it. All three of his career starts have been on turf, and he stretches a half furlong over his previous long, here. Afleet Alex is a second year sire, with his first two crops tending strongly towards dirt. Is hard to gauge distance in a younger sire, but he has stamina laced through his pedigree. Seattle Slew graces the dam side, a strong route influence, though he also has a marked dirt preference. His dam, Senorita Little, had success in both sprints and routes, but made all her earnings on the dirt. His win came closing from just off the pace, and he showed good form in that win, but was unable to duplicate it in stakes company last out. The break looks like it will be leisurely at best here, and that could find him jumping early. If he gets an early lead, he will need a big cushion to bring it home. If he avoids making a decision like he did last out, it will spell trouble for his winning hopes.