Big Race Preview 2601

Several grade I races this week but the star of the week the horse to watch is probably Orange Swirl. He has been great all year long and at this point has to be the favorite for the Breeder’s Bowl Mile. Devil’s Slide continues her rise to the top of the three year old filly turf division. Also filly and mare turf sprinters go at it with three of the top five ranked runners in that division butting heads. There are a couple of three year old sprints and filly or mare turf races. Check it out.

Race: 2601.3515 Maudlin Cup – Grade I – $450,000
Track: Longchamp
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance: One mile on the Turf

Orange Swirl the best turf miler going leads a pretty strong group at Longchamp. Orange Swirl is on a four race win streak the last three graded races at this distance. His specialty is the mile and despite his deep closing style he keeps running down the competition. He puts up very strong speed figures that no one else in the field has really done. Keeping in this great form can be tough and ten other runners are looking to knock him down.

Ziklag is better known for sprinting but he is capable of stretching out to the one mile distance. He looks to add or chase the quick pace with Come on You Blues. Come on You Blues is extremely fast early and pretty solid at this distance. Fusaichi Magpie has won seven of eleven starts including a grade II in his last start. Congo has run some very nice races at a little longer distances. Seeking Ransom has flashed some speed and can stalk well as he showed with his second place finish last time out in the grade II Fried Rice Mile. Red Theatre (IRE) is coming out of a big listed stakes run. Should be a fun watch.

Race: 2601.0315 Sun Dancer – Grade I – $500,000
Track: Kentucky
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 3 years old
Distance: A mile and one quarter on the Turf

Devil’s Slide is the heavy favorite in this race. She has won five of her six turf starts including her last three. She comes off a grade I win at a little longer distance and faces a field she seems head and shoulders above. Devil’s Slide comes from off the pace and can stalk or come from way back. She is one of the top three year old turf fillies. There may be one knock on Devil’s Slide though. This will be her seventh start in sixteen weeks since moving to the turf. That is a very tough schedule to keep up.

Tess Carlisle ran second to Devil’s Slide last time she raced in the Smackdown series. She went to the lead that day and probably will be near the lead here and if Devil’s Slide’s grueling schedule catches up with her Tess Carlisle could be the one in this field to beat her. Lacrima has been trying longer distances and today she steps back to what appears to be a more favorable distance for her at this point. She has some solid speed figures but needs to improve to be competitive. Barb’s Little Lion has some solid runs at this distance but also needs to step up her level to have a shot.

The second favorite on the morning line Forest of Gold moves back to the turf after several solid starts on the dirt. She looks much better at nine furlongs versus ten furlongs. It will be interesting to see how she takes back to the turf.

Race: 2601.2216 Nail in the Coffin – Grade I – $500,000
Track: Delaware
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 4 years old and up
Distance: Six furlongs on the Turf

Two of the top ranked older filly mare turf sprinters have shown up for this event. Red Tejas is the number three ranked filly and is the favorite. She looks to get back on the winning track after a couple of tough races, one against the boys. She comes out of the Smackdown Series which has spawned several grade I winners in their next starts. She will be closing from way downtown on Saturday.

The number one ranked turf sprinting older filly or mare Elsinore is on a four race win streak. All four wins have been graded victories including one over Red Tejas. Elsinore is also a closer but she will likely sit a little closer to the pace than Red Tejas making for an exiting finish. Grass and the She is the number five ranked turf sprinting older filly or mare. She has been running behind Elsinore in a few races this year and is also an off the pace runner. She can run a big speed figure but appears a level below the top two.

Fourteen Comb is an up and down seven year old that has run some nice turf sprints. She was second to Elsinore two back finishing just ahead of Red Tejas in that race. All the favorites are closer types. There are a couple of pace horses that are more long shots but if one steps away all alone could make some noise. Unsung River may benefit best from the lack of pace but Mel’s Prize is also capable of going to the lead.

Race: 2601.0316  Rocky – Grade I – $500,000
Track: Kentucky
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old
Distance: Six furlongs on the Dirt

A full field of three year old sprinters takes to the track here in Kentucky. The top runners in the field look evenly matched. Although not the favorite Casterly Rock (IRE) ran a bang up 111 speed figure last time out in the Smackdown series. He might bounce off that great performance but he must be respected off that run. The favorite is Hill Country has only been worse than second one time in thirteen lifetime starts. He is on a two race win streak and looks very sharp here.

Phantom Wings set the pace in his last start in the Smackdown series. Prior to that he had a very solid effort winning a listed stakes from a stalking position. The rest of the field appears to be total toss ups. Just about any one of the others are capable of jumping up and taking this race.

Race: 2601.0414 Princess Di Cap – Grade I – $500,000
Track: New York
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 3 years old and up
Distance: A mile and one eighth on the Turf

A Gold City looks very tough this week. This filly has a ton of speed and has been right there in all her recent races. Her last two wins were at a little bit longer of a distance than this. Sometimes it is hard to judge how well a good mile and a quarter runner cuts back to a mile and an eighth. She is in the top five of the classic and long turf divisions so should be a player come Breeder’s Bowl Distaff time.

Sly Go Lightly (IRE) is a very interesting runner. She is a three year old facing her older rivals for the first time. She has won eleven of fifteen lifetime starts. Question will be how does she handle the little extra distance. She made a couple of runs at longer distances at the beginning of the year but really blossomed when she cut back in distance. She appears capable of the extra distance and fits class wise. She will be an interesting watch.

Spooky Ballet is the second favorite in the race. She will be a player in this race coming off an ok third at this distance and level. She is a deep closer so she might have her work cut out for her tracking down the favorite.

Race: 2601.0416 Radio City – Grade I – $500,000
Track: New York
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old
Distance: Six furlongs on the Dirt

A full field of three year old sprinters is lead here by Bfiftytwo. Next to two year old stakes these type stakes are the hardest to predict. Bfiftytwo has some bang up races at longer distances in his last two. He has shown the speed in seven furlong races to lay close to the pace and if he can do that here he has a chance to live up to the favoritism.

Polish Reality has done nothing but improve all summer long. He has the speed to set the pace in a race like this which makes him very dangerous. Ratcity In Blue is another speedy runner. He has been putting up very solid speed figures this summer and is a threat. Mastedon made a huge run in an allowance last time out. If he can keep that up he is also a danger. Should be a fun watch.  

Race: 2601.5516 Show No Mercy – Grade I – $500,000
Track: Queensland
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 3 years old
Distance: One mile on the Turf

Just seven young fillies show up for this grade I event. Smackdown (IRE) is not the favorite but is a dual grade I winner. She is the number one ranked three year old classic turf filly and really the only one that belongs here. She is a deep closer coming out of an eleven furlong race back to a mile. Maybe she closes more sharply and gets her second win of the year. 

Dynahigh (IRE) is the favorite here however her best finish in her last five races was a fourth place finish. She has one win in the last nine months. She has a lot of speed and she might be able to hold off this bunch. Thirteenth Date is another deep closer that has not won a race in six months. She has bounced around distances so not sure this is her best.

Theatrical Cry (IRE) has been on a solid run winning three of her last five and just missing in another. She comes in off a stakes win and will be on the pace here which should be fast.