3 YEAR OLDS SPRINT IN THE SLOP IN UPPER NEW YORK GRADE III FEATURE
The Del/Penn National residency has been firmly planted over the past few weeks at the spa meet in Upper New York and this week they have sponsored The Grade III Conan The Barbarian Stakes for 3 year olds going 6 1/2 furlongs on the dirt. The track has been listed as sloppy this weekend and a full field of 14 have passed the entry box and will be chasing the lion’s share of the $125,000 purse.
Let’s take a look at today’s field:
1)TA’S FEARLESS ROAR(CA)—24/1—adrian2 sends this colt out of ROAR with a record of 15-4-1-4 and lifetime earnings of $139,246. He is out of the mare IRISH VILLA who was 7/25 at the track and who has 2 foals on record of which both are winners including 1 stakes winner. This 208th divisional ranked colt races for Theavenger’s F’ A.R.S.E. stables based over at Del/Penn National. This colt was a 4 time winner including 2 overnite stakes wins in his 2 year old season. He is still looking for his first win this year. He posted his lifetime best 94 speed rating 2 starts back while finishing 5th in The Kings Decree Special Stakes in DC. This horse is a closer who sits near the back of the pack early and it should be noted that he showed some life in his last start and was closing in the stretch so perhaps he is finally coming around to the form that had his so successfull last season. This colt has a third place finish in his only off track start so far in his career. The rider for today’s race will be Ornstar (9%).
2)DEFROCKED(KY)—29/1—super30 sends this colt out of SAINT LIAM with a record of 14-3-2-3 and lifetime earnings of $63,939. This 280th divisional ranked colt runs for the massive Super Stables based over at Del/Penn National. This colt has 3 top 3 finishes in 7 lifetime stakes starts but will be looking for his first black type win in today’s race. He comes into this race after posting his lifetime best 99 speed rating last time out in a 6 furlong open allowance in Ontario where he finished in 2nd place. This colt has shown some versatility in his running styles so far in his career by racing both on the front end and closing from a midpack early position. That ability will be a plus in that he may be able to adapt as the race unfolds before him.This will be the colt’s first start on an off track in his career. The rider for today’s race will be Cast (1.9%).
3)HOLLOW HALO(KY)—6/1—nextbonus sends this colt out of SPEIGHTSTOWN with a record of 14-6-2-2 and lifetime earnings of $148,562. He is out of the mare WHAT A BEAT(GB) who was 6/41 at the track and who has 2 foals on record with this colt the only winner so far. This 37th divisional ranked colt runs for Nextbonus Racing based in Queensland. This colt is a 2 times stakes winner, both overnite stakes and it should be noted that he has cashed a cheque in all 6 stakes starts in his career so far including 2 Graded stakes starts. He posted his lifetime best 104 speed rating last time out while finishing 2nd in the 7.5 furlong The Curious Yodel(NZ) Bonanza Stakes in Kentucky and that was his second lifetime triple digit speed rating. This horse runs best in a stalking style sitting 1 or 2 lengths of the early pace and then pushing forward in the stretch drive. He finished 4th in his only off track start so far in his career. The rider for today’s race will be Nabinger (9.9%).
4)MA SICURO(IRE)—6/1—sibi2 sends this colt out of THEATRICAL(IRE) with a record of 17-6-3-3 and lifetime earnings of $317,957. He is out of the he mare PIONEER TRAIL who was 9/68 at the track and who was able to give birth to this fine colt after receiving the patented “horsie he to horsie she” surgery at the Simulated Sports equine clinic in Kentucky. This 19th divisional ranked horse runs for the unaffiliated sibi2 group of stables. This horse cashed a cheque in 14 straight races until that streak ended 2 races back. In that streak he was a 3 time stakes winner which included a win in The Grade III Great Fishing Hole Stakes in Mexico where he posted his lifetime best 104 speed rating over the 7.5 furlong race. He has not looked sharp in his last 2 starts, both Graded stakes races, where he has finished way back in both. This colt is a closer who likes to sit near the back of the pack early and he will need to refind his late click to be successfull here today. One thing of note is that he is 2/2 on off track races so far in his career. The rider for today’s race will be one of the leading apprentices in the country this season, Radzinski (20.1%).
5)VAPORIZER(KY)—14/1—tripwire sends this colt out of SKY MESA with a record of 9-3-4-0 and lifetime earnings of $73,700. He is out of the mare MA BUDA who was 1/15 at the track and who has 5 foals on record of which all are winners including 1 Graded stakes winner. This 371th divisional ranked colt runs for Fire And Blood Group of Stables based over at GR Simsters. This solid allowance horse posted his lifetime best 102 speed rating last time out in a 6 furlong NW3L allowance in BC and that has earned him a start in today’s Grade III event. It should be noted that the figure was posted on a sloppy track so this colt should be able to handle the off going very well today if past performance is any indication here. This colt is a stalker/pace presser and should be fairly close to the front runners in this race early today. The rider for today’s race will be Anderson (9.7%).
6)ROMAN GENERAL(KY)—12/1—spqr2nd sends this colt out of EMPIRE MAKER with a record of 9-4-2-1 and lifetime earnings of $126,990. This 198th divisional ranked colt runs for the SPQR stables based at the GR Simsters racing association. This colt started his career as a miler but has been dropped back down to sprints in his last 4 starts. He wired a NW3X allowance field in Athens 2 starts back while posting his lifetime best 103 speed rating. He has started in 4 stakes races so far in his career and has had a problem carrying his speed to the wire in each of those starts and he will need to find a little extra in the late going to reverse that trend today. This colt should be the pace setter today and will need to be rated expertly in order to have enough left for the win at the wire. He raced on his first off track last time out where he finished in 2nd place. The rider for today’s race will be Gellner (4.5%).
7)VALENTINE AVENGER(TX)—16/1—theavenger sends this colt out of A P VALENTINE with a record of 20-6-5-3 and lifetime earnings of $205,905. He is out of the mare THIRTY SEVEN HONOR who was 3/31 at the track and who has 5 foals on record of which 4 are winners including 1 stakes winner. This 108th divisional ranked colt is the stablemate of #1 TA’S FEARLESS ROACH(CA) over at Theavengers F’A.R.S.E. stables at Del/Penn National. This 2 time stakes winner returns to the stakes circuit after racing in allowance races in his last 5 starts. He has has a busy schedule in his 2 and 3 year old seasons with 20 starts already under his belt. He posted his lifetime best 100 speed rating 2 starts back while winning a NW4N allowance sprint in Texas but he ended a short 2 race winning streak in his last start in Kansas where he was never a factor in another allowance start. This colt is a closer/stalker style runner who will make up a high priced entry with his stablemate today. He does have some experience on off tracks with a 4-2-1-0 record so far in his career. The rider for today’s race will be Kallor (7.9%).
8)CLEVER MAGPIE(JPN)—6/1—phantom3 sends this colt out of STRAVINSKY with a record of 10-5-2-2 and lifetime earnings of $352,102. This 197th divisional ranked colt races for the NWRC division of the Phantom Pharms stables. This colt has been very sharp lately posting 3 consecutive triple digit speed ratings in his latest races. He posted his lifetime best 107 speed rating last time out while winning the 6 furlong dirt sprint race in The Smackdown III tri resident competition. Today’s race will mark the Graded stakes debut for this talented colt. He is a closer who sits way in the back of the pack early on in the race. This will be his first start on an off track today. The rider for today’s race will be Solomon (8.7%).
9)KETCH(KY)—7/2—bigskyfarm sends this colt out of AWESOME AGAIN with a record of 14-6-5-1 and lifetime earnings of $267,628. He is out of the mare IRONHORSE AWARD who was 9/38 at the track and who has 4 foals on record of which 3 are winners including 1 stakes winner. This 18th divisional ranked colt runs for Libitfarm Stables over in Vermont at The Pastures of Green. This colt has won 2 overnite stakes races in both his 2 and 3 year old seasons. He will be making his Graded stakes debut today and enters this test in very sharp form having posted 3 triple digit speed ratings in a row. He posted his lifetime best 108 speed rating 2 starts back while winning the 7.5 furlong The Roy Prospector Cap Stakes in South Africa. He just missed winning by a head last time out to end a 2 race winning streak but he has finished in the top 2 in his last 6 starts and has cashed a cheque in every race so far in his career. While this horse usually runs as a closer he has shown speed in some of his races so it is apparent he can adapt to the race situations as they occur. He raced in the slop last time out and finished 2nd so the track condition should not effect this morning line favorite in today’s race. The leading rider of the circuit, Ayya (22.2) will be the rider today.
10)BERMUDA(KY)—16/1—super7 sends this colt out of SPEIGHTSTOWN with a record of 14-5-2-0 and lifetime earnings of $367,480. He is out of the mare DIVING FOR SAINT who was 3/15 at the track and who has 5 foals on record of which all are winners including 2 Graded stakes winners and another who is a stakes winner. This 24th divisional ranked colt is the stable mate of #2 DEFROCKED(KY) over at the Super Stables based at Del/Penn National. This colt started his career of with a bang winning his first 3 starts last year including 2 Grade III 2 year old sprints. He added another overnite stakes win last season. He won another Grade III event in his 3 year old debut this season and has picked up another 2 second place Grade III finished this year. He tried to extend out to 8 furlongs in each of the last 2 season with disasterous results and he appears not to have recovered this year from that race as his last 2 sprint starts in Grade II events have shown him to be missing his usual late charge. He has twice posted his lifetime best 98 speed rating this year, both coming in 2nd place finishes in Grade III sprints. This closer will need to refind his form in order to have a shot at the winner’s circle here today. This will be his off track debut in the slop here today. The rider for today’s race will be Orza (21%) who is second in the rider standings at Upper New York this year.
11)HIGH ON CAPOTE(FR)—20/1—bryanj79 sends this mare out of HIGH YIELD with a record of 20-4-5-4 and lifetime earnings of $169,620. This 118th divisional ranked mare runs for the unafilliated Bryanj79 farms. This mare started 10 times in her 2 year old season finishing in the top 3 in all of them including a win in an overnite stakes in Eastern Kentucky. She was unable to sustain that record in her 3 year old season which prompted her owners to put her up for auction. The current owner picked this mare up for $600,001 in week 3252 and then went on to post her lifetime best 98 speed rating in her first start for her new connections last time out while finishing 3rd in the 6.5 furlong The Mama Pleasant Stakes in Florida. She usually runs in a stalking mode and while she rallied last time out she did come up a few lengths short so will probably watch her today to see how she responds to her new trainer. One major factor will be that this will be her first time racing against the boys in this Grade III open race today. She does have an abundance of experience on off tracks with a record of 10-3-2-3 when conditions have been less then perfect. The rider for today’s race will be Cooper (7.6%).
12)BRAAVOS(KY)—40/1—reacher sends this colt out of STRONG HOPE with a record of 14-5-2-1 and lifetime earnings of $170,446. This 84th divisianal ranked colt is a stablemate of #5 VAPORIZER(KY) over at Given’s Fire And Blood Stables based at GR Simsters. This colt changed tactics 2 starts back and went out to the front in The Forest Trying Cap Stakes where she ended up wiring the field while posting her lifetime best 98 speed rating over the 6.5 furlong race. She appeared to take a bad step in her last start pulling up distance, but with her coming back on only 14 days rest it appears he checked out ok after returning to the barns after that scarry last race. Her morning line reflects that last start and this colt could end up being a pricey bargain to throw in your exotic wagering in this race today. This colt will ensure an honest pace today and if he gets things his own way on the front end could surprise like he did 2 starts back. He is a perfect 1/1 on off tracks so far in his career. The rider for today’s race will be Short (9.7%).
13)ECHELON(KY)—8/1—sdmf1 sends this colt out of WOODMAN with a record of 11-3-5-1 and lifetime earnings of $130,517. He is out of the mare SUNDAY SILENCE who was 7/30 at the track and who has 3 foals on record of which 2 are winners including 1 stakes winner. This 149th divisional ranked colt runs for the Black Label Stables based over at Del/Penn National. This 1 time stakes winner was purchased for $5,061,721 2 weeks back in the auction as part of the PG stables sell off. This will be this colts first start for the new connections who hope that a win can start to pay off the huge investment they made in this 3 year old colt. He does enter this race off posting 2 triple digit speed ratings including his lifetime best 102 speed rating posted last time out in a 5th place finish in The Prospector Flap Stakes in Eastern Kentucky. This colt is another who can run on the front end but usually runs pressing the early pace. This will be the first off track start for this colt today. The rider for today’s race will be Stowe (10.2%).
14)BEST SJ YET(KY)—7/1—sjmeola sends this colt out of SMARTY JONES with a record of 15-7-1-2 and lifetime earnings of $652,800. This 29th divisional ranked colt races for the unafilliated Sjmeola stables. This colt was a 2 time stakes winner at 2 including The Grade III Midsoil Stakes in Spain. This year he has added 4 more black type win to his resume including his last start where he posted a lifetime best 106 speed rating in The Curious Yodel(NZ) Bonanza Stakes in Kentucky over 7.5 furlongs. This colt ran in a Grade III sprint here in Upper New York 2 starts back where he pressed the pace but ended up fading to 6th in the stretch and hopefully he can overcome the outside post here today and reverse the results in this race today. He usually stalkes or presses the pace and there will be a few who like the lead running in this race today. He won his only off track start so far in his career. The rider for today’s race will be Pitts (12.8%).
Well, one thing for sure is that there are quite a few 3 year olds here who have had some success on the off track. While i like the favorite in #9 KETCH(KY) today, I am also leaning towards the #8 CLEVER MAGPIE(JPN) and will box them up with the 40/1 longshot #12 BRAAVOS(KY) for my tri bet today.
GOOD LUCK AND GOOD RACING
THEO