Who Will Emerge from the Parallel Dimension in the $100,000 ESR Demogorgon Stakes

A field of Ten Older Fillies and Mares enter the Big Apple starting gate for the $100,000 ESR Demogorgon Stakes.  The race will be run a One Mile and a Sixteenth over the Turf Course.

INVINCIBLE RUKAS – one of two graded winner’s in this field, the cadet trained 5 Year Old Bay Mare by Invincible Spirit will answer a lot questions this week for her connections about the direction her career is headed, as she approaches her 6yo season; the winner of the G3 Honey Bee Handicap was given a three-month layoff after a dull effort in the G2 Black Betty Handicap where she finished 10-lengths back; the IRE-bred returned to the races with a sharp second place finish in an Allowance NW2y before finishing an uninterested 7^th in the G2 Winston Spa LTO; she will get some class relief this week, but will have to be at her best to finish ahead of a competitive ESR field…chance off best

BUGLE CROSSING – the first of two from the nextbonus racing stables, the 5 Year Old Bay Mare by Cape Cross has found her best stride over the past two starts finishing second in both the Royal Tiara Turf Mare Route and Rude Stella Turf Mare Route respectively, as she looks to avenge her loss in the ESR Trick or Treat, Freak Stakes where she finished behind SPECTACULAR SPA and SPIN’S PROMISE, both entered in Saturday’s ESR feature;  the winner of the mile and a sixteenth ESR First Pitch Insufficiency  benefits from Saturday’s distance where she has two wins, a second and a third in four career starts…fits well here

T FORMATION – the second half of the nextbonus entry is the 4 Year Old Bay Filly by Dansili; the multi-stakes winning ENG-bred is no stranger to ESR Residency races taking on the boys in the ESR Prom Equivalency before finishing second in the  ESR Precious Fragmentation, both races coming during her 3yo season; the talented distaffer recorded her first stakes victories back-to-back at the end of her 3yo campaign and picked up right where she left off with a fourth place finish in the G3 Kyoto Highway and a victory in the All Hunt Turf Mare Mile; since that victory it’s been five races and eight months later that the hard hitting 4yo has won a race, and connections are hopeful that a 2-month layoff will return this filly to top form… “We’ll never forget the way you thrilled the nation, with your T formation…”

FROZEN HEART – by now we should all be familiar with kingab’s sensational New York-bred 4 Year Old Bay Filly by Frost Giant, especially after she’s taken down three consecutive ESR Stakes races; the only question the winner of eight of nine career starts had to answer was whether she could compete away from local competition, that question was answered in her last start when she crushed a field of boys in the Awesome Giant Turf Mile, a field that included the great multi-G1 winner RIVER OF DOUBT; the Queen of the ESR New York circuit will race beyond a mile for the first time in her career, and while I don’t expect that to be an issue, it does give a glimmer of hope to the rest of the field…one to beat

LITTLE EGGSY – the trotter1 trained 5 Year Old Bay Mare by Kingman hasn’t raced this short a distance since April of 2016, more than 20 races ago; making her 32^nd start of her career, I know she doesn’t fit well here; but the winner of over a half a million dollars always turns in a solid effort and will make sure the winner earns the victory…happy with a part

SPECTACULAR SPA – it’s not too often that the itch racing stables leave the West Virginia circuit, so you know the connections are excited about keeping this 5 Year Old Bay Mare by English Channel in the New York area after a successful Turf campaign that includes a 2^nd place finish in the ESR Trick or Treat, Freak Stakes followed by a victory in the Cheap Drink Night Stakes up in Ontario; first or second 16 times in 21 starts, including top two finish 7 of 9 times on the Turf is a true indication of a horse that knows what her task is once she steps foot onto a racetrack…dangerous

SPIN’S PROMISE – the spinround trained 5 Year Old Chestnut Mare by Flower Alley is the second Graded Stakes winner in this field; the winner of the G3 Dubai 1000 Guineas as a 3yo over the Dirt Course has transitioned to a very lucrative Turf career, recording multiple stakes victories on the Turf including most recently a win in the Thundering Seon Turf Mare Challenge back in April; her third place finish in the ESR Trick or Treat, Freak Stakes prompted a start in the G3 Matchmaker LTO where she finished a well-beaten 11^th, but she should benefit from that outing as she turns back in class…don’t ignore

CAROLE CC – no it’s not April Fool’s Day, yes it is a balata trained 5 Year Old Bay Mare by Galileo making only the second runner entered form the esteemed racing stables; making her first start since May, the talented IRE-bred enters the field on a three race winning streak and has recorded five wins in her last six starts; this will be the Mare’s first stakes appearance, and while I wouldn’t usually endorse a horse making her first Stakes appearance off a layoff, this one has winning bloodlines that trace back to her Maternal Grand Dam, HOF Mare BOTWISTED…might surprise

TWO STEP MYTH – the ace trained 5 Year Old Bay Mare by Two Step Salsa is looking for her first win in a little over a year; the FL-bred enters the field off a second place finish in a local Allowance prep while recording the second consecutive sub 100-speed figure after 11 consecutive triple digit efforts, suggesting a mare that is on the waning side of a lucrative career…would surprise

SHIRLEY’S ART – making her 34^th career start is the sremel trained 6 Year Old Chestnut Mare by Shirocco; the recent $35k claim has answered the bell for her new connections at the Allowance and Starter level but has struggled mightily in two stakes appearances for her new connections; her last was good, and she is quick from the gate, but while she is likely to benefit from her recent starts, I’m not sure that will be enough here…must show more

Handicapping the Field

No surprises here, a field of stakes winners mixing it up in another ESR feature.  Handicapping the race, I get the impression that it is FROZEN HEART versus the rest of the field, and the battle is for the Place money.  Will the added distance be the kryptonite that melts FROZEN HEART? Can you bet against her?  Sometimes you have to take what they give you…

My handicapping instincts tell me INVINCIBLE RUKAS is on the down cycle of her racing career, but in her case that doesn’t necessarily mean she can’t win at this level.  Her graded races may be behind her, but regression is a process, and she still has enough class to get the job done at this level.

SPECTACULAR SPA and SPIN’S PROMISE are only separated by a couple of lengths in the ESR Trick or Treat, Freak Stakes, but SPECTACULAR SPA’s consistency and resurgence over the Turf Course makes her likeliest to upset FROZEN HEART.

BUGLE CROSSING is racing in top form while competing at her optimal distance and is the stronger of the nextbonus entries. T FORMATION likely to need a start after the layoff, but who knows, maybe she wins one for Shaughnessy and Halas.

CAROLE CC is the fields only non-stakes winning entry, but in reviewing her past performances you might think otherwise.  The only thing stopping this sure to be a stakes winner’s chances here on Saturday is her recent inactivity.

LITTLE EGGSY, TWO STEP MYTH, and SHIRLEY’S ART fill out the Also Ran category.

The Picks

FROZEN HEART – until she proves otherwise

SPECTACULAR SPA – al- ways dangerous

CAROLE CC – solid pedigree that will be dangerous if she comes out running