Field of seven for What Til Earl

Welcome to New Hampshire, where this week’s feature is the What Til Earl Bonanza. Seven two year olds will travel a flat mile on the turf for a purse of $65,000. Here is the field, in post position order:

No Secret has been on the board in five of his six starts, but has only one victory. In three stakes tries he has a second and two thirds, but his habit of going to the front and then waiting on horses in the stretch will probably not serve him well as he tries the mile distance for the first time.

Drop The Bomb has run well in all four of his starts. He already has a win at this distance, taking an allowance race in his third start. He ran well to be third last time out in a restricted stake at 7 furlongs. He is one of the top contenders in this well matched field.

Seeking Celebrity has run well in all four of his starts, with a win, a third and two fourths. He broke his maiden on the dirt, and this will be his first start at a route. His half-brother, Mastedon, has excelled sprinting on the dirt, and it’s hard to say whether Seeking Celebrity will want to stretch out.

One of Us makes only his third start and first at a route. The extra distance shouldn’t be a problem, he is by Daylami out of a stakes-winning mare who won several route races. He was a well-beaten third in his first stakes try, but he should show some improvement with the extra furlong.

El Gran Ape finished eighth in the G3 Up North Juvenile in his last start, but was beaten less than four lengths at 23-1. This was not a bad effort against tougher horses than he faces today. He should like the extra distance and has a shot to spring an upset here.

Sirius Attitude, the lukewarm 3/1 favorite, has only had one bad outing in his four starts, and that was on a sloppy track that he clearly did not relish. In his one route race he ran evenly to be fourth, about 3 lengths behind the winner. This will be his first start on the lawn. Forty Niner is not renowned as a sire of turf runners, but this colt does have some turf pedigree on his dam’s side.

Sting Like A Bee has been in the exacta in all five of his career starts. This will be his first start going long, but his pedigree suggests that he will handle it. He is by Belmont Stakes winner Victory Gallop and a half brother to Bottom of the Road, who won two stakes at a mile as a 2-year-old. If he moves forward at all on the stretchout, he will be tough to beat.