Race ID:3378.0415

Bickerknocker Handicap

Grade III

A Mile and one eighth

Firm Turf
$150,000

Fillies and Mares, 3 years old and up

PP        Age            Name                           Trainer                        Odds            Pedigree

1          4F            SINNDEE SLEW             goody5              12/1            Sinndar x Kingmambo x Seattle Slew

Record: 22 races: 5-2-3

Out of G-grade mare FOXY SEATTLE this four year old filly has been more than an allowance horse instead of a Stakesrunner in her career. She has been running in  low field Graded Races her last two races and finished fourth both times. Not bad but also not good enough to have a chance today in my opinion. I feel she weighs a bit too light in this race.

2          5F            HONEST KHAN                lenny8               13/1            Dalakhani x Seattle Slew x Secretariat

Record: 40 races: 10-13-8

Out of D-grade mare SAVE THE DANCER who has 5 foals to date including a Graded Winner, a stakesplaced filly and this Stakeswinner out of sire Dalakhani. Like her mother she has raced 40 races now but is not yet thinking about retiring: she definitely has surpassed her mother’s earnings and lifetime results by winning a couple of Stakes. It took her a couple of years to progress to the level she is at now as she has been a mere allowancerunner for quite a while. The first Stakeswin came this year in May, followed by another one in June where she also set her highest Speed Figure of her career. That was the only time she went over 100 and her latest results show this might have been a one time superperformance. I’m afraid today also she will have trouble keeping her early speed.

3          4F            ALLENTOWN                 epic                  7/1            Speightstown x Danehill x Riverman

Record: 22 races: 4-8-4

According to the bookies this filly might have a chance to finish in the top five today. The reason for this most likely are the +100 Speedfigures she has been posting lately. She has been a good frontrunning allowancehorse and recently her figures went up. Two races ago she stepped up in class in a Stakes where she was near to winning having raced almost the entire race from wire-to-wire. She posted a 104 Speed figure and finished second. She definitely has proven in that race she has sufficient speed to be able to compete on Stakeslevel and I think she rightfully is at odds 7/1 in this race.

4          4F            ODARAIN                      chips22             10/1            Red Bullet x Forestry x AP Indy

Record: 25 races: 5-5-6

This Red Bullet Filly has been racing in a lot of allowances since her maidenbreak. When she earlier this year won three in a row it was time to step her up in class. However she still has to wait for her first Stakesrun. Her best place was a second place in June over nine furlongs where she also posted a 100 Speed Figure. She also ran a couple of Graded Races and was never outrun in those: she even finished third and fourth in some. Although I do not believe this filly can win this race she might be consistent with her previous performances in similar Graded Races and go for a top 5 finish.

5          4F            ALMA                            usoz                  4/1            El Prado x Mill Reef x Riverman

Record: 30 races: 10-4-5

Well bred filly running for the Rafa Stables who is ranked 77^th in her division and very close to a million earnings. She had a terrific year last year when winning a G2 and two G1’s in a row (on 8 and 9 furlongs). After those she had a more difficult time until two races ago. She won her last two races and her last one was in the best speed of her career: a beautiful 111 SP. So it looks like she might be having a second peak and stepping her up again in class is the right thing to do. She is this morning’s favourite at 4/1 but she really drew a bad jockey so I doubt her trainer chose the jockey. BARBA only has three wins this year in 49 races.

6          5F            NAVESINK RIVER                      thebigm             18/1            Bahri x Troy x Turn-To

Record: 28 races: 9-3-5

This five year old mare has been running more at longer distances than at 9 furlongs and it has been more than a year ago since she run that distance. That was in allowance when she posted a 101 speed figure and finished third. Since then she has been running further and was entered in a lot of low field Stakes of which she won two (at 13 and 14 furlongs). I believe this race will be too fast and too short for her to come back to the front. She is at 18/1 and has second worst odds today.

7          5F            MEATBALL HERO                        bigted2              6/1            Trempolino x Woodman x Right Reason

Record: 43 races: 14-5-4

This 5y old pride of the Bigtedstables currently is ranked 9^th in this division and looks to be the one to beat today. A couple of weeks ago she disappointed in the World Cup and it looks like she is not fit to star in a G1. Therefor she most likely steps back in class to a Grade III race which might suit her much better. One and a half year ago she was claimed for only $10K and what a pleasure she has given to her trainer, winning several Stakes including 2 Grade II races not so long ago. Today she might add a G III to that list with the track’s topjockey Lawton in the saddle.

8          4F            PANHANDLE SLEW            instant               15/1            Gold Legend x Kris x Seatlle Slew

Record: 22 races: 5-5-7

Out of GOLD LEGEND who seems to be a cheap sire end of the week with which you sometimes become good results. Trainer Instant used him and got this Stakes placed filly out of him. She seems to be a reasonable allowance horse but the results in Stakes are not well enough to justify the stepup to Graded Class which she will be attempting today.

9          4F            JUST BEFORE AGAIN            chuckrock         6/1            Just Beforemidnite x Awesome Again x Northern Dancer

Record: 19 races: 9-6-0

This lightly raced filly out of one of the obscure sires in the sim has won more than half of her races on turf and is already the winner of three Stakesraces. She has been doing well in her last races and manages to post + 100 speed figures in her last four races. She also has experience in one Graded Race – The Montecito Mile – where she finished second. Meanwhile she climbed up to the 55^th place in the rankings and she will be one to surely watch today. Rated at 6/1 and with the track’s second best jockey on her back.

10         4F            MIRRI MAZ DUUR            grrm                 10/1            Rahy x Danzig x Seatlle Slew

Record: 21 races: 8-4-4

This filly finished in the money in 16 of her 21 races and has been running always more or less at her level. After some lesser performances in Stakes her trainer brought her back to the allowances where she won her last two. Maybe it is not completely right to give her this Graded so soon. She seems to be a horse too good for allowances and a bit too bad to really play an important role in Stakes races. I don’t think today we will see her.

11         6F            AIM FOR PARADISE            sparadise          19/1            Awesome Again x Caro x Alleged

Record: 26 races: 6-4-4

Very lightly raced 6 y old mare riding for the Tullochstables supporting the bargainbred series Residency. This filly definitely is not a bargainbred off course and will race today her sixth race of this season. Her best speed this season is a mere 95SP which will be far from sufficient to play a part today. She has been running on dirt too but her races on turf brought her more earnings and she clearly likes that better. I don’t think she will be in the picture in this race and the bookies only confirm this.

12         6F            GLAD GIRLS               staceylg                        5/1            Forty Niner x AP Indy x Danzig

Record: 49 races: 19-10-8

What a royally bred mare this is and at six years old she still looks very much to be alive and kicking in terms of speed. She is a former winner of a G3 and her best period in her career was at 3-4 years old when she posted several +100 speeds. After that her speeds went down but she kept winning some Stakesraces. First half of this year she mainly raced in allowances till her speeds went up again. Her last race was a Stakesrace again where she finished second and was able to post a more than respectable 108 speed figure. Maybe she discovered her second youth? I would rather have her confirm that in another Stakes instead of a Graded Race, but in terms of speed she is well at her place in this race. For me an outsider today.