Big Race Preview 3399
Just one grade one race on the day and it is a good one. The Coxless Stakes features some of the best mile and a quarter turf horses that should produce a great race. An excellent field of turf runners are assembled lets get to the race.
Race: 3399.5315 Coxless Stakes – Grade I – $3,000,000
Track:
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance: A mile and one quarter on the Turf
The only grade one race this week the Coxless Stakes has attracted a Breeder’s Bowl like field of mile and a quarter turf runners. The favorite is Puppet Regime at seven to two. He is coming into the race off a bit of a layoff. His last race was at the World Cup where he cleaned up earning a 116 speed figure. He is riding a four race win streak into this event all at the grade one level. His recent success has come with him backing off in distance from the mile and a half distance. His running style usually has him mid pack less than ten lengths off the early pace and full of run. He is fresh for the race and looks like he will be tough to beat.
Rapid Grey is one of the best mile and a quarter turf horses that will take a stab at the mile and a half distance from time to time. He has four grade one wins this year at this distance and routinely runs big speed figures at the distance. Last time out was in the Ark de Triumph where is he was a bit out of his element distance wise at the grade one level. He finished fourth but was never a threat at any point. When he goes from a mile and a half to a mile and a quarter in his past he usually responds very well with a big effort. He is a deep closer who will be flying late and very likely will put up a top effort this week.
Creepshow has really found a new level in his last two races. He was a grade one winner last year as a three year old at this distance but really seemed to struggle a bit by not really getting any better until recently. In his last four races he has a pair of grade one wins a grade three win a and placing in another grade one. His last two races have produced back to back 113 speed figures. Creepshow is a real threat in this race coming off a good win in the Coffefields Cup. That race was at a mile and a half and he might be a bit better at this distance. He will be coming from the back of the pack and is hot at the right time.
Another Tenpin Tap is one of a couple of front running types that appear capable of causing the closers a lot of headaches. He is coming off a nice win in the mile and a half grade one Classic Turf Stakes. He has been runner up at the grade one level several time in his last few races. He has bumped heads with some top class runners and broke through last time out. He cuts back in distance but he should be just as good here as he is at a mile and a half. He will likely be stalking or just off the early pace leaving him with an opportunity to play catch me if you can with the closers.
Strong Belwas took the grade one Movieland Turf Cup over the summer and was second to
The three year old that has stepped up in the last half of this year has been Rainband. He was a grade one winner at this distance three races back. Since then he has stepped up to face older rivals and has respectable performances in the mile and a half Ark de Triumph where he ran second and he finished third in the grade one mile and a half Coffefields Cup. He ran solid speed figures at the mile and a half distance, there could be a slight chance he is a little better at the longer distance but he has run well at this distance. He will be way back in the early stages with some of the favorites here. Should be a thrilling stretch run.