Grade 2 THE MRS CLEAVER STAKES, Kentucky

The feature race on Saturdays Kentucky card is the grade 2 MRS CLEAVER STAKES, to be ran over eight and a half furlongs on the firm turf for fillies and mares 3 yo +. We have a field of eight in what looks a fairly open heat for the prize fund of $225000. Here are the runners and riders in race card order.

4 yo mare

Thunder Gulch x Deputy Minister x Secretariat

31 runs 11 wins 5 seconds 5 thirds $375259

Stabled at Kentucky Horsemen racing in Kentucky, you dont get much more local than that. Made fav on the strength of her last run when she ran her lifetime best at New York in a nw3t $40500 allowance over this trip. She settled in mid field that day and ran on strongly from half way to run out a winner by a length with an impressive 107 speed. This was her first try at 8.5 furlongs for quite a while, her owner mainly keeping her to the mile recently and it could just be her perfect trip. On the other hand looking back through her form she has had plenty of chances in this class and has only come up with the goods on one previous occasion. She will probably be there or there about, but i figure there may be one or two just a little too hot for Thunder to handle.

4 yo mare

Silver Ghost x Pleasant Colony x Dr Fager

17 runs 6 wins 3 seconds 2 thirds $187660

Outsider of the field. Has been mixing it on both surfaces and looks equally adept on both, but it must be said he must improve a bit to get involved here. That isn`t impossible with only 17 runs on the board but it is a difficult task. This front running type has produced speeds of 97 and 96 in her last 2 runs, both on turf and both over a mile. A note of caution though, the mile seems to stretch her stamina, so this extra half a furlong would appear to be against Fagers. Too many doubts to consider investing in.

4 yo mare

Pleasantly Perfect x Miswaki x Sword Dance

27 runs 11 wins 4 seconds 2 thirds $900950

Her last four runs have produced a stakes win, a stakes second, a grade 3 second and a grade 1 third. She is a grade 2 and a triple grade 3 winner with earnings just approaching the million mark from a successful sim stable, I dont understand why she has not been made favorite. She is in good form, having finished runner up in her last race over 9 furlongs with a speed of 105, leading until collared in the shadow of the line. I`ve got to admit in what looks an open race she is my pick, and a much more confident one than usual. 4/1 is huge for this horse and I say fill your boots.

5 yo mare

Trempolino x Woodman x Right Reason

44 runs 14 wins 5 seconds 4 thirds $609377

Representing the most improved res on the sim, EAAA, this $10000 claim from April 06 has turned out to be an astute piece of business, becoming quite prolific and entering the winners enclosure no less than 10 times for her current owner. Her best performances have been in July and August of this year when she managed a pair of grade 2 wins in consecutive races, both at a mile and a quarter. Her winning speeds of firstly 104 and then a lifetime best 106 show she should hold chances here, but in my opinion the step down to this trip may not be in her favor, although that may be open to debate. Nice mare with some sort of chance but not enough to put me off Bad Scene.

4 yo mare

Testa Rossa x Danehill x Stage Door Johnny

13 runs 8 winms 2 seconds 2 thirds $519630

Looks a classy un to me. At first glance I discounted this ones chances, being ranked 4th in the sprint turf division and her last 2 runs both over 7 furlongs. As well as accomplishing grade 1 glory in her short career, this closer is also a stakes winner over this trip back in May this year with a 103. It just may be that 7 furlongs is too sharp for her now and in her last 2 races she has eaten up ground in the final furlong but with too much to do and unable to reach the leaders. This suggests a step up in trip is what was required and that makes her very interesting here. Im still sticking with Bad Scene, but it wouldnt surprise me to see everything falling into place with this one and her outclassing this field.

4 yo mare

Royal Academy x Kingmambo x Sadlers Wells

19 runs 5 wins 5 seconds 1 third $452234

Decent horse at best, but she is also the classic `in and out performer`. However it must be said there is a huge clue to why this is. In her last 9 races she has been campaigned only at 9 and 10 furlongs. Every time she goes over 9 she puts up good performances like 2 runs back when grabbing the runners up spot in a grade 1 with a lifetime best 112 yet every time she steps out over 10 she flops. If she were mine she would never go over 10 again, its obvious she doesn`t stay. However that gives her a big chance here and if she runs anywhere near her best she could put everything in trouble.

5 yo mare

Miswaki x El Gran Senor x Hail the Pirates

31 runs 10 wins 6 seconds 4 thirds $1134335

With a win percentage of 20.3 % and 1 in 2 of his runners getting placed, Given must be one of the top trainers in the sim. Whilst everything he runs must be respected i think its only fair to say that the 5/1 quote for this horse is based more on the trainers ability rather than the horses and quite frankly I give Whispering Sound very little chance. She was a winner of a grade 2 over this trip back at the end of April with a 105, but that was on good turf and she aint got that today. A grade 1 winner in the past, though that was over 18 months ago she would have to get back to that sort of form to take this. Lto led from trap to wire to win a nw2n allowance at Rhode Island with a 101, and that looks the level of her ability in her current form.

3 yo mare

Sadler`s Wells x Lure x Sharpen Up

18 runs 7 wins 2 seconds 2 thirds $438960

Baby of the field,has ability but appears quirky. Her best run came three runs back when runner up in a 3 yo grade 2 over this trip, getting herself a fair way behind before picking of all bar the winner up the straight, going under by 2 3/4 lengths and running a pb 105. Unfortunately for her this is tougher and she will need to rewrite her pb to just get involved here. When you consider she has ran 2 stinkers since that pb run it looks a task that is all too much. Not for me

A difficult race to call with 3 or 4 potential winners. Im sticking with Bad Scene to come out on top from Lindt in 2nd and Red Royal in 3rd.

3 to beat 5 with 6 in 3rd.