Eleven Fillies and Mares Slip Away in the $100,000 ESR Across the Universe Stakes

A filed of Eleven Older Fillies and mares will occupy the Big Apple starting gate for the $100,000 ESR Across the Universe Stakes.  The race will be run at Seven Furlongs over the Turf Course.

TITAN’S MOON – a win in the 7-furlong ESR Monster Stakes and second place finish in the ESR Spy Stakes back in 2018 for the 5-Year Old Bay Mare by Sea the Moon certainly identifies the casino trained ENG-bred as a major player in the Saturday ESR feature;  the non-winner of two in a year is making her third start off a recent freshening however recent form suggests she might have gotten a step slower in her fourth year of racing…chance off best

I TOOK THE DEAL – I’d be splitting hairs if I said this 6 Year Old Bay Mare by Sebring was better on Dirt or Turf, Sprinting or Routing, she’s achieved great success in all aspects of racing; the jetman trainee has spent her last nine starts racing around two turns and her return to a 7-furlong sprint, a distance that she has rewarded her connections with 2 stakes wins and a 3^rd place finish in the G3 Natural Spring Stakes, should find her at her very best…gotta like this deal

FRUITY PEBBLES – with visions of Fred and Barney foot pedaling their way to Bedrock Downs, I will cast aside the idea that Dino is entered in the ESR feature and focus on the  irisharse trained 4 Year Old Brown Filly by Here Comes Ben; the lightly raced New York-bred enters the field off an Allowance victory against the opposite sex at the Local level following a 4-month layoff; her previous start was a razor sharp performance against Open Company rivals in the G2 Quote The Raven Stakes where she pressured the leader into the stretch before succumbing to  .22 – 44:41 -1:08:1 fractions…leave her out of the exotics?…NEVERMORE

SUPER COOL PARTY – at first glance I wouldn’t consider this 5 Year Old Bay Mare by Distorted Humor, a non-winner of a race in nine months, however it was about this time last year when the spinround trained KY-bred took off, hitting the board in 5 consecutive starts, including two victories, one of them coming in the 7.5-furlong Endowment Turf Mare Special; returning to the Turf after two successive Dirt appearances heightens my curiosity and connections seem to have a knack for running big in Rez races…could surprise

MOON SNOW – the nextbonus trained 4-Year Old Bay Filly by Malibu Moon was an easy circle for me and a must use in every betting format; the KY-bred standout hasn’t seen an Allowance race in over a year and has made a name for herself in nine consecutive Stakes appearances recording victories in the Dive Dirt Filly Sprint, the Stormy Kasey Dirt Filly Sprint, and the 7-furlong Vast Pinkie Turf Mare Dash which came in her last start; toss in a 3^rd place finish in the G2 Quote The Raven, a generous 6-1 odds, and you have your play of the day…one to beat

CAPTAIN SNITZEL – it’s no secret the cadet connections were high on the AUS sire Snitzel; his success with GENERAL SNITZELand CORPORAL SNITZEL, to name a few, speak for themselves, but this 4-Year Old Roan Filly from a Kitten’s Joy mare has struggled to achieve the same level of success; although her 12-16 ITM record is accomplished, her struggles at the stakes level have stamped her as a good Allowance horse; the late closer could excel with the turnback in distance, but it will take a career best to record her first stakes victory…must show more

PUNKIN TAPRAY –connections have a long history of spacing races at least 2 months apart for this 5-Year Old Light Grey Mare by Tapit, so it is curious that the ace stables wheel this KY-bred right back 3 weeks after her start in the ESR Earth Day Handicap, perhaps her poorest start in almost two years; seven of her last eight starts have come around two turns, the exception, a second place photo finish in the 7.5 furlong Seeking Glory Turf Mare Sprint; there is enough intrigue here arouse my damned if I do, damned if I don’t bewilderment…your call

ALONE TOGETHER – I’d be hard pressed to say I thought my 5 Year Old Bay Mare by Bernardini could wire this field, there is plenty of early speed in here and her inability to take a non-winners of two in nine months field gate to wire in her last start makes me even more skeptical…happy with part

EXCITABLE EXCHANGE – you have to admire the tenacity of this 5-Year Old Bay Mare by Boisterous and the foresight of the sremel connections to pluck this California-bred out of a $7.5 claimer and turn her into a stakes winner with over $300k in earnings; exiting out of the G3 Las Vegas Handicap, expect the Golden State representative to be quick from the gate and make her presence felt during the early going; this Mare has well exceeded expectations so don’t sell her short here…chance off last

SWORD QUEEN – look at the past performances, see a horse that is patiently handlesd through her conditions, and there is a good chance you are handicapping a kingab trainee; steadily going through her progressions the  4 Year Old Bay Filly by Giant’s Causeway recorded her fourth straight victory and her first stakes victory in her stakes debut in the Triple Crown Hopes Turf Filly Dash while posting a career best 113 speed figure; given a 2-week layoff following that start, the talented KY-bred likely needed a start coming up short in her 2020 debut in the Kepler Twin Turf Mare Sprint; it will be interesting to see her compete level when racing outside the comfort of 7.5 furlongs, but if there is a graded win in her future, Saturday’s feature would be the place to start…dangerous

THE BIRDS CHOICE – so often does it happen that a horse gives you just enough knocking at the door at the stakes level that you keep entering it right back at that level and before you know it a year has gone by when you realize the horse is winless in 12 months, such is the case of the lbailey trained 5 Year Old Bay Mare by Birdstone; another in the field with good early foot, but the doors been closed a long tome for this KY-bred Mare…say uncle

HANDICAPPING THE FIELD

Major Players:  I TOOK THE DEALis one of two Graded winners in this field.  Although she is making her 27^th start, she still races at a high compete level and gets a big chance here turning back to 7-furlongs. MOON SNOW is racing at a high level right now, entered at her best distance, and looks to have bigger wins on her radar.  SWORD QUEEN might be this good, however getting to the next level might require two turns.

Don’t Overlook: FRUITY PEBBLESand EXCITABLE EXCHANGE have far exceeded expectations deserve consideration in this field.

On the Fence: TITAN’S MOONand PUNKIN TAPRAY might have put their best races behind them.  Either could easily take down this field on their best day.  SUPER COOL PARTY would look a lot more attractive at double digit odds, but 6-1 is a bit of an underlay in my book.

Grasping at Straws: THE BIRDS CHOICEand CAPTAIN SNITZEL must show more.  ALONE TOGETHER will need a gas stop before she hits the wire.

The PICKS: 

MOON SNOW – this one is hard to bet against

I TOOK THE DEAL – betting this one has another big one in her and I love the turnback

FRUITY PEBBLES – I’m a Lucky Charms man myself, but Leprechauns scare the bejesus out of me