Big Race Preveiw 3469
This time of year is light on grade one events. Just one race this week for older horses going one mile on the dirt. It is a very competitive and interesting field which marks the 2008 debut of Awesome Force one of the top three year olds from last year. The Middle Jewel and New Yorker winner tackles a field of lightly raced and explosive runners in what looks to be a very quickly run mile.
Race:
Track:
Restrictions: All horses, 4 years old and up
Distance: One mile on the Dirt
This is a very strong group of milers led by Who Do You Love. Who Do You Love has four straight 112+ speed figures on the past performances. With just twelve career starts for Who Do You Love the future looks very bright. He has yet to win a graded race however if you want to beat him you better bring your “A” game. He shoots for the lead and plays catch me if you can and it will probably take a monster effort to get by him this weekend. He has been caught in the late stages of his last few races but given his level of effort recently he will not be giving that lead up with out a fight.
There will be several runners chasing from off the pace. Kinlochleven is an interesting runner that has only won in races under a mile. He has an impressive seven wins from eleven starts in long distance sprints. Much of his recent success comes at a distance a half a furlong short of a mile. He does have a run at a mile and it was a very solid effort early in his career so the mile distance will not be a factor. Two back he ran a 120 speed figure so he can run the type of freakish speed figure capable of winning this race. Look for him mid pack early and flying late.
Manius The Mighty has really come along in his last few races. He was slow to get rolling early in his career where he was pretty mediocre as a three year old. He really started to come into his own in the last seven months of last year and when he cut back in distance in his last three he has responded with three straight 110+ speed figures winning two and just missing in the other. His last was a strong effort in a grade three event earning a 117 speed figure. He does cut back a half furlong in distance but his stalking style could benefit from a little less distance. He should be well placed early and if good enough have the opportunity to pounce the early pace and hold off the closers.
The class of the race is Awesome Force. He took two of the three big races for three year olds the Middle Jewel and the New Yorker. He has five grade one wins in his career thus far. His career path has been well managed. After what seems like a lot of races at age two, eight, he ran a well managed ten races at three. If he does not succeed at four it is not because his career path was not well managed by his trainer. Last time out he was fifth at the Breeder’s Bowl Classic which is a good run. This is his four year old debut so he may not be looking for a top effort here just a good run to get him prepared for the upcoming classic races. He will be way back early and if he is ready for a big effort he might redefine the term closing kick.
Staff Trouble is another lightly raced four year old. He has a nice record and last time out finished just ahead of our favorite earning a 119 speed figure in the Delaware Mile. He does not have a history of those type efforts so despite the great run last time there is probably some doubt about his ability to consistently put up that kind of effort. He is young so he could be plenty capable of that type effort again. He is a stalker that did not let the pace get away from him last time out. He was only four lengths off the early pace and got beat by a deep closer.