The BIAGI DESERT Memorial

A small field of five three year old colts will run in the featured race this week in the District of Columbia. They will go seven furlongs on the dirt course in this ungraded stakes and the winner will take home $21,000 of the $35,000 purse. Seek De Lago(AUS) will be a heavy 3/5 favorite.

1- MOORISH MUJAHID(ENG) 7-2-1-0 L Peters 9/2

Stable orignal MUJAHID x KALDOUN(FR) x SHARPEN UP(GB)

Moorish Mujahid(ENG) is out of the grade “G” mare Cool Moors(FR) who has had three foals (two winners, one graded winner). She dominated in turf routes, but her first son is already 0 for 3 on the turf and he failed miserably last time out in his first career turf route. So his connections bring him back to a dirt sprint, where he has locked up both of his career wins. He comes in off of a 9.5 furlong turf race just two weeks ago and I do not think he will fire on all cylinders, so I would steer clear of him at the windows.

2- JUST JUMPIN(KY) 1-0-1-0 O Selby 10/1

Stable mises JOHANNESBURG x SILVER DEPUTY x CURE THE BLUES

It is always hard to judge how a maiden with only one career race will run in stakes, because we rarely see such a thing in anything but the two year old stakes. This is Mises’s first career stakes entrant and I am assuming he saw a small field within a shippable distance and figured he would give a stakes race a shot with the best bred horse in his stable. The horse was actually given to him by the NAG and it ran fairly well in its first race. This field is small, but it is a major stretch for Just Jumpin(KY) to compete on Saturday.

3- SEEK DE LAGO(AUS) 7-5-1-0 T Howard 3/5

Stable shorblue ENCOSTA DE LAGO (AUS) x SEEKING THE GOLD x HALO

Seek De Lago(AUS) is based on the twenty time winning, grade “C” he mare Seek The Halo. Seek The Halo was 7 for 8 as a two year old (all sprints), but he only won once more in a sprint after his freshman campaign. Seek De Lago(AUS) was 5 for 6 last year (all sprints), and he probably has the ability and pedigree to mature into the route distances in the near future. His connections bring him back to seven furlongs after he went a mile last time and finished sixth. He is one 1 for 1 at seven furlongs and is a worthy favorite, because he has shown that he can consistently post a mid-90s SP.

4- ALLEY CAT WAY(KY) 5-2-1-0 A Scheper 7/2

Stable noles02 FLOWER ALLEY x STORM CAT x AFLEET

Alley Cat Way(KY)’s connections are wisely guiding him back to the seven furlong distance, where he had the best race of his career. He loves to come from the back of the pack and I would not be surprised to see him spot the leader eight lengths before he makes a move on Saturday. If he gets a good trip and can make it through traffic, he should have no problem improving on the 93 SP that he ran at this distance last December and if he does improve on that race he will be a major factor Saturday.  

5- BARB’S GOT CLASS(IRE) 7-3-0-2 L Jenkins 5/1

Stable sprintbarn NIGHT SHIFT x ESSENCE OF DUBAI x SEEKING THE GOLD

Barb’s Got Class(IRE) will make his three year old debut on Saturday, after a most successful two year old campaign. His most recent race was an 88 SP at 6.5 furlongs in the Del Penn Juvy Sprint, where he finished fifth, but was only beaten 2.25 lengths. He has constantly improved his SPs throughout his career and has only finished completely out of the picture in one of his seven career races. He finished eleventh last July in his only Grade 1 attempt, the Hoserhead Juvenile in British Columbia. Coincidentally, that is the only time he ever tried the seven furlong distance, so it will be interesting to see if he can handle it here on Saturday. He is based on the grade “F” he mare Barb’s Mule Skinner, who locked down all three of his wins in dirt sprints.

FINAL ANALYSIS

To be honest, this is not a great betting race. Seek De Lago(AUS) (#3) should win the race and pay about $3.20 on a two dollar bet. The #4 Alley Cat Way(KY) is the second choice on the board a 7/2 and I think he is the only one that can possibly catch the #3.