G1, Coxless Stakes: Can Demon Child repeat and defend his crown?

Victoria-AUS (VIC) Saturday, October 23, 2021 — 3:00:00 PM EST | Race ID : 2617930
Coxless Stakes
Grade I / Group 1*CPU – Purse : $3,000,000
Restricted to 3 Year Olds and Older
10 Furlongs | ~2000 Meters | One Mile and One Quarter	Firm Turf

We are headed down under to Victoria this weekend where we will see several Graded races headlining the card.  One such race will be the G1, Coxless Stakes which will be over the distance of 10 furlongs which is restricted to 3 year old and older horses.  The track is going to be Firm Turf at post time as the rain will bypass the track and not roll in as previously expected.  This appears to be a tough field of entries for Saturday’s race and we should see a good battle coming down the stretch for the wire.  The odds have now been set and the post positions have been drawn, so let us now take a look and quick preview of the horses that are entered in the G1, Coxless Stakes here in Victoria.

1

DEMON CHILD

AUS

5M

crawf682

N Dodds

23

9

70%

$4,893,005

384.00

9/2

Coming out of the first gate we will see this 5 year old Bay Horse who scratch bred (PIERRO (AUS) x HARBINGER x MONTJEU) that in twenty-three prior starts has found the boards in sixteen of his races.  He is a multiple Graded winner and is coming back this year to defend his title in the Coxless Stakes.  He has been running fairly well this season going 10 furlongs in his races, but did have a difficult trip his last time out.  The owner had taken his horse to Illinois to run on 08/14/2021 in the G1, Windy City Turf Classic.  He broke from the rail but could never find his footing out of the gate and turned in a 100 speed rating as he crossed the wire way back in thirteenth.  He looks to rebound from that poor effort as he returns to Victoria to see if he can defend his crown as he won here last year with a perfect trip.  In the saddle for this race on Saturday we will see jockey, N Dodds in the saddle who is coming in from New Jersey.  He has been up top with this horse in his last two trips to the track and will get the call again to see if he can bring this horse to the wire first as they go out representing the East-West Connection residency.

2

KING OF HVAR

JPN

4M

deyoto6

GD Mate

16

3

50%

$1,999,014

64.13

6/1

Coming out next will be this 4 year old Bay Colt sired by King Kamehameha who has sixteen prior starts with eight hits on the boards in his races.  He is a multiple Grade One winner, with his most recent win coming back in May in the G1, Tattersalls Gold in Ireland.  He ran here in the Coxless Stakes last year and showed up in ninth at the wire and is coming back to see if he can improve on that this Saturday.  His most recent trip to the track came on 08/14/2021 in Surrey where he traveled 10.5 furlongs in the G1, Judgemont International. He made some effort in his stretch run which would get him a fourth place finish at the wire with a 116 speed rating.  The owner looks to find a little improvement for his horse on Saturday and is calling in familiar jockey, GD Mate from New Zealand to saddle up in the paddock with his horse.  This pair has worked well together in the past and seek another good trip when they break from their gate representing the Midas residency.

3

FROZENS

KY

4M

jarrod4

K Ledwith

18

2

28%

$203,225

1.00

18/1

Next we will see this 4 year old Bay Colt that was sired by Keen Ice who in eighteen starts has found the boards in five of his races.  He has a couple of G2 starts in his career but has never finished better than fifth in those attempts.  His most recent trip to the track came on 09/19/2021 when he went 10.5 furlongs in Paris in a Listed Stakes, Roidazoid Turf Route.  In his stretch run he lost a little ground and ended up crossing the wire in fourth with a 109 speed rating.  He will be taking a big jump in Class here in Victoria and will get the services of jockey, K Ledwith from Japan to come in and take the ride up top.  This jockey will need to find a little more fire in the legs of this colt when they break from their gate representing the East-West Connection residency.

4

WORPEDO

IRE

4M

deyoto8

W Desantis

18

4

61%

$490,025

33.53

7/1

This is a 4 year old Bay Colt that was sired by Camelot who has eighteen prior starts and has eleven hits to the boards.  He has been running well this season since being moved back to the turf.  This horse’s three most recent outings have all been at the Graded level and he has hit the boards in all three of those starts, but a trip to the winners circle has eluded him.  His most recent start came on 09/25/2021 when he ran 11 furlongs across a yielding turf track in Japan in the G2, Spankie-Sho All Comers.  He held his ground in second until he got into the final stretch where is lost a spot and crossed the wire in third with a 118 speed rating.  For the race here in Victoria the owner is calling upon jockey, W Desantis from Kentucky to come in and take the trip with his colt.  This horse has some speed and I look for him to break quick and head towards the front when the go out on Saturday representing the Midas residency.

5

HIGHLAND EMPIRE

IRE

5G

desertdog10

K Proehl

25

8

44%

$1,328,952

76.00

9/2

Next we will see this 5 year old Bay Gelding who was sired by Highland Reel who in twenty-five starts has found the boards in eleven of his races.  He is a multiple G2 winner and found his most recent win at that level back in January of this year when he got up for nice win in California in the G2, Marcos Footwear Handicap.  His most recent trip to the track came on 09/05/2021 when he went 10 furlongs in Ireland in the G1, The Champion Stakes.  He ran fairly flat in that race but did manage to cross the wire in fifth with a 113 speed rating.  He comes to Victoria still in search of his first G1 win and he will get that opportunity to try and find it with jockey, K Proehl from Oregon who is flying in to take the mount on this trip.  In his best races this horse likes to linger just off the lead before turning into the stretch.  This is where I expect to see him running if he has a good trip when they break from their post draw representing the All-Stars Racing residency.

6

STARSTRUCK SHIMMER

JPN

5M

dicko5

S Dubrich

35

7

54%

$264,671

1.00

33/1

Here we have a 5 year old Bay Horse that was sired by Heart’s Cry that in thirty-five races has nineteen hits on the boards.  It appears this horse was Claimed back in June of this season and when he came back out for his first race under new ownership he got up for a win going 5 furlongs here in Victoria.  He was then sent back out for his most recent trip to the track on 08/08/2021 in New Zealand where he again went 5 furlongs in a Listed Stakes, Pj Nordic Dawn Turf Special.  He had a rough trip that day and was never a factor when he crossed the wire in ninth with a 92 speed rating.  He will be going off as one of the longer choices in the morning line on Saturday and is taking a big jump in distance and in Class.  He will have much to prove and needs to show much improvement to be competitive in this tough field.  He gets the services of jockey, S Dubrich who the owner found over in the jocks room seeking a ride in this race.  This pair will saddle up and come out in the post parade to the cheers of an excited crowd. 

7

YARRAVILLE JUSTICE

KY

5G

pasm

T Ace

28

11

68%

$1,420,716

204.00

13/1

Next out we have this 5 year old Brown Gelding that was sired by Awesome Again who has found the boards nineteen times in his twenty-eight career starts.  He found a G1 win back in March of this season here in Victoria when he went 10 furlongs in the G1, Sydney Cup.  His most recent trip was on 09/10/2021 in British Columbia where he went 9.5 furlongs in a Listed Stakes, Orthoclase Turf Route of which he went gate to wire to pick up the win by two and had a 114 speed rating.  He was then shipped here to Victoria where he ran a little workout at 4.5 furlongs of which he breezed home against much lesser.  The owner feels his horse is now ready for Saturday’s race and has called upon familiar jockey, T Ace from Texas to come in and take this trip with his horse.  This horse likes to be at or near the front in his best outings and that is where I would expect this jockey to take him when they break from their post draw representing the Universal Racing Club residency.

8

SANCHO BOW

AUS

3M

deyoto10

R Dogs

12

5

50%

$2,559,470

320.00

19/1

This is a 3 year old Bay Colt that was sired by No Nay Never who in twelve starts has found six hits on the boards in his races.  This horse is a multiple G1 winner and his most recent of those was when he got up going 8 furlongs in Newmarket back in May in the G1, The 2000 Guineas.  His most recent trip to the track came on 08/08/2021 when he went 9 furlongs in New York in the G2, The Hall Of Fame.  He was over twelve back and in tenth at the third call, but he found a new gear coming down the stretch and just missed the wire first by a quarter and placed second with a 111 speed rating.  He is moving up to face some older horses here in Victoria and he needs to show that big closing speed once again.  He and other late closers could get an advantage here with several horses up front that could be battling for the lead and pushing the pace.  The owner is calling in a regular jockey to his colt when R Dogs who is a local fan favorite hops back in the saddle with this horse to take the trip.  Look for this horse to close late in this field if he is to be a factor when they head out to the turf representing the Midas residency.

9

AUTUMN HOLIDAYS

AUS

3M

home

J Harzheim

11

3

64%

$116,567

5.25

65/1

Coming out next will be the longest choice in the morning line.  He is a 3 year old Bay Colt that was sired by The Autumn Sun who has found the boards seven times in his eleven starts.  He is coming into the race here in Victoria off of two straight Allowance wins on the turf, but he has never raced against Graded company before in any of his prior starts.  His last trip to the track came on 09/16/2021 in Louisiana where he went 9 furlongs in a $43800 NW3L Allowance.  He was much the best that day has he turned for home in his stretch run to get up by two at the wire and a 106 speed rating which is his career high.  This horse will have much to prove on Saturday as he comes out to the turf in his first Graded attempt as he jumps up in Class and against older and more experienced contenders.  The owner is calling in jockey, J Harzheim from Tasmania to come in and saddle up with his colt in the paddock this Saturday.  The jockey will need to find all the extra he can get out of his ride when they break from their post draw representing the East-West Connection residency.

10

PRINCE CROSSING

IRE

4M

nexty

N Bonus

19

6

74%

$1,500,409

210.00

5/1

This is a 4 year old Bay Colt sired by Workforce who in nineteen starts has found the boards in fourteen of his trips.  He picked up a nice win back in May going 10 furlongs in the G2, Kinsho Cho Classic in Japan.  He was then sent back out in June going 10 furlongs in Berkshire in the G1, The Eclipsed Stakes where he got up for another nice win.  Then came his most recent race which was on 08/14/2021 when he ran in Illinois going 10 furlongs in the G1, Windy City Turf Classic.  He was trying to get there in this race but he missed hitting the boards when he crossed the wire in fourth with a 113 speed rating.  He is coming here now to Victoria and the owner would love to see his horse back on the boards in this race.  He is calling in a familiar jockey to this horse in N Bonus from Illinois who rode this horse the last time out.  This jockey gets the call to try and get this closer back on the boards and get another good trip out of him when they take to the turf representing the Empire State Racing residency.

11

SOLDIER OF FREEDOM

GER

4M

loki

A Weldon

22

3

50%

$165,789

12.00

17/1

Next coming out will be this 4 year old Bay Colt who is a scratch bred (SOLDIER HOLLOW x SADLER’S WELLS x SEEKING THE GOLD) who in twenty-two career starts has hit the boards in eleven of his races.  He is an Allowance winning horse that does have a few Listed and Graded stakes starts, but thus far has not been able to hit the boards in any of those races with his best finish being fourth.  This horse has ran most all of his races this season at the distance of 10 furlongs and thus the distance should not be his biggest challenge in this race in Victoria.  We last saw this horse hit the track on 09/16/2021 when he went 10 furlongs in Germany in a $48700 NW4L Allowance.  He ran a pretty steady stride in that race and finished up in second with a 102 speed rating.  He now comes to Victoria where he will be taking a leap back up in Class and will be looking to hit the boards for the first time at the Graded level.  The owner is calling in jockey, A Weldon from Arkansas to fly in and take the ride with his colt.  This jockey is going to need to find a good trip and perhaps a heavy whip when they turn for home representing the Hoosier Racing residency.

12

TROPICAL BREEZZZ

IRE

4G

kingranch

F Gossett

16

5

87%

$185,040

11.00

11/1

Out next will be this 4 year old Bay Gelding who is a scratch bred (AUSTRALIA x MACHIAVELLIAN x KRIS S.) who in sixteen starts has struck the boards in fourteen of his races.  This gelding knows how to travel this 10 furlong distance, but has yet to find a Listed or Grade win in his attempts.  His most recent trip to the track came on 09/27/2021 when he went 10 furlongs in a Local Championship Stakes in Ireland on the dirt.  He was able to cross the wire in third in that race with a 107 speed rating.  This horse has shown he can travel equally well on the dirt and turf, but he will need to show some extra fire power when he gets here to Victoria for Saturday’s race.  The owner is going to be calling in jockey, F Gossett from California to saddle up with his horse and try to guide him with a competitive effort. This horse is taking a big leap back up in Class here on Saturday and will need to be at the top of his game when they come out of the paddock to the cheers of an excited crowd.

13

NO LOGIC HERE

AUS

5G

gwsgiants6

W Thomas

27

3

48%

$114,277

3.00

29/1

Here we have a 5 year old Bay Gelding that was sired by Apologia that in twenty-seven starts has finished on the boards in thirteen of his races.  He is one of the longer choices in the morning line and I do not find any Listed or Graded starts in his racing history.  It also appears that he may have been picked up at auction earlier this season and is now racing under new ownership.  His only start under the new owner came when he ran on 08/11/2021 going 7.5 furlongs here in Victoria in a $48700 NW4L Allowance of which he hit the wire in fifth place with a 101 speed rating.  This horse will need to show a little more speed in those legs when he come back out here in Victoria this Saturday.  The jockey who will take the mount in this race will be W Thomas who is a local jockey here in Victoria that was seeking a ride in this race.  They will saddle up together in the paddock and get final instructions before they head out to the turf to the cheers of an exited crowd.

14

FLINTA

KY

4M

trapper97

T Redding

13

4

62%

$355,437

42.00

12/1

Breaking from the far outside gate will be this 4 year old Bay Colt that was sired by Flintshire who has thirteen prior starts and has found the boards in eight of his races.  He is a multiple G3 winner and he found one of those wins in his most recent start on 09/12/2021 in Germany going 10 furlongs in the G3, The Cup of Europe.  He stayed just off the leaders throughout this race and when they turned into the top of the stretch coming home he found a new gear and got to the wire first winning by over three lengths with a 112 speed rating.  The owner now turns his eye on Victoria for his colt and is calling in jockey, T Redding from Norway who rode this colt in his most recent start.  They will be seeking another good performance together after their most recent G3 win.  This horse has been doing well in his last two starts and he looks to prove and improve when they hit the turf on Saturday representing the Blazing Saddles residency.

Good luck to all owners and horses!

Skippy’s Watch List

1-Demon Child: Can he rebound after that last start and defend his crown in the Coxless Stakes?

4-Worpedo:  His recent starts have looked nice.  Will he be a threat here in Victoria?

10-Prince Crossing:  Seems to like the distance.  Will he like coming back to the EAAA tracks?

Tarton’s Long Shot

14-Flinta:  This horse has given good effort in his two most recent starts and has been showing some improved speed.  The owner is moving him back up in Class for another shot at a G1 win and I see nothing wrong with giving this horse that opportunity.  But at 12/1 in the morning line I will be looking for a spot on some of my exotic tickets when I head to the betting windows on Saturday.