Bertrando Handicap Attracts Full Field

The highlight race, and the fifteenth race on this weekend’s race card here in Hong Kong will be the Bertrando Handicap (G2). The prestigious race is held over a mile and one eighth on the dirt and is open to all horses of four years of age or older. The weather has been wonderful here early in the week, without a cloud in the sky, it looks that the track well most likely be listed as firm at post time this Saturday. This years Bertrando Handicap has drawn a full field of fourteen horses. Lets take a look at this years contenders in the Bertrando Handicap.

Drawing the inside post position is Specimen X (Fusaichi Pegasus x Northern Dancer x Seattle Slew), who is owned by peeps4, owner of Cobra Kai Racing Stables. The five year old chestnut horse has been lightly raced throughout his racing career with a total of eighteen career starts. Six of these races have ended in wins, along with five finishes in the second place position. All of these races in which the colt finished in the money were over the dirt. His most recent start came in the ten furlong California Handicap (G1) last month. The horse finished eighth this race after being rated back in sixth. The colt recorded a speed figure of one hundred eight. However, the horses four previous starts all resulted in finishes in the money for the chestnut.

Favorite Malachi Constant (Cozzene x Storm Cat x Danehill), who is owned by ih8u, owner of Kaif Stables is next in the field. This impressive light gray five year old has had a total of twenty-six career starts so far during his lifetime. Seven of these starts have ended in victory for the colt and almost all of these have come over a dirt track. Six of these wins were over the dirt, though the horse has also won once over the turf track. His most recent start came last month in Dubai during the ten furlong Sand Castle Classic (G1). Here the horse came out of the gate and was held back near the rear of the field in eleventh. He battled between eleventh and twelfth up until the stretch where the gray horse was urged forward to challenge the other horses. He didn’t get quite the trip he was looking for going through the middle of the track splitting horses and crossed the wire in eighth, setting a speed figure of one hundred seven. Despite his poor performance in this race, the horse hasn’t finished out of the money in his last thirteen races prior to the Sand Castle Classic.

In at post position number three will be Change Your Mind (Consolidator x Polish Numbers x Bold Commander), who is trained by slowhand, owner of The Evil Empire. The four year old chestnut colt has been lightly raced with a total of just fourteen lifetime career starts. The colt has finished in the money in nine of his lifetime starts, five of which have ended in wins. All of the colts in the money finishes have come over the dirt. The colts most recent start came last month in the listed Rock’s Texas Cooking Series. The colt came out of the gate slowly and didn’t make his move until late in the stretch. A little late in being urged to make his move the colt finished just out of the money in sixth, recording one of his lowest speed figures in recent times, a ninety-eight. Previous to this however, the colt finished on the board in his four previous starts, three of these starts were wins, though none in a graded race. The colts best finish in a graded start was a second place finish late last year in the Mountainous Derby (G2).

At morning line odds of 16/1 is Intergalactic (Aptitude x Unbridled x Sadler’s Wells), who is owned by eddie72, owner of The Eddie Empire. The bay five year old has had a total of twenty-three lifetime starts and career earnings amounting up to $1,373,265. The horse has won seven of her twenty-three starts, all of which have come over a dirt track. Her most recent start came early last month in the nine and a half furlong listed Tout Ou Rien Handicap overseas in Vermont. The horse took off out of the gate in seventh and never made any headway in the race, finishing seventh, very fatigued at the wire. The horse didn’t get his run here in Vermont, finishing with a speed figure of four. Despite this uncharacteristic start, the colt has been quite accomplished during his racing career. His last win came in the Gotta Fix The Sprinklers Classic (G1) last year.

Next is Creepy Mesa (Sky Mesa x Green Dancer x Woodman), who is out of the graded placed dam Creepy Dancer, and is owned and trained by darthblur, owner of Ace Stables. The four year old bay colt has been lightly raced like many of the horses in today’s field with a total of just seventeen lifetime starts. The colt has won six times in his career, and though most of the wins, five of them, have come over the dirt, the colt has also won once going over the turf. His most recent start came last month in Ireland during the St. Pats Legacy (G2). Here the colt was held back out of the gate an ran along on the inside in ninth. He quickly was urged forward to go after other horses and found himself in fourth at the turn and going into the stretch. He made his move in the stretch, sprinting ahead of his competition, winning the eight furlong race by one and a half lengths with an impressive speed figure of one hundred eighteen.

Following will be Unsecure Account (Machiavellian x Green Desert x Nureyev), who is owned and trained by super11, owner of More Evil Than The Evil Empire. This six year old chestnut horse is one of the older horses entered into this Saturday’s race. Despite his six years of age he has been lightly raced with a total of thirty-five lifetime starts. Ten of these starts ended in wins for the chestnut colt. All of his wins have occurred over the dirt. His most recent start came last month in Montana on the sloppy dirt track of the listed Son Doc Cap where the horse finished ninth after running the majority of the race held back in seventh. The horse recorded a speed figure of ninety-seven for this start.

Drawing gate number seven is Thksgingivitis (IRE) (Theatrical (IRE) x Forty Niner x Secretariat), who is out of the multiple Grade 1 winning dam Gingivitis, and is owned and trained by amybab2, owner of Dentition Stables. The five year old bay horse has a total of twenty-five career starts, of which eight have ended in wins for the bay horse. All of the horses on the board finishes have come over a dirt track. The horses most recent start came last month in Louisiana in the nine furlong Saints Handicap (G3) where the horse finished second after breaking out of the gate in fifth and then being rated in fourth until he was urged forward in the stretch. The horse is fairly new to the scene of graded races, with only five stakes races under his belt to date, and only one of these being a graded stakes.

9/1 shot Non Negative (A.P. Indy x Gone West x Alydar), who is out of the graded placed dam Opcon Only, and is trained by mook, owner of Opcon Stables will follow. The four year old bay colt has been lightly raced throughout his career with a total of just sixteen races. Eight of these races have ended in wins for the striking bay colt. Thirteen of these starts, including the colts eight wins, have ended with the colt finishing on the board, leaving the colt only three races in which he did not finish in the top three of the race. His most recent start came in the eleven furlong listed Hollow Land Memorial in Malaysia where the colt broke out of the gate in fifth and was held back in that position until the turn where he was urged forward and started to make a slow move on the inside on the front runners. The colt ended up winning the race going away by three and a half lengths with a speed figure recorded of one hundred seven. Previous to a second place finish when he was edged out by a nose in a photo finish during the Warsaw Classic (G3), the colt had managed to win four races in a row. This could be the horse to watch this Saturday, as he has not finished off the board in his last eight starts.

Next up in the field will be Atlantis King (Dixieland Band x Unbridled x Avatar), who is out of the stakes placed dam Smart Chase, and is trained by crown, owner of Tulloch Stables. The four year old Kentucky-bred colt has been lightly raced with a total of fifteen career starts. The colt has won a total of four of his races, three of these coming over a dirt track. However, the colt has also recorded a win over the turf once in his racing career. His most recent start came last month in the Winchester Cup (G3) over eight furlongs. Here the colt broke out of the gate and was held back near the rear of the field in twelfth. He was urged forward to make his move in the turn and crossed the wire in fourth at the end of the race with a speed figure of one hundred seven. Almost all of his most recent races, with the exception of a single allowance start, have ended with the colt finishing on the board. The colt also seems to be very apt at running on the slop, with two out of his last three off-track races resulted in wins.

In at odds of 13/1 is Fizzup (Strodes Creek x Little Current x Taufan), who is owned by whisper2k6, owner of Whisper Stables. The striking light gray five year old horse has been lightly raced with just seventeen races taking place so far in his racing career. Seven of these races ended in victory for the light gray. Six of these wins came over a dirt track, though the colt has also proved successful once of the turf. The horses most recent start came in February during an eight and a half furlong allowance caliber start in Spain where the colt won the race by a length and a half with a recorded speed figure of one hundred twelve after setting just off the pace in second for the entire race until he made his move to challenge in the stretch. If the colt wins again this weekend he will go on record with three consecutive wins, with the colt also winning another allowance caliber start previously in spain the month before his February start. The disadvantage for the horse may be that he has never started in a stakes or graded stakes race ever in his career. Though he may not win, this may be an interesting horse to watch to see how he adapts to the step up in class.

Following will be the well-known Ataun (Gone West x Sadler’s Wells x Blushing Groom (FR)), who is proudly owned and trained by palmisland, owner of Rafa Stables. This four year old Kentucky-bred colt has been lightly raced throughout his racing career with a total of just nineteen lifetime starts. The colt has won six o these starts, all of them coming over the dirt. In addition to the colts six wins, the colt has also accumulated lifetime earnings of $2,875,670 during his career to date. His most recent start came early last month in the ten furlong California Handicap (G1). Here the bay colt came out of the gate slow, but quickly began to challenge other horses and pass them up on the inside. The colt ultimately finished fifth in the race, just in the money with a speed figure of one hundred eleven. Despite many valiant efforts and top notch speed figures lately, the colt has not won a graded race since last years Bluegrass Derby (G1), though he has consistently finished in the money in nearly every race since.

Next will be Paul The Apostle (Dixieland Band x Unbridled x The Axe II), and is trained and owned by theprofit5, owner of Coomer3 Stables. This colt will be going off as the longshot of Saturday’s race with morning line odds of 27/1. The brown four year old has been lightly raced with a total of fourteen career starts. Five of these starts have ended in wins for the Kentucky-bred colt, along with three second place finishes and three finishes in the show position. The colts most recent start came last month during a ten furlong allowance caliber start in California where the colt won going away by an impressive five lengths after stalking the front-runners the entire race and setting a speed figure of ninety-five. The colt also won his previous start, another allowance caliber start, this time in Arizona. Should the colt win again this coming weekend, it would be his third consecutive win following these two races. However, the colts last start in a graded stakes, the Bad To The Bone Mile (G1) ended with the colt finishing in fourteenth. Perhaps with a little more seasoning the colt will put in a better performance this weekend.

Next is Well Played Ted (IRE) (Theatrical x Well Decorated x Green Dancer), who is owned by pick6, owner of Tsyndicate Stables. This four year old Irish-bred colt has had a total of twenty-five lifetime starts so far in his racing career. Of these, the colt has won three of his starts, all of these wins coming over a dirt track. His most recent start came last month in Texas during the mile long listed Rock’s Texas Cooking Series where the colt took off out of the gate in eighth where he was held for the majority of the race. The colt never made his move however, and was caught up in the calvary charge down the stretch and ultimately finished a disappointing eleventh with a speed figure of ninety-five. Though perhaps a little inconsistent, the colt can get the job done, though he has yet to do so during a stakes race recently. His last on the board finish during a stakes race came during the middle of last year during the Buckeye Derby (G2), where the colt finished second. Perhaps the colts may return to this form this coming weekend.

Settling for the far outside post position will be Borzakovski (The Cliff’s Edge x Danzig x Habitat), who is out of the Grade I winning dam Traba, and is trained by laxe, owner of Fernando Empire. The four year old chestnut colt has had a total of twenty-five lifetime starts so far in his racing career. Of these starts the chestnut has won a total of five of them, with all of these wins coming over the dirt. His most recent start came last month in the Pablo Cruz Handicap (G3) over seven furlongs in North California. The colt broke out of the gate in eighth and had moved up into sixth in the turn. The colt faltered in the stretch however and crossed the wire in eighth with a speed figure of one hundred five. Though somewhat hit and miss throughout his career, the chestnut colt can get the job done, his most recent eye-opener coming in a second place finish in the Narrowly Missed Stakes (G3) where he recorded a speed figure of one hundred twelve.