NOTHING SHORT ABOUT THE TALENT IN DISTAFF TURF SPRINT AT ASCOT
Graded stakes return to Ascot this weekend and while the distance may be a short one there is no shortage of talent for The Grade III Short Female Sprint which will go off as the 15th race on the card. A field of 12 have entered this 6.5 furlong turf sprint for fillies and mares 4 years old and up.
Lets’s take a look at today’s field:
1)VICTORY STROKE—8/1—man0war sends this 5 year old mare out of VICTORY GALLOP with a record of 27-6-3-5 and lifetime earnings of $114,667. She is out of the he-mare ADMIRAL’S STORMS who was 3/39 at the track. This 315th divisional ranked mare races for the unafilliated Mv4ever stables. This mare will be trying to win her first stakes race with her third Graded start from her last 4 races. She was not able to pick up a cheque in either of her recent Grade I starts and hopes the slight drop in classification will help her out today. This closer has posted triple digit speed ratings in 5 of her last 6 starts with a 105 top mark and will be expected to be charging hard late down the stretch in this race today. The rider for today’s race will be Kotoro (11.1%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—102.
2)CRYPTO MESA—6/1—sjmeola6 sends this 6 year old mare out of SKY MESA with a record of 51-13-12-2 and lifetime earnings of $683,755. This 62nd divisional ranked mare races for Sjmeola racing based at the East-West Connection racing residency. Hard to believe that this 12 time stakes winner has never won a Graded race but that is the case as she makes her 2nd consecutive start in this Grade III contest this year. Last year she ended up 5th to MUMBAI when her rally came up short in the stretch. The main worry about this mare is if she will end up short again today as she seems to prefer the 7 to 7.5 furlong distances with her closing style. Still her speed ratings of 104-106 in the last 3 races puts her among the tops in this field today and her experience can only be of benefit as she starts for the 52nd time in her career. Her jockey is on a tair so far this season as he has won about a third of all his starts. The rider for today’s race will be Harzeim (33.5%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—105.
3)ROCK RIVER DREAMER(IRE)—6/1—rockriver2 sends this 4 year old mare out of GIANT’S CAUSEWAY(IRE) with a record of 20-7-4-5 and lifetime earnings of $243,523. This 117th divisional ranked mare races for the Rockriver stables based over at the Great Plains Residency. This 2 time stake winner won her first sprint turf stakes last time out in Victoria when she posted a 110 speed rating over the 7.5 furlong race. That came off a 111 rating posted in a 6.5 furlongs allowance win which has clearly shown that at this moment she is most effective sprinting rather than routing as she was racing for a few months. She has the ability to both close from the back of the field as well as stalk the pace from closer to the pace and that versatilty should come in handy as this race unfolds today. The rider for today’s race will be Williams (7.4%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—110.
4)RAHY SET GO—15/1—royalybred sends this 5 year old mare out of RAHY with a record of 28-10-6-2 and lifetime earnings of $358,453. This 10th divsional ranked mare races for the GR Simsters division of the Clement-Migliore stables. This $50K claim almost came to be a huge winner 2 starts back when she ended up 2nd to Alberta Fire in The Grade I Ball And Chain Bullet stakes in SD. She did not take to the yielding turf in her last outing and hopes to bounce back with a solid effort today on the firm grass expected on Saturday. This mare does possess some early speed and will probably be pressing the front runner but may decide to take things into her own hands if she finds the pace to be slower than she likes. Her top speed rating of 104 buts her in the ballpark for a top 3 finish here today and the longshot players may have to put her in their tickets in an attempt to try to cash a big price in the exotic wagering. The rider for today’s race will be Livestock(8%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—102.
5)LA SANTA CRUZ—8/1—santacruz3 sends this 5 year old mare out of ALDEBARAN with a record of 32-6-8-5 and lifetime earnings of $518,750. This 33rd divisional ranked mare races for the unafilliated Penamacor2 stables. This 3 time stakes winner including a Grade III winner from April 2006 has not won in 10 starts albeit she has put up 6 top 3 finishes in that time. Still her connections were not happy and tried her out on the dirt for the first time last time out in a Grade II sprint. She did not respond well to the surface change and returns to the turf for this race today. Many will try to use the dirt to turf angle today to try and bring this one home and if she can repeat the effort she put in the Grade I Rock of Cashell race last December where she ended up 2nd posting a 108 speed rating in the 7 furlong race she may just reward her backers with a nice return. Still she will have to be on her best in order to pick up her first stakes victory since 2006. The rider for today’s race will be Norton (14.4%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—104.
6)RUTHERFORD ONDIRT(MD)—10/1—candyland sends this 4 year old mare out of WAQUOIT with a record of 24-6-5-2 and lifetime earnings of $151,575. This 272nd divisional ranked mare races for an independent stable based at the EAAA racing residency. This two time stakes winner on the dirt switched to the turf surface last summer and has 1 allowance win on the lawn so far in her career. While she has been close in several other races her turf stakes starts to date have been less then stellar as she has been unable to sustain her bids late in any of those sprint races. She does possess the ability to post triple digit speed ratings but that is alway’s in allowance contests and she does not seem to be able to match those ratings when she climbs up in class to the stakes ranks. This will be her first Graded start on the turf in her career. She is expected to stalk or press the pace but may not have enough speed to seriously challenge the front runner at this level today. The rider for today’s race will be Dyson (0%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—95.
7)SOLITA(KY)—7/1—dreamscity sends this 4 year old mare out of SPEIGHTSTOWN with a record of 22-5-8-1 and lifetime earnings of $372,580. She is out of the mare FILLABOA who was 5/32 at the track and who has 4 foals on record of which 3 are winners including this stakes winning mare. This 114th divisional ranked mare races for the Hispano Parlante division of the Rafa stables. This 3 times stake winner has not won since last summer albeit she has been close several times of late. She will be looking for her first Graded win today with her previous best Graded stake finish coming in the 8 furlong Guineas Trial last year. It should be noted that this many of this late closers wins have come in short field races and that suggests she probably gets into a lot of traffic problems when she races her style against full fields. Her top speed rating of 108 posted 2 starts back would be very competitive against the best in the field here today. The rider for today’s race will be Viergutz (9.15). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—103.
8)JONESTOWN—5/1—sharood sends this 5 year old mare out of SEEKING THE GOLD with a record of 24-7-7-4 and lifetime earnings of $196,507. This 173rd divisional ranked mare races for the Seacadet stables based over in Vermont at The Pastures of Green. This mare has posted triple digit speed rating in 7 of 8 races on the turf since switching to the lawn last summer. While she has yet to win a stakes race in her career she has posted a pair of 2nd place finishes in overnite turf sprints and comes into this race after posting her lifetime best 106 speed rating while winning a 7 furlong open turf allowance last time out. She will probably stalk or press the frontrunner in this race but will need to learn the killer instinct to put away the field if and when she gets a lead at the top of the stretch. The rider for today’s race will be Sumpter (24.5%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—105.
9)PLEASANT LASS(KY)—12/1—richardobe sends this 4 year old mare out of PLEASANTLY PERFECT with a record of 19-5-4-4 and lifetime earnings of $257,406. She is out of the mare BOULDER LASS who was 7/48 at the track and who has 5 foals on record of which 4 are winners including 1 stakes winner. This 126th divisional ranked mare races for the Ace stables-Scandinavia Division based in Ireland. While this mare has had several close calls in stakes action including some Graded events she will be still looking for her first added money event win in this Grade III race today. She has done most of her racing on the dirt and did win her last start posting her lifetime best 103 speed rating in a 6 furlong dirt allowance race but will start on the lawn in this contest at Ascot. She has run well in previous dirt to turf switches so that may be an angle play some will look at when deciding who to wager on in this race. She is a closer expected to run her best last and has also posted a 102 speed rating before in a turf sprint stakes race. The rider for today’s race will be Wessleman (7%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—100.
10)DANEHILL SEEKER(IRE)—10/1—trotter5 sends this 4 year old mare out of DANEHILL DANCER(IRE) with a record of 12-6-1-2 and lifetime earnings of $215,930. This 101st divisional ranked mare races for the Trotter1 stables, the managing director of the CR Racers. While I am sure this mare was praying for rain this weekend as attested by her perfect 3/3 record on off tracks she will still be a force to reckon with on the front end in this race today. I look for her to shrug off her previous Graded start 2 races back where she tired in the stretch proving 7 furlongs was a bit to long for her on that day. While she lost ground again last time out in the stretch, she may have an easier time of it today with out any other real speed and if she can get easy uncontested fractions may be able to carry her speed all the way to the wire in this Grade III turf sprint race. Her top speed rating of 105 puts her right into the thick of things today. The rider for today’s race will be Day (15.5%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—105.
11)SPIRIT OF THE PAST(IRE)—14/1—tullbrink3 sends this 4 year old mare out of CHEVALIER(IRE) with a record of 19-5-1-3 and lifetime earnings of $122,081. This 271st divisional ranked mare races for the Nickesyd Racing Club based in Ireland. This allowance campaigner won his debut stakes start 3 races back when he posted a 105 speed rating while winning a 7.5 furlong turf sprint in Victoria. She has been unable to duplicate those results since when running back here in Ascot 2 starts back and then stretching to 8 furlongs in France last time out. She seems to be inconsistant at this stage of her career and only throws out a big race every now and then so it will be left to the public to determine if today will be the day for her next big run. She can close and stalk the early pace but will surely have to run one of her best races to be considered for a top 3 placing here today. The rider for today’s race will be Buckner (10%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—100.
12)ZIGGY INDY(KY)—7/1—dontnagme sends this 4 year old mare out of A.P. INDY with a record of 23-8-5-4 and lifetime earnings of $347,895. She is out of the he-mare ZIGGY WELLS who was 7/19 at the track. This 60th divsional ranked mare races for Doctahg’s Dentition stables based at Del/Penn National. While she has won 4 races on both the turf and dirt surfaces each her top speed have come on the grass when she has twice posted 107 speed ratings. She is a two times stake winner on the turf and will be expected to stalk the frontrunner in this race today from a length or two back. The dirt to turf players will be looking hard at this entry as she ran on the dirt in a 7 furlong stake race last time out but ended up tiring badly in the late going. Will the surface change and the cutback in distance be the ticket to the first Graded stake vicory for her career today. The rider for today’s race will be Brown (18%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—102.
Well, I have never been one to back away from a gamble and I am going to take a shot on #10 DANEHILL SEEKER to go to the front and cut her own fractions and try to bring home a nice 10/1 payout.
GOOD LUCK AND GOOD RACING
THEO