12 Go In Gr 2 Heat Less at 8.5 Furlongs
A field of 12 3-year-olds will line up for the $325,000 Grade II Heat Less Stakes at a mile and one sixteenth of what should be fast dirt Saturday. Multiple graded wimmer Pyralis is the class of the field but behind him there is a well-matched group any of whom could pick Saturday to step up and show his stuff in Gr 2 company.
El Paso Connection goes off from the inside at 13/1 for the champions0 barn, part of the stoners operation which boasts a formidable 21.4% lifetime winning percentage. This son of Macho Uno was unsuccessful in his one stake run, at this distabce, but comes off two straight 91 speeds, the most recent a 9 furlong allowance win in Asia a month back. El Paso Connection likes to close and was coming hard in the stretch in the two more recent; not much of an improvement would be required Saturday for Roger Connor to put this one in contention.
Legend is Born comes from the 2 position for trainer sansanfarm with Irwin Hoge at the helm. The 6/1 shot has a lifetime best 99 at this distance back in January which is only two points short of the field best. The son of Ghostzapper‘s wins to date have been in allowances; last out was a fifth-place 96 in the G3 Gary Asher memorial right here last month. That 96 shows enough ability to put this one right in the mix here. Legend is Born has run best while stalking and not falling too far beehind the leader and the late effort last out may have started from too far back.
Konois Step’N Sand runs from the 3-slot at 9/1 for trainer tremguis. The son of Footsteps in the Sand looks bred for the green down the line but switched to the dirt as a 2-year-old late last year and has notched 3 wins and a place there, including a win and a second in route stakes in the last two. The win and best speed of 99 was at a mile and this one did lose the lead late last time out at 9 furlongs. Don Sherman will have this one close behind the leaders early and will look to make a move by the third call.
One on One started out his career on the turf with some success but trainer zewango2, who wins at at 18.9% clip, decided to try switching surfaces with a bid allowance race last out which produced a place finish at a mile. The imposingly bred scratch-bred progeny of Lemon Drop Kid x Sadler’s Wells x Nashua seems equipped for a mile or a mile-and-a-sixteenth and the 93 speed last out is in the same general range as others’ here. If last out was a bit of a toner upper Bill Fultz could have this 9/1 shot running with the leaders here.
I Don’t Get It, running from the 5 position for trainer tseals1, is the second biggest money winner in the field with earnings of $279,230. The son of noted dirt sprint sire Yes It’s True has had his success so far as a sprint sire and is coming off a win in the Grade 3 Swale in Florida last month at 7 furlongs going away. The 5/1’s shot’s two route tries were out-of-the-money mile efforts as a 2-year-old. The 104 Swale win, which marked this one’s third successive new lifetime high speed, indicates that the ability is there if this one wants to go long now and Phil Jazz will be testing him with a move late.
Rura Penthe runs from the 6 slot at 22/1 odds for trainer gonzo2. The son of Dehere is loghtly raced with 2 wins and 2 places in 4 efforts including an allowance win at this distance last out drawing away to a 2 1/2 length win at a 92 speed. This is a major step up but another dose of the same improvement this one showed last time out would put him in with the more preferred company here. Jockey Pete McCarthy is off to a slow start with a 7% winning percentage.
Wonderful Gitte, the lone filly in the field, comes from the 7-slot at 14/1 for trainer karlch. The daughter of Mountain Cat has 2 mile stake wins to her credit, most recently the Ms. Prospector in Oklahoma in February. In that race she came on late to win going away at 8/1 showing a 98 speed, which puts her right up with the leaders here. Her previous Grade 2 try at this distance was not successful, producing a 10th place finish in the Boca in Florida in December. Like most here this one takes a stalk style, not falling too far behind the leaders when successful. Rider Brian Sipe ranks high in the track’s lifetime winning stats but is off to a slow start scoring at only a 5% rate.
Delta Defense runs from the 8 slot for trainer for trainer canisminor, associated with the nextbonus operation. The son of Pivotal, better known as a turf sire, has spent most of his career on the grass and makes only his second foray onto the dirt here. Most recently Delta Defense comes off a place and a win in mile turf allowances in Europe and crosses the pond for this event. This one has improved his speeds for 5 straight races and last out ran a 92. The one dirt try produced a speed comparable to what this one was producing on turf at the time. Sammy Lynch rides this 15/1 shot.
Barb’s Frenchy, who runs from the 9 position at 11/1 for trainer mattbarn , is an all-or-nothing type who has produced 5 wins and 3 out-of-the-money finishes in 8 lifetime races. This one , making his first route effort here, is a son of French Deputy and game dam Barb’s Alydar was a dirt route specialist with 4 lifetime stake wins. This one’s last two runs have been stake wins at 7.5 furlongs. In the last one Barb’s Frenchy went wire-to-wire and that creates interesting possibilities as there are few here who like the lead. 21-year veteran jock Byron Alt is off to a fast start this year.
Heir to the Heir runs from the 10 slot at 11/1 odds for trainer victorynw. The son of Monarchos‘s only win after his MSW came in a 7-furlong allowance back in January. This one’s previous try at this distance was a disappointment, an 8th place finish running at the 7/1 in the Mine Trader in New Mexico in March. The most ensouraging effort this one has put up recetly was a 90 speed in a mile allowance in March in which this one was still coming on late. Rider Bron Marston is as cold as Anchorage Downs in January, off to a 1-for-38 start.
El Prado’s Gold runs from the 11 position as the 9/2 favourite for the dagrim2 barn in the barndog operation. This one has the top route speed here, a 101 put up in winning the Our Well at a mile in Ontario in February. On this one’s one effort at this distance he did fall back a bit at the close, finishing 2nd in the Their Storms here as a 2-year-old. Last out was a bit of a dull effort, producing a 4th place effort and 90 speed in Jamaica last month. This one sometimes takes the lead and rider Phil Cadigan might take that opportunity even from the far outside as there are few here who take that approach. This one can be expected to be close but has had some problems pushing his nose across the wire first in the last few.
Pyralis runs from the far outside at 6/1 for the kbsweet barn in the keely operation; he should be the favourite here. Pyralis’ earnings of $1,076,460 dwarf the field, exceeding those of the next 5 top earners in the field combined. A win in the Grade 1 Hoserhead at 2 contributed to the amassing of this bankroll, and a place finish at this distance in the Breeder’s Bowl Juvenile was also achieved last year. This year Pyralis has a win at this distance in the Grade3 Silver Fence in California in January, producing a 100 speed that is second best in the field. A venture in the G1 Sand Castle Derby Lock Prep did not go well in the slop last time, but now this one is back in a group well within his demonstrated capabilities. The track’s top jock, David Givins, takes the ride; he should be found in the winner’s circle unless this one’s last two events in very tough company have temporarily dulled his form.