The SMART POWER Memorial

A small field of five older colts will run in the feature stakes this week in Alabama. They will go a mile and three sixteenths on a firm turf course in this ungraded stakes and the winner will take home $36,000 of the $60,000 purse. The field is small, but there are two horses (Campillo and Kepler Berzerk) that are in the Top 100 of the division.

1- GREELEY’S PRAYER(KY) 29-5-6-3 E Sharp 4/1

Stable pazracing MR. GREELEY x DANEHILL x CLEVER TRICK

Greeley’s Prayer(KY) has shown in the past that he is competitive at this distance. He won a race at this class in North Carolina last September at 9.5 furlongs and his lifetime record at this distance on the turf is 4-1-1-1. He also ran second in his only attempt at this distance on the dirt. His four year old campaign has included three races, but two of them were at 10+ furlongs and although he tried to rate, he simply could not handle the distance. He is out of the grade “D” mare Becky Lever, who was a successful turf miler. She has produced six winning foals. Expect him to rate and be a factor on Saturday.

2- DUMBER THAN A ROCK(IRE) 20-6-6-2 R Pollard 5/2

Stable gum ROCK OF GIBRALTAR (IRE) x RAINBOW QUEST x SADLER’S WELLS

Dumber Than A Rock(IRE) tried ten times to break his maiden in high prices MSW races. His record was 10-0-5-2, but his owners dumped in a maiden claimer, which he won by 9.75 lengths and he has since become a two time stakes winner. I would say that gum stable made a great claim. He has only tried 9.5 furlongs twice and both times he ran second in MSW’s. In fact he is a heavy front running type who actually lost an eight length lead after the third call at this distance. His stakes wins came at 9 and 8.5 furlongs, but he seems to always lose ground late, so can stay up at 9.5? He is out of a grade “G” mare that also was a frontrunner that did win at 9.5 and 11 furlongs on the dirt.

3- CAMPILLO 42-8-10-5 A Lee 2/1

Stable rafita STORM CAT x SEEKING THE GOLD x NIJINSKY II

Campillo is a horse that consistently puts up strong SP’s, but does not seems to find the winner’s circle too often. However, two of his three wins in 2007 came against small fields at this class and distance. I think he will bounce back after a weaker effort in Delaware three weeks ago and will be tough to beat.

4- KEPLER BERZERK 45-18-6-8 B Stein 9/5

Stable bobo WOODMAN x A.P. INDY x DANZIG

Kepler Berzerk surprisingly stays in Alabama on a two week layoff, after running his worst race in 14 races (from an SP perspective) here last time out. He likes to go from last to first and will most likely spot Dumber Than A Rock(IRE) a massive amount of ground in this one. As a Grade 3 winner just last month, he was installed as the 9/5 favorite for Saturday. He is out of the grade “C” mare Berzerk A.P., who was primarily a dirt sprinter in her career.

5- PLEASANT WAR(KY) 18-5-6-1 C Riddle 8/1

Stable layoff PLEASANT TAP x WAR CHANT x CAPOTE  

Pleasant War(KY) is a long shot that will battle for the lead with Dumber Than A Rock(IRE). He is long shot because his SP’s are not as high as the rest here, but in his defense he is a front runner that has been running in marathons, so 9.5 furlongs will be a dramatically shorter race for him. If he does not get burned out in a battle for the lead, he could shock everyone and win this thing. He is out of a grade “G” mare that did all of her damage in dirt routes.

FINAL ANALYSIS

This race is truly wide open, but if the #2 and #5 battle for the lead, I think any of the other three could close and win. I will pick the #3 to win at 2/1 odds.