Twelve To Battle It Out In Mohammed Ali

One of our two graded stakes races on this Saturdays race card is the Mohammed Ali Stakes (G3) over a mile and one eighth on the dirt. Despite the crowds and excitement surrounding the Mohammed Ali Stakes and Bluegrass Derby Trial Stakes this weekend, the buzz around the backside of the track is over next weeks Blue Grass Derby as Derby fever sets in for horse owners, trainers and fans. Nonetheless, large crowds are expected this weekend at the track as people fly in early for the first Saturday in May. Last years winner of the Mohammed Ali Stakes was Laconia Light, a son of A.P. Indy, who will not be running again in the race this year. The weather here in Kentucky has been averaging in the mid to low 50s with the weather predominantly sunny. Thunderstorms were previously reported as a possibly Friday and going into Saturday, but the storm cell dissipated to the north. It is unlikely at this point that the namesake of the race this weekend, legendary boxer Muhammed Ali will be present at the race due to a prior commitment. There have been twelve horses entered to run in the Mohammed Ali Stakes this weekend. Which one will be able to get a jump on the field and knock out the competition?

1. Barb’s Holly Jolly (CAN) – shark23 – T. McJulien – 11/1

Drawing the rail in the Mohammed Ali is this impressive young Canadian four-year-old (Tomahawk x Cat Thief x Sadler’s Wells) who is owned by the Mitchell’s Horses stable group. The bay colt is out of the graded winning mare, I Love Kitty Kitty. The colt has twenty-six races under his belt, of which two have been stakes starts. His most recent stakes start came three years ago on the turf during the five and a half furlong Al Abu ID Bonanza. The colt finished fourth in the race, two lengths back off the leader as a two year old, while setting a speed figure of seventy. Not back to the stakes caliber races since, the colt has been spending the majority of his time in the allowance ranks. His last allowance start earlier this month yielded a second place finish over the eight and a half furlong oval in Utah with a speed figure of one hundred three. The colt has improved by leaps and bounds in his speed figures this year, and we’ll see whether he’s ready to make the jump into graded stakes company.

2. Wrisky Cat – tcrowell – R. Neeley – 7/1

Tucked into the second post is the Kentucky-bred four year old (Storm Cat x Dynaformer x Pleasant Colony), who is out of Flight Wrisk. The royally bred colt has been lightly raced with nineteen starts over his career. His last race was the listed Shimko’s Noodles Handicap in Oregon over eight and a half furlongs. The brown colt finished seventh in the race with a speed figure of one hundred three after breaking out of an outside post and settling into seventh, never quite firing during the race. The colt has had some disappointing recent races with two seventh place finishes in the Shimko’s Noodles Handicap and the Toilet Scrubbers Anonymous Handicap (G2) in two of his three most recent posts. The colts last win came impressively in the listed Houston Mount Special over nine furlongs in Montana where the colt won by one and one-fourth lengths with an eye-opening speed figure of one hundred twelve. The hope for this colt on Saturday is that he can bounce back to this form that he attained in the Houston Mount and fly past the competition.

3. Cornfield Country – geewhiz – B. Sipe – 9/1

The next colt in the field is the tall dark gray (Brahms x With Approval x Never Bend) that is trained by the Remiller66 Stables. The striking dark gray has twenty-six career starts with seven wins. His last start came last month in the nine and a half furlong Tout Ou Rien Handicap. The dark gray colt finished third in the race after never firing when he left the inside post position in third. He set up a speed figure of one hundred two for his effort.

4. Strike The Red – catamount2 – R. Conner – 9/1

This bred in the purple colt (Smart Strike x Broad Brush x Alydar) and out of the race-winning mare The Red Queen, is raced by the Lilbitfarm Stables. The four-year-old colt with twenty-one lifetime starts look to be peaking at the right time for this run in the Mohammed Ali Stakes. His last race was in Japan in the nine and a half furlong Ali’s Tater Stakes where the colt set a speed of one hundred eleven after winning the race easily by two and one-fourth lengths after the jockey settled the horse back off the pace to stalk in sixth. The colt has not finished out of the money in his last five starts, two of which were listed stakes. The colt looks like he is a definite shoe in for a finish in an in the money position this Saturday, and an also possible finish on the board in the top three.

5. Crafty Recyledone – dontnagme – P. Jazz – 17/1

This five year old horse (Crafty Prospector x Dixieland Band x Fappiano) is going off as our morning line longshot for the Mohammed Ali Stakes this year. The bay horse has been lightly race with seventeen lifetime starts and is currently owned by Dentition Stables. His last race was a ten furlong allowance caliber start in Vermont where the colt finished a lackluster fourteen and a half lengths back in eighth after posting a speed figure of eighty-nine. His most recent of only two stakes starts was the Pie Is Perfect Cup in November of last year in Ohio where the horse finished eleventh. The horse may have hit his stride in the allowance caliber races, finishing in the money in all nine of his allowance races last year. Perhaps a bit overmatched in this race given his previous record, we’ll see what kind of surprise the five year old horse can pull out of the bag on Saturday.

6. Gahdamjo – greenapple – K. Stabler – 9/1

In the middle post will be this chestnut four year old (Mineshaft x Kris S. x Seattle Slew) who is trained by Greenapple Stables. The colt has been lightly raced with nineteen lifetime starts. His most recent start came last month in the mile long Barkley Handicap in North California. The colt finished just out of the money in sixth after setting off the pace in fifth and making a strong bid for the lead late in the stretch but was overpowred by a few deep closers. The colt set a speed figure of one hundred six. The colt has done fairly well recently, finishing in the money in just over half of his last eight starts.

7. Empty River – minnslew – L. Goodburn – 8/1

Next in the gates will be the Kentucky-bred bay (Point Given x Raise A Native x Danzig) who is owned and trained by Timm Stables. The brown colts last start was last month in an allowance caliber race over eight furlongs in New Hampshire where the colt won impressively by two lengths with a speed figure of one hundred seventeen to add an exclamation point to the end of the race. His only attempt at a stakes caliber race so far was this past February in the Mark The Mint Memorial over ten and a half furlongs in Indiana where the colt finished fifth, though ten and a half lengths back. With the exception of the colts debut race which took place on a good dirt track, the colt has never finished out of the money in any of his ten career starts.

8. Sundays Rule – doza – M. Ketron – 5/1

In the eighth slot is this five year old bay horse (High Yield x A.P. Indy x Sunday Silence) who is trained by Team DOZA Racing Stables. The horse, who is going off as the morning line favorite in this years Mohammed Ali Stakes, has a total of thirty-two lifetime starts so far in his career. His last start was last month in the nine furlong oval at West Virginia during the Senior J.O. Stakes. where the horse finished with a speed figure of one hundred thirteen after finishing second in the race. The horse has finished on the board in three of his last starts including the Senior J.O. Stakes. The horse seems to be back up to form now after his step back down into allowance caliber races for a few months and could be a threat to the board placements this Saturday.

9. Fly For Buda – gg – P. Cadigan – 8/1

The six year old horse (Sadler’s Wells x Blushing Groom (FR) x Rube The Great), though sporting a pedigree that suggests the turf, has found his stride over the dirt. The horse is owned by Topicount Stables. The horses last start came in late March during the nine furlong Oaktree Handicap (G1) where the brown colt finished third, some five lengths off the pace of the leader, while setting a speed figure of one hundred six over the Arkansas track. This has been one of only two in the money finishes for the colt in his last eight starts, the other coming in the Gotta Fix The Sprinklers Classic in August of last year. The colt hasn’t lost much in speed figures but just hasn’t managed to get up into the money. His last start in the Oaktree Handicap (G1) may be a sign of better things to come for the horse, and hopefully he has reached back to his stakes winning form.

10. Head Start – 6ward – D. Sherman – 7/1

Following in our order through the field is this five year old horse (Jump Start x Rahy x Kingmambo) who is trained by New Orleans Inc. The bay horse has had a total of twenty-five starts, of which seven have ended in wins for the brown horse. His last start came overseas in Dubai last month in the ten furlong Sand Castle Classic (G1). The horse finished tenth in the prestigious race with a speed figure of one hundred two. Despite two recent poor finishes in the Sand Castle Classic (G1) and the Vermont Is 4 Lovers (G2) the horse has been a very accomplished stakes runner. His last win came in January during the Maxxed Platinum Plate Cap (G3) where he won going away by two and one-fourth lengths and recorded a speed of one hundred fourteen. The colt has finished in the money in all of his last ten races prior to the Vermont Is 4 Lovers (G2) start.

11. Triple A Prayer – pazbarn – D. Givens – 7/1

In the second to last post is this four year old colt (Aldebaran x A.P. Indy x Ack Ack), who is race-winning mare A.P. News. The brown colt has a total of twenty-seven lifetime starts. His most recent race came overseas in Japan during the nine and a half furlong Ali’s Tater Stakes where he faced Mohammed Ali Stakes 9/1 contender Strike The Red. As we know, Strike The Red went on to win the Ali’s Tater Stakes. Triple A Prayer finished just two and three-fourth lengths behind in third with a speed figure of one hundred eight. Many of this weeks racing fans are looking forward to the rematch of the two colts in the Mohammed Ali Stakes this weekend.

12. Nagasaki (IRE) – casino – B. Alt – 9/1

In the far outside post for the Mohammed Ali Stakes is this Irish-bred chestnut (Giant’s Causeway x Fusaichi Pegasus x A.P. Indy). The impressively bed four year old has twenty-two lifetime starts, all of which have been over a dirt track. His most recent race came last month in the eight and a half furlong Razorback Cap where the colt turned in a disappointing performance after running twelfth with a speed figure of one hundred at the Arkansas track. Many of the horses fans have been quick to dismiss the Razorback Cap as a fluke while others have pointed back to a similar performance in the LA Derby (G1) in September of last year. Regardless, the despite these two starts, the chestnut colt has been impressive, finishing in the money in the Big A Handicap (G3) and in the Orangeton Handicap (G2) earlier this year , both with triple digit speed figures.

Sorria’s Picks
Win: Sundays Rule
Place: Strike The Red
Show: Empty River