Roy Rogers Handicap
Race : Roy Rogers Handicap – Grade III – $125,000
Track : California
Restrictions : All horses, 3 years old
Distance : One mile on the Turf
Welcome to sunny and warm California for the 9th annual Roy Rogers Handicap. The stakes record of 106 is held by last year’s winner Awesome Song (Steve Munoz Stables) who beat out 13 others for the victory. The race began with Doc Holliday, Colichemarde, and Quest for a Star taking the lead. Awesome Song held back, 6th for the first half of the race. Just after second call he began to make his move and passed Colichemarde who faded quickly and Quest for a Star. By third call he only had to overtake Doc Holliday, then he pushed for the finish line. Unintentially, the favorite, had also made a late move and showed some great speed up the stretch, but it wasn’t enough to pass Awesome Song and he finished 1 and ¾ lengths back.
Today 9 horses will be vying for their share of the $125,000 purse as they race the mile on the firm turf. Awesome Song’s record will be hard to beat, but it could definitely happen. Let’s take a look at the field:
PP 1 BROADWAY NYC (KY) (THEATRICAL (IRE) x CARSON CITY x BEAU GENIUS) bred and trained by dundey5 (Dundey Acres, 14%) Odds: 6 to 1
Broadway NYC has only finished out of the money 3 times in his 9 career starts. Unfortunately two of those times were his last two races. The G1-All Your Base Are Belong To Us Cup where he finished 7th may have shaken his confidence some since he was so used to leading the pack and winning his races, having won his last three races prior. Then in his next try he went for 11 furlongs and I think the distance was just too much for him, posting his lowest speed since his maiden race. With the decreased distance here, if he can get his confidence back and good start out of the gates, he could definitely be a factor here. In his win at The NORTH BUTTHEAD Challenge just over two months ago, he beat out Fierce Heat, also in the field today.
PP 2 IS WHAT IT IS (KY) (VINDICATION x GONE WEST x SADLER’S WELLS) bred and trained by themaster (Team DOZA Racing Stables, 19%) Odds: 3 to 1
Successful Team DOZA Racing Stables, winning 19% of their races has entered Is What It Is. In his 8 career starts he has never finished worse than second and that only happened 3 times. This will be his first time against graded company, but he has handled himself well in overnight and listed stakes and I see no reason not to expect the same from him here. He is coming off only three weeks of rest, but has raced successfully after 2 and 3 of weeks rest. Despite the unknown of how he will handle himself in this class, I think he will be hard to beat.
PP 3 FIERCE HEAT (KY) (BORREGO x IN REALITY x ICECAPADE) bred by sweetnan and trained by fastvett (Quikvett Stables, 11%) Odds: 11 to 1
Fierce Heat is making his second try with graded company. His first try was a 2yo GI late last year and after a bad start out of the gate he wasn’t ever able to make up any ground. Since then he has finished just out of the money twice and placed, all in listed or overnight stakes. In his last time out he struggled against a short and evenly matched field coming in last with his lowest speed in over 9 months, but that distance was 3 furlongs longer. Today he will back to racing a distance that he has been successful at. With one of the lowest career high speeds in the field, he is going to need his best here.
PP 4 SIXTY TWO (KY) (FLOWER ALLEY x STORM CAT x SLIP ANCHOR(GB)) bred and trained by nijinsky4 (Mv4ever Stables, 13%) Odds: 7 to 1
Sixty Two has only finished out of the money twice in his 10 career starts. 9 of those starts were on the dirt. Last time out Nijinsky4 decided to see what he could do on the turf after he struggled at the G3-Transylvania Stakes. It seems this colt out of Smashingly Cat likes the turf, he finished second with is career high speed of 96. He also held back in the race until just after third call and then he shot up the stretch. That racing style will serve him well in the field with lots of early speed and stalkers.
PP 5 SARDINI (KY) (BERNARDINI x SADLER’S WELLS x DANZIG) bred and trained by punter41 (Phantom Pharms, 16%) Odds: 7 to 2
After a beautiful finish at the G1-Movieland Futurity late last year it looked like this Bernardini colt was heading for the Bluegrass Derby this weekend. Instead, after disappointing finishes in 3 of his last four races, trainer punter41 decided to try something different. Today will be his first try on turf and but at the same distance that he won his only race this year. Perhaps with these changes we will see the Sardini that won or placed in 6 of his first 7 starts again.
PP 6 RAGING MENACE (WA) (TRAIL CITY x DEPUTY WILD CAT x NUREYEV) bred and trained by teerades (Ezmoney Stables, 8%) Odds: 7 to 1
Raging Menace, turf classic ranked 14th (highest in the field) will be starting out of PP 6. This colt out of Wild ‘N’ Free already has a G1 victory to his name, but that was his last win, 8 months ago. Trainer Ezmoney has tried just about everything since then, listed stakes, dirt sprints, more graded stakes. Raging Menace has come close to finishing in the money 4 out of his last 6 races. In his last two times out he was close to putting up the speed that won him the G1-Knick-Knack Juvenile. He doesn’t have a clear running style, but against this field it would probably serve him well to stay back and let the other fight for the early lead and try to pass them in the stretch.
PP 7 ARVANDOR (KY) (GRAND SLAM x DANEHILL x DYNAFORMER) bred and trained by belsup (Royal Belgian Kempen Farm, 15%) Odds: 5 to 1
Arvandor is the 39th ranked horse in the turf classic division. His trainer tried him on the dirt for his first time out, but in his next race switched him to the turf where he broke his maiden in The BENELUX Series 2007. He then went on to win two G3 sprints. He didn’t seem to mind the off track in the first G3 win, but in his last time out he didn’t like the softer surface and didn’t fire like he usually does. The majority of the past winners here have been late runners so that is working in Arvandor’s favor. Arvandor will have A. Lewis as jockey and he is having a hot year, winning over 20% of his races.
PP 8 SOCK ME UP (ENG) (SAKHEE x SEEKING THE GOLD x DEPUTY MINISTER) bred and trained by tuffguy (Team DOZA Racing Stables, 19%) Odds: 12 to 1
The second entry from Team DOZA is Sock Me Up out of PP 8. He jumped straight to listed stakes after he broke his maiden and brought home two stakes wins. His trainer then decided to try the jump to graded company, but this colt out of Cat On Alert struggled there with his worst career finish. Since then he has an allowance win and two stakes places and now will attempt graded company again. Jockey M. Stables has the highest career win percentage for jockeys in California, but A. Lewis has won 50% more races in 2008. He will need a career best speed in this field, his high speed is the lowest in the field and it was his only speed in the 90’s.
PP 9 CRAB BE APPLE (IRE) (HIGH CHAPARRAL (IRE) x A.P. INDY x SASSAFRAS (FR)) bred and trained by hilofarms (Sansanfarms, 12%) Odds: 8 to 1
This colt out of Rakida’s Road has only finished out of the money twice in his 11 races. Unfortunately those came in his last two tries, both against graded company. He does have a third place in the G3-Apparently Juvenile late last year, but as a three year old he has struggled in this class. Another thing working against Crab Be Apple is his post position. With his tendency to take the lead early and run with it, he would have preferred an inside gate. One thing that he does have going for him is his career high speed is 98, close to the highest in the field and that was in his last time out. He did race two weeks ago, so rest might be an issue for him. I do think he is ready to prove he can hold his own in this class.
In conclusion, I think there is going to be quite a fight for the early lead. Broadway NYC and Is What It Is will come out of the gates next to the rail, fighting for the lead and if either of them gets a solid lead they could win this wire to wire. There are so many others that could be factors: if Sardini likes the surface he could be right up there with the leaders and Sixty Two and Racing Menace have the speed to be close. I think Arvandor, with is his late running style, will make a huge move in the stretch and will be able to get ahead for the win with Is What It Is and Broadway NYC just behind. Good luck and happy racing to all on this exciting Saturday of races! J