Cubic Zirconia Path Stakes

Post Position

Horse

Trainer

Jockey

Odds

1

66420 PLEEZBEBETTER(AUS)

doctahg3

S Cadigan

11/1

PLEEZEBEBETTER (REDOUTE’S CHOICE x DANZIG x STORM CAT) is a 4yo mare looking to add a first win in the graded classes to her recent first stakes win. The first foal out of mare BONE GRAFT (herself wellbred and lightly raced) has done most of her damage in allowances; winning races between six and nine furlongs. After a quartet of solid two-turn allowance performances, she was given a step up in class. Which resulted in her best victory to date in The A.P. CLONE Memorial listed stakes. From there her forays into graded company have not been quite so successful, although she was far from disgraced last time out in the the  G3 DirtyDirtyDishRagYou Stakes where she battled on for fourth. Outside chance.

2

130827 WARRIOR’S RELIC(IRE)

jalee

M Oglesby

8/1

WARRIOR’S RELIC (SADLER’S WELLS x UNBRIDLED x A.P. INDY) is a 4yo mare out of the non-winning GOYATHALAY. With her breeding it’s no wonder she’s already far surpassed her mother in terms of race results and looks to bypass listed stakes straight into graded company here. In six races she hasn’t dipped below the hundred mark or finished worst than third but the big query is what she’ll do against stronger opposition. She’s one of a number in this race that could go either way.

3

117784 SISTER DEW(KY)

ce5s97p

O Brooks

22/1

SISTER DEW (TALE OF THE CAT x WILD AGAIN x CAPOTE) runs for the Royal Belgian Kempen Farm and is the bookies rank outsider here due to some experimental runs over extra distance. Those runs have seen her speeds drop, despite picking up a win and a second place in recent starts. Trainer ce5s97p has seen fit to drop her back to the distances that saw her take out the G2 Wooly Mammoth BB Oaks and the G2 Fast Feline Stakes in her successful three year old season. She looks much more potent around the mile mark and on form this winner of just over 600k is a definite threat, but she’ll need to return to her best to figure.

4

24748 SUZYNINER(JPN)

snag

H Newsome

9/1

SUZYNINER (FORTY NINER x DANZIG x NIJINSKY II) is out of top quality mare SUZYJINSKY and looks to have big shoes to fill if she is to come anywhere near replicating her BB Distaff winning mother. After a speedy debut win SUZYNINER performed well, but plateaud speed-wise until her return from a short stint on the grass. Since then her dirt form around a mile has been capable and culminated in her best win to date; taking out the MOTHER BOW Memorial Stakes in quick fashion last time out. Her speed figures suggest she’s a chance but she’s untried at this company over a mile so hopefully for her connections she channels a bit of her mothers magic to figure here.

5

5173 BLACK GOLD COAL

jrogue3

C Duncan

9/2

BLACK GOLD COAL (SUMMER SQUALL x ROBERTO x GRAUSTARK) comes in as the bookies favorite and recent form would suggest they got it right. This 6yo mare had won all her races under a mile until last start where she overcame a strong field in the G2 DelPenn DoubleDogDare Stakes. She beat out five other graded winners in that field so you know she can get it done against this sort of class. C Duncan takes the reigns, which is a bit of a worry, considering the year he’s having but if he steps up and gives her the run she deserves they’ll be hard to beat.

6

147394 BERMUDA SUNSET(KY)

lrh

D Offenbacher

10/1

BERMUDA SUNSET (STORM CAT x GONE WEST x SILVER BUCK) runs for Keely’s Stables and looks to catapult herself from allowance company into the big time by sneaking win here. This winner of four races and 137k is still fairly green in terms of stakes races but is repeating at the distance in which she posted her fastest speed to date. Like a few others the class-jump maybe an issue so D Offenbacher is going to have to pick a perfect path through a tiring field to win this one. Each way chance.

7

90801 STORMSHAFT

tripcrown9

S Mathis

13/1

STORMSHAFT (MINESHAFT x STORM CAT x MR. PROSPECTOR) is a multiple G2 winner of nearly 1.5M in prize money. The last couple of years have seen a drop in class and more sporadic race schedule culminating in a nice win in the WILLOW BAY Special in her last race. In only her fourth race since 2006 she produced a run that’ll get her rivals attention, indicating she may be returning to her 3yo form that saw her win the G2 Jump Town Handicap and just miss out on the G1 BB Distaff by a length. To me she looks ready to put in a real big run and I wouldn’t be surprised to see her win this one.

8

116373 WOETTE’S STATUE(IRE)

plstable

O Parker

8/1

WOETTE’S STATUE (STATUE OF LIBERTY x KRIS S. x HAWAII) has the most workman-like breeding that we’ve come across so far in this race but don’t let that fool you. At four she’s already a winner of the G2 Gowader Stakes at a mile and has two 110+ speeds in her last five races to boast about. Last time out she wasn’t quite up to some of the G1 juggernauts, even so managing to hold on to fifth in a tough field. For that she can be forgiven and with O Parker (one of Iowa’s best jockeys) on board she’ll give this a real shout.

9

36299 DRAGON DAISY

opus

M Barnes

7/1

DRAGON DAISY (AWESOME AGAIN x AFFIRMED x NUREYEV) is yet to come home a winner in graded company but came mighty close with an eye catching run in the G3 DirtyDirtyDishRagYou Stakes where she finished second. A late closer and a crowd favorite, DRAGON is going through a lean trot in terms of wins at the moment, having lost that killer instinct that saw her win four in a row early on in her career. Her run in the Dirty would give her owners some confidence that she’s primed for a real tilt at this one and all the neutrals in the crowd hope so too.

10

125457 DYLUSIONAL(KY)

 bayourace

W Bentley

11/1

DYLUSIONAL (TOUCH GOLD x A.P. INDY x KRIS S) is a winner of six, running for Robsscoobi Stables. Her first and only stakes win came late last year in the CR Racers Holiday Cheer Stakes on the turf. She’s shown an equal propensity on both surfaces lately which may be a blessing or a curse depending how you think about it. For this week her connections have decided to run her back on dirt after she posted her lifetime best speed in a narrow allowance loss in Oregon. I’m beginning to sound like a broken record but class is a worry as is jockey W Bentley, but in such an even field no horse can be discounted.

11

122778 TAPPING BLUES(KY)

badkarma

S Machu

14/1

TAPPING BLUES (TAPIT x CURE THE BLUES x STORM CAT) comes into the big time after a speedy win last time out in a New Jersey allowance. She’s never stepped foot in a stakes race, let alone in graded company but I admire her trainer’s hutzpah. In her favor is the ability of WORLDLY OUTWEIGH (her dam) whom notched up three graded victories in her career, doing so on both surfaces. However, despite her lineage, common sense suggests she’ll need to produce something special to win this.

12

129239 SPOOKY WILDCAT(KY)

photo41st

I Perry

10/1

SPOOKY WILDCAT (GHOSTZAPPER x STORM CAT x A.P. INDY) is one of a plethora of GZ x SC horses doing the business in the sim these days. Most rewarding for the Bulletwork Stables was that SPOOKY decided to get down to her business in the G1 Smackdown III last year for her second graded triumph. Soon afterwards she sat out an eight month spell, only returning recently in the G3 Boquet O’ Daisies Stakes where she finished a solid third. Second race back from a spell usually results in a big effort so I’d think a top three finish is not out of the question here at all.

13

129625 DESECRATION SMILE(KY)

daninja

 V Mcloughlan

7/1

DESECRATION SMILE (UNBRIDLED’S SONG x A.P. INDY x BOLD BIDDER) sports another one of the most desirable nicks in the sim world right now; US x API is hot, hot, hot! DESECRATION is out of a quality mare in THIRSTY BOLD (herself a winner of over 1M) and enters this week on a three race win streak. Each win has seen a lift in class until her win at a mile in the G3 Boquet O’ Daisies Stakes. She sat well back in that run, so don’t be surprised if she sits on the shoulder of DRAGON DAISY in the early running, before letting loose on the stretch. Top threat.