Big Race Preview 3595

Big racing action this week in California and New York. Turf racing takes center stag with the Movieland Turf Cup. The ladies have a big contest with Breeder’s Bowl Distaff winner Sweet Sister Mercy leading the way. Also in New York a very prestigious race takes place at the one mile distance that is sure to produce record level speed figures.

Race: 3595.0115 Movieland Turf Cup – Grade I – $400,000
Track: California
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance: A mile and one quarter on the Turf

A field of eleven runners entered for this mile and a quarter contest. There are about five runners very closely bunched together on the morning line. Barb’s Comfort went forty two career races over the last three years having never broken the 110 speed figure mark. Last time out he blew through that barrier taking the grade three Florida Turf while earning a 115 speed figure. It might take that kind of effort here to win this race. Problem for Barb’s Comfort is that he has not proven capable of running high speed figures consistently. Prior to his last he ran a 107 speed figure. At age six with forty three career races you might expect him to bounce off that last effort. Still he is in the best form of his life right now and deserves respect.

The great Creepshow easily brings the most accomplished resume to this race. At the end of last year he ran five straight races of 110+ speed figures winning four times. He threw in a clunker in March earning a 72 speed figure being pulled up. He came back a month ago winning a listed stakes. His speed figure was only a 101 which is not good enough to win a race like this. We can take from that he looks to be back on track or at least pointed in the direction. If he returns to what he was doing at the end of last year he is likely the winner of this race.

Questing Beast seems to be right on the cusp of being a top long distance turf horse. He won his first grade one two starts back taking the Little Guppy Classic while earning a 115 speed figure. He has been first or second in his last seven starts running nice solid speed figures especially in his most recent. He has been running at longer distances and there is a chance this might not be his best distance. However many times horses respond positively to cut backs in distance and his closing kick could even get stronger.

Town Prince is a very consistent graded stakes contender. He has finished first or second in twenty of his twenty- nine starts. The thing about him is he does not have that “wow” factor. He has popped that big speed figure a time or two and won a grade one race but he has done so in a quiet manner. He is a pace runner and this field has many closers so that could be to his advantage. He is also a tough pace setter, meaning he carries his pace through the stretch and if he gets loose early he will make them pay.

Race: 3595.0114 My Girl Handicap – Grade I – $400,000
Track: California
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 3 years old and up
Distance: A mile and one sixteenth on the Dirt

Breeder’s Bowl Distaff winner Sweet Sister Mercy leads a field of eleven fillies and mares. In three starts this year she has been rock solid. In her first start of the year she missed by three quarters of a length but since then she won the grade one Orange Blossom and the grade two Painful Thorn. In the Painful Thorn she only earned a 104 speed figure but she won by two lengths. She does what it takes to get the win. Her running style is from way off the pace. She storms home and has been very good doing that during her career. She will be very tough to beat in this spot.

Carol of the Bells is the second choice on the morning line coming off a nice win in the grade two Mike’s Hometown Cap on Bluegrass day. She stalked the early pace pounced on the pace setters and lasted to the wire by half a length. Last fall she won the grade one World Cup for ladies at a mile on dirt. She has proven to be very good at a mile and capable at this distance as well. I might like her a little better here if the race where at a mile but she should still be tough in the stretch. She has the type of running style that could beat Sweet Sister Mercy.

Coldstone is a filly that could be on the verge of breaking out. It is weird to say that about a runner that won a grade two as a two year old but it took her a long time to start to move forward after that race. She won the grade two in October and did not win again until the following August. She made steady progress at the allowance level at the end of last year and has continued to move forward this year placing in her last three races all stakes. Last time out she was second in a grade two stakes with a very nice speed figure. If she can continue to grow she could be a player.

Race: 3595.0414 Cosmopolitan Handicap – Grade I – $750,000
Track: New York
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance: One mile on the Dirt

Halo Me Down is the morning line favorite facing a full field of runners going one mile over a sloppy course. The sloppy track is an interesting variable in looking at this race. Halo Me Down has only had one start on an off track and ran lights out that day. That was more than a year ago but it was easily his best race at that point in his career. At the end of last year he was running big speed figures winning races from a mile to a mile and a quarter. He is fast and will either be on the lead or pressing the early pace. He should run big so it looks like it will take quite an effort to beat him.

Perfectly Pleasant has not run on an off surface to this point in his career but his pedigree would seem to indicate he can handle the surface. He has not run in a grade one race to this point yet finds himself among the favored. He has been very consistent in his last five running speed figures over 110 four times. He has been holding his own in grade three company. His running style puts him off the pace but he is no stranger to making a run in the stretch.

Staff Trouble is has classic breeding for a race of this distance. He is Storm Cat X Mr. Prospector. He has not run on an off surface but that likely will not bother him. He was runner up to a pair of grade ones a few races back. In one of those races he earned a 119 speed figure. He has the ability to run huge speed figure and the breeding to be a champion. His last race was at a distance that was probably a little too far for him. He is back to his preferred distance and should respond with a nice performance.