Sin City Handicap
Sin City Handicap is a GIII race going 6 furlongs on good dirt for all horses 3 years old and up.
1. AGREED sdmf5 6/1 (Seeking the Gold X Nijinsky II) After a successful career on turf turning in many stakes wins and graded placing. This 6 year old horse changed owners and made the switch to dirt with a resounding yes. Which includes 2 stakes wins and a graded placing in only 6 starts, Arguable very fast and has won handily over this distance, could be a horse to watch.
2. DARK SIEGE(FR) shall 14/1 (High Yield X Mr. Prospector) With a steady well started career this colt has been successfully taken from maiden to allowance winner. His last start resulted in a 110 speed to win going 7.5 furlongs. He is talented, but the jump in class may be hard, especially when coming at a shorter distance then his last win, his speed in the 6 furlong race the week before while nice would not win him this race today. He will need to step it up.
3. EARLY PEAK(IRE) stupor8 20/1 ( In Excess X Storm Cat) This could was a graded winner by October of his 2 year old year. Now 4 he has only one big race in his last 7 starts. Though he hit the board other times the speed of the one win was comparable to what he might face here. Though he was obviously injured and finally broke in his second to last start. Giving him one start to get well he ran very well in that one start. Will either put in a huge run, or fizzle.
4. SULPHUR SPRINGS gipper5 9/1 (War Chant X MR. Prospector) This colt was faring well in allowance races then in his last two starts was stepped up with good results. He finished second one time and then finished 4th the other, the 4th was the more impressive of the two. As it was a G2 race going 7 furlongs and he posted a 111 speed. Shortening the distance looks to be the right decision and should help him do even better today.
5. SONG OF PEGASUS(KY) bayouranso 22/1 ( Songandaprayer X Fusaichi Pegasus) Thos colt did very well as a three year old in stakes races winning a few and placing well. Now a 4 year old he has seemed to lose his old glamour. Though still winning in allowance races he is not showing the brilliance and winning with slower speeds but also by a length each time. The step up to stakes is understandable as he is easily winning allowances but graded competition seems steep if he can pull out one of his best runs he could bring home a check or more.
6. PEDRO MAXIMUS mattsbest 9/1 (Capote X Broad Bush) This horse is clearly a favorite of the off track having run his career best 113 speed to win the 6.5 stakes. On mud and good track this horse has won all of his 5 starts but one. Who can argue with that? There are some talented horses here but this will be the place for this horse to post a career best run.
7. STONECOAL CREEK jrogue 10/1 (Smart Strike X Nureyev) This horses short career started with a very nice slow progress from maiden to allowance to stakes. With only three stakes runs he has proven solid hitting the board in two of them. The best one coming at 6 furlongs on top of that he has never been on the board on an off track. Gives this horse a good outlook for this race.
8. CASTERLY ROCK(IRE) grrm 8/1 (Giant’s Causeway X Gone West) This was very well known in his day and has many G1 sprint victories to his name. I remember hearing about him and watching his races. With 7 graded wins and 6 being G1 who could contend with him. Now at 6 he is getting tired. Though still winning a G1 LTO he isn’t the horse he was, but still if he wants to good enough to beat anyone here.
9. BORDER WAR tigerman 6/1 (War Chant X Fusaichi Pegasus) This horse obviously loves and off track and owner tigerman hopes for it. Though only good this horse has won every good dirt race he has been on. So to say the least he has a shot. The only thing that can dampen his hope is the tough competition. Much more than he has faced before. The off track is in his favor but still tough race.
10. SOBRON(KY) palmisland 6/1 (Unbridled’s Song X Carson City) Another horse that seems to relish in the off track. His career best race came on good dirt going 6 furlongs so trainer Palmisalnd has set him up well. In that race he went 6 furlongs with a 112 to finish second by only a head. Will he be able to stick out his neck and fight a little harder to get some respect here?
11. BIODYNAMIC(KY) super11 10/1 (Dixieland Band X Forestry) This colts seeds shy just short of being very competitive in graded competition. He has a nice 108 running 6 furlongs and as most of his best races come over that distance trainer super 11 is right to hope this will be a good place. He has showed he can step up to the challenge getting a second in the grade 3 Arizona Silver Spoon. I think he is sitting on top of a big race and I hope its run today.
12. BOSTONIAN teamatc1 13/1 (Boston Harbor X Quiet American) After being successful in allowances trainer teamatc1 discovered that his horse loved the off track. Rather than trying for an allowance win he jumped this 5 year old horse in class to win a 6.5 stakes with a 113 speed. This proved that the horse could handle the competition on an off track. With one really bad dirt stakes run this horse will attempt to see if his surface preference can help him rise to graded competition.
13. GHOST BLADE(ITY) avalanche 14/1 (Danzig Connection X Silver Ghost) This colt made the jump to graded stakes with success finishing 3rd in the G1 Nomination Committee Stakes. However, since them this colt has been rather bland with only one other hit on the board in 6 attempts. It looks like he was injured but didn’t quite bounce back the way he should. Hopefully he will go back to the way he was and continue to get better.
14. TINTAGEL topicount4 21/1 (Came Home X Nijinsky II) 8 starts back this colt made a good jump from turf to dirt where he won 3 stakes with some bad runs in between. However, good luck doesn’t always last and he was injured last start. He has been on rest for two months almost to the day. The first race back is generally not much of an indicator, but if he comes back he could run well.
I like the 1,6,8,9 not in that order I would love to see the old champ take on the newbie’s and win, But there are some nice horses in this race.