The Secret to Successful Turf Sprinters Revealed (Written by Olwhisper)

1

82845

CREZZINO(ENG)

allvindy

O Barrett

7/1

Winner of 4 races including a Grade 1 event as a juvenile with earnings close to half a million dollars, this tenacious colt has shown a marked preference for front running but unlike most of the genre, he won’t throw the towel in if something goes past in the stretch. He will battle on and this quality should see him fighting for a top 3 finish if he is on his game today.

2

150366

METRIC CONNECTION(ENG)

recnrichie

W Graziano

15/1

Having started his career in turf routes, losing the maiden tag at the second attempt, he was switched to the main track for three races where he hit the board just once in a long sprint. Many trainers would have gone straight back to turf routes as that is where the horse was proven, but recnrichie had noticed that he ran better numbers over the shorter races and dropped him into grass sprints. Sitting just off the pace, he put away a trio of Allowance fields before the blood seemed to rush to his head on his Stakes debut and he was sent off in front, only to tire and fade in the stretch. He’ll need to be patiently ridden today and show his best turn of foot to have any chance against this world class field.

3

135108

DOTH’RAKI(KY)

khalasar

L Buchta

11/1

The morning line handicapper could have egg on his face at the end of the race, although the fact that Doth’raki has failed to win a race so far this year must be of concern to the trainer. But don’t be put off by that – this one has been in front of some very good horses this season and he is highly consistent. I believe his future may lie over further but I certainly won’t write him off here. One for the exacta and trifectas.

4

138591

GONE FOR ROYAL(KY)

jetster

W Baumann

10/1

A strange choice of race for the No 5 ranked DIRT sprinter and I wonder if the entry was a mistake or a very shrewd move by trainer, jetster. If it comes off, it will be hailed as one of the bravest and well calculated risks of Sim history but still one that I personally wouldn’t have had the bottle to attempt! His only turf races have been in listed stakes races with a victory on an offtrack at 2yo, taking a field of 5 gate to wire and also finishing runner up in another 5 horse race at the start of this year. Having a place and 2 wins on the dirt since then including a grade 2 win LTO and with figures of 104 and 106 in his last two attempts, I feel that he could have been better placed.

5

48412

WASHINSKY(IRE)

loisblack

N Torres

18/1

I’m beginning to get very confused! First we have one of the top 5 dirt sprinters and now we have one of the top 20 turf routers dropping in trip! You can throw the last race out of the window – an attempt at the 12f Epsom Classic was a little ambitious as the Sire’s long route progeny have been few and far between. Before that, he was given a patient ride sitting behind the main pack before swooping in the straight and then holding off the attentions of the runner up in a strong grade 3 event and recording his first triple digit run. I think this is another one who could have found a more suitable race – but I’ll be more than happy to come back if I’m proved wrong.

6

93777

DEDUCTION(KY)

lenny12

C Stubbs

22/1

Lightly raced with just 4 starts as a juvenile, this one likes to mix it up at the business end of things. Unfortunately, there is a few front running types in this field and if he doesn’t get his own way, he might not bother trying. When he does get to the front, he is not the easiest of horses to run down, as shown in his 5 victories. The main concern is that, although he has beaten some quality animals in Stakes company, he hasn’t really carried that form when racing in graded territory. The 104 speed figure LTO is promising and a good enough reason to put this one on the trifecta tickets.

7

92195

CLARITY THRU SMOKE(KY)

lawdro

A Darling

5/1

The morning line handicapper puts this one in as favourite to win the race and I tend to agree. He has a 6-2-1 record from 9 races on the lawn, culminating in finishing third (beaten by just a head) last time in the grade 1 Golden Jamboree. His 107 speed figure that day was his fourth this season – more that any other horse in this field and better than anything else has run as well. He prefers to lead them out but his last race showed that he could sit on the shoulder of whatever is in front and have enough left to quicken in the stretch. He’ll be hard to beat today.

8

89197

UPTOWN CLOWN(KY)

texasace02

R Colette

16/1

This could prove to be a bit short for Uptown Clown to show his best. Whilst he has yet to hit triple digits, he has been showing steady (if unspectacular) progress in each race this year. He didn’t like the offtrack LTO but his only Stakes victory, three races back, showed that he has plenty to offer – I just don’t think it will be today.

9

95137

PAINT ME SILVER(KY)

sasscass

S Ausilo

13/1

Having taken the grade 3 Roasting Weanies Stakes at the beginning of the year, Keely must have thought that this one was going to be putting the pressure on the top turf sprinters this season. That seemed to be borne out when he put away a small but select field in the Craft Bank Memorial overnight stakes event but then it all went to pieces. He didn’t show his usual turn of foot in the grade 3 Kcusrokec over a mile and more worryingly he failed to make an impression two back when putting in a mediocre performance over his preferred sprint trip. His latest race may have officially been down as a grade 3 event but the field contained some of the best sprinters on show – alas Paint Me Silver again disappointed. He needs to regain his early season kick to get back to form.

10

51535

GOLDFRIARS(AUS)

fortune500

P McJulien

6/1

Second favourite and if this were an offtrack he would be most people’s No1 choice. A true all-rounder, this colt has 5 wins each in sprints and routes and it is difficult to decide which is his best distance (the official rankings have him at No10 in the route division too!). The saying goes, “Jack of all trades, master of none” but I think this is an exceptional horse and he can mix it with the best over anything from 6 to 9 furlongs. Ignore him at your peril – he’ll be on every ticket I write for this race.

11

142389

LARGENT(ENG)

wtas02

V Gardner

26/1

After the morning line was published, rumour has it that the handicapper was fired! The No1 ranked turf sprinter and he is put in at 26/1 with only one other at longer odds! The reason for this discrepancy? Well, at the end of last year he notched a superb victory in the Duetoburst grade 1 event after finishing 3rd and 2nd in the World Cup and Breeders Bowl Undercard events respectively. But his seasonal debut was a disaster. Going off at 1/9 in a short field listed Stakes, he limped in behind the other three and it was obvious there was a problem. After 11 weeks away from the track, he reappeared in another 4 horse race, this time an overnight stakes event which he won comfortably. That gave trainer wtas02 every reason to be hopeful of a big race in the 2000 Guineas but he didn’t perform and finished well down the field. His last race wasn’t inspirational but that was an offtrack. Can he reproduce his best today? Only time will tell – but you won’t get 26/1 again for the No1 rated horse in the division!

12

94101

BASESTEALER(KY)

yunkai

W Case

13

10416

TOO MUCH ZIP(FL)

graywolf31

R Maire

14

146921

HITSUGAYA(KY)

daedalus

C Calhoun

15

104766

BELONG TO WHO(KY)

dundey4

A Blackmore

16

146459

DANCIN IN THE BANK(KY)

texasace00

M Wright