Gold Champ Challenge challenges juvenile sprinters

Juvenile sprinters stay in the forefront this week, as Virginia hosts the fourth annual running of the Gold Champ Challenge. The race invites all two year olds to race over six and a half furlongs of turf for a shot at a $50000 purse. Saturday looks to be a beautiful, crisp Autumn day, and it promises a firm track for this event. Closers have ruled the first three runnings, with all three previous winners coming from off the pace to claim the victory. Last year’s running was won by The Twister(AUS), one of the longshots in a well matched field, who came back from just over two lengths out at the half to notch a one and a quarter length victory. This year’s race draws a field of five colts, and it is the usual mixture of two year old starters. First time stakes runners vying with veterans of graded competition, dirt racers taking a shot at grass in the short field, speed vs. stamina. A first glance suggests a rather slow early pace leading to a hotly contested stretch run. Oddsmakers have tagged a pair of favorites at 6/5 and 9/5, pretty much calling it a two horse race. Odds of 4/1, 6/1 and 7/1 round out the field. Handicappers aren’t likely to break the bank in this one, but the exotics could pay fair if we get a surprise or two here.

PP 1) Loch Doon(IRE) Sired by Dylan Thomas(IRE), Trained by grittar. Loch Doon(IRE) looks at his sixth career start in this race, and he enters this one as the longshot. He’s no stranger to stakes competition, with three of five runs coming in stakes, but he is still looking for that first win at this level. He’s run to a mark of 1-1-2-0-0 in his first five, topping off his speed numbers at 71.6 two starts back. His last race was right her in Virginia in the North The Baby Bonanza, where he faded in the second half after challenging early, settling for third in a short field. All five career starts have been on turf, and he seems to have a good comfort level on the surface. He drops back a furlong in distance from his last, and he looks to be more comfortable in a shorter sprint when he can challenge early. He prefers to run somewhere between the head of the midpack or right on the heels of the leader, and he has relied on stamina to keep him in his races rather than any type of overwhelming second half push. Speed is the big issue for him here, with the bulk of this field averaging mid to upper 70s speed, a mark that he hasn’t come near in his first five. Look for an early challenge from him here, but should most likely be overwhelmed as they cross into the second half.

PP 2) Lucky Street(KY) Sired by Street Cry(IRE), Trained by saddlesore. Lucky Street(KY) takes the gate for career start number five in this race. This will be his third try in stakes and he’s looking to post his first win at this level. His first four starts have seen him run to a 2-1-0-1-0 record, with a best speed of 80.4 coming in a stakes race two starts back. His last run was in the Grade I Gunslinger Futurity at a mile in Wyoming, where he just never found his legs, but still held on for a fourth place finish in a field of ten. All four prior starts have been on turf, and he shows a good affinity for the surface. After going a mile in his last, he drops back to a distance he seems to be much more comfortable with in this one. Though facing a very good field last out, which could be a big factor, he has been much more competitive in shorter sprints. His break would typically place him at the head of the midpack, but in three of his four starts, it has given him at least a piece of the early lead. He’s shown some ability to close up short gaps in the second half, but both of his career victories have come in wire to wire fashion. He should have the early lead pretty much to himself here, and still have plenty left for the second half. He has some good closers coming behind him, but he has proven hard to catch if he builds a solid cushion. Should definitely be right in the mix at the wire here.

PP 3) Well O’ Gold(SAF) Sired by Hinton Wells, Trained by gradelane. Wells O’ Gold(SAF) is the relative veteran of this field, stepping to the track for his eighth career start here. Four of those starts have been at open stakes level or better, and he has a pair of prior stakes victories on his resume. He’s garnered a 3-1-1-2-0 record from his first seven, capping his speeds at 80.4 in his last outing. That race was an open stakes at six furlongs in New Hampshire, where he closed over two lengths down the stretch before running out of ground, settling for second in a field of five. All seven career starts have been on the grass, and having never finished without earning a check, there has been no need to tamper with his surface preference. This is his bread and butter race to this point in his career, with four starts in this distance range earning him three wins and a place. He runs as a midpack to deep closer, and with a couple of exceptions, his close has been very consistent. He has been steadily improving since his debut in March, and he has proven he can compete at this level of competition. He could be a good value pick for the top half of your exotic boxes at 4/1 odds.

PP 4) Ipitydafool(KY) Sired by Johar, Trained by the adonis. Ipitydafool(KY) makes his fifth career appearance here. This will be his first try against stakes competition, after breaking his maiden two starts back. He carries in a record of 1-0-0-0-1 from his first four, posting a best speed figure of 77.0 two starts back. His last start was a seven furlong A2L on a tough North Florida track, where he found himself coming out of a deep hole at the half, closing well but settling for fifth in a field of ten. After a pair of rather lackluster races on dirt, his trainer decided to give turf a shot, and it paid immediate dividends. He increased his speeds by over 20 points and earned his maiden victory at first asking. He’s tried distances from six to eight furlongs, and while it is hard to establish a preference, he seems to do better in shorter sprints where he has a bit less ground to make up in the second half. He runs as a deep closer, and in his two turf runs, his close has been quite good. In his maiden victory at this same distance, he made up over four lengths down the stretch to win by a nose. I’m rather split on him here myself. On one hand, he’s facing some very good speed in this field, and he’ll need to crank it up a notch. On the other hand though, this field should give him a beautiful setup with a relatively easy first half, and he shouldn’t find himself out too deep in the second half. Look for him to trail the field coming out of the gate, but he could well be threatening down the stretch. Another decent value at 6/1 odds.

PP 5) Fly With Kirby(AUS) Sired by Flying Pegasus(AUS), Trained by kirby77. Fly With Kirby(AUS) enters his seventh career start here as the oddsmakers’ choice to land in the winners circle. He already has a pair of stakes wins to his credit in four tries at this level, both of them coming on dirt. Six starts have seen him go 4-0-1-1-0, putting up a top speed of 87.9 two starts back. His last race was a stakes at seven furlongs on dirt in Oklahoma, where he gave up a lead down the stretch to finish third in a field of eight. All six of his previous starts have been on dirt, where he has posted some excellent speeds, and that makes surface a big question mark for him here. His sire, Flying Pegasus(AUS) is a freshman, and so far his progeny have been strong on turf, but his only two stakes winners have both been dirt runners. On the dam side, Afleet has shown a pronounced dirt preference, though it is slightly mitigated through his female lines as a dam sire. Distance wise, he has posted wins from five and a half to seven furlongs, with his two career best speeds coming in his last two starts, both at the seven furlong distance. He runs as a midpack closer, and with the exception of his last where he unaccustomedly found himself out in front early, his close has been the picture of consistency. If his speeds translate over to turf, he could very well rout this field. For the most part, though, his sire’s stronger dirt runners have not faired well with the switch. I’m not quite ready to call him a runaway victor here until I see him run on the softer surface.