G3 Carlton Fisk Handicap
Race : Carlton Fisk Handicap – Grade III – $150,000
Track : California
Restrictions : All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance : A mile and one half on the Turf
There is a cool breeze, the leaves are brilliant reds and yellows, the nights are getting longer and I am surrounded by a Swamp Monster, Harry Potter, a pink princess and a kitty cat (ok, really my two sons and two nieces dressed for Halloween). It must be October. The first thing that comes to mind when I think about October is Halloween, but let’s not forget the big show, baseball’s elite, the World Series. Yes, don’t worry, I will get to the horses. But let’s remember for a moment the man today’s race was named in honor of: Carlton Fisk. It was a day, probably a lot like today, sunny and warm with a cool breeze when Carlton Fisk faced the second pitch in inning 12 of game 6 of the 1975 World Series at Fenway Park against the Cincinnati Reds. Carlton hit the ball and it headed dangerously close to foul territory. He ran to first, waving his hands in an effort to ensure the ball would be fair. It was! And the Red Sox forced game seven, which they (unfortunately) lost. Okay, maybe you remember. I don’t. I was 3 years old. But Tim (timmn) and wikipedia ensure me that it was one of the great sports moments in history.
On to the horses.
PP 1 SAKH OF DOJA(ENG) (SAKHEE x KINGMAMBO x DEPUTY MINISTER) bred and trained by sdoza (Team DOZA Racing Stables, 20%) Odds: 7 to 1
Out of post position one is the first of three 3 year olds in the field today. Sakh of Doja is a lightly raced, scratch bred son of Sakhee. He is making his graded debut here after going through his conditions and winning his stakes debut at the end of August. This will be his third try on turf, but his last try was his stakes victory. That race was 11 furlongs, the longest he has gone to date. He shouldn’t have trouble with the extra furlong though. In his last two races he put up his career high speeds of 108 and ran almost identical races. Starting out of the gates he let other establish themselves in the lead and then coming up the stretch he past the competition and finished over 2 lengths ahead both times. He hasn’t finished worse than second since his racing debut, but is also facing his toughest competition today.
PP 2 SECRET’S GOLD ((TOUCH GOLD x SECRETARIAT x DAMASCUS) bred and trained by seacadet (Seacadet Stables, 15%) Odds: 4 to 1
Next to the inexperienced Sakh of Doja is the “old man” of the field. Secret’s Gold is the only 6 year old and has raced in 51 races, including 15 stakes and 3 graded tries. This scratch bred son of Touch Gold has 2 stakes wins, but hasn’t finished in the money in his graded attempts. He is coming off two allowance wins, one at the distance and also his career high speed of 108. He last stakes win was also at this distance. Secret’s Gold is a deep closer and can get well back from the leader, but can burn up the stretch with his closing speed. As the second late runner in the race he is hoping from some early speed from the outside horses. One huge thing in his favor is the off track. The turf is listed as “good” for race time and he is 75% in the money when racing on an off track.
PP 3 FROM SIN CITY(IRE) (THEATRICAL(IRE) x COPELAN x BOLD AND BRAVE) bred by imatiger and trained by euroalien (Ridgecrest Champion Stables, 11%) Odds: 7 to 1
We find our first early speed horse in post position three. From Sin City is a scratch bred son of Theatrical who has been trained at three different stables. Even with successful in the money finishes in allowance races two trainers dropped him into expensive claims and he was claimed twice. Since moving to Ridgecrest Champion Stables he has won three times and had his best finish in a stakes race, a third place in the 14 furlong The GEORGIA HANDLE (GB) Special in August. At one point in the race From Sin City was leading by over 6 lengths, but he couldn’t hold on against the closers. He is in a good position in this race to start strong and take the early lead (5 of his 8 wins were won wire to wire), but he will definitely face some pressure in the stretch.
PP 4 NOMADIC TRIBE(FL) (ESSENCE OF DUBAI x MR. PROSPECTOR x WHAT LUCK)bred by coolk and trained by echointime (Scootboy Stables, 14%) Odds: 7 to 1
Nomadic Tribe is the second 3 year old in the race. He is coming off a win and career high speed last time out (111) in his first stakes victory at The GRADUATION NIGHT Memorial. He finished 11 lengths ahead of From Sin City’s seventh place finish there. Today will be Nomadic Tribes graded debut and his first try at 12 furlongs. This son of Essence of Dubai out of game dam Jove Project has been slowly stretched out by his trainer at Scootboy Stables and I would be surprised if the distance was an issue for him. Jove Project is an open mare and didn’t win any of her three races, but she has been used every year since her retirement and has produced 3 stakes winners. Her 2008 foal is a full brother to Nomadic Tribe. The one concern for him is the off track. He worst races in the last year, 2 of his 4 out of the money finishes were on good turf.
PP 5 SEPTIC SQUALL(ENG) (SEPTIEME CIEL x SUMMER SQUALL x ALLEGED) bred and trained by sozzled (Jacklad Empire, 13%) Odds: 10 to 1
Next we have Septic Squall, the third and last of the three year olds and the highest ranked horse in the field at 15th in the turf long route division. She started her career in a restricted allowance, which he won and has only raced in stakes and graded stakes since. Septic Squall is a son of Septieme Ciel out of game dam Bart’s Sum, another open mare that gets used every year. She has produced one other stakes winner and Septic Squall would be her first offspring to win a graded race if he wins here. He is coming off a G1 try at the Canada Turf that he would rather forget. And although he has been racing in some big name races he hasn’t won since a listed stakes in early March. He has two tries on off tracks, one good and the other not so good. He has only put up a triple digit speed once in his career and will probably need one to win here.
PP 6 SLEWRIFIC (PLEASANTLY PERFECT x STORM CAT x PHONE TRICK) bred by sleworama and trained by foxon3 (Foxon Stables, 25%) Odds: 5 to 1
September 2nd, 2006 was a great day for Foxon Stables. They paid $15,000 and picked up this son of Pleasantly Perfect in a claiming race. Since then he has raced 30 times and only finished out of the money twice and was in the winner’s circle 16 times! What a claim! Slewrific is out of game dam Jove’s Trick who has already produced 2 graded winners and Slewrific is hoping to be the third. Today he is making his graded debut coming off a overnight win with his career high speed of 106 over 10.5 furlongs. He hasn’t been on an off track in over 2 years and tends to run off the pace, but not too far back, like Septic Squall next to him.
PP 7 KAFZIEL TETE(GB) (DIESIS(GB) x IN THE WINGS(GB) x LUTHIER(FR)) bred by kronp and trained by cyprus (Ridgecrest Champion Stables, 11%) Odds: 9 to 1
At post position 7 we find another horse who started his career at a different stable and was bought in a claiming race. After the move he raced in allowance races for 3 wins and a second. Then he won his graded debut at the G2-Big City Handicap. The next time he tried graded was late last year and he wired the field over 12 furlongs on an good turf track, the same conditions we have today. He has one other graded victory, but is coming off two terrible races that he would like to put behind him. All of his wins have been wire to wire, so he is going to have to fight From Sin City for the early lead here.
PP 8 NAGA KING(KY) (CRAFTY PROSPECTOR x NUREYEV x SECRETO) bred and trained by gonzo2 (Ace Stables – Great Plains Division, 12%) Odds: 6 to 1
Naga King is coming off a win his last time out at the G1-Classic Turf Stakes that was 12 furlongs and on off track; looks good coming into today’s race. Also, the only other time he tried an off turf track he won as well. He raced twice as a two year old and then took well over a year off. He had a couple tries on the dirt, but then really took off at the end of his 3rd year and beginning of this year. He is out of game dam Naga Queen who was a dirt sprinter, but Naga King has definitely shown he likes to go long on the grass. He will have California’s top jockey, F Gossett, who is winning over 25% this year. Naga King will probably be contributing to the early speed in this race, but like some of the others in the field who need the lead, he can win after racing in second or third most of the race.
PP 9 COZZENE AFFAIRE(KY) (COZZENE x BLACK TIE AFFAIR(IRE) x EXPLODENT) bred and trained by crandyiv (Crandy Stables, 7%) Odds: 12 to 1
Cozzene Affaire is a 4 year old son of Cozzene out of grade A game dam W. Affair. Cozzene Affaire is a stakes winner and W. Affair has produced one other stakes winner. Cozzene Affaire is one of the long shots in the field with the highest odds. He hasn’t finished out of the money in three starts, including his first stakes win last time out at a 13 furlong listed stakes. The numbers he has been putting up recently have been some of the best in his career, but he is the only one in the field to not break the century mark, although his 98 last time out was close. I think he is going to need a career best to be in the mix here, but looking at his recent form it wouldn’t be a surprise.
PP 10 GOOD TO BE KING (SMARTY JONES x A.P. INDY x SADLER’S WELLS) bred by fatattack and trained by super21 (More Evil Than The Evil Empire, 16%) Odds: 6 to 1
At first glance to Good To Be King’ past performance history there seems to be two things that are obvious. He likes 12 furlongs and he likes off tracks. He is also the only millionaire in the racing, bringing home over 1.5 million for More Evil Than The Evil Empire. When you look closer though, he hasn’t won in over a year and most of his earnings are from in the money finishes. He finished fourth last time out at the G1-Classic Turf Stakes where Naga King won. The off track definitely helps him, but there is a lot of early speed so he will have some competition if he wants to get the early lead. He has shown he can win from well off the pace, but that was quite a while ago.
I think the off track could definitely slow some of these horses down today, but I think we will still see quite a fight for the early lead and I think Slewrific will dominate it with Naga King just behind. If it wasn’t for the off track I would say that Nomadic Tribe would be in the mix. And I think Sakh of Doja will put the pressure on in the stretch.
Morning Line: Secret’s Gold, Slewrific and tied for third, Naga King and Good To Be King
Kloie’s picks: Slewrific, Sakh of Doja and Naga King