Full Field Goes to Post in Pleasure Stakes

The feature race this coming weekend in the sunny state of Nevada will be the Pleasure Stakes (G3) over a mile and one sixteenth on the dirt oval. As usual, the race is open to only juvenile horses, who will be running for a total prize purse of $150,000 this weekend. The dirt race will have a full field here of fourteen going to the gates this weekend with track conditions expected to be favorable for the Saturday race. It has cooled down here in the approaching winter season with temperatures forecasted at being around 40ºF on race day. It is anticipated that we may experience light snow flurries later on in the week, but this is not expected to occur until the day after running of the Pleasure Stakes (G3) this weekend. The current stakes record for the Pleasure Stakes (G3) was set just last year with a time of 1:42 3/5. This was achieved by the A.P. Indy sired colt, Bernie Ets, owned and trained by esstable. We will see this weekend if any of these fourteen new challengers to the Pleasure Stakes can take on the record set by Bernie Ets. Lets take a look at the horse running this year.

1. Stake Your Claim (IRE) – (Acclamation (GB) x Empire Maker x Gone West) – qwikvett1 – E. N. Tice – 17/1

First up in the field is Stake You Claim (IRE), who will being going to the rail in the Pleasure Stakes (G3) under the black and flame-lit silks of Qwikvett Stables. The bay colt has made six starts so far this year, winning two of these races. The juvenile made his last start in the Upper State Juvenile Stakes (G3) over eight furlongs. He finished third in the race, setting a lifetime record speed figure of ninety-two. The Irish-bred colt has only made two graded stakes starts, finishing third in both races. Ironically, the colt also finished third back-to-back in allowance caliber races before notching in a win during his third effort. This weekend will mark the colts third attempt at a graded stakes. Could this be his time? Look for the bay colt to come out of the gate held back towards the middle of the back conserving energy for a late stretch run.

2. No Health Nut – (Street Sense x Pulpit x Danehill) – steller2 – B. Blythe

Into the second slot we will have No Health Nut, offspring of the freshman sire sensation Street Sense, out of the race winning mare Preacher’s Lady. This Kentucky-bred colt has also made six career starts. However, the brown colt has won half of his races and finished on the board in the other three in which he did not win, giving the colt a total of $190,405 in career earnings. His most recent start came in the eight and a half furlong GR Simsters Juvenile Restricted where the bay colt went on to win impressively by two lengths while scoring a lifetime best speed figure of ninety-four in his first stakes race of any caliber. Previous to his stakes debut, the colt also won an allowance caliber race in Upper New York in September. Should the colt come through and win again this Saturday, it will be his third straight victory and second at graded level. Look for the colt to be forwardly placed out of the gate in stalking position, probably settling back into third or fourth biding his time.

3. Follow My Shoes – (Distorted Humor x Sadler’s Wells x Gone West) – woodhead – W. Robinson – 10/1

Following into the third post will be Follow My Shoes, the chestnut colt racing under Bond77 Stables. The Kentucky-bred horse is out of the graded winning mare Follow The Path. The two-year-old has been lightly raced with only four career starts to date. The colt has finished on the board in all of his races, coming in for the win once. His most recent start was in the mile long listed Fourth Slew Cap in Montana where the colt finished second, equalling a previous personal best speed of eighty-nine achieved in the listed Orange Grove stakes. The colt has never made a graded stakes start and has yet to win in any stakes race despite finishing second during both of his stakes starts. Look for the colt to be rated out of the gate back towards the middle of the field, waiting to make a move down the stretch.

4. To The Otherside (JPN) – (Afleet x Refuse To Bend (IRE) x Kris S.) – flurgen3 – S. Bailey – 8/1

Up next in post four will be the Japanese-bred colt, To The Otherside (JPN), who is out of the race winning mare Midnight Seduction (IRE). The bay colt, going to gate four under the red and blue silks of Flurgen Stables, is a very well seasoned two-year-old with a total of nine career starts. Three of the starts ended in wins for the bay colt, and all but one of his races the colt has landed on the board. The most recent race for the colt was in the listed Mine Devastation Bonanza over eight and a half furlongs where the colt finished four lengths back in third with a speed figure of ninety. The colt has seen action in graded races twice in his career during the Feed The Children Restricted (G1) and the Faber College Juvenile (G2), the first mentioned of which, and most recent, earned the colt an eighth place finish. After his step down in class back to listed stakes, he will be returning to graded races in the Pleasure Stakes (G3). Look for the colt to be rated somewhat off the pace out of the gate, probably right off the pace sitting in second or third.

5. Sisson’s Summer – (Dixieland Band x Summer Squall x Mr. Prospector) – anewhope1 – P. Campbell – 17/1

The royally-bred Sisson’s Summer will be next in the field, going under the yellow, baby blue and orange silks of Binzaman Stables. The Kentucky-bred brown colt has been lightly raced so far in his juvenile year with five lifetime starts, winning once so far in his young career. He has only one stakes start to date, this in the eight furlong Rapid Ruckus Challenge, also his most recent start, which earned him a second place finish in his stakes debut, also bringing in a record speed figure of eighty-six for the colt. This Saturday’s start in the Pleasure Stakes (G3) will be the first graded stakes for the two-year-old colt. The single race the colt won was an eight furlong maiden special weight in North California this past October. The colt has shown some versatility in running style and can either come from behind or go up and be more on the pace, so fractions out of the gate will probably play a big role in where the colt will go in the race.

6. The Big Picture – (Saarland x Storm Cat x Mr. Prospector) – dublinlad – L. Brenner – 8/1

Approaching the center of the track we will have The Big Picture going into gate six. The Kentucky-bred brown colt is out of the Grade 1 winning mare Dublin Lass and is also her first offspring. The colt has made seven starts so far, all over the dirt, and has gone on to win twice in his career. In total, the colt has brought home $249,250 in earnings back to Stevemunoz Stables. The most recent start for the colt was in the seven furlong listed stakes, the Mansuer Inning Challenge, which the colt won by one and three-fourth lengths after going in wire to wire fashion. The colt recorded a speed figure of eighty-nine. The colt is no stranger to graded competition, running in some of the classic two-year-old races such as the Television Stakes (G3) and the North Fork Stakes (G2), in which the colt finished in the money in both. Though finishing on the board in many of his graded stakes appearances, the colt has yet to win a graded stakes, coming the closest to this goal when he finished second in the Dell Computer Futurity (G2) a few months ago. A sure speed horse, the colt will probably be sent straight for the lead out of the gate on Saturday.

7. Thornton Mellon – (Cat Thief x Awesome Again x A.P. Indy) – dolphinman – F. Holmes – 6/1

Out in the middle of the dirt oval we will have Thornton Mellon going into his slot, the colt running under Dolphinman Stables. This two-year-old is also very well seasoned with ten lifetime starts so far, the colt incredibly winning half of them and brining in career earnings of $218,430. The Kentucky-bred colt made his last start with one of the other Pleasure Stakes (G3) entrants in the listed Mine Devastation Bonanza. The son of Cat Thief won the race easily by two and one-fourth lengths, setting a speed figure of ninety-five, a lifetime best for the colt. The colt, never having much luck in graded caliber stakes so far, is going to try it again after that amazing run, his connections stepping him back up in class for the first time since his fifth place finish in the Big Hill Stakes (G2) in October. Look for the colt to come out of the gate around the middle of the pack or off slightly towards the rear of the field, waiting for just right moment to make a move.

8. Xtra Tales – (Tale Of The Cat x A.P. Indy x Kris S.) – ejdstable – M. Cooper – 10/1

Still out towards the middle of the track we will have Xtra Tales going to gate eight under the banner of Ejdstables Stables. The brown Kentucky-bred two-year-old is out of the stakes winning mare Xtremely A Show, and is the first offspring out of this mare. The brown colt made his most recent start in The Arizona Diamond (G1) last month and finished sixth in the race, rallying late but not being able to get up to the wire in time to win. His single non-maiden win came in the listed Mr. Dinky Memorial over seven and a half furlongs. The colt won this race by one and three-fourth lengths and then went on to test out the waters in graded stakes competition. The colt has never won a graded race, but has managed to finish on the board in a couple of these starts. The colt will probably break late out of the gate and hover towards the back of the field for the majority of the running of the Pleasure Stakes (G1), until kicking into gear and making an early run for the wire just before the stretch.

9. Thunder Cracked – (A.P. Indy x Thunder Gulch x Danzig) – super25 – T. Fishbasck – 14/1

Working our way towards the grandstand side post we will have Thunder Cracked who will be going in at gate nine. The impressively bred son of A.P. Indy will be going to the gate under black silks with flames and skull markings of the More Evil Than The Evil Empire stable group. The bay Kentucky-bred colt has run six times so far in his juvenile year of racing, winning two times to date. The colt will be stepping back up in class this weekend for the Pleasure Stakes (G3), after taking a brief step down to regroup. The colts most recent race was a seven furlong allowance caliber race run over a good dirt track in California. The colt won this race, his first over an off track, by one and a half lengths with a speed figure of eighty-six. This followed a sixth place finish in the North Fork Stakes (G2) earlier on in the year. The colt hasn’t been able to win a stakes race yet in his career but came in within one-fourth of a length of getting the job done in the Trixy Delight’s Special (G3) but came up just short at the wire. Look for the colt to probably hang back towards the middle of the field out of the gate on Saturday, not making a move until he reaches the stretch.

10. Stevie Ray – (Seeking The Gold x Sadler’s Wells x Gone West) – gradetwo – K. Ladera – 14/1

Out in gate ten we will have Stevie Ray going in under the banner of the More Evil Than The Evil Empire stable group, the second entry in the Pleasure Stakes (G3) for this stable. The brown colt has been moderately raced this season, winning once in his career so far, but finishing on the board in all of his starts. The most recent of these starts was in the listed eight and a half furlong Seattle Dealing Challenge where the colt ran steady and finished second just half a length off the pace of the winner, settling in with a speed figure of eighty-one. The colt has made one graded start in his career, this coming during the Little Tree Stakes (G3) last August. The colt led out of the gate in his stakes debut but faltered in the final furlongs finishing third. This weekend he will return to graded races for the first time since that running, looking to have some more gas left in the tank at the wire. Look for this colt to be out of the gates very fast on Saturday and possibly battling it out on the lead with The Big Picture early on in the race. If not, the colt will likely be rated just slightly back in second or third.

11. Racing Form – (Dynaformer x Seeking The Gold x In Reality) – paddy – V. Jef – 13/1

Going through the field we will have Racing Form next into the race, going into gate eleven under Twoofus Stables. They chestnut juvenile is the first offspring out of the stakes placed mare Seeking Happiness and has made a total of six career starts early on in his career, winning twice. The colt is coming from a prestigious background in racing, his most recent start being in the eight and a half furlong Breeders Bowl Juvenile (G1) a few months ago out in California. The colt started off well in the race but faded badly towards the middle of the race, ultimately finishing thirteenth in possibly the biggest race for two-year-olds in North America. However, the colt did pull off a win in his prior start, the Camel Juvenile (G2), just the month before. Look for the lightening quick Kentucky-bred colt to be somewhat forwardly placed early on in the Pleasure Stakes (G3), likely being held back in around fourth or fifth out of the starting gates on Saturday.

12. Majestic Dance – (Eurosilver x Northern Dancer x Majestic Light) – robinhood – L. Gagliano – 8/1

Coming closer to the grandstand side posts we will have the striking dark gray Majestic Dance going to the gate for Balata. The two-year-old Kentucky-bred colt has ran seven times in his short juvenile season, bringing home career earnings so far of $162,084. The colt has won three times of the dirt in addition to many on the board placements, but was also successful over the turf when he ran second in a maiden special weight. However, the colts true forte is over the dirt track, never finishing off of the board in any of his races. the colts most recent start was the mile long Alydar Bacon Special where the dark gray colt took home the victory by a length. In fact, the impressive colt has won three races in a row now, including two listed stakes races. This weekends start will be the horses first attempt at trying out a graded stakes race. Look for the colt to be out quickly with the rest of the front-running horses, settling back just off the pace anywhere from fourth into sixth.

13. Abject Blessing – (Distorted Humor x Deputy Minister x Buckpasser) – kaif – B. Garbaccio – 11/1

Being sent into the lucky thirteen post we will have Abject Blessing under the black, white and red silks of Kaif Stables. The bay Kentucky-bred colt has currently five starts to his name, three of them coming along as victories for the colt, all over the dirt. The most recent start for the colt was over the eight and a half furlong Deputy Gold Ant Cap where the colt ran away with the race in three and one-fourth lengths in wire to wire fashion. The colt also won his prior race, the Bob Bar Cap, almost as impressively by two lengths. The colt has never made a start during a graded stakes race, but he will this weekend during the Pleasure Stakes (G3). The connections of the colt looking to add another notch to their belt of racing wins. The colt is another true speed horse, but could be in a bind this weekend if he gets caught up in a speed dual with The Big Picture or Stevie Ray.

14. Tonyocity – (Pleasantly Perfect x Awesome Again x A.P. Indy) – tamjennic – S. Flint – 5/1

Last but not least on the far outside post position we will have the Pleasure Stakes (G3) favorite, Tonyocity, running under Tamjennic Stables. The two-year-old son of Pleasantly Perfect has made six lifetime starts so far to date, winning half of these races. The only three races in which the colt didn’t win he came in second. The colt has brought in a total of $183,775 in career earnings so far, while never finishing worse than second in his career. The bay Kentucky-bred horse made his last start over a mile during the Upper State Juvenile Stakes (G3), winning easily by two lengths with a lifetime best speed figure of ninety-nine. This was the colts only graded start to date, though he will be going at it again this weekend in the Pleasure Stakes. The colts two listed stakes starts both resulted in second place finishes. Look for the colt to be rated as far up as mid-pack out of the gate or being pulled further back in the race to run at the rear of the field depending on the pace this weekend.

Tellnotale’s Picks
Win: Tonyocity
Place: No Health Nut
Show: Stake Your Claim (IRE)

Good luck to those with runners in this weekends Pleasure Stakes (G3). This is tellnotale signing off.