Can Senior Anzio capitalize on a drop in class or will Awesome Force continue his winning ways!

Can Senior Anzio capitalize on a drop in class or will Awesome Force continue his winning ways!

On Saturday the 3^rd of January, racing heads to Washington and hopefully all New Year’s Celebrations will be put aside and we can get into some top quality racing. A top meeting has been assembled here with an undercard Stakes Race also on the card aswell as this Grade III. The Grade III Laffit Handicap is for Four-Year-Olds and Up and is run on the Turf Course over the Flying Mile (8 Furlongs).

History shows that the winner can go on to better things. Last years winner Bannaby went on to race in high quality races like the GI Maudlin Cup and GI Penn Mile which he placed 3^rd and 2^nd respectively. While the 2007 winner Very Silver went on to place 2^nd in the G1 Crock Of Gold he was a very good horses before that who placed in both the 2000 Guineas and Breeders Bowl Juvenile Turf which shows the quality of horses that line up in this prestigious race in its 9^th year of running.

 I have arrived in Washington to a bright sunny day and people on track tell me its going to be like this all weekend, so Saturday’s meeting looks like it will have the Sun Out for a perfect days racing. Lets get talking horses.

Post One is Senior Anzio is trained by the Seveii Stables and is a 7yo Horse by E Dubai. This horses quality is shown by his ranking of #2 in the Turf Mile-Classic division. Last year he managed to rise from an Allowance horse to a G1 Winner. In the first half of the year he started to make a name for himself with close 2^nd in a G1 with a 117 speed figure and then 2 starts later another placing when he finished 3^rd in another G1. He then added two big races to his trainers mantelpiece with the G3 High Lady Cup by 2 lengths and then the G1 Jacks The Man Stakes by 1 ¼ lengths. Since then he has won the G2 Jacobson Stakes by a nose and competed in the Canada Mile & Breeders Bowl Mile. Last start he ran an impressive 3^rd in the Penn Mile beaten only by 1 ¼ lengths. Expect to see him get back in the field and sprint past all of them as he is my pick for the race and the horse to beat. Top jockey Q Simien is aboard and he should be able to get everything out of this horse today. 

Post Two goes the way of the 5yo son of Storm Cat from the kensei barn. American Werewolf is a winner of 9 races and over $500,000 in earnings from 30 lifetime starts. Nsacca jumps aboard this horse today who is ranked 68^th in the Turf Classic Division. His last win was 5 starts ago where he captured a conditioned allowance by 2 ½ lengths with a 113 Speed Figure. He is stepping down in class this week after 3 consecutive Grade II races where he finished 3^rd in the Walnut BB Mile and the Fujimoto Stakes and then a disappointing last in the Jacobson Stakes. At 10/1 If he can get back on track he might be a place chance at best.

At 17/1 in Post Three is Four Days Later trained by the flagdown racing team and is a well bred 4yo Colt by Bernardini out of Mambo Girl a Kingmambo mare. Four Days Later is clearly Mambo Girls best offspring with the other 3 offspring’s haven’t done much to date. He has been super consistent in Stakes Racing for the last year and a bit ranging from 8 furlongs to 10 furlongs. An interesting stakes record he has which is 11 starts in ungraded stakes for 3 wins and 6 placings and earned over $240,000 during his 20 start career. One previous group start at the distance resulted in a third placing which is very good form to bring into this race. Adding on to that he is a last start Stakes Winner at the distance by 1 ½ lengths with an impressive 106 Speed Figure. Place chance so don’t leave him out of your trifectas.

Coming out of Post Four is the lovely son of Machiavellian at the age of Seven. L Olson is put aboard for this occasion and is at 6/1. Artificial Crisis has been up in the graded class for awhile now and is ranked 108^th in the Turf Classic Division and earned over $500,000 in earnings. Don’t be surprised to see this boy out the back of the back because he can unleash a deadly sprint. An example of this was 4 starts back in the Grade III Philly Cheese Steak Stakes over a mile where he dropped back near the rear, 7 lengths off the leader and sprinted home to win in the knick of time by ¼ of a length. His last three starts he has struggled to make up any ground and finished midfield on all three occasions in group company. He will be in the finish here but if he struggles to make up ground again he will be in a bit of trouble but on the plus side he has experience in the grade. Place Chance

League Of Nations is out of Post Five and is an amazingly bred 4yo Colt by Rainbow Quest out of Nag Of Notley who was by Gone West and has produced three horses for a Stakes Winner and Graded Winner. She won 16 races and placed in both a GII and a GI and earned over One Million Dollars. Her form was very nice in Allowance and Stakes races during the second half of the 2008 season, stringing 4 wins together by a combined 11 lengths. He has been up in the big company his last 3 starts. His first run he finished midfield in the G2 Utah BB Mile and was honest in defeat, losing by 7 ½ lengths. After that he showed his true colours winning the G3 Harry Carey Memorial Stakes by ¾ of a length with a very high 116SP in fast time of 1:33 2/5 for the 8 furlong trip. Last start he sustained an injury in a GIII. He went under vets examination at the track today and has been passed fit to race by the vet and stewards. If he returns from his injury 100% he has a winning chance but definite place chance!

Out of the middle in barrier Six is the striking Giant’s Causeway 5yo Horse Takeover with C Tuten aboard. Takeover is a winner of 9 race and a quarter of a million dollars in Prizemoney and is currently ranked 298 for this division. Theres no doubt that this horse has talent and also could possibly be graded class but if he is ever going to finish close in a Grade III, this wont be his race due to his lack of experience in stakes racing. This horse has won 5 of his last 6 races with his only loss coming in a Stakes race where he finished 5^th by 3 ¾ lengths in his only stakes appearance to date. I don’t think Takeover’s allowance form will get him over in this race, but if he does rise to the challenge he might give a bit of cheek.

Out of Gate Seven is the regally bred second pick in the field by Unbridled’s Song and it is Awesome Song. K Murray jumps aboard Awesome Song and  the bookmakers have the 5yo at 4/1, just longer then the 7/2 favourite. This horse is ranked 21 in the Turf Classic Division and has won 12 races from 27 starts with over $1.2 Million in earnings. The form this horse has shown of late is impressive and he is gunning for his fourth victory on the trot. After impressively winning an Allowance three starts back he moved on to the NWRC Cavalcade Cup and Owner Restricted Stakes which he bolted in by 4 ¼ lengths. Last start he pulled out a gutsy win in the Grade II NC Mile by 1 ¾ lengths. His form is very impressive and I wouldn’t be surprised if he walked away with this one and makes it 4 in a row.

Now to number eight who is Vermont Victory, a 6yo horse by Two Punch a winner of 20 races from 49 career starts, he certainly has some experience on the track. This is another horse that has been thrown in the deep end from impressive allowance form. Bookmakers have him at 5/1 which I think is a bit too short considering he has been running in allowances. He has won 3 races in a row with fast times and high speed figures and if he can handle the step up in grade he may be competitive.

Jumping from Gate Nine is the 5yo son of Fantastic Light, Fantastic A.P. from the dorrin barn at 8/1. The trainer has picked up a very nice claimer in this winner of 12 races but I think this task is a little bit too tough for him. Since being claimed he has attempted ungraded stakes twice finishing 4^th and and 8^th and on those 2 runs alone I find it hard to see him as any threat in this race. Pretty Average jockey aswell! That wont help his cause.

Breaking from the very outside of the field in the Number Ten gate is the very well bred 6yo son of Buddha named Cocaine Train and is 7/1 in the betting ring. Local jockey D Logan has jumped aboard here today and is riding with a 10% winning strike rate and it looks like he will be gunning from the lead from his outside barrier and trying to go wire to wire. He has had 34 starts for 10 wins and 14 placings, with lifetime earnings of over $400,000. Through the latter part of last year he was running nicely in Allowances over a mile but the trainer from the piccolo87 barn stepped him up in grade last start into the Grade II NC Mile, most likely due to the small field just before acceptances and he didn’t disappoint running a brilliant 2^nd place beaten by just under 2 lengths. He led the small field the whole way but was un able to capitalize on his slight lead the whole way and was run down but still finished on strongly. Cocaine Train isn’t my top pick but I think he will be a danger and a challenge to run down and may turn the tables on Awesome Song from last time out.

All in All this is a pretty even race but the second favourite Awesome Song will be hard to beat. Cocaine Train will run a bold race if he can lead from gate 10 and at some value League Of Nations is a good chance at 19/1 after all he won a Grade III two starts back.

Good Luck Everyone!