Million Dollar California Handicap Draws Country’s Best
Race : California Handicap – Grade I – $1,000,000
ID: 3875.0113Track : California
Restrictions : All horses, 4 years old and up
Distance : A mile and one quarter on the Dirt
Its going to be a big day of stakes racing in California this weekend with five stakes races filling up the latter half of the Saturday racing card. The thirteenth race on Saturday will be the illustrious California Handicap (G1). Arguably the most watched race this weekend the California Handicap (G1) promises to bring in a full field of the top horses from all over the world with its prestigious history and purse of $1,000,000 up for grabs for those that finish well in the Grade I race. On top of the lure of prestige and history in its backing, the weather here in California looks like it couldn’t be more perfect for this weekends racing. We can expect nothing less than a fast dirt track for the fourteen horses to test out over a mile and one quarter this Saturday in what promises to be a very exciting race. Lets take a look at the horses that will be running this year.
1. Silver Star Road – (Silver Train x Alydar x Roberto) – onyourmark of Baggio Stables – T. Bates – 10/1
Amassing an impressive 274 stakes points to get into the California Handicap (G1) this weekend, the four-year-old Kentucky-bred colt is a lifetime earner of almost $1,000,000 already throughout his career. A good run this weekend in the California Handicap (G1) could put him well over the million dollar mark. The colt spent the early part of his career over the turf, as some of his pedigree would suggest. He did fairly well over the lawn, finishing in the money in quite a few of his turf starts, but just never quite clicking over the surface. In March of last year it was decided that the colt would make one more start over the dirt to see if he had improved over that surface since his debut the year before. He wasn’t very promising at first, but before long the brown colt was winning races with triple digit speed figures and was soon moved up to stakes level racing. For now, he only has one graded stakes victory, the ten furlong Princess Cup (G1), which he won in the middle of last year by two and a half lengths. He’s finished a close third in the Travelers Stakes (G1) and second in the LA Derby (G1). His only major blemish recently came in his one of his last races of the 2008 racing season when he finished sixth in the Breeders’ Bowl Classic (G1). The colt has bounced back since then, finishing in the money in his two most recent starts, but his connections would like him to bounce back big this weekend to get another stakes win under his belt. If he’s going to put in a good run this weekend, you should look for the colt to be out stalking the pace early on, ideally between the third and fifth positions out of the gate.
2. Johnny Attack (KOR) – (Yankee Victor x Nikos (GB) x Joker) – superdog7 of Superdog Stables – R. Hoffman – 25/1
Making his debut graded stakes appearance this weekend, this four-year-old colt originally hailing all the way from Korea will be a longshot this weekend in the California Handicap (G1), but he’ll be going to the gate to have a run in the race nonetheless. To date the brown colt has made twenty-three lifetime starts and crossed the wire in the lead four times to win $129,632 in earnings. His two most recent races have both been allowance level races, the most recent of which the colt ran to finish third. He has had some bad luck in his recent listed stakes starts though. His most recent stakes race was the I See Live People Memorial last October. The brown colt finished fifteen lengths off the pace of the victor to finish eleventh in the eight and a half furlong race. Prior to that he finished fourth, though eleven and one-fourth lengths back in the Salted Tie (IRE) Bonanza. He’s not totally unaccomplished in stakes racing however. Early in the 2008 season the colt finished third in the Jay’s Slew Challenge, though to date the colt has not been able to clinch victory at stakes level. He will likely sit back mid-pack out of the gate this weekend and see if he can make a late drive down the stretch.
3. Kissin Streetcry – (Street Cry (IRE) x Sadler’s Wells x Gone West) – sherwood of Dentition Stables – F. Gossett – 8/1
The well-decorated 2008 Bluegrass Derby (G1) and The New Yorker (G1) winner will make his second appearance of the new year here in the California Handicap. The chestnut earner of $3,250,220 during his career made a bit of a comeback in his last start in the King Cat Handicap, a listed stakes race over ten furlongs in Ohio. The Kentucky-bred colt finished second in the race, back just by one length after some disappointing turn outs at the graded level in his two previous starts. These were a sixth place finish in the Topicount Special (G1) and a seventh place finish in the Breeders Bowl Classic (G1). He stepped it up a notch the past month in the King Cat Handicap, and his connections have decided that the homebred colt will make yet another graded start this weekend. The colt is a proven closer and will probably hang out towards the rear of the field on Saturday out of the gate until given the go ahead to start making is move on the field.
4. Trophy Of Triumph – (A.P. Indy x Northern Dancer x Exclusive Native) – fairhaven3 of The Evil Empire – GV Vincent – 9/1
This colts middle name might as well be consistency. The chestnut son of the incomparable A.P. Indy was won nearly all of his eight most recent starts. However, despite the four-year-old colts consistency, he is a relative newcomer to the stakes scene. The chestnut Kentucky-bred has been very lightly raced throughout his career, the colt with currently only nine lifetime starts to his name. Only three of these races haven’t been wins. The colt broke his maiden debut and then moved up into allowance class where he quickly caught on as a force to be reckoned with. He didn’t make his first stakes start until last November during the Blue Plate Special, a listed stakes race in Nevada being held over a good dirt track. The colt finished second in the race. It wasn’t a win, but he had his first stakes run, and it was a finish on the board. He achieved his first stakes win in his most recent race, coming in late January of this year. His run in the Toilet Scrubbers Anonymous Handicap earned him a first place finish with a speed figure of one hundred seventeen, a lifetime best, and a winning margin of a length and a half. This time he’ll be going for the big money in the California Handicap (G1) in just his second Grade 1 race of his career. The colt likes to run just off the pace in his races, but if necessary the colt can be held back in the race in an effort to try to conserve energy for a later closing kick if there happens to be a lot of speed in this weekends race.
5. Sakh Of Doja (ENG) – (Sakhee x Kingmambo x Deputy Minister) – sdoza of Team Doza Racing Stables – P. Incay – 12/1
One four-year-old colt coming to the race and brining along lots of consistency in his races is this brown colt from England. The son of Sakhee has been lightly raced with fourteen career starts and has been successful both on the main track and over the turf. This Saturday will mark the colts first graded stakes start over the dirt. The colt has had one previous graded start but this was over the turf in the Carlton Fisk Handicap (G3) last November. The colt finished fourth in the race during his first graded stakes attempt. The colt has had two ten-furlong listed stakes prep going into the California Handicap (G1). These were the 3rd Minnesota Classic Owner Restricted in which the colt won impressively by two and one-fourth lengths and the Her Song Challenge, where he crossed the wire in second. The colt is a fairly versatile runner but will probably be off the pace either stalking the pace in third place or so, though he could be held back further on in the race at around the middle of the field out of the gate.
6. Tournament – (Dehere x Seeking The Gold x Storm Bird) – topicountc of Topicount Stables – B. Peeples – 20/1
Just barely getting into the race with enough stakes points, this Kentucky-bred brown colt is out of the stakes winning mare Seeking The Buda. The four-year-old brown colt has made twenty-three career starts but has won just three times in his racing career. The colts wins have come mostly at the allowance caliber races, the most recent of which came in the early part of last year. The colt has run in several listed stakes races but has only finished on the board in one of them. This single race was the ten furlong Blue Plate Special. Here the colt finished third, six and three-fourth lengths back whiles recording a speed figure of one hundred two over the good dirt track. The colts six other stakes start haven’t yielded any success. This weekend will be the first start for the colt in graded company and he will no doubt be a longshot this weekend without ever having won a previous stakes race. The colt will probably be running out of the gate mid-field this weekend, so looking for them to start things off there.
7. Silvergore – (Silver Deputy x Nureyev x Carson City) – bigarnie of Jrogue Stables – B. Rahill – 7/1
Perhaps one of the fastest horses set to go to the gate in the California Handicap (G1), the four-year-old homebred is out of the graded winning and multiple stakes winner producing mare C My Tail. The brown colt has been lightly raced throughout his career with just fourteen lifetime starts and career earnings right at the half million dollar mark for the Kentucky-bred colt. He hasn’t won a race since the Derby de Swedish (G3) in July of last year in which he put in a one hundred thirteen speed figure to win by a length and a half over the twelve furlong race. He hasn’t slacked off in his more recent races through. He finished second in the CA Classic (G1) and in the Gallant Socks Handicap (G3). The connections of the brown colt think he may be due for a win this weekend and will make his first graded stakes win of his career the California Handicap (G1). We’ll have to wait and see as to what comes of that possibility. The colt is another speed horse of the race, but may sit slightly off the pace here in second in third in order to try to avoid getting into a speed duel early on with some of the other speedballs that will show up here on Saturday.
8. Non Negative – (A.P. Indy x Gone West x Alydar) – mook of Keely’s Stables – M. Staples – 6/1
Out of the graded placed and two-time stakes producing mare Opcon Only, the five-year-old brown horse has made twenty-seven career starts and brought home just under half a million dollars for his connections so far in his racing career. He’ll be taking a step up in class this weekend from his last start in the Lord Vest Special, an eleven furlong listed stakes race. The brown horse won the race impressively by four and one-fourth lengths, far ahead of the rest of the field with a speed figure of one hundred ten. His last few graded stakes races haven’t been as impressive however with a fifth place finish on a good dirt track during the Delpenn Christmas Classic (G1) and a fourteenth place finish in last years Breeders’ Bowl Classic (G1). This is quite an accomplished colt however, recently winning the Bob Woodward Memorial (G1) this past September. The has some great diversity in his running and can either stalk the pace early, or he can hang back towards the rear of the field to try to put in a stretch run.
9. Student Of Eros – (Dixie Union x Devil His Due x Accipiter) – jbfarms of Knightmare Stables – L. Jones – 11/1
Out of the stakes placed broodmare Devil In Me, the five-year-old Kentucky-bred horse will be returning to graded stakes competition this week after a step down in class to the allowance ranks. His last two allowance starts have both earned the brown colt on the board finishes with triple digit speed figures, so all is a go for the colt to return to graded stakes this weekend. The reason for his step down in class was his most recent graded start, the Trying To Take The Next Step (G3). The colt finished in fourteenth, eighteen and three-fourth lengths off of the leader to finish with a speed figure of ninety-two for the nine furlong race. Previous to this however, his stakes starts were very good and included a second place finish in the Farewell to CryptoZot Stakes (G1) over ten furlongs. This race has been the colts best finish in a graded start, having never won a race against graded competition. He’ll be trying to change all that in this weekends prestigious million dollar race. The brown colt will probably be up near the front stalking the pace of three or four leaders out in front of him, but the colt has proven versatile with his running style and could run towards the middle of the pack or far off the pace if needed.
10. Seven More Days – (Giant’s Causeway (IRE) x Kris S. x Blushing Groom (FR)) – fromtheu of Willyam13 Stables – O. Brim – 13/1
With what would appear to be the quintessential turf racing pedigree, this four-year-old brown colt has for some reason taking a liking to the main track. Lightly raced with only eleven career starts, all of the colts six lifetime wins have come over the main track. The Kentucky-bred did actually begin his career over the dirt where he fit in quite nicely and didn’t make his single turf start until the middle of the 2008 racing season in his stakes debut. It wasn’t a good result with the son of Giant’s Causeway finishing seven lengths back in fifth during the race. He was soon switched back to the surface of dirt and won several listed stakes including the Gold Hillbilly Memorial and the Colonial Paddle Cap. The colt suffered another disappointment in his most recent start. This has been his only graded start to date in the Toilet Scrubbers Anonymous Handicap, but the colt finished eighth in the race over the good dirt track in Michigan. It was an off track performance but the colt has previously won over a sloppy dirt track the previous year. The question will remain until this weekend wither the misstep was the result in the step up in class, or of a surface the brown colt didn’t care for. He’ll probably be slightly back off the pace in the race, likely around sixth or seventh.
11. Flaming Pyre – (A.P. Indy x Kingmambo x Buckpasser) – xanderman of Jrogue Stables – W. Rogers – 11/1
A lightly raced four-year-old colt, the Kentucky-bred has only finished off the board in two of his lifetime races. One of these stumbling blocks may be attributed to the colts first try over a sloppy dirt track in the listed Alygroom Special where he finished ninth. Aside from this race and his following start in the West Lease Special, the brown colt has been golden to his connections. His last start came on the east coast in the Glenn Handicap (G1) a few weeks ago. The colt finished second in the race after almost managing to go wire to wire in the nine furlong race. He was finally defeated at the wire by a head. His only other graded stakes start, the San Valenzuala Breeders’ Bowl Stakes also left the colt with a second place finish. His connections are hoping he can finally get through in the California Handicap (G1) this weekend and score his first stakes win of his career. And to have your first stakes win be the million dollar California Handicap (G1) would be an admirable complement. The colt is a determined speed horse who will probably be looking for nothing less than the lead coming out of the gate. To date, the colt has never been behind a single horse at the break of any of his races.
12. Shamalangadingdong – (Forestry x Seeking The Gold x A.P. Indy) – stormcat55 of Foxon Stables – R. Simcox – 13/1
This four-year-old brown colt looks like he might be getting back to being on the fast track in racing. He’s won his last two consecutive starts in the Maxxed Platinum Plate Cap (G3) and in the listed ATC Champion Dirt Route Restricted. He’s fairly lightly raced with fifteen starts during his career. Despite this two recent victories for the sun of Forestry, it hasn’t always been that easy for the brown colt. In the middle of last year the colt, then a three-year-old went to the gate in the Intrepid Fallen Heros Fund Restricted (G1) over ten furlongs. The Kentucky-bred colt finished a well distanced eighteenth in the race, finishing an innumerable amount of lengths back in the race. He record a speed figure of just thirty-seven for the race and didn’t race again until October. Even then it took the colt a while to get back on his feet as he fought tooth and nail in the allowance and listed stakes races to try to make an effort to get back on top. It wasn’t until his last two starts that it looked as though the colt might have finally rebounded from his trail in Vermont last year. Prior to that start, the colt was very successful at the stakes ranks of racing, though his only stakes win has been in the Maxxed Platinum Plate Cap (G3). Despite this, the colt has come close in a number of his other races, including loosing the win to a photo finish in last years Fedirico Stakes (G2), where he was determined to finish second, back by a mere nose. The brown colt will likely try to run towards the middle of the pack this weekend with all the speed in Saturday’s race, however, he is capable of running up there on the pace with them if urged to do so.
13. Andrew John – (A.P. Indy x Sadler’s Wells x Seeking The Gold) – sonofaus of Sonofaus Stables – C. Ginzo – 8/1
The five-year-old chestnut colt is being brought back up to graded stakes races this weekend for the million dollar California Handicap. He’s had a brief step-down to some listed stakes races recently in his career. He will be coming off a half length win in the eleven furlong Pecan Turk Handicap where the Kentucky-bred horse triumphed with a speed figure of one hundred seven. This was a vast improvement in his prior race, The Ninth Prospector Memorial, where the horse finished fifth, but was fourteen and three-fourth lengths back at the wire from the races eventual winner. This race received a similar speed figure of one hundred five. Some question wether the horse really will be back to from for the California Handicap (G1) this weekend. Prior to his step down to listed stakes the horse ran third in the Jockey Club Guild Cup (G1), and though only finished third, posted a speed figure of one hundred twelve. With sixteen lifetime races, the chestnut horse still hasn’t managed to secure a graded win, despite finishing on the board several times in these races and winning several listed stakes races. His best finish to date in a graded stakes was in the Jockey Club Guild Cup (G1). The horse will probably be off towards the rear of the field on Saturday and hopefully put in a powerful closing kick down the stretch.
14. Ermington Pegasus – (Sky Mesa x Fusaichi Pegasus x Secretariat) – pigeon3 of Wests Tigers – A. Lewis – 8/1
The 2006 Bluegrass Derby and Middle Jewel Stakes starter is one of our most decorated horse coming to the gate this weekend in the California Handicap (G1). Ermington Pegasus is out of the stakes placed mare Secret Pegasus, who to date, has only produced this six-year-old chestnut as her only stakes winning offspring. The son of Sky Mesa has been lightly raced throughout his career with just thirty-four lifetime starts despite four years of racing. He didn’t have a very good last start and finished nine lengths back in the field, crossing the wire in tenth in the Diplomat Way Handicap (G1), which took place last month. He’s been a little up and down this past season, also finishing a well-defeated eleventh in last years Breeders’ Bowl Classic (G1), however, the horse has also recently won the George Carlin Special (G1) and the Gotta Fix The Sprinklers Classic (G1). It may be just a matter of which Ermington Pegasus decides to show up at the race this Saturday. He’ll probably be out of the gates running towards the center of the pack, but can also be asked to rate further of the pace towards the rear of the field.
Tecora’s Selections
It was a tough pick between Non Negative and Silvergore for me in this race. But in the end I decided to give the slight nod to Non Negative and say that he would get the win this Saturday. He’s the favorite of the race at 6/1 and won his last start out by just over four lengths with quite an impressive speed figure to boot. Hopefully he won’t bounce coming off that race, but he’s been pretty consistent with his races, his only real stumbling block being the Breeders’ Bowl Classic. All of his other recent races have ended in on-the-board finishes. It really could go either way with these two. Silvergore got my nod for second place. He’s actually the second betting choice this week. He hasn’t won a race in a few months, but he’s consistently been finishing in the money and running some big numbers in graded races. I think he’ll continue on with this consistency in the California Handicap. In third I’ll place in Silver Star Road. He’s a bit of a longer price at odds of 10/1, but not unreasonable. Again, his only off race has really been the Breeders’ Bowl Classic and otherwise the colt has been the picture of consistency. He too hasn’t won a race in a while, not since the middle of last year, and while I don’t think he’s walking home with the whole enchilada here, I think he will hit the board.