G2-The Stayer’s Dash
Race : The Stayer’s Dash – Grade II – $750,000
Track : Japan
Restrictions : All horses, 4 years old and up
Distance : A mile and three quarters on the Turf
Welcome to Japan and the inaugural running of The Stayer’s Dash. 8 horses and 2 mares will attempt the 14 furlong challenge on the firm turf for their share of the $750,000 purse. The race has attracted a few top 30 ranked horses in the Turf Long Route Division. There is a lot of horses that prefer to close, so I expect a lot to happen in the stretch. There are also two early speedsters so they will help set the pace for the race. Should be an exciting one. Let’s look at the field:
PP 1 ROCK ME MAMBO (SADLER’S WELLS x CAT THIEF x KINGMAMBO) bred and trained bykingfaust (Kingfaust Stables, 18%) Odds: 11 to 1
First off we have the oldest in the race and the one of two mares taking on the boys. She is a 6 year old daughter of Sadler’s Wells out of game dam Queen of Mambo. She is a solid stakes horse, winning stakes 6 times and she is coming into the race in good form. After a 5 month break she came back in November to win an allowance and she hasn’t finished out of the money since then. She is coming off a career best speed factor in a stakes win at this distance and is looking really good for her graded debut. She is one of many late runners in the race today.
PP 2 KANTIA (JPN) (ALKAASED x SHAPREN UP (GB) x RIVERMAN) bred and trained by bellisimo (Rafa Stables, 14%) Odds: 6 to 1
I saw Kantia in her last race, the G3- The Very Fine Handicap where I picked her to win. Unfortunately she didn’t, but she did hit the board in third. I don’t think she had enough distance in that race, but she will have it here at 14 furlongs, the same distance where she put up her career high of 112. Last out she just ran out of turf to catch the leaders, but I think she has a really good chance here. The more I see this mare the more I like her.
PP 3 MARGIN CALLS (IRE) (ROCK OF GIBRALTAR (IRE) x CAERLEON x IRISH RIVER (FR)) bred by freeky3 and trained by fairhaven (Fairhaven Stables, 27%) Odds: 10 to 1
Next we have the first of the boys and beautiful up and coming 4 year scratch bred son of Rock of Gibraltar. He is making his graded debut here in his 13th start and you have to look back a year and his maiden race to find the one and only time he didn’t hit the board. He won over half of those starts and is coming into the race on a three race win streak. He is taking a step up in class and has only raced in stakes once before, but he won easily against a competitive field, including two graded winners. He also had a nice jump in speed last out and if he can do the same here he could find himself in the winner’s circle at the end of the day.
PP 4 RAINBAND (AUS) (SPINNING WORLD x RANBOW QUEST x DIXIELAND BAND) bred and trained by wulf (B4rca Stables, 7%) Odds: 9 to 2
Out of post position 4 is Rainband, one of the co-second favorites today. He is an experienced racer, bringing home over 1.7 million for B4rca Stables. You have to go back a year to find his last win in a graded event, but he has been facing the top turf marathoners in a string of G1 attempts. He won a listed two back, but last out was a race he would like to forget, finishing 15 lengths back. That was his first race off a 7 week rest, so perhaps he just needed a race to get back into gear. He is a deep closer and doesn’t mind letting the rest of the field get way out ahead.
PP 5 HOPE FOR THE ARK (KY) (PINE BLUFF x BLUSHING GROOM (FR) x ROBERTO) bred by jacklad and trained by antagonist (Universal Stables, 14%) Odds: 8 to 1
Next is another 5 year old scratch bred horse and this one going for his first graded win. He has tried graded stakes 3 other times, all G1 events. His best graded finish was on this surface at this distance about a year back. This is only his 8th try on turf and he got his first turf win last out in a listed stakes. Since last fall he has only missed the board once in six races. This will be the easiest graded event that he has tried and he is one of only two early speed horses in the field. Having spent so much of his career on dirt it will be interesting to see how he fairs with more chances on the turf.
PP 6 MOTOR CITY MADMAN (JPN) (FANTASTIC LIGHT x VICE REGENT x HALO) bred and trained by sdmfclaims (Black Label Stables, 17%) Odds: 11 to 1
Motor City Madman, a scratch bred son of Fantastic Light, is the last of the 5 year olds in the race. He has two stakes victories, but the graded victory title still eludes him. He will make his sixth attempt today. He had a win and place in stakes last summer, but has been struggling since then. Those were also on off track and he won’t have that here. He tends to let others set the lead, but doesn’t like to get too far back. With so many late runners in the race I expect some trouble for him to be able to keep up in the stretch.
PP 7 SHINE ON THROUGH (AUS) (BEL ESPRIT (AUS) x SWAIN (IRE) x COZZENE) bred by manamou01 and trained by crown (Tulloch Stables, 11%) Odds: 12 to 1
Shine On Through is a 4 year old son of Bel Esprit. Bel Esprit has only produced 6 stakes winners in the sim and Shine On Through would be his first graded winner if he was able to accomplish that here. After debuting in maiden claimers Tulloch Stables picked him up for a measly $2000 and he has gone on to bring home 5 wins and 4 places at his new home. He is coming off a 4 win streak including two stakes wins in his last two tries. 4 of his 5 wins are at an even 2 miles, but he has won at this distance before. The biggest concern for him is if he will be able to handle the jump in class. As a deep closer we aren’t going to know until pretty late in the race if he is going to be able to hold his own in this class.
PP 8 WINTER QUEST (ENG) (RAINBOW QUEST x DEPUTY MINISTER x STORM BIRD) bred and trained by sinner (Knightmare Stables, 11%) Odds: 9 to 2
Winter Quest is the second of our co-second favorites. He enters this race off a stakes win at this distance. It was his first try at anything longer than 12 furlongs and he seems to like the added distance, smashing the field by 5 lengths. He has been showing steady improvement this year and although he hasn’t hit the board in his other two graded tries he looks to be in good form to do it here. He is another later runner and will have a lot of competition in the stretch.
PP 9 NAKED BOOT (KY) (WOODMAN x NUREYEV x GENEROUS (IRE)) bred and trained by chilimac (Chilimac Stables, 17%) Odds: 8 to 1
Chilimac sends out Naked Boot out of post position 9. This four year old son of Woodman is coming off his career high speed at this distance in an allowance win. In his 16 career starts on turf he has only finished out of the money twice, one was in his only graded try. His only graded attempted was at the Equinics and a much shorter distance. Naked Boot does have a stakes victory, but is looking for his first graded win here. Class seems to be the big question for him as he likes the surface and distance and Is in good form.
PP 10 THE OIL RULES ALL (KY) (UNBRIDLED’S SONG x SEATTLE SLEW x NORTHERN DANCER) bred and trained by tao (The Big Oil Conglomerate (Ft. LordPye, 11%) Odds: 4 to 1
And last, but not least we have the favorite, The Oil Rules All. He is a 4 year old scratch bred son of Unbridled’s Song. He is making just his 9th career start here and in those 9 starts has only finished out of the money once. He is also a G1 winner, putting up a 116 (the highest in the field) in his win at the G1 The Jai Alai Park Turf at 11 furlongs. He finished in third, but 5 lengths back last out in another G1 attempt, but that was 2 full miles so perhaps that distance was a little too long for him. He hasn’t tried 14 furlongs before and he is coming into today’s race with only 2 weeks rest and both of those could be issues for him.
There are a lot of nice horses in this race and I would not be surprised to see any one of them in the winner’s circle. I am going with the 4 year olds today. I think Winter Quest likes the added distance and he is my pick for winner. My pick for second is one of the girls, Kantia. Again, I think the added distance will really help her. And for third I am picking Margin Call. He looks to be in good form and hope he can handle the jump in class. Good luck and happy racing. 🙂