Equinics-Luskin Star Cup

The Luskin Star Cup, an Equinics race, will be run on the turf track in Queensland for horses age four and up.   The event is at a long 12 furlongs, on the turf, and features four runners with over a million in earnings.  Leading the pack in earnings is King’s Journey with $3.2 earned over his career, two others have banked over $2 million and include Irish Breeze and Monaghan Boy.  The last one is Too Darn Glorius with a bit over a million.  Will one of these million dollar winners take this and add to their wealth (although the purses for the Equinics have all been reduced to $40,000)?   Here’s a view of the entrants:

1  FRANKIE’S IMPACT (owned by Lbailey, Empire State Racing residency)  6/1

Frankie’s Impact has had nice success over his career as this Frankel bred runner has won 7 of 20 starts and ITM 70% of his starts.   He kicked the 2026 season off with a 3-race winning streak taking the first race by over 20-strides and the second by over 12 lengths, both listed stakes.  He then snagged his only grade level win in the G2 San Juan Invitational by over 6 strides.   All of these were at 14f and his last start was in the 16f G1 Gold Glass finishing 3^rd and never a serious threat.

Frankie drops down to the 12f distance and this should not be an issue.  He has blown out the field several times this season and if he gets his feet on the front spot, he can do it again.   He rarely surrenders the lead once he takes the top spot.

2  ARTHURIAN DIGGER (owned by 6ward3, Northwest Racing Circuit residency) 18/1

It’s been over a year since Arthurian Digger hit speeds over 110.  It occurred twice at the start of the 2025 season where he fired off 110 and 111 speeds in a listed stake and allowance race finishing 4^th in the stake and winning the allowance race.   Recently, he struggled in a pair of graded races and ran speeds of 107 and 103 and was not competitive in either event.

It looks like this Equinics race will be a tough pull for Arthurian.  If he can find the speeds that he nailed at the start of 2025 he may have a chance as other entrants have been hitting that speed range.

3  MUSTBEDOINGITRIGHT  (owned by Atthewire,  Florida Racing Club residency)  13/1

2026 has been a tough season for this Gun Runner sired horse.  He started the season racing in four grade/listed stake races at 11 to 12 furlong distances with speeds in the low to mid-100 range and finished well back each time by double-digit margins.   That changed in his last start, a listed stakes race, which he won by a head and a 106 speed. 

He has been ITM a little more than half of his 27 starts (14 times) but has a nice winning % of around 25%, due to his 7 victories.  Mustbedoingitright appears to be outclassed in this field as his speeds are a few steps lower than his foes.   He’s going to need a big boost to take the gold in this race.

4  KING RULES (owned by Kashbarn, East-West Connection residency) 12/1

King Rules will be making his second career start in graded company with the first in the early part of 2025 where he was well off the board on a wet track, which may have had an impact.  This Kingman bred horse comes into the race off a nice win in a listed stakes, where he closed from the backside of the field to win by two strides and a 109 speed.

Over his lifetime, he has nine wins, four of these came at the 12-furlong distance, of which he has raced five times.   He likes the distance, but has been ITM about 50% of the time (14 of 27 starts).    Not overly consistent but does desire the distance.

5  EUDOMAR (owned by Haack, Latinos Del Mundo residency)  13/1

Eudomar was sired by Equinox and has finished first or second 7 of 16 starts.   He comes off his top speed of 110 in a listed stake event, winning by a stride.   The two starts prior both chartered 108 speeds, finishing 7^th in the G1 Saint Cloud Grand Prix and a second in the G2 Clubhouse.

This will be Eudomar’s third  try in graded stakes and his late run ability paid off nicely in his last start.  He could surprise here if he’s able to boost that speed figure upwards in this race.

6  MONAGHAN BOY  (owned by Migman11,  The Mecca residency)  7/2

Monahan Boy heads the field with earnings with nearly $2.2 million and wins with 11 over 29 lifetime starts.  Seven of these wins were in graded stake races.  This senior runner (7-year old) enters the race after winning the 10.5f Good Day by a nice 4-length margin and scored his career best speed of 120.  He is a poster boy that shows that older runners can win top level races with high speeds.   Monaghan had one other start this year and was an off-the-board 10^th in the G1 Met Cap.

Last year, at the age of 6, this Invincible Spirt horse won 2 of 4 graded races with a second with speeds over 110.   This older runner is not done yet and comes off his best speed of his career…could he boost it again?

7  I’M A SPECIALIST  (owned by Dunnvilledowns,  Elite Racing Club residency)  20/1

I’m A Specialist, sired by New Approach, will be making her first career start in graded stake racing and competing with the men for her first time.  She has one race appearance in a listed stake race at the tail end of 2024 and she finished last.   Specilist picked up a very nice win this past May in a starter allowance with a career best speed of 111 and by a margin of over 20-lengths at the 12-furlong distance.   Her last start was another starter allowance at a longer 14-furlongs where she finished second with a lower 100 speed.

I’m A Specialist has raced the 12-furlong distance eight times and has a record of

2-2-4 and in the morning with each start.  This lady likes the distance but is facing very tough competition in her first graded race and adds the challenge of battling with the boys for the first time.  Finding the ability to put out another 111 or higher speed will be required to upset this field.

8  KING’S JOURNEY  (owned by Teece, Universal Racing Club residency)  6/1

King’s Journey has the most purse money in this field with over $3.2 million earned.  This comes to the credit of five grade level victories over his career which include three at the G1 level.  King’s most recent G1 win came in April in the 5-Series where he cranked out a career best speed of 116.   Looking over his last 10 starts (all graded races), he has hit speeds of 110+ a total of six times and was ITM four times with three wins. 

King’s has the knack to hit top speeds but also has some awful finishes.   When he’s on his game and focused, he is dangerous.  If not, he’s in trouble.  Tough to tell how this Camelot bred runner who likes to be up front early on will fare in this race.  You’ll know when he heads into the stretch…if he starts to fade, it’s over for him…otherwise….watch out!

9  CARELESSNESS (owned by Foxon,  Down Under Racing residency) 11/1

Carelessness looks to be in fine shape coming into the Equinics.  He has won his last pair of starts, taking a listed stakes at 11.5 f back in June by 3-strides and closed from a way-back 13-lengths at the half to accomplish this and a 114 speed.   He followed this up with a 110 speed in the 12f G2 Princess of Whales running down the leaders from a 14-stride deficit to win in a phot by a head.

This Showcasing bred colt has hit his two top speeds in his last pair of starts and that could become a favorable key moving into this G1 race.

10  IRISH BREEZE    (owned by Beerkeg, MIDAS residency)  6/1

This Sea The Stars gelding has just over $2 million in career winnings and has been competing in G1 events all year and at the 12 f distance.  He finished 2^nd in the John Scott Appreciation back in February with a 114 speed, making up a ton of distance from the half (13-back to finishing 2+t strides off the winner).  Irish hit a 110 speed in his last start The Coronation Pilsner, finishing 4^th, but making up similar distance in the second half of the race.  He was last om the Sand Castle Golden Turf Classic where his late run never surfaced.

He doesn’t win a lot, only 4 times in 23 starts, but has been first or second 11 times, nearly half of his starts.  Speeds of 110+ are common with this runner who should be a threat in this race.

11 TOO DARN GLORIUS  (owned by Liam,  Orphan Racing residency) 16/1

Over $1.2 mill ion has been bankrolled by this colt sired by Too Darn Hot.  He has been lightly raced this year with a pair of graded starts.  The first was the G1 South Australian Cup where he finished 9^th and well back and at the 2-mile marathon distance.  Too Darn got focused in his last outing, the G2 Lonstickgoboom and at the shorter 12f distance, rallied from 13-behind at the half to win by over two strides and a nice 112 speed. 

Too Darn has been very consistent, winning 5 of 13 starts and in-the-money 11 times.  He has a lovely late kick and bears watching.

12  OUTBACK GLOWER  (owned by Nikkik, European Union Racing Organization residency)  10/1

This Dubawi bred grass runner has won 5 of his 16 career starts.  He enters the Eclipse after cranking out his career best speed of 114 in his last race, a listed stakes.  Outback made a very impressive late close in the 14-furlong race, trailing by over 18 strides at the half to finish second and missing the win by a mere quarter-stride.   This followed a pair of 102 speeds in longer 2-mile listed stake races. 

Outback Glower has raced the 12-furlong distance once which was his fourth career start in an allowance race back in March-2023.  Back then, he was impressive and trailed by 16 at the half and finished second by a neck and 113 speed.  The 12-furlong distance may prove to be his desired distance.   Don’t be surprised if he steals this event

13 GOLD YOU THINK ER (owned by Cothill,  British and European Racing Club residency)  14/1

Since the start of the 2026 racing season, Cold You Think ER has been racing in a mix of list ed and graded stake events.  In 6 races, he  has won a listed stakes and finished second twice within the grade level, both with 108 speeds and a 110 figure with the listed stakes win.  These races were at the longer 14-16 furlong distances.   Gold cuts back to the 12f distance for his Equinics appearance, a distance he has tested three times and has an allowance win with 109 speed which was back in the second half of 2024.

His last two starts were horrible, finishing far back, but both came on off-track surfaces and are not indicative of his current form.   With that said, Gold will need to crank the speed back up to the 110 level, and probably higher, to take home the Gold.

My Medal Picks

Here are my selections.  Weather conditions have shifted to what looked like would be a nice and fast track.  We are now looking at off-track conditions and not a lot of runners have a history on the moist track.  Here are my choices in this field:

GOLD:  Monaghan Boy is pegged as the favorite in this field and this 7-yo elder runner just crushed his career best speed of 120  in his last start.  He seems to have the best experience on the offtrack to boot, ITM 5 of 7 races.

SILVER:  Carelessness has won his last pair of starts with 110+ speeds and could be on a big awakening and running late is what he does best.  Never ran on the wet track before, so talent here is an unknown.  Offers some value at 11/1.

BRONZE: King’s Journey usually presses the leader in the early stages and can pop 110+ speeds which will be needed for the winner of this event.  He may tire if he uses too much energy in the early going, but could keep enough in the tank to hit the podium.