No Pal O’ Mine in Grade 3 Battle
4183.0214 – G3 The Pal’s Hope
All Horses 4 Years Old & Up
One Mile (8F)
PURSE: $100,000 TRACK: FAST
Florida plays host to its first Graded Event of the 2010 Racing Season in the Grade 3 The Pal’s Hope for horses four years and older going a mile over its dirt surface which is expected to be fast today. Several owners are here with stables full in “hopes” (no pun intended) of getting off to a fast start in 2010. The race has attracted the number nine ranked route horse in hoofbeats’s ALYPOINT(KY) who looks to keep his good fortunes going here as he’d concluded his 2009 campaign with two consecutive victories. As this compact field of older horses sets up to do battle let’s handicap the field …
RACE PREVIEW:
POST: 1 85849 AGAINWITHTHEBEAGLE(KY) jockster1 (11/1)
Awesome Again x Broad Brush x Mill Reef
AGE: 6 Year Old Horse
ROUTE RANK: 129
BANK: $360,798
WEEKS REST: 7
This six year old son of Awesome Again’s 2009 campaign came to an abrupt end while competing in the Grade 3 The Stubborn Pheasant. As the gate opened he took a bad step and there and then his year ended as he jogged the distance finishing far up the track. Today’s one mile distance will be his shortest race to date as he’s primarily competed at nine furlongs or greater. His lone win came in just his second start as he relished the off going in winning the non-graded The Barb’s Empire Stakes covering the nine furlongs in 1:47:2 (111) while coming from off the pace. Having been freshened on the farm, he comes back here to begin anew and get his game back on track but without a graded placing on his resume it would be a stretch to see him in the winners circle today.
POST: 2 11344 BROADWAY DANCER(KY) super20 (5/1)
Kingmambo x Deputy Minister x Alydar
AGE: 5 Year Old Horse
ROUTE RANK: 43
BANK: $1,419,722
WEEKS REST: 2
This millionaire son of Kingmambo finished the 2009 campaign on a high as he finished second his last two starts, the Grade 3 The Fall Stakes and the Grade 1 DPCD VIII The Delaware Mile respectively. In the season finale while stalking in mid-pack he pounced in the stretch drive narrowly missing by a length while putting up a stellar 1:33:2 (115) for the mile. He does have top jock L. Buchta on him but may need to quicken early if he hopes to have a say in the outcome today but at the end he’ll be in the thick of things. A good value at 5-1.
POST: 3 151249 MACHZAPPER(KY) drbydude (8/1)
Ghostzapper x Storm Cat x Machiavellian
AGE: 5 Year Old Horse
ROUTE RANK: 939
BANK: $144,756
WEEKS REST: 4
New to the Stakes game this ultra competitive son of Ghostzapper comes into this event looking to establish himself as a player in this his five year old season. A late starter, he broke his maiden in his initial start as a three year old in the fall of 2008. As a four year old, he continued to cash cheques at the allowance level winning four times primarily at sprint distances. He did close out 2009 with a win at eight furlongs in open allowance company running the mile in 1:34:3 (107). He did have a graded winner behind him on that day so he gets the acid test today in hopes of more this season. An interesting proposition but will watch this once.
POST: 4 142823 HUSSLE BUSSLE(JPN) steller (5/1)
Deep Impact x Caerleon x Mill Reef
AGE: 5 Years Horse
ROUTE RANK: 191
BANK: $226,305
WEEKS REST: 5
After an undistinguished campaign at three, this son of Deep Impact got rolling late at four and now looks to make a big move as a five year old. His 2009 season was a tale of low in the middle and high at both ends as he finished strong offering hope to his connections for a prosperous 2010. His final two starts, the non-graded The Taylor Naskra Challenge and The Dynamic Character(IRE) Stakes, came over today’s distance and while finishing first and second respectively, he did post a solid 1:34 flat (112) in the finale. In that one, he did have a graded winner behind him on that day but like others in here has yet to tackle graded company. With seven wins on his resume he knows where the photographer stands and he may just make it there again today. A strong contender.
POST: 5 119476 CAPE WRATH(KY) buffy9 (6/1)
Limehouse x Cape Town X Storm Cat
AGE: 6 Years Horse
ROUTE RANK: 318
BANK: $454,023
WEEKS REST: 8
This seasoned veteran is a winner twelve times over, six of which coming in non-graded company and three at today’s distance. On a two race winning streak he looks to begin 2010 with a bang here as he competes in his seventh career graded event and although he has yet to garner a cheque he’s well rested, fit and rarin’ to go. In the final two starts of his 2009 campaign he employed a speed style in which he wrestled the lead away in both after duelling throughout while posting solid speed figures of 111 and 109 respectively. Once again he’ll likely find himself on top early and if he can get away from this group he just may just get to the wire first. A strong contender.
POST: 6 153964 DEVILISH SCHEME(KY) crracers (6/1)
Devil His Due x Gone West x Northern Dancer
AGE: 5 Years Old
ROUTE RANK: 291
BANK: $151,560
WEEKS REST: 7
Lightly raced, this son of Devil His Due begins his 2010 campaign looking for respect. After three consecutive second place finishes in non-graded stakes races, he closed out 2009 with fifth place finish in the Grade 3 Tokyo Sports Stakes at today’s distance. Though he didn’t perform his best that day he did hint of more to come. He did finish on the fringes in the Grade 3 Sheba Alley Stakes in the spring. With his loping stride, a mile may be a tad short for him and may prefer stretching out to the classic distance of a mile and a quarter judging by his hard charging efforts last season. I expect he’ll come up short again today.
POST: 7 146859 RHYMENOCEROUS(KY) sam812218 (7/2)
Forestry x Deputy Minister x Mr. Prospector
AGE: 5 Year Old Horse
ROUTE RANK: 88
BANK: $388,726
WEEKS REST: 6
Just try to say his name three times quickly. A veteran of eight graded events, this seasoned campaigner prefers to stalk just in behind the leaders and did so successfully on only one occasion that being the Grade 3 Save A Buck Stakes over a mile and an eighth. On that occasion he timed his run perfectly as he won going away in a speedy 1:40:2 (116) with no fewer than six graded winners chasing him to the wire. He did finish third in his season finale, the Grade 3 The Fall Stakes, beaten by less than two but will need to stay closer on the cutback here. There is speed to run at today and this race does set up for him nicely if he’s fit and ready to go. A contender.
POST: 8 146806 ALYPOINT(KY) hoofbeats (3/1)
Point Given x Alydar x Graustark
AGE: 6 Year Old Horse
ROUTE RANK: 9
BANK: $539,174
WEEKS REST: 5
A high percentage type, this son of Point Given embarks on his fourth racing season as a six year old and enters as the SIM’s ninth ranked Older Router. A winner of two graded events, he closed out his 2009 campaign with his greatest victory to date in the New York Grade 1 Sterile Mile. In that one he soundly defeated millionaire Juillet Blues by running him down late after he had opened up by over three at the top of the lane. He completed the mile in 1:33:3 (116) at odds of almost 5-1. Off of that effort alone he deserves to be regarded as the one to beat and will go off as the post time favourite. The money here says his starts of f 2010 like he finished 2009.
THE WIZARD’S CRYSTAL BALL:
1. 8 ALYPOINT … this seasoned veteran is at the top of his game
2. 2 BROADWAY DANCER … needs to stay close to the lead pack
3. 5
AT THE BETTOR’S WINDOW:
Win Bet: #8
Exacta Bet: #2, 5 over 8
Triactor Box: #8 – 2 – 5