Top Horses Clash In Turf Route

Top Horses Clash In Turf Route

New South Wales – The Group II, Big City Handicap is part of a festive day of racing here in New South Wales, Australia.  The race will be run over a distance of a mile and 5/8 and the turf course is in excellent shape, the spring weather is guaranteed to be wonderful and a field of nine older horses will go postward for a purse of $300,000.  I hardly had any time for sightseeing with the time difference and deadlines so with little time to recover from any jet lag, I went directly to the racecourse for the morning workouts.  The field is very evenly matched and I hoped to find a difference in condition to help with my gambling strategy.

It was quite cool, bordering on cold, when I found a nice sheltered spot to watch the horses in their final preparations.  A powerfully built four year old colt named Beat Freedom (7/2) was the first onto the track and he was feeling his oats.  The exercise boy was barely in control and must have had owner/trainer Stormboot a bit nervous, as the horse reared and plunged before tearing off in a mad gallop around the track.  It took a half mile before the son of Beat Hollow was under full control and by the end of the two gallop he was behaving like a gentleman.  The bright bay colt is ranked # 26 and has been in the money in 19 of 32 starts and seven of those were wins.  He finished second last time out in the Horseshoe Falls (G II) and that contributed to his lifetime earnings of over a million dollars.  A closer, he came with a rush to lose by only a half length in a big effort that earned him a 103 speed figure over12 furlongs.

Bxcvn (7/2) came by going the wrong way of the track in a very workman like trot.  A rangy dark bay 4 YO colt with a wide white blaze down his face he had a shiny coat with big dapples on him.  Owned and trained by Mitenpower, the colt by Tarlac is ranked #39 and has a record of 12 in the money finishes from 20 starts.  With five wins and over a half million in purse money this colt holds the best speed figures in the race with a high of 110 showing.  Mitenpower was on the rail watching his colt and I asked where the colt got his name.

 “It was a typo on my part,” I was told.  “I was trying to find a name that wasn’t taken and inadvertently hit the submit button and I was stuck!”  I laughed and asked what he thought of his chances on Saturday.  “Well, I think he has a big chance.  He finished a strong second in the Group I Eclipse and won the Pan Americana (G II) four back.  He has the class experience and he’s a very fast colt and loves the distance.”   I have to admit he was sure hitting the ground well and looked well and fit.

Dante (9/2) came by with a pony and was certainly not very gentlemanly.  He was wearing a muzzle and I could see why as he kept trying to nail the poor pony with his teeth.  The plain brown 6 YO horse by Diesis is owned and trained by 2ofus and is ranked #4 in the long turf division.  He has been in the money in 37 of his 50 starts and shows no sign of slowing down.  He has 16 wins and over 3.5 million dollars in the bank.  He won the 14 furlong Phar Lap Cup by four lengths two back and was a closing third last time out in the Horseshoe Falls behind Beat Freedom.  He is the class of the race and class can never be counted out.

A small framed bay horse came by on a long rein and was certainly galloping freely.  Strategic Alliance (5/1) might be small framed but he had the long reaching stride that covers a lot of ground.  By Dynaformer, the 5 YO horse is owned by Cozman19 and has been in the money in 12 of his 19 starts and has seven wins.  He likes the front and should be showing the way on Saturday and will play catch me if you can with the rest of the field.  He won the Caustic Ant (10 1/2 furlongs), the Pricey Challenge (13 furlongs) and the Star Willow (11 furlongs) all going gate to wire.

Marquet Rate (5/1) is a 5 YO horse by Exchange Rate and has an enviable form.  He has not finished worse than third in his last eight starts and is the winner of the Socially Patrol (13 furlongs), The Galt House (13 furlongs) and the May Trail (12 furlongs) last time out.  The muscular bay came by me pulling hard and high-blowing as he demanded more rein from his exercise girl.  Timetofly is the owner/trainer of this nice horse.

Princeton Lights (6/1) is a copper chestnut with a big bald face and four white socks.  The 3 YO son of Sakhee is ranked # 8 off of only 10 lifetime starts.  With only three wins, including one stakes, the Crevis En La Burgs, this colt did finish second in the 12 furlong Grade I Owner’s Stakes and the overnight Proper Prospect stake.  He comes into this race off a sixth place finish in the Grade II Choo Choo where according to owner/trainer Princeton, he was carried wide in the first turn and never recovered.  He galloped strong and finished his morning exercise with a giant buck as he left the track leaving all of us laughing at his antics.

Another dark bay colt, Mispeller (12/1) galloped by in a two minute lick.  He was going forwardly and seemed to be enjoying himself, his white feet flashing in the sun.  The 4 YO son of Miswaki is owned and trained by Bigblueone and he is another closer who will be coming on at the end.  He has been in the money in 11 of his 14 starts and has five wins.  He was second last time out in the Ugly Band at 14 furlongs but he is making a big class jump on Saturday.

The only other 3 YO in the race came by doing a two minute lick for owner/trainer Spcstable.  A rather common looking blood bay colt by Rainbow Quest, his record is anything but common.  Windy’s Best Knight (13/1) has three wins under his belt and is seven for eleven in the money.  He has a two race win streak going, a 10 furlong allowance and the Father Sand Challenge at 11 furlongs.  The impressive thing about his last win was the 11 point jump in his speed figures and this colt seems to be getting better as he stretches out.

 Lil Veduten (24/1) is a 5 YO horse by Imperial Flag.  He might be the morning line longshot but he can’t read and he came by me looking like a million dollars as the burnt chestnut with the flaxen mane and tail moved easily through his morning gallop.  Owned and trained by Chokito, he has four wins from 20 starts but will certainly need to step up on Saturday.

This should be a very competitive race and if Strategic Alliance gets loose on the lead he may be hard to run down.  Good Luck to all the entrants.