Claiming Crown-The Midnight Express
The Midnight Express
Starter Allowance ($7,500)
Six furlongs
Fast Dirt
$50,000
All horses, 3 years old and up
Our second race on the Claiming Crown card features some of the best lower tag sprinters out there. Again, we have a full field of 14 ready to shine on their one special day. However, you can really sum this race down to a three horse race. At almost identical odds, King Pins, Tension and Mystic River ER seem to have a heavy advantage over the rest of the field. You really can’t separate one of these three for a clear cut favorite but I’ll give a slight nod with experience to Tension. If you want to play the spoiler angle, Price Per Earning and previous Graded winner Wolf’s Slam could ruin an otherwise good trifecta.
PP1 17/1 GAIN CONTROL(ENG)
Trainer: henryseego
Scrappy is the best word I can think of to describe our first horse. The first of two NWO stables entries in this race, you could also refer to this type of horse a trifecta spoiler. That seems to be the case lately as he’s hit the board a few times at medium odds and occasionally put’s up some decent speed numbers. I’ll leave him off my ticket but it would be a huge payout if he hits again.
PP2 56/1 DECLARE(AUS)
Trainer: samber42
Our long shot of the day, Declare is….well, a long shot. With SP ratings in the 70’s, this three year old colt would have difficulties against horses his own age and really doesn’t fit well here against older competitors.
PP 3 12/1 EDDINGTON SONG(KY)
Trainer: deajai
At 12/1 the talent pool starts to drop off fast from here on out. This Deejai trained horse is nicely bred but has been a disappointment. He has two lifetime wins in 35 starts has just recently broke 90SP. He comes off a dismal 8th place finish in a $2k starter so he’ll have to show something that he hasn’t had in the past to come away with anything.
PP 4 11/1 PRICE PER EARNINGS(KY))
Trainer: section11
Our only female entry, Price Per Earnings has had a crafty career in her 31 starts. Despite rather average to fair speed ratings, her previous connections have managed to an almost 50% ITM average. She makes her debut today for her new owners Puretalent Patriots. (a name my Dallas Cowboys would like to humiliate). That being said, it may take a little more than just pure talent here to find the winner’s area as you need to throw in a little bit as luck as well. She may have a rough going against the boys here.
PP 5 9/2 KING PINS(NZ)
Trainer: dixiedotc3
Our first of two co-favorite, King Pins is trained/owned by one of the long time veterans Dixiecoto. He makes his debut for his connections this race after being claimed last time out for $20k but still has an active $10k tag. Not a bad product from the little used New Zeland sire Pins. He’s managed to hit the board in 15 of his last 18 starts on dirt posted a lifetime best 100 SP three races back. I can’t see why that trend won’t continue here today.
PP 6 9/1 IN MY EYES(KY)
Trainer: pennylane
In My Eyes is a bit of an anomaly in today’s races. He is one of just a handful of Claiming Crown entrants to run under only one set of silks. Empire City Racing has owned this horse since a two year old but now at five it’s hard to see where he might fit in here. You have to go back 18 months to find his last win and he hasn’t broken the 90 SP mark in his last five races. Although this race doesn’t show a lot of blazing speed as a whole, it will take a little more in the gas tank to grab some of the $50k purse.
PP 7 16/1 BOTTOM DWELLER(NM)
Trainer: nwo4life4
Winless in his last 21 starts, Bottom Dweller looks to be living up to his name. However, he did manage to hit the board last time out in a full field s-7500 race and posted a 90 SP in the race prior to that. However, those three recent 79 SP’s just seem to stand out and it’s hard for me to pull away from that . A noble try but I’ll have to pass.
PP 8 7/1 MEESES PIECES(KY)
Trainer: trotter201
Also making his debut for a new owner, Meeses Pieces is in desperate need to rebound to his efforts that he showed from September to April. He looked strong during that stretched but failed to respond in his last two races under his new owners. Perhaps the Trotter200 stables can do bring some of that magic back.
PP 9 22/1 HANNAH’S DELIGHT(KY)
Trainer: gazzz
While not the longest shot on the board, Hannah’s Delight will struggle in today’s race. This five year old E Dubai horse finally managed second win this past March with a record that now stands at 25 and 2. Nothing on paper indicates much of a chance here compared to the favorites so he will have to prove that he belongs here.
PP 10 18/1 WHAT’S IT GOOD FOR(KY)
Trainer: stable11
Perhaps a bit of life here with the #10 entry of What’s It Good For. After being traded back and forth several times between the Tsunami Stables this War Front horse did will in his first start for the Dydalt Stables last time out. He takes a much needed drop in class from allowance to starter-allowance company so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him improve in his second start for his new connections.
PP 11 9/2 TENSION(KY)
Trainer: 1019
Our second co-favorite, Tension, gets the small edge in my book over King Pins. This five year old Gulch horse is three for his last four including an allowance win. He’s had multiple 100 SP races but you have to go all the way back to March of last year to find his last. However, he’s still a strong competitor here and can still bring it in the high 90’s. He race for the Nineteen Stables who ironically only has four stables. Hmmm. Look for him to stalk the pace.
PP 12 16/1 WOLF’S SLAM(JPN)
Trainer: gwolfstc
Ah, the cruelty of this game. It was only two years ago that the 16/1 Wolf’s Slam was a G2 winner but has fallen on hard times as of late. However, he does boast the highest lifetime best speed rating of 111 but that was quite a few races ago. He makes his third start for the Wolf’s Den stables but it looks like this horse is destined for a short career. He’s only managed an 85 and an 84 SP in his last two races for his new owner. Is there one more race left in there?
PP 13 5/1 MYSTIC RIVER ER(KY)
Trainer: jdtrotter
Just ever slightly back in odds, it’s hard to see much difference between Mystic River ER and the two co-favorites. It looks like a virtual lock from where I sit. Racing for jdtrotter, this horse has hit the board in nine of his last 10 races. However, he has shown moments where he just doesn’t have his best stuff but ran well in his last four. Hard to call where he might place. It just depends on which horse decides to show up.
PP 14 12/1 NASHRAN
Trainer: winbabywin
You just have to give it up to the connections of Nashran. Who knew that it would take 62 races for this Red Ransom horse to post a career best 98 SP but that’s exactly what happened last time out. Winbabywin Stables has owned this horse since December 2004 so I think this has more to do with tough love than anything else. With one win in 2 ½ years I wouldn’t count on too much here. With just about every other race before this last one posting speed ratings in the 80’s, I’ll have to chalk that big race down as a fluke. Can you repeat?