Twelve Take on Personal Sign
Race: The Personal Sign – Grade I – $400,000
ID: 4421.7810
Track: Upper New York
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 3 years old and up
Distance: One mile and one quarter on Dirt
We’ll be having a jam-packed afternoon of graded races this weekend in Upper New York. The highlight race for the fillies this coming weekend is the coveted Personal Sign (G1), which is run at a mile and a quarter on dirt. With a purse up for grabs of $400,000, the race is sure to attract some of the top three-year-old and older fillies with an affinity for the main track. It should be smooth sailing for the field this weekend as the track will be listed as fast with the weather lining up to showcase a perfect day of racing. Last years’ winner of the race, which was the inaugural year, was Lacada Point, who was owned and trained by lasthope when she sprinted to a length and a half victory. Lacada Point will be coming back to try to defend her title this year, in a field total of twelve horses. This year we have a brand new field to focus on, lets take a look at the competitors.
1. Flamboyant Gothic (JPN) – (French Deputy x Cryptoclearance x Kingmambo) – 5wide of Fastnfirm Stables – P. Nation – 10/1
A late entry into the field this weekend, the Japanese, bred four-year-old is lightly raced with thirteen lifetime starts. Out of the stakes placed broodmare Cryptomambo, the filly has won six of her starts over the course of her career. The most recent start for the Japanese-bred brown filly came in First State Distaff (G2) in Delaware over ten furlongs. Holding back at the break to run towards the middle of the field, the filly made her move half way through the race, ultimately crossing the wire in third with a speed figure of one hundred seven. Her most recent win was in April during The Route Sixty Six (G3), in which she won by two and a quarter lengths after running mid-pack, but making her move earlier on the field. The filly is versatile, but with the amount of pace in the race this weekend, will likely be somewhere off the pace, preferably towards the middle of the pack.
2. Honeyholt – (Unbridled’s Song x Miswaki x El Gran Senor) – given2 of Given Stables – T. Kallor – 9/1
The first entry for Given Stables, the Kentucky-bred filly is out of the Grade I winning broodmare Whispering Sound. The light gray Kentucky-bred has won half her races, coming home first in ten of her starts. The filly made her most recent start in a ten furlong allowance race in Delaware. Breaking towards the middle of the field, the filly progressively lost ground throughout the race, and though she managed to finish in the money with fourth, she came in twelve lengths off the pace. She set a speed figure of ninety-three, a number below par for the filly. Prior to this the filly went through a six race winning streak, most recently of which was the First State Distaff (G2) at ten furlongs which she won by two lengths with a one hundred eleven speed figure. The connections of the filly are hoping she’s back in form for this weekend. This filly too, will want to be forwardly placed on Saturday.
3. This Cold Black – (Unbridled’s Song x Alydar x Northern Dancer) – sdmf5 of Black Label Stables – D. Brennan – 5/1
Another later entry to the field, the light gray four-year-old filly will be making just the second graded start of her career. The Kentucky-bred made her most recent start back in July out of the country in Puerto Rico during The Patu Picin Memorial, a nine furlong listed stakes race. The filly ran mid-pack for the majority of the race, but made a move late in the stretch that earned her a second place finish, off the pace of the winner by only three-quarters of a length. She set a speed figure of one hundred seven. Prior to this the filly made her lone graded start in The Very Vane (G1), in which during a late stretch drive, the filly earned fourth, just a length and a half off the winner. Her latest win was in May during another listed stakes race, The Vengeful Storm Challenge at nine furlongs. The filly will likely be one of the exceptions to Saturday’s race in that she’s more than comfortable off the pace and will probably be one of the ones way off the pace at the break but will likely make up a lot of ground in the latter stages of the race.
4. The Word – (A.P. Indy x Sadler’s Wells x Kingmambo) – persuader of Given Stables – Z. Ayya – 6/1
With nine career wins, the four-year-old out of stakes placed broodmare Smiling Knight, will be making her twenty-fifth start this weekend and is looking to add to her already over a million and a half dollar career earnings, The brown mare last started right here in Upper New York in the Go For The Gold Stakes (G1). Breaking towards the very back of the field in the nine furlong race, she made up some good ground later on. She would eventually cross the wire in fifth with a speed figure of one hundred eight. February was the mare’s last victory, and this came in the form of a nine and a half furlong allowance race. Generally the brown mare is placed towards the front half to the middle of the pack, but she has proved she can be versatile, so we’ll see where she ends up on Saturday.
5. Run For Summer – (Bluegrass Cat x Northern Dancer x Roberto) – pmjstable of Baggio Stables – B. Tate – 9/1
With an impressive on-the-board finish record, the four-year-old filly has made twenty-four lifetime starts. She will be returning to graded races this week, after not being too successful recently in her graded and listed starts. The most recent start for the brown filly was in The Jumbo A.P. Challenge, a listed stakes race over ten furlongs across the country in California. The filly broke late out of the gate and ran among the last of the pack before kicking it into overdrive in the stretch where she did make up a lot of ground to finish eighth, though still six lengths off of the winner. She set a speed figure of one hundred two. Her last graded start was just prior to that in the D Day Distaff (G2), in which she would finish sixth, again after an amazing stretch drive that would leave her coming up short at the wire. Her last win was in January during The Irish Fan Stakes, a listed stakes at ten and a half furlongs. She won this impressively by three lengths, however she was forwardly placed in third out of the gate. Given the speed prevalent this weekend we’ll probably see her as one of the last out of the gate, and she may have to start moving a little earlier so she doesn’t come up short again here on Saturday.
6. Pagniacci – (Any Given Saturday x Pine Bluff x Miswaki) – looney1 of Empire City Racing – F. Solomon – 12/1
Coming back to graded racing this week, the four-year-old will be looking for her sixth lifetime win in what will be her twentieth start this weekend. The chestnut mare has career earnings nearing the half a million dollar mark. The most recent start for the Kentucky-bred was The Intenttodistribute Special, a ten furlong listed stakes race across the country in California. The filly stayed back off the pace towards the middle of the field and started moving forward at the midway point of the race. She would cross the wire in second with a speed figure of one hundred one, two and a quarter lengths off the winner. Her last graded start was this past April in The Route Sixty Six (G3) in Delaware. Again she would finish second in the race after rating back towards the middle of the pack. Though versatile, filly will probably want to be ranked somewhere towards the middle of the field on Saturday.
7. Dream League – (Bernardini x Giant’s Causeway (IRE) x Deputy Minister) – reddog of Reddog Stables – B. Horning – 14/1
Lightly raced with just ten lifetime starts in her three years of racing, the filly has won over half her races with six lifetime wins. The most recent start for the brown filly was in the Go For The Gold Stakes (G1) here in Upper New York at nine furlongs. The filly set out of the gate off the pace in eighth and gradually began picking off the rest of the field once they reached the midway point. The filly would finish sixth though, just out of the money by four and three-quarter lengths with a speed figure of one hundred seven. She won her prior start, the Sister Hen Stakes (G1) at nine furlongs when she was closer up to the pace, stalking in fourth. The filly is versatile, but she does much better when she is forwardly placed in her races. However, with so much of the field this weekend favoring this very same running style, she may have to rate off the pace and wait to see if any of the others tire from a possible speed duel.
8. Wit Beyond Measure – (Awesome Again x Seattle Slew x Roberto) – checkmate4 of Checkmate4 Stables – R. Radzinski – 7/1
Lightly raced at four-years-old the brown filly has made just twelve lifetime starts in her racing career. The homebred filly was bred in Kentucky and has won half of her twelve lifetime starts so far. Her most recent start saw a bit of a stumble as the filly finished ninth in the Go For The Gold Stakes (G1) over nine furlongs. The filly went right out of the gate into second position, but faded as the field moved into the stretch where she eventually finished ninth in the race. The brown filly set a speed figure of one hundred four right here in Upper New York. Prior to this the filly won The Very Vane (G1) and the listed stakes, The Starling Road Special. These races were run at nine and nine and a half furlongs respectively. In both of these starts, the mare was forwardly placed. She went wire to wire in the most recent of the two, The Very Vane (G1), in wire to wire fashion, by three-quarters of a length with an impressive speed figure of one hundred eleven. The filly will almost certainly be forwardly placed this weekend, likely back no further than third or so out of the gate.
9. Reincarnation (ENG) – (Pivotal (GB) x Sadler’s Wells x Buckpasser) – hibachi of Sunshine Stables – S. Hommell – 7/1
With a turfy pedigree but an affinity for running over the dirt, the four-year-old English-bred has won eight races in the course of her career. The most recent start for the chestnut was the Go For Gold Stakes (G1) at nine furlongs right here at this track. The majority this weekend, the filly broke towards the rear of the field but made up ground nicely in the latter portion of the race. She set a speed figure of one hundred ten while coming home to finish fourth. The fillies most recent win was actually over the turf in an allowance race at nine and a half furlongs. However, though the filly won impressively by two and a half lengths, she recorded a speed figure of ninety, though with the ease at which she won the race, this wasn’t necessarily bad for the filly. Her most recent dirt victory was in February during The Daisy En La Lass (FR) Stakes at nine and a half furlongs. The filly is a very versatile runner, but for the sake of this weekends race she will likely be rated back towards the rear of the field and let the rest of the fillies sort things out up front before she goes on to challenge.
10. Lacada Point – (Giant’s Causeway (IRE) x Kingmambo x Seattle Slew) – lasthope of Dixiedot Co Racing – C. Orza – 7/1
One of the most accomplished mares in the race, the five-year-old has won eighteen starts in her career, bringing home a total of $1,103,832 in lifetime earnings. The Kentucky-bred mare is out of the broodmare Seize The Throne. The most recent start for the mare was in The August Ball Special, a listed stakes race at ten and a half furlongs. The mare went wire to wire in this race, winning impressively by three with an easy speed figure of one hundred four. Its been since February when the mare last saw some graded action in the DelPenn Dirt Restricted (G1) over ten furlongs in which she finished a head back in second. Her most recent graded win was last year in the Lapel Pin Stakes (G3), also at ten furlongs. The mare, like much of the field this weekend, will probably be forwardly placed, probably back no further than fifth out of the gate.
11. Kotton Kandy – (Cryptoclearance x A.P. Indy x Nureyev) – 375stud of 375stud Stables – Z. Walker – 10/1
Winning an impressive sum of $2,194,705 in her career, the Kentucky-bred five-year-old is out of the stakes placed broodmare Unitas Millennium. The brown mare has won nine races in her lifetime including the 2008 $2,000,000 Delaware Distaff. The most recent start for the mare was in The Dancing For Gold Stakes, a listed stakes race over ten furlongs in Illinois. The mare broke near the front of the back just off the pace in this race, but she faded towards the latter half of the race, and though the mare managed to hold on to fifth place at the wire, she was twenty lengths off the pace. She recorded a speed figure of eighty-four. Her most recent win was last May during the Mike’s Hometown Cap, another listed stakes race, this time over eight and a half furlongs in her homebred state of Kentucky. Again in this race, she sat just off the pace behind a few runners, but made better on the last part of the race and went on to win by half a length. The mare is versatile, able to run towards the front or the rear of the field, however she does tend to prefer to be forwardly placed off the pace of three or four front runners.
12. No More Crying – (Point Given x Seattle Slew x Storm Cat) – babyfarms of Bigrick Stables – ???jockey – ???odds
Last in the field this weekend, the four-year-old filly will be making her thirtieth career start. Out of the stakes placed broodmare No More Storms, the chestnut filly will also be looking for her lucky thirteenth career win. The most recent start for the Kentucky-bred came in The Breakdown (G2) at an outstanding sixteen furlongs. The filly broke pretty close to the lead in the race and faded as the marathon wore on. She finished an off seventh in the race, over thirty-five lengths off the place from the winner. She set a much lowered speed figure of eighty-one for the race. This was the fillies only graded start so far on record. Her prior race was a two and a quarter length win in the Hancock Pond Memorial at ten and a half furlongs which she took impressively in wire to wire fashion. She will want to be out on the lead this weekend, though she’s going to have some competition in getting there.
Flrancho’s Picks
Win: This Cold Black
Place: Reincarnation (ENG)
Show: Lacada Point