Seven boys try on the Plaid Skirt (G3)

Two graded stakes this week at Ireland have been carded for ten furlongs. I therefore declare this ten furlong week in Ireland. Okay so my declaration means squat, but it seems odd for two races to be carded at the same distance in the same week. Neither race drew a full field, but enough about the carding style of the racing secretary, lets talk about the race actually at hand. A field of seven has assembled for the G3 Plaid Skirt. The Plaid Skirt is for three year olds and up, and worth a purse of $150,000. A few of the entrants could go onto the Breeders Bowl Turf in November with a win today.

Newastin9 will saddle post position number one horse, Taxing Decision. Taxing Decision is a four year old son of Leroidesanumaux out of Al Bbor who was a son of Bertrando. On the track Al Bbor was an average racehorse with ten wins, but no stakes placings or wins. Taxing Decision has had twelve wins, six places and a show in twenty seven trips to the track. Taxing Decision, a former claimer, has been having a great year with eight wins in the past twelve months with three in the last three months even. He comes into this race with two consecutive wins, and off of a listed stakes victory. Taxing has a versatile running style, although he may love to wire a field, he is capable of rating and sitting a couple lengths off the pace and closing in for the win. At 5/1 he’s having a great year, but it stepping up in class, will have to keep on track with his previous performances to make it today.

Hilofarms sends out the longest shot on the board, King For A Year. King For A Year is a three year old son of North Light, out of Rakida’s Road a daughter of A.P. Indy. Rakida’s Road was a stellar mare on the track earning more than $3.3 million, including winning the Breeders Bowl Distaff in 2000. As a broodmare she’s been quiet successful as well with five horses of racing age, she has produced two graded stakes winners, a stakes placed horses, as well as a stakes winner that was graded placed. At the age of three King For A Year is already a graded winner, and has five wins, two places and two shows in thirteen starts. He comes into this race off of a freshening, and a second place finish in the G2 Upper CA Derby. King For A Year has a closing running style, but is usually within five or so lengths of the lead at all times. The reason for him being 12/1 in the race is his last win was in April, and he is trying older horses for the first try. Its not like he’s been running poorly in the past six months either. At 12/1 I wouldn’t be surprised if he pulls off an upset.

Breaking from post three will be icechaser’s VT Overeasy. VT is a four year old son of Echo Of Light, out of Buist’s Return a daughter of Forty Niner. Buist’s Return had some luck on the track, with a stakes win and was graded placed,. As a broodmare she has produced three foals of racing age, a claimer who won almost $200k, a graded placed stakes winner, and the horse in question a graded winner. VT has won ten times, placed six and shown twice in twenty seven tries. In the past twelve months he has won fours times, but seems to have tailed off in the past six months, earning just one win. He comes into the race off of a second place finish in a grade two going a quarter mile longer than he is today. VT’s running style will have him sitting well off the pace, no matter what the fractions are up front, he’ll be loping along at the back until about the third call, then he’ll be coming on fast. At 5/2 he’s the lukewarm favorite, in my book I think he’s in need of a longer race. To be in it in the end he’ll need to sit closer to the pace, or start his run sooner to be in the mix at the end.

Picking up the four hole will be rocket34’s Arius. Arius is a four year old son of Forestry out of an unraced Deputy Minister mare. In eighteen trips to the track he has accumulated six wins and places as well as one show. He has performed well on both dirt and turf, but has done most of his racing on the turf, only finishing off the board four times in his turf career. Arius comes into this race with two consecutive listed stakes races, with the last one being at today’s distance. There is no doubt where Arius will be placed during this race, and that’s on the lead. Arius is a rocket out of the gate, in his last two starts he had opened up ten lengths on the field by the first call. However he always comes back to the field, just narrowly winning last time out by a half length. He isn’t the lone speed in the race, and may have a partner to light up the tote boards while clocking the race. At 7/2 he’s going to try to run the field off their feet and hope that the closers get too far behind to make up the ground. It is a step up in class, and there are a few nice closers in this race that will be ready to run Arius’ day.

Dormello will saddle Tizona, six year old son of Victory Gallop, out of Empire Taker a daughter of Unbridled’s Song. Empire Taker was a graded placed stakes winner in her racing days. As a broodmare she’s been less than stellar with five offspring running, and only three winners, with just one besides Tizona being a stakes placed earner. Tizona has won fifteen times, with five places an shows in thirty nine starts. In start forty he’ll try to bring his winning streak up to four in a row. Tizona will have a tough go of it today being another pace setter type horse. He usually likes to open up just a couple lengths on the field, where as Arius gets double digits away. Having these two breaking next to each other worries me that there may be a speed duel up front, which makes for an exciting start, but also usually means two horses spitting the bit before the wire being too tired to finish strong. One thing that Tizona has that Arius did not is proven graded performances, and the ability to win at a distance longer than today’s race on the lead. At 9/2 he’ll have to fight off Arius, and stay away from a heated speed duel to be able to be there at the end.

Super25 sends out the turf debuter, Thunder Cracked. Thunder Cracked is a four year old son of A.P. Indy out of Vegas Thunder who was by Thunder Gulch. On the track Vegas Thunder was known for his great in the money percentage, but was never a stakes winner. As a producer he only has this four year old who is a graded winner. Thunder Cracked has four wins, and shows with five places in twenty four starts. With just one win in the past year, coming in a listed stakes race three races back its safe to say he’s having a rough year. He comes into the race off of two well beaten efforts in the graded ranks. Trainer super25 picks a tough race to try turf out on a horse who seems to be off form. Generally if I try a new surface I take them back to allowances, or a soft listed race. But, Thunder Crack is not my horse so who am I to say what is right for him. On the dirt he is a closer, and has managed to post some nice speed figures, so he should be capable of closing if the fractions are as hot as I suspect them to be. At 5/1, A.P. Indy has produced a lot of turf runners, whether or not Thunder Cracked is one, we’ll have to wait until the race finishes.

Drawing the outside post is foxon’s Meeting Abandoned. Meeting Abandoned is a four year old son of Monjeu, out of an unraced Green Desert mare. In twenty six trips to the track he has racked up eight wins, four places and two shows. Meeting is a proven runner on both dirt and turf, with more wins on the dirt than the turf, but more earnings from his turf races. Meeting Abandoned comes into today’s race off of a listed stakes win, which came after a poor effort in a graded race at this distance. He comes into the race with four wins in twelve months, two of them being in the past three months. Meeting is yet another deep closer in the field, he’ll look like he’s out of it, even after at the third call, he loves to come from the clouds, and win those photo finishes. In his last two wins he’s won by a nose and a quarter length to prove my point. In both of his graded efforts he’s been beaten by four or more lengths, never hitting the board. At 5/1 most of the field loves to come from behind, and some of them are proven graded winners at this distance, he’s not one of my picks.

Today’s race seems to have drawn two types of horses, the pace setters, and the deep closers, without much in between. It really is anyone’s race, but my favorites are King For A Year, Arius, and Tizona. Good luck to all, may your horses run fast and return to their stables safely.