Compact field of five for G3 Wooden Reserve

Ah, the first weekend in October, one of the biggest weekends of the year when it comes to graded stakes. If you properly place your horse you could be headed to the Breeders Bowl, which for the next two years will be in Kentucky. Eastern Kentucky has two grade three races this weekend for the two year olds, both on the turf. For two year olds, sometimes just a grade 3 will get you in the race. In the G3 Wooden Reserve, five horses have been entered to try to get those lucrative stakes points. The Wooden Reserve is for two year old colts and geldings going a mile and a sixteenth over a good turf course, and carries a purse of $200,000. A win by any of the horses may get them into the BB Juvenile Turf, but two of them could get in most likely with just a good showing.

Drawing the rail is blankpoin5’s undefeated Dynajinsky. Dynajinsky is by Dynaformer out of an unraced Nijinsky II mare. In three trips to the track he has won each time. He’s won twice at six furlongs, and last time out he stretched out to a mile. Dynajinsky has earned over $55k, and is currently ranked 96^th in turf routes, a win today may get him into the BB Juvenile Turf. All three of his starts have been in Arkansas, and he has won with 84s his last two outings, but in allowance company, he is stepping up in class running against stakes winners. As a sprinter he was lying within two lengths of the lead, but in his last route effort he settled a few more lengths off the pace to close nicely in the end winning by over two lengths. At 9/5 he is favored to keep his winning streak alive, and I don’t see why the added distance should pose any problem to him.

Going into the gate next is firerun’s Red Hot Night, who has been red hot as of late. Red Hot Night is a son of Rock Hard Ten, out of Heartwood Shinara, a daughter of Monsun. On the track Heartwood Shinara only won two of thirty starts, and Red Hot Night is her first foal. Red Hot Night has started five times, and has won four of them, finishing third once. Red Hot comes into this race with two stakes wins in a row, stretching out half a furlong at a time. As he stretches out his speed figures tend to get better as well. It could also be him maturing. Either way his career best speed figure was an 88 at a mile. In three of his wins came from a few lengths off the pace to win. In his last race he wired the field winning by over two lengths. This race lacks speed, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Red Hot Night blazing along on the lead. At 5/2 if the field lets him get too far away they’ll never catch him.

Snakeeyes’ Oraniebaum breaks from post three. Oraniebaum is by Stravinsky out of Dream Vixen, a daughter of Pentelicus. Dream Vixen only won once as a racehorse, and has produced two horses of racing age, both winners, but only Oranibaum is a graded winner. In five starts Oraniebaum has won four times, and finished third once. A winner of over $136k, he is currently ranked 40^th on the turf route list. He has won on both turf and dirt, and is a grade 3 turf sprint winner, with an 86 as his best speed figure. Oraniebaum comes into the race off of a disappointing third in a g3 in Europe last time out. It was his first start back off a short layoff, so maybe he can bounce back from that effort. He also pressed the pace more than usual, in his other wins he was usually about two lengths back. At 7/2 he stretches out to a route for the first time, and will need a good effort to get into the BB Juvenile Turf. He will need to bounce back from that last race to be competitive here today.

The super stables will be represented in this race with, Priority Mail, from the super5 stable. Priority Mail is a son of Cape Cross out of Eraticus, a daughter of Smarty Jones. On the track Eraticus was a stakes winner, with six wins lifetime. As a broodmare she has only produced the graded placed Priority Mail. In four starts he has won once, placed twice, and finished third once. Priority has earned over $28k, and is ranked 19^th in turf routes, with a good showing today he can make it to the BB. He is grade 3 placed at a mile, and carries an 84 as his best speed figure. In his lone win he was about two lengths off the pace and closed in for the win after the third call. Since that win he hasn’t been able to close in time for the victory. I his last start he ended up pressing the pace too much and backpeddled coming home finishing two and three quarter lengths behind in second. At 5/1 although a good run gets him into the BB, I think he needs to find a consistent, and winning running style. If he presses the pace today I think he’ll be going backward at the end again.

Picking up the outside post is shaga5’s Your Master, an unbeaten maiden winner. Your Master is a son of Mastercraftsman out of Your Ridges, a daughter of Indian Ridge. Your Ridges as a racehorse won four listed stakes raced, and won six other times. As a broodmare she has produced six horses of racing age, with all of them being winners, including one stakes winner and two earners of over $100k. Your Master has run and won once, earning over $21k. The race was in Indiana over a good turf course going six furlongs. Today he steps up in distance and in class. Horses like this that have never faced winners are difficult to gauge and comment on. His speed figure of 77 is good for a maiden winner, but all the other entrants have been running in the 80s, is he capable of that,? Most likely. In his debut he sat at the back of the pack about three lengths back and closed for the win. His sire Mastercraftsman is standing his first year this year, and so far 84% are sprinters, but races are just getting longer now, so you have to take that with a grain of salt. At 5/1 there are too many questions that need to be answered for me to lay my money on his nose.

That’s the field, short but sweet. My picks are Red Hot Night, Dynajinsky, and I have no clue to be honest. Good luck to all may your horses run fast, and return to their stable safely.