ALL ABOARD THE GRADE II RAILROAD HANDICAP

The Grade II Railroad Handicap will highlight this weeks New Zealand racing card. The $187,500 feature presents five promising colts making their three year old debut, each looking to establish themselves at the premier level of competition. The race will be run over a firm, clockwise course.

From the rail on out:

NATTY ICE(PA) – the PA bred three year old ventures off to another continent to try his hand at stakes company horses for the first time. The grandawg trained Fairbanks colt boasts four wins from seven starts as a two year old and has done his best racing over the turf course. Looking to be the first stakes winner of five from his mare, this local chestnut colt will have his work cut out for himself on Saturday against some capable performers who have already cut their teeth at this level…overmatched

READY TO COMMAND(KY) – kingab trained colt enters the field as the morning line 3-2 favorite and rightly so. The More Than Ready KY bred is from a graded winning he/mare, COMMANDER WALLACE, winner of nearly 700k, including nine stakes wins over the turf course; all coming around two turns. Despite this lofty introduction, the impressive young chestnut kicked off his racing career with six straight dirt races, winning three of his first four before being humbled in a pair of graded stakes races around two turns. Connections decided to dig deeper into the colts pedigree, and in his last start gave him a spin around 6.5 furlongs over the turf course for the first time and he immediately responded to his ancestry with a decisive length and a quarter victory while notching the highest speed figure of his young career. Returning in a sprint over the lawn again on Saturday, mark this guy down as…the one to beat

VEIL OF SIGHS(KY) – looking for his first stakes victory, super stables enters this vastly improving son of Street Cry for a shot at the big time. Unable to break his maiden in his first four starts, this talented chestnut found the winners circle for the first time when he turned in a determined performance in Michigan going around two turns for the first time. After a solid third place effort in the 7.5 furlong OLD MOSS BACK Special, the colt was ambitiously placed in the Grade III Philanthropis where he turned in a lackluster performance going around two turns again. Not discouraged by that effort, his connections turn him back this week against similar rivals hoping this non-winner of two can make a big statement for the effort…your call

LOSTAGULCH(AUS) – returning to a sprint off a disappointing effort in the Grade II International, mano hopes this AUS bred son of Magnus turns in an effort similar to his first stakes victory in CAT ROBERTO Stakes. The lone stakes winner from sixty-five starters from his modest sire, the three year old brown colt has already outrun his pedigree, and will be put to the task again on Saturday if he wishes to enhance that unique distinction…chance off best

MYA’S DANSILI(GB) – winner of two of four starts, this Queensland based son of Dansili exits restricted races to try his hand against open company rivals. Posting impressive speed figures, the mya trained three year old has demonstrated some definite ability navigating his way around fifteen rivals with a rousing victory in the owner-restricted PLATINUM BOOT last time out. First offspring of a Bandini mare, this colt has shown moments of brilliance, but will have to radiate against colts outside of his own network this week if he wishes to continue to shine