Eleven Three Year Olds In Queenland Grade Three
Three year old sprinters have a chance to grab Grade Three standing in Queensland this week. Eleven three year olds have lined up to travel six and one half furlongs on the firm turf for $125,000. The field is very diverse and includes three previous graded winners. We have a couple of runners who have had more success on the dirt giving the turf a go. And we have one filly brave enough to take on the boys. Let’s take a look at the field.
#1 Lightning Greely 10/1 beng stables T Phillips rides
Lightning Greely is a son of Mr. Greeley out of g-grade Medaglia D’oro x Galileo mare Chantico. This is her first foal. Lightning Greely started his career on the dirt, finishing fifth in a maiden. His only two turf starts followed, running second and third in two maidens, at five and one half and six furlongs, respectively. Switched back to the dirt he broke through and broke his maiden. He ran third in two graded tries, the Grade One Dell Computer Stakes and the Grade Two Big Hill Stakes. His final start as a two year old was his best; he ran a 90sp finishing second beaten only half a length in the Tex For Lord Memorial Stakes. His last start was on January 15th in the Grim Fiddle Stakes where he finished third with a 86sp.
#2 Monty’s Run 12/1 duchess stables M Radke rides
Monty’s Run is a son of Montjeu out of c-grade Rock of Gibraltar x Conquistador Cielo mare Run the Rock. He is the most successful of the four time stakes winner’s three foals. Monty’s Run began his career on the grass, breaking his maiden in his second start. In seven subsequent grass runs, Monty’s Run finished third in the Keeneland Stakes and in the Strong Westerly Stakes, but off the board in the other five. Switched to the dirt in November he responded with a strong win in the Grade Three Los Angeles Preview Stakes, running a 90 sp. His form tailed off slightly, finishing off the board in four stakes runs since. He already has three starts in 2011, the most recent being on February 12th, where he finished sixth in the Gold Kingdom Stakes.
#3 Captain Huggy Face 10/1 jcasino stables S DeBerg rides
Captain Huggy Face is a son of Kingmambo out of e-grade Storm Cat x Park Regent Maverick’s Cat. Amazingly Captain Huggy Face broke his maiden in his second start on dirt in a $7500 maiden claimer. Jcasino stables snatched him out of that race and switched him to the grass. Captain Huggy Face responded by winning two straight allowance races at six furlongs. He finished second in his stakes debut the Tolerant Car Special Stakes on November 20th, running a 91sp. Given some time off he returned to action on January 15th with a strong allowance win at a mile, again running a 91sp.
#4 Ancienne Belgique 9/1 zeco5 stables I Harvey rides
Ancienne Belgique is a son of Mineshaft out of the e-grade Kingmambo x Storm Bird mare Tarby’s Terror. This is her seventh foal, she has one stakes winner and two stakes placed runners previously. Ancienne Belgique began his career on the dirt, and broke his maiden in his second start on turf. Jumped straight into Grade One company in the More Nay Stakes he could only finish fifth. He bounced back well, winning back to back allowances at eight and eight and one half furlongs, the second with a career high sp of 90. He finished second when encountering a good track in another allowance. In his last start on January 8th he finished second again in a nine furlong allowance race.
#5 Grayone 16/1 graywolf6 stables T Cox rides
Grayone is a scratchbred son of Red Dazzler x Royal Applause x Salt Lake. Red Dazzler has sired two stakes winners from his first three crops to race. Grayone broke his maiden in his third start and added an allowance win in his following start. He ran off the board in his next six starts, five of them stakes races before adding another allowance win when trying an allowance on the dirt at one mile. In three following dirt starts his best finish was second in another allowance race. His most recent start saw a return to turf and a substantial increase in sp when he won an eight furlong allowance with a 97sp on February 12th.
#6 SJ’s Bamboozler 4/1 nafzger stables V Wakeman rides
SJ’s Bamboozler is a scratchbred son of Sebring x Unbridled x Mill Reef. This is the first stakes winner and first graded winner from second crop sire Sebring. SJ’s has never been off the board in nine starts, all on turf. After finishing second in his debut he reeled off three straight wins culminating in his graded score in the Grade Three Solaris Stakes. After finishing third in the Graucho Marx Invitational, SJ’s Bamboozler has had a severe case of seconditis. He’s run second in the Grade Three Notting Hill Stakes, the Night Rocket Challenge and the Sharp Bend Challenge. Most recently he ran second in the January 22nd Skyway Prince Memorial at one mile, running a 98sp.
#7 Desert Secrets 10/1 lenny17 stables P Guyton rides
Desert Secrets is a Forestry daughter out of g-grade Sadler’s Wells x Damascus mare Khartoum X. This is her first foal. After running eleventh in her debut on the dirt, Desert Secrets was switched to the turf and never looked back. She broke her maiden going six furlongs and was second in an allowance going eight. She then won three straight allowance starts, two at six and one half furlongs and one at seven. That most recent start was on January 29th.
#8 Flying By 9/1 oxley1 stables O Alexander rides
Flying By is a scratchbred son of Flying Spur x Leading Counsel x Kalaglow. Flying By broke his maiden in his third start, taking a maiden special weight at six and one half furlongs. He followed that up with a second in the restricted Silver Boot allowance. He ran fifth third and fourth in three subsequent allowances, all turf sprints, before breaking through with his next win in his first start of the new year, going six furlongs on January 1st. He ran fourth two weeks later going seven furlongs. In his most recent start he won a six furlong allowance with a career best 93 sp on Feburary 5th.
#9 Dynamite Blast 7/1 mrenforcer stables K Damo rides
Dynamite Blast is another son of Mineshaft out of d-grade Danehill x Sassafras mare Princess Gretchen. This is her eighth foal to race, she has two graded winners and one other stakes winner. After making a disappointing debut on the dirt, Dynamite Blast ran away with a six furlong maiden on the grass. After a second in an allowance he tried stakes company for the first time and finished sixth in the Shore Lunch Special. Back in allowances he ran second at five and one half furlongs, won at six furlongs ran second at six and one half furlongs and won at seven furlongs, the last on January 22nd with a 97sp. In his most recent start he again tried stakes company, and more successfully this time winning the six and one half furlong Agent X Challenge Stakes.
#10 Jose Rivera II 6/1 fatattack2 stables C Wyatt rides
Jose Rivera II is a scratchbred son of Naaqoos x Agnes Tachyon x A.P. Valentine. He is the only stakes winner for second crop sire Naaqoos. Jose Rivera II broke his maiden in March with an eye popping early sp of 82. Transferred after that race to fatattack2 stable he jumped straight into stakes, winning the Keeneland Special Stakes. He ran fourth in the Grade Two Coventry Stakes but redeemed himself with a win in the Stormy Gulch Special. He tried graded stakes twice more, finishing fourth in the Grade Two Future Stakes and eighth in the Grade Two Royal Dodge Stakes. Dropped back to allowances he reeled off two straight victories. In his most recent start on February 5th he won the Stop Snoring Stakes at six and one half furlongs with a career best 101sp.
#11 Blistering Wind 7/2 drowsy stables M Cameron rides
Blistering Wind is a son of Dynaformer out of g-grade Distorted Humor x Deputy Minister mare Laughter. This is her second foal to race. Blistering Wind lived up to his name storming through four straight wins to begin his career. He took a maiden, an allowance, the Strong Westerly Stakes with ease and added the Grade One More Nay Stakes to top it off. Upset in the Grade Two Royal Dodge Stakes where he finished second by a half length, drowsy stables still had enough confidence in the stable star to run him in the Breeder’s Bowl Juvenile Turf. In a heartbreaking one length loss he finished fourth with a 98sp. Given the rest of the winter off, Blistering Wind came back on January 22nd in the Grade Two Fainting Goat Nightmare Stakes. He ran a strong 97sp but finished seventh in a race he probably needed.
Good luck to all!