A big week of racing in New York this weekend with no less than 3 Grade I races to mark the start of the big fall season of racing. In the 14th race Fillies and Mares 3YO+ will be going the classic 10 furlong distance on the turf and will be chasing the top share of the $750,000 purse in the Grade I Flower Pot Stakes.<\/P>
Let’s take a look at today’s field:<\/P>
1)RED ROYAL—3\/1—<\/STRONG>romeshome sends this 4 year old mare out of ROYAL ACADEMY with a record of 18-5-5-1 and lifetime earnings of $437,334. She is out of the mare IGNITION who was 7\/22 at the track and who has 3 foals on record, all winners including this mare who is a Graded stakes winner. This 29th divisional ranked mare is owned by the Willyam 13 Stables based at the GR Simsters. This mare won her debut MSW race in her only start as a 2 year old. She extended her unbeaten streak to 3 by winning her first 2 starts as a 3 year old but would then go into a 10 race slump until breaking out this past April when she picked up her first lifetime stakes win. She came right back and won the Grade III Queenston Handicap in Epsom and has been racing against the best in the division since. She posted her lifetime best speed rating of 112 last time out while finishing 2nd in The Grade I Princess Di Cap over 9 furlongs right here in New York. She is a closer who sits midpack early and while so far 9 furlongs seems to be her preffered distance, her running style does suggest that she could handle the extra furlong today. The rider for today’s race will be Child (13.4%).<\/P> 2)WET PAINT—6\/1—<\/STRONG>jake sends this 4 year old mare out of AWESOME AGAIN with a record of 20-12-2-2 and lifetime earnings of $1,035,982. She is out of the he-mare EXBOURNE’S RANSOM who was 8\/50 at the track. This 3rd divisional ranked mare races for the unafilliated Jake Stables. This mare was unraced as a 2 year old and started her career with a pair of dirt races before switching to the turf. She won her first 5 starts on the lawn, all allowance races before being beaten in Graded stakes races. She has had an exceptional year this season winning 7 stakes races including back to back Grade I wins earlier this year in The Grade I The Born To Battle Stakes and The Grade I Rich And Famour Handicap where she posted her lifetime best 107 speed rating in both. Those wins\u00a0helped her reach the milestone of a million dollar earner.\u00a0Her heavy schedule and hard running may have take a toll as she has appeared a little weary in her last few starts and was totally outrun in her last start. Hopefully she can bounce back after the 5 weeks off before this race today. She is a pace stalker who sits just behind the early leaders and she is a multiple winner at today’s 10 furlong distance. The rider for today’s race will be Lawton (23.2%) who is the leading rider at the meet so far this year.<\/P> 3)THINGS NEED DONE—9\/1—<\/STRONG>sunrunner sends this 4 year old mare out of SHADEED with a record of 25-10-7-2 and lifetime earnings of $648,085. She is out of the mare MISS PHARSWAIN(IRE) who was 3\/23 at the track and who has 2 foals on record, both winners including this mare who is a stakes winner. This 90th divisional ranked mare races for the Wag Racing Stables based over at the Jaded Dragon racing residency. This mare picked up a pair of win in her 2 year old season including winning her lifetime debut in an MSW contest. She started her 3 year old campaign with a 4 race winning streak including a pair of overnite stakes races and added 2 more stakes wins during the remainder of last year. She took a 6 month break from the races after her last 2006 start and has picked up a pair of allowance wins this year of which she matched her lifetime best 101 speed rating in one of them over 10 furlongs on the turf. She ran in the World Cup in her last start where she ran an even 7th around the track. This mare does have some early foot but tends to run in a stalking style sitting just off the pace and while she has had her best success lately when running a little longer than today’s distance she has won at today’s distance already this year. The rider for today’s race will be Jantzen (3.4%).<\/P> 4)BLINKIN'(KY)—18\/1—<\/STRONG>nasrullah sends this 3 year old filly out of CAT THIEF with a record of 16-8-2-2 and lifetime earnings of $304,064. She is out of the mare OUR PROJECTS who was 6\/32 at the track and who has 4 foals on record, all winners including 1 Graded stakes winner and another stakes winner. This 25th divisional ranked filly races for the unafilliated Genebaum stables. This filly races exclusively on the dirt in her 2 year old season and picked up a win in a MSW race during that time. She was switched to the turf this year and went on\u00a0a 6 race win streak to start 2007 capped off by a win in The Grade II Michigan Sophomore Turf Invitational where she posted her lifetime best 100 speed rating over 9 furlongs on a turf rated as good. She struggled in her next 2 starts, both Graded turf stakes but came back last time out to win an overnite 10.5 furlong stakes in The Dakota Tie(IRE) Stakes in Connecticut. This will be her first start on firm turf in 5 races as her last 4 starts have been on off tracks. While she is another who has some early foot she usually stalks the pace from a few lengths back saving her best run for the far turn. Her last win showed she can handle the distance as that was her first start stretching past the 9 furlong mark. She is the only 3 year old in the race today and will be making her debut against older mares with this start. The rider for today’s race will be Sturman (6.5%).<\/P> 5)CONDEMNATION—10\/1—<\/STRONG>lenny14 sends this 4 year old mare out of KINGMAMBO with a record of 19-7-4-2 and lifetime earnings of $254,030. This 685th divisional ranked mare races for The Evil Empire based at the GR Simsters. This mare was unraced as a 2 year old and picked up a pair of allowances wins last year while racing mainly in long turf route races. She picked up back to back 10 furlong turf allowance races earlier this year and is now on a 3 race winning streak heading into today’s race by winning 3 more allowance races at the long route distances. She posted her lifetime best 99 speed rating last time out over 12 furlongs on the turf. She will be making her stakes debut today in this Grade I contest. She is a closer who sits at the back of the pack early and then charges hard in the far turn. As mentioned earlier she has won twice at today’s distance already but she will have to prove that she can handle the class rise today. The rider for today’s race will be Hoskins (11%).<\/P> 6)SADLER’S BABY—12\/1—<\/STRONG>tripleaaa sends this 6 year old mare out of SADLER’S WELLS with a record of 19-4-6-2 and lifetime earnings of $188,570. This 106th divisional ranked mare races for the unafilliated Sansanfarm Stables. This mare won her MSW race at 2 and won an additional allowance race in her 3 year old season. She was away from the races for over a year missing her entire 4 year old campaign. She did not return to the races until late in the fall last year and has since picked up a pair of 9 furlong overnite turf stakes races. She posted her lifetime best 106 speed rating in her 2nd last start while winning The Buddys Affair Special Stakes in South Dakota. That prompted her to jump up to a Grade I race last time out where she showed a little speed briefly before tiring and finishing well back. She will need to improve dratically from that performance in order to be considered a serious challenger for today’s race. She is one of many stalkers in today’s race and with the lack of any true front runner it will be interesting to see which of these stalkers takes the chance at cutting the early fractions today. The jury is still out on whether this 10 furlong distance will end up being her race length of choice. The rider for today’s race will be Gunn (10.4%).<\/P> 7)LAPHROAIG—7\/1—<\/STRONG>waremblem8 sends this 4 year old mare out of TAPIT with a record of 20-6-4-3 and lifetime earnings of $323,917. She is out of the mare LA PRO who was 6\/53 at the track and who has 4 foals on record, all winners including 1 stakes winner. This 236th divisional ranked mare races for Winterfell Racing based at the GR Simsters. She started her career on the dirt in her first 4 lifetime races but has races on the turf since then. She became a stakes winner in February of this year when she won The Our Dance Stakes in Colorado over 12 furlongs on the turf, posting her lifetime best 101 speed rating which she has matched one more time since. She has won another 2 overnite stakes races since including her last start in The Mother Sadie Bonanza Stakes in Ascot over 14 furlongs on the turf. She is another who stalks\/presses the pace but with the lack of any true speed horse she may just be the one who ends up cutting the early fractions today. While racing mostly in longer routes lately she has already won at today’s 10 furlong distance before in her career. The rider for today’s race will be Davis (11.6%).<\/P> 8)OTTO PRINCESS—4\/1—<\/STRONG>rori sends this 5 year old mare out of MARCHIAVELLIAN with a record of 21-7-5-4 and lifetime earnings of $221,879. This 591st divisional ranked mare races for Pierchinski Stables based at the GR Simsters. This mare was unraced as a 2 year old and after a dirt debut picked up her first win when switched to the turf for her second lifetime start. She has a 4 race winning streak last year, all in allowance races and while not winning picked up\u00a0a pair of \u00a0top 3 finished in stakes races. She has picked up another pair of allowance wins this year and it will only be a matter of time before she picks up her 1st stakes win as she has been knocking at the door in her most recent starts. She matched her lifetime best 103 speed rating last time out while finishing 2nd in The Furia Memorial Stakes over 7 furlongs on the turf in Maryland. This mare has raced primarily in sprints and shows herself to be a closer so today will be her first race over 8 furlongs since January of 2006 and while she did not perform well that day her improvement since should produce much better of a result today. The rider for today’s race will be Roberts (5.9%).<\/P> 9)CHANGE MY MIND—3\/1—<\/STRONG>sdmforlife sends this 4 year old mare out of AWESOME AGAIN with a record of 20-7-6-2 and lifetime earnings of $353,630. This 42nd divisional ranked mare races for The Black Label Stables based over at Del\/Penn National. Her first 10 starts were on the dirt where she picked up a pair of allowance wins. She has finished in the top 3 in all but one of her races since switching to the turf. She has won a pair of overnite stakes races already this year and comes into this race after posting her lifetime best 109 speed rating last time out finishing 2nd in The Grade I Demona Handicap in California over 9 furlongs on the turf. She is a closer who was still coming at the wire last time out and perhaps the extra furlong today may be just what she needs to pick up her first Graded Stakes win. The rider for today’s race will be Williams (15%).<\/P> Perhaps the toughest part of handicapping this race is trying to decide just how quick the early pace will be. Will all the stalkers try and go and set a wicked pace or will most just sit slightly back and let one post mild early fractions. I am going to gamble that there will be an honest pace today and take #9 CHANGE MY MIND to cross the wire first just ahead of #1 RED ROYAL. Hmmm—seems pretty chalky but that is the way I see this one unfolding today.<\/P> GOOD LUCK AND GOOD RACING<\/P> THEO<\/P><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" RED ROYAL AND CHANGE MY MIND LISTED AS EARLY MORNING LINE CO-FAVORITES<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":419,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4851","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4851","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/419"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4851"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4851\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4851"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4851"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4851"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}