Redhill23’s Big Boy Diamonds<\/strong> is the one of two 3-year-olds in the field and in a brief seven-race career thus far has shown glimpses of star potential to show himself to be stellar nebula more than mere space dust. His best races have come in listed company, winning the Zanzabar and Cad Crop Turf Routes convincingly while earning speed figures of 118 and 111, respectively. His lone try in graded company was a dud, finishing 10th in the Equinics Solar System (G1). This will be the son of Treasure Beach’s first try at 10 furlongs and his dam, Scaraben (by Awesome Again and out of a Kingmambo mare), gave ground in the stretch in all but one of her attempts at this distance or beyond. It will be interesting to see how the deep closing bay gelding handles the stretch out. Big Boy Diamonds (17\/1) will be piloted from post position two by jockey E. Seifert. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Pay Yourself First<\/strong> is the other 3-year-old and Atw8’s son of Galileo will be looking for his second career grade two score on Saturday. He earned his initial graded win as a maiden entered in March’s No Allies Stakes (G2) at 10.5 furlongs and has been focused on the 10 furlong distance in his three most recent starts. In those, he finished third in the Colonial Derby (G2), sixth in the Furstenberg (G3) and won a n2l allowance heat by 3 1\/2 lengths. In that late September victory, he earned his career high speed figure of 108 and extended his streak of races with increasing speed figures to four (with the lone time in nine career starts his speed figure regressed was in a stretch out to 11 furlongs when fourth in the Hogwarts (G2) in April). Dam Vazila (Golden Horn x Deep Impact) was grade two placed at three at the 12 furlong distance. Pay Yourself First starts from post seven at odds of 22\/1. T. Small will be in the irons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Average Stars:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/em><\/strong> Four-year-old Ryans Invincible<\/strong> won the Japanese Guineas (G1) on this course and at this distance last year, but has yet to win at the stakes level since that race. While it’s possible Alien23’s I Am Invincible son might be better at slightly shorter distances, Ryans Invincible was only able to muster an eight-place finish in last month’s Euro Grand Prix (G2) at 1 3\/16 miles, earning a 108 speed figure. And his grade two winning dam raced at a route distance just once in her career. His top speed figure of 112 — earned on two occasions this year, most recently when winning a 1 3\/16-mile listed stakes race — is at the lower level of what might be needed here. H. Ross rides the 11\/1 betting choice. The pair will start from post four.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Universalkim8’s Fionia Mandarin<\/strong> most recent win has also come at this track, with the Japanese-bred son of Belshazzar taking two straight here this spring, including a local championship heat. Those wins came at 14 and 15 furlongs, and Fionia Mandarin hasn’t run in a 10-furlong race since last December (third in an n4l allowance, 103 speed figure). His career high speed figure of 114 did come at this distance however, in an allowance win a couple of months before that. Fionia Mandarin perked up in his latest while earning a 112 speed figure in the Ark Trial (G3) but did have a perfect setup, sitting in the garden spot behind dueling leaders before moving to the lead after a mile only to be caught by a pair of stretch runners late in the procedings. Fiona Mandarin (post nine) was installed at 9\/1 on the morning line and has the services of P. Cadigan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Goofball Babs<\/strong> enters here on a 10-race losing streak dating back since a win in the nine furlong Bob the Cob Turf Route last June. Since then, Barbfarms’ 4-year-old son of Saddler’s Rock has tried the 10-furlong distance on one, two, three, four occasions and gave up ground late in those on one, two, three, fo … Wait a minute. Last time out in the Challenge Cup (G3) Goofball Babs raced in third through the early going before rallying from 5 1\/2 lengths back to nearly catch the loose on the lead Fall Tent Show entrant Steel Crusader. That performance, coupled with a career high 114 speed figure in June’s nine-furlong United Invitational (G2), puts him in with a punter’s chance here. Goofball Babs will start from the five hole with L. Fenner up and at odds of 8\/1. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Massive Star:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Since winning the De Vichy (G3) with an impressive 118 speed figure in July, Massatogain4’s Dik Pord Nomel<\/strong> (8\/1) has been keeping stellar company while never finishing better than seventh in a trio of grade one heats (an Equinics race, Ireland’s Champion Stakes and the Ark De ComicDog, no less). This 4-year-old scratch bred (Lemon Drop Kid x Montjeu x Dynaformer) also won a listed stakes race at 10 furlongs in May, earning a 116 speed figure on that occasion. Ten furlongs seems to be the best distance for this one, who’s connections seemed to be trying to figure out if he might be a sprinter as late as this March. This one has races on his resume that make him a fit here, but also some results that suggest he could use a bit of class relief. Dirk Pord Nomel starts from post three under F. Gossett. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Red Giant: <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Scoobysnak’s Rock It Cadet<\/strong> is another impeccably bred scratch breeding (Fastnet Rock x Dynaformer x Kingmambo). The 4-year-old colt burst into top form last time out, winning a listed stakes by open lengths while earning a career top speed figure of 116. The mid-pack closer seems to like the distance but has yet to distinguish himself in graded company. His last effort,however, suggests he may be on the cusp of shining his brightest. He drew wide in post 10, so jockey A. Jolly will have to figure out a way to save ground for the 10\/1 choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Red Supergiant: <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Grrm3’s 4-year-old City of Blades<\/strong> began to show promise at the end of her sophomore campaign and early this year, but really came to hand as spring turned to summer. On June 21, she captured the Hot Polly (G2) by two lengths, earning a 117 speed figure and two races later — following a dull outing in an Equinics race in which she uncharacteristically dawdled in the back of the pack early on — she won the Prix Opera (G1) by 2 3\/4 lengths while equaling her speed figure from the Hot Polly. Barring a repeat of Equinics tactics, jockey O. A. Haack should have City of Blades placed prominently throughout on Saturday. The Giant’s Causeway sired runner out of Breeders’ Bowl Distaff (G1) winner Wister Road (Redoute’s Choice x Kingmambo) is the 6\/1 co-third choice in the wagering and drew post six.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Planetary Nebula:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Brightvalr’s 7\/2 favorite Foreign Agency<\/strong> has won his first grade one race (the NY Island Cap) and finished second in two others this year, but has yet to burn as bright as when pairing up 121 speed figures in a listed and grade three win last year. Last time out, the 5-year-old gelded son of Lawman, from a stakes winning Dansili mare, romped in the Cup of Europe (G3) after a second-place finish in the Bayside Triumph in which he gave ground late after making all the pace. He’ll probably be content to sit and pounce here under jockey B. Schardein, much as he did when winning the NY Island Cap (G1) in June. Foreign Agency drew post eight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Supernova: <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Last year as a 4-year-old, Urcoolmore’s Mr. Mayhem<\/strong> was one of the brightest stars in the Sim’s sky, winning four grade one races, three at 10 furlongs and also the 11-furlong Man of War Stakes. Additionally, he finished second in two other 10-furlong grade one heats and fourth in the Ark De ComicDog (G1) when pushed out to a distance too far for his liking. Twice in his EOY Award winning season, he earned 123 speed figures, including a two-length win in the year’s finale in the King Kong Cup (G1). Season’s like that don’t fall off of trees. This year, however, the son of Australia has yet to win a race from six starts, including his two most recent starts in owner-restricted stakes races. He’s tried dropping down to a grade two, cutting back to nine furlongs, a go on the dirt, and stretching out to 11 furlongs, — all to no avail. He did show a glint of his previous greatness in his most recent race, charging from 15 lengths back after five furlongs to a very loose on the lead pacesetter to miss by just over two lengths at the finish. Jockey L. Radzinski, who piloted Mr. Mayhem in both of his 123 speed figure earning wins, has the mount. The pair will start from the far outside post as the second choice at 5\/1 as Mr. Mahem attempts to earn his 10th career win in start number 27. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Neutron Star:<\/em><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n While Mr. Mayhem is slotted to start from the extreme outside, Desimster1’s Steel Crusader<\/strong> has been assigned stall one. Last time out, he earned his 10th career win in start number 27, setting all the pace in the Challenge Cup (G3). The 6-year-old gelded son of Cape Cross has won three of his other four starts this year (two allowances and a listed stakes race) and finished a well-beaten 10th in the Aussie Queen (G1). While Mr. Mayhem had his best season in 2019, Steel Crusader was at peak form in 2018, winning the McKinnon (G1) and Bayside Triumph (G2) and finishing a close-up fourth in the Champion Stakes (G1). He was very good in 2019 as well, adding the Kinsho Cho Classic (G2) to his resume while finishing second in a trio of grade one races (including the Coxless (G1) and Eclipse Stakes (G1)). With his established running style and having drawn the rail, it’s likely Steel Crusader (6\/1) will be going from the bell under jockey M. Kelly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Picks to come in the comments section. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n From stellar nebula to either a white dwarf or a neutron star, the life cycle of stars is a fascinating<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":85,"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":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53676","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53676","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\/85"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=53676"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53676\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53684,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53676\/revisions\/53684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=53676"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=53676"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=53676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Life](\"https:\/\/www.schoolsobservatory.org\/sites\/default\/files\/astro\/starcycle.jpg\")
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