“It was a really tough race and we couldn’t be happier for our colt,” trainer N2racing said about Niner Connection’s 4th-place finish.\u00a0 “‘Niner closed well to only get beat by two lengths and change, equaling his 106 SP# best mile mark.\u00a0 He was full of trouble down the lane too…. I think he darn well expected to see the brown shadow of his rival, General.\u00a0 When he didn’t see his buddy, my colt\u00a0got plain blue.\u00a0 [Jockey] Bennie Renfro\u00a0said he was just confused and undecided for a couple strides and that cost us the race.”<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>N2racing added that he’s since remedied Niner Connection’s seperation anxiety:<\/FONT><\/DIV>“I called [trainer of General’s Chariot] Snowchief and we worked out a plan,” N2racing explained.\u00a0 “Snowchief held\u00a0the phone to General’s ear, while I put ‘Niner on the other end.\u00a0 It sounded like the two colts had a good chat —\u00a0whinnies and neighs all around, and, the next day, ‘Niner worked a half mile in fine time.\u00a0 I think he’s back!”<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>Niner Connection breaks from lucky\u00a0post #7\u00a0as the 7\/2 favorite.\u00a0\u00a0Top jockey Larry Fontain gets the call to pilot\u00a0the superstar.\u00a0\u00a0<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/FONT>\u00a0<\/DIV>Destiny Back On The Plate<\/STRONG>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/FONT><\/DIV><\/FONT>\u00a0<\/DIV>Venomous advice<\/EM>.\u00a0\u00a0 Poor Manifest Destiny<\/STRONG> — he’s got a heroic\u00a0name and the talent to match.\u00a0 But oh boy!\u00a0 The\u00a0Storm Cat colt sure didn’t appreciate the recent experiments over added distance.\u00a0 After fumbling in the Big Red(G1)<\/EM> over 10f,\u00a0tigerman’s colt even got beat over 12f versus\u00a0average company.\u00a0 \u00a0Yuck.\u00a0 \ud83d\ude41\u00a0 <\/FONT><\/DIV><\/FONT>\u00a0<\/DIV>No worries though….. the All Your Base(G1)<\/EM> winner earlier this year returns to a hot mile.\u00a0 He can hold his own against this group and could light up the stars with a definitive breakout run.\u00a0\u00a0 Sure, he’s been\u00a0beat by ‘Niner twice and Giant’s Banjo too, but you gotta be aware.\u00a0 Horses that return to their preferred distance have a habit of throwing huge numbers.\u00a0 <\/FONT><\/DIV><\/FONT>\u00a0<\/DIV>The #2-ranked 3yo turf classic colt could be sitting on a big race — if so, watch out.\u00a0 It’s his destiny<\/EM> after all.\u00a0 Top jockey Phillippo Bangs guides the colt from post 4.\u00a0 He’ll need to steer clear of traffic and that’s not one of Manifest Destiny’s fortes closing from midpackishness though.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Still, major threat for tigerman stable’s owner Nextbonus.<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/FONT>\u00a0<\/DIV>Giant Needs His\u00a0Groove<\/STRONG><\/FONT><\/DIV><\/FONT>\u00a0<\/DIV>St. James Tavern(G1)<\/EM> winner Giant’s Banjo<\/STRONG>\u00a0eyes a major bounce back in form.\u00a0\u00a0Trainer itsalock spelled the Dixieland Band son after the colt suffered from traffic woes in the Newmarket Rivalry(G1):<\/EM><\/FONT><\/DIV>“We just didn’t like his lacadaisical Rivalry <\/EM>finish,”\u00a0\u00a0itsalock stable’s owner Rcdlogan said.\u00a0 “He got bumped around a lot at the start and suffered a minor cut on his hind leg.\u00a0 So, we took him to the farm and ‘Giant enjoyed the pasture and fresh air.\u00a0 Just a short while though…. I wasn’t too surprised he just galloped in the Maudlin(G1) versus older horses.\u00a0 \u00a0It was a darn fast 1:34 1\/5 again and my colt just needed a race.”<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>On his toes in the morning, Giant’s Banjo zipped a swell workout recently and merits serious consideration at 7\/1.\u00a0\u00a0<\/FONT><\/DIV>“Twelfth-ranked in the division is nothing to sneeze at,” Rcdlogan commented.\u00a0 “Yeah, we got something to prove, but, you know, ‘Giant only has 10 starts under his belt — much less than the faves.\u00a0 I’m quietly confident he can return to his old fantastic form.”<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>Giant’s Banjo can throw\u00a0superb SP#s to throttle this field.\u00a0 Watch out if he’s back in his groove.\u00a0 <\/FONT><\/DIV>\u00a0<\/DIV>Hot On A Desert\u00a0Speed Trail<\/STRONG><\/FONT><\/DIV>\u00a0<\/DIV>Baldrick stable sends out an exciting newcomer:\u00a0 Your Desert(IRE)<\/STRONG>.\u00a0 The speedster was positvely on fire after finishing third to Giant’s Banjo in the Dracula Stakes(G1) last spring.\u00a0 The Desert King(IRE) son dispatched a 7f listed stakes score, then pulled off a righthand wallop[ versus older horses in the Hyperactive Handicap(G1 – 7f)<\/EM>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/FONT>Mmhmm.\u00a0 It was a 106 SP# thrashing and signaled the beginning of the sophomores taking on their summertime older horse counterparts.<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/FONT>\u00a0<\/DIV>That victory was only this colt’s seventh start and third win too — impressive resume for this youngster.\u00a0\u00a0<\/FONT>And it just gets better with Your Desert (IRE) tacking on a sizzling 107 SP#<\/STRONG> Tete Mile(G2)<\/EM>\u00a0against his age group afterwards.\u00a0 Toss out the last race — a troubled sixth after dueling on the lead in the Violin Mile(G3)<\/EM> — and you got a star-in-the-making.\u00a0\u00a0<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/FONT>\u00a0<\/DIV>How good is this colt who boasts a royal Sadler’s Wells x Seattle Slew female family?\u00a0\u00a0 The oddsmakers love him at 5\/1 here, but he’s got to outduel fellow pacesetter Centarus(IRE) again this time around.\u00a0 Centarus went head and head with Your Desert in\u00a0that Violin Mile<\/EM> and that was all she worte for both of them.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If this colt can avoid that kind of suicide pace, then he could very well provide a mild upset.\u00a0 One to watch from post 12.\u00a0\u00a0<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/FONT>\u00a0<\/DIV>Scenting The Bigtime<\/STRONG>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/FONT><\/STRONG>\u00a0<\/DIV>Galileo(IRE) son Centarus(IRE)<\/STRONG> finished fifth in that Violin Mile(G3)<\/EM> after getting into a torrid pace race with Your Desert(IRE).\u00a0\u00a0 Flashes of brilliance with this daninja trainee — he wired the Craven Stakes(G3)<\/EM> in fine time\u00a0last April and devoured a *very* nice $100,000 Kilt Raising Special<\/EM> mile in August with a 107 SP# <\/STRONG>(solid field in that listed event.. I had a horse in it, LOL).\u00a0 <\/FONT><\/DIV><\/FONT>\u00a0<\/DIV>In between though, Centarus(IRE) has been kind of here and there due to an apparent injury.\u00a0 Seriously talented colt who again faces a pace duel,\u00a0but can really throw the necessary numbers to wallop the faves.\u00a0 It’s difficult to seperate him from Your Desert(IRE), though the latter has a better resume.\u00a0 \u00a0Don’t count out this colt — well deserved spot at the bigtime here breaking from post 10.\u00a0 <\/FONT><\/DIV><\/FONT>\u00a0<\/DIV>Simply Transformational <\/STRONG><\/FONT><\/DIV><\/FONT>\u00a0<\/DIV>Vampires must’ve attacked Transylvania earlier in his career.\u00a0\u00a0 The Peintre Celebre was a useful stakes runner… but nothing really special.\u00a0\u00a0 The colt even finished a hot-n-dirty seventh in Your Desert’s Tete Mile Classic(G1)<\/EM>.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/FONT><\/DIV><\/FONT>\u00a0<\/DIV>But never understimate the value of a\u00a0late-blooming pedigree, because as soon as this guy hit his 10th start, whammo!\u00a0\u00a0 The resulting\u00a0Smackdown<\/EM>\u00a0victory jolted this guy into his prime.\u00a0 \u00a0Transylvania followed that win up with a heartbreaking 109 SP#<\/STRONG> photo finish loss in the Violin Mile(G3)<\/EM>.\u00a0 \u00a0Quite a transformation then for this waremblem2 trainee.\u00a0 We’ll see if he can duplicate that spooky speed number on three weeks rest and from behind the pace or so.\u00a0 Should be right there at 7\/1.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/FONT>\u00a0<\/DIV>The rest of the field:<\/FONT><\/DIV>