Race:<\/b> The Cafe Beignet – Grade I – $500,000
ID:<\/b> 4414.0516
Track:<\/b> Louisiana
Restrictions:<\/b> All horses, 4 year olds
Distance:<\/b> One mile on the Dirt
The focus in Louisiana racing this weekend will be the Grade I Cafe Beignet. The race, which is open to only four-year-olds will be run over a mile on the dirt. The race, named for the famous fried pastry local to the area, is in its inaugural year this 2010 racing season. Whomever emerged victorious this weekend, will go down in the history books as the first winner of the half a million dollar race. We may end up with some horses being scared away from the race however, with a former tropical system sitting right of the coast of the state, and threatening to come onshore sometime later this week. The weather will have moved out of the way by Saturday, but the track will still be slightly off, rated as good at post time. We will have a total of eleven horses going into the gate this weekend, lets take a look at them.
1. Motion Dismissed<\/b> – (Lawyer Ron x Storm Cat x Bering (GB)) – wtas02<\/i> of Dixiedotco Racing – N. Bonkowski – 9\/1
Returning to graded competition this weekend the four-year-old colt is out of the stakes winning broodmare Pale Green Rider. The brown colt has won seven races out of twenty-two lifetime starts. The Kentucky-bred made his most recent start in The Preachintothechoir Memorial, a listed stakes race over a mile overseas in Argentina. The colt broke towards the rear of the field, but rallied late to finish second. His most recent win was in his prior start that was right here in Louisiana. The colt emerged victorious by two and a half lengths in a mile along allowance race. His last graded start was in May during the The Jazz Fest (G2), again held here in Louisiana, in which he would finish seventh. Though versatile, the colt will most likely start towards the rear or middle of the field this weekend. In the colts sole off track start he came in third.
2. Devil Worship<\/b> – (Pulpit x Herbager x Crimson Satan) – artracing<\/i> of Worldwide – JR Golden – 10\/1
A fairly lightly raced colt, the brown Kentucky-bred has made a lucky thirteen career starts, winning five times. The colts last start was earlier this month in The Farewell to CryptoZot Stakes (G1) at ten furlongs in Texas. The colt took off right on the lead in the race but would fade as he came down the stretch, ultimately coming in for third, four and a half lengths off the pace. He set a speed figure of one hundred eight. The colt has never won at graded level, but has won in the allowance level, the most recent of which was in May over ten furlongs. This weekend the colt will likely try to go the lead again and will be looking to take the race wire to wire. One other thing the colt will have to contend with in this start however, is the good dirt track. So far in his career, the colt has never run over an off track.
3. Arranged By Kings<\/b> – (Forestry x Mr. Prospector x Deputy Minister) – lordbyron<\/i> of Lordbyron Stables – T. Campy – 7\/1
Out of the stakes winning broodmare Stupidly Build, the brown colt will be making his twenty-fifth career start this weekend. The Kentucky-bred is a winner of $569,650 in lifetime earnings. Making his most recent start in The Account Counting Stakes, a listed stakes over eight and a half furlongs in Eastern Kentucky, the colt sprinted to a length victory after setting just off the pace in fourth. The brown colt set a speed figure of one hundred nine for the race. He\u2019s also returning to graded competition this weekend, his most recent graded start coming in April during The Billy and Jimmy Stakes (G2), where unfortunately, the colt would finish seventh, not closing in fast enough at the wire. That\u2019s not to say he\u2019s unaccomplished at graded level. The colt finished second late last year in The Malibu Sprint (G1). The colt can be pretty versatile, but he will probably take off out of the gate this weekend either just off the pace or towards the middle of the pack, depending on how the going is out of the gate. The colt has made a single start over the mud, in which he finished third.
4. Rock River Striker<\/b> – (Smart Strike x Unbridled\u2019s Song x Seeking The Gold) – rockriver2<\/i> of Rockriver Stables – P. Sullivan – 10\/1
Nearing the half a million dollar mark in career earnings, the dark grey colt has won a total of eight starts in his twenty-seven lifetime trips to the track. The Kentucky-breds most recent start was in The Porcelain Stakes (G3) overseas in Japan over seven furlongs. The colt sat off the front-running pace in the race and began his move in the stretch. The colt would finish second in the race, off the pace by just half a length, with a speed figure of one hundred eight. His prior start, The Louisiana Light Special, a listed stakes race over seven and a half furlongs held, oddly enough in Iowa, was a success for the colt as he won a photo finish in the race by a nose. The colt will likely sit behind a few front runners on Saturday, or he could possibly rated in the middle of the pack. The colt has been very successful over an off track, placing on the board in all of his off track starts.
5. Alentejo<\/b> – (Distorted Humor x Cat Thief x Sadler\u2019s Wells) – zatopeck<\/i> of Rafa Stables – A. Brooks – 13\/1
Needing to get back to some prior form for this race, the brown colt out of graded placed broodmare, Amaia, will be making his twenty-third career start this weekend. The Kentucky-bred has won six races in his career. The colt is most recently coming off a run in the Gotta Fix The Sprinklers Classic (G2) over nine and a half furlongs in Arizona. The brown colt settled off the pace of just a few other horses, however as the race wore on the colt faded off the pace and eventually finished eight lengths off the pace in eighth. He set a speed figure of one hundred one for the race. Prior to this he also had a disappointing seventh place finish in the Movieland Shiny Cup (G1) at ten furlongs. His last win was in May during The Birkenstock (G3) at eight and a half furlongs. The colt will likely be set behind a few front runners at the break during this race, likely in fourth or fifth position out of the gate. The colt has never made a start over an off track.
6. Magnificent Valor<\/b> – (A.P. Indy x Alydar x Nijinsky II) – winterfell<\/i> of Galileo Stables – C. Morris – 7\/1
Looking for his seventh career win this weekend, the brown colt has made a total of twenty-three lifetime starts. The homebred Kentucky-bred horse made his most recent start in The San Dimas (G2) over eight and a half furlongs across the country in California. He sat just off the pace of the pacesetter of the race, but was overtaken in the stretch to finish third, five lengths off the pace with a speed figure of one hundred nine to his credit. His most recent win was in February during an eight and a half furlong allowance race. The colt will likely be forwardly placed this weekend and could even possibly be placed on the lead in the race. The colts single start over an off track yielded a second place finish for the colt.
7. Tex Cat<\/b> – (Storm Cat x Mr. Prospector x Damascus) – kingranch<\/i> of Kingranch – A. Jolly – 6\/1
With consistency as perhaps his middle name, this four-year-old will be going into the big leagues for the first time this weekend. The Kentucky-bred offspring of top sire Storm Cat, the brown colt has been lightly raced with just fourteen lifetime starts. The colt is coming off of an impressive three and a quarter length win in an allowance race over a mile right here in Louisiana. The colt won in wire to wire fashion, recording a blistering speed figure of one hundred twelve. The colt has started in graded races before, but just hasn\u2019t made it to Grade I level until this weekend. His most graded start was The Jazz Fest (G2) last May, again held here in Louisiana. Perhaps a crowd favorite because of his affinity for the track here, the colt should probably go out right to the lead on Saturday and be our pace of the weekend. The colt has also finished in the money in both of his starts in the mud.
8. Hot And Spicy<\/b> – (Awesome Again x A.P. Indy x Kingmambo) – landoner<\/i> of Kevoman Stables – D. Hogin – 10\/1
Having to return to some former form this weekend, the son of graded winner A.P. Superwoman hasn\u2019t done too hot in his two most recent starts. The chestnut colt has earned a total of $3,063,706 through a course of twenty-nine lifetime starts. The colt\u2019s most recent start was in The Hit Me Handicap (G1) at nine furlongs in Upper New York. Breaking out of the gate near the rear of the field, the colt didn\u2019t make any progress in the race and finished nine and three-quarter lengths off the pace in tenth, setting a speed figure of one hundred. The most recent win for the colt was this past May in the Cosmopolitan Handicap (G1). He started around mid-pack for this race, and began to work himself up at the midway point in the race. He set a much more impressive one hundred fifteen speed figure here. The colt will likely break out of the gate this weekend towards the middle of the pack, though he could be a little more forwardly placed than this, around fourth place or so. The colt is accomplished over the mud, winning two of three starts over the slop.
9. Awesome Burger<\/b> – (Johannesburg x Awesome Again x Forty Niner) – magpies01<\/i> of Phantom Pharms – B Rayam – 8\/1
Setting out to make his twenty-second career start this weekend, the Kentucky-bred son of Johannesburg has won seven times in his career. The most recent start for the brown colt was in Canada during The Cultural Centre Cup (G3) at eight and a half furlongs. Setting out of the gates toward the back of the field, the colt was urged forward towards the final turn, going on to finish in a photo at the wire. The conclusion was eventually made the colt finished second by just the barest of margin, a nose. He set a very impressive speed figure of one hundred twelve. His most recent victory was last April right here in Louisiana in the Eviscerator Stakes (G3) at nine furlongs. He was much closer up to the pace in this race and won by half a length. The colt is a versatile runner and could be near the lead or near the rear of the field in this race. Where he\u2019s at will really depend upon the pace. The colt may have one challenge in that he has never run on an off track nor in a Grade I race.
10. Bocosta (AUS)<\/b> – (Encosta De Lago (AUS) x Danzig x Black Tie Affair (IRE)) – <\/i>boble7<\/i> of Boble Stables – C. Snowden – 8\/1
The only horse in the field this weekend not bred in Kentucky, the Australian-bred horse is out of the broodmare Bomamba. The brown four-year-old has won five starts out of his twenty-one lifetime starts. The most recent start for the colt was The Kanoute\u2019s Killer Challenge, a listed stakes race over a mile in South Dakota. The colt took this race impressively in wire to wire fashion with a winning margin of a length and three-quarters. He set a speed figure of one hundred sixteen. The colt will be facing his first graded start this weekend in The Cafe Beignet (G1), though after that recent start he may be due the challenge as long as he doesn\u2019t bounce. The colt will most likely be forwardly placed this weekend, likely back no further than third, though he has also been successful in running off the pace before. The colt has also finished on the board in all of his starts over an off track.
11. Juillet Blues<\/b> – (Gone West x Blushing Groom (FR) x Northern Dancer) – simsters4<\/i> of The Evil Empire – F. Oxon – 4\/1
The final horse in our field this weekend, the four-year-old son of top sire Gone West will be making his twenty-second start. An earner of $1,861,325 in lifetime career earnings has won some pretty impressive races in his career, including the California Derby (G1), as well as placing in many other prestigious races. The most recent start for the chestnut colt was The San Dimas (G2) in California where the striking colt led the eight and a half furlong race wire to wire, winning by two and a quarter lengths while setting an impressive speed figure of one hundred fifteen. He, like much of the field this weekend, will be forwardly placed this weekend. The colt has also won his sole start over an off track.
Flrancho\u2019s Picks<\/u><\/b>
Win:<\/b> Juillet Blues
Place:<\/b> Bocosta (AUS)<\/b>
Show:<\/b> Tex Cat<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Juillet Blues Favored to Win in Jazz State<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":179,"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-8326","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8326","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\/179"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8326"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8326\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8326"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8326"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8326"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}