The Palos Verdes Stakes – GII
SA Race 4 6F – Dirt
Purse $200.000
Four Year Olds and Up
A field of eight sprinters will be going to the gate for this years Palos Verdes Stakes including last years winner Z One Chance although he will be running this race for a different trainer this time around. This looks like a pretty competitive field for sure and it should be a pretty exciting race no doubt.
1. Got Enemies (5-2-3-0 $40.410), trained by Childs Play
A very lightly raced five year old right here for sure as he has only had one start since August of two thousand seventeen when he ran second in a non four life allowance race at Charles Town last month. I’m definitely sure that that start helped him out a lot on fitness but who knows how good he actually is.
2. Residue (13-5-2-2 $819.120), trained by Smokey Stover
A two time grade one winner last year right here when he won the Forego at Saratoga and the Vosburgh at Belmont. He didn’t run too good in his last start which was the Breeders Cup Sprint where ran thirteenth. If he runs like he did when he won those two grade one races he will have a pretty good chance.
3. Dastardly Havoc (15-2-1-2 $370.400), trained by Maxmillion Farm
Here is a graded stakes winner right here and a horse that doesn’t win a whole lot of races. He is coming out of the grade one Cigar Mile where he ended up finishing tenth and he got heat by four lengths. Sometimes he likes to go to the lead and sometimes he likes to come from off of it so not sure what his tactics will be.
4. Charentes (27-9-7-5 $502.740), trained by Angelos Stable
A graded stakes winner last year and a participant in the Breeders Cup Sprint also where he finished tenth and got beat a length but he has rebounded nicely from that with wins in his last two starts. His last race was a win in the Hernandez Stakes down the hill here at Santa Anita. He has a pretty good chance I think.
5. Lucky Star (22-5-10-1 $508.080), trained by Estero Farms
Also a graded stakes winner last year when he dead heated with Charentes in the DeFrancis Memorial Dash at Laurel. His last start was an eleventh place finish in the grade one Breeders Cup Sprint so this will be his season starter right here. I think he has a decent shot to win if he runs his race.
6. Creepy Palace (18-5-6-3 $734.220), trained by D J C Racing Stables
Another graded stakes winner in the field right here and this horse also ran third in the Breeders Cup Sprint last year. He is coming off of a win in the grade three Mr. Prospecter at Gulfstream where he won by a length. He is a very good horse and definitely has a very good chance in this race to win.
7. Roger That (11-3-3-1 $227.120), trained by Mb Stables
Well this horse is going to be coming into this race off of a pretty lengthy layoff because he hasn’t ran since he ran second in the grade one Vosburgh way back at the end of September. He ran second that day to a very good horse but the layoff is a worry because he hasn’t ran in so long. I’m sure he is ready to go though.
8. Z One Chance (17-7-4-1 $1155.540), trained by John Henry
A multiple grade one winner on turf and dirt and sprinting and even going long this horse can pretty much do it all. He is also the returning winner of the race so he will be going for the repeat win in here. He hasn’t ran so good in his last couple so that is a worry but if he runs the same race he did last year he will have a good chance.
Summary
Well I think that this is a pretty good field that has assembled for this years Palos Verdes. The defending champ Z One Chance is in here but I think I am going to go with Creepy Palace as my top choice. He looks like he is in pretty good form and he is a very good horse for sure. Good luck to all in this race.
6-2-4-7
Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES
