SA Handicap – Grade I (P9)
SA Race #9 1 1/4m Dirt Graded Stake
Purse $500.000 For Four Year Olds And Upward.
1 Centerpiece Mb Stables Velazquez J R 119
Mb Stables is certainly a master at getting their horses into these handicaps with very good handicap marks and this four year old a KYD runner up and grade one winner gets in here with a very winnable weight. He ran better than his final placing of tenth suggests in the BC Classic and who could forget his tremendous Travers win when he beat the eventual BC Classic winner fairly comfortably. His seasonal debut third in the Pegasus World Cup suggests he has trained on nicely and with this draw, jockey and weight he may just be the obvious choice.
2 Range Of The Sun Team 7 Illusions Gutierrez Mario 119
This tough and consistent five year old won the grade one Gold Cup last year but has struggled a little before and after to measure up to that great victory. He was his usual game self on seasonal debut when a close second in a competitive open allowance so clearly hasnt lost anything from 4 to 5. He gets the perfect draw and a fair weight but he would need to be in his best form to get involved with winning this race.
3 Quench My Soul Fractious Talamo J 118
It seems funny that this horse that hasnt won anything more than an ungraded stakes should get just one pound less than the KYD runner up but thats how the handicapping system rolls at HRP and if you think too much about it your head explodes. So has this honest sort got any chance against these seasoned grade one winners? Well his works are as good if not better than many of them so on that basis you have to give him a chance with a great draw but on the balance of his form you would have to give him little chance.
4 Theory Smokey Stover Gallardo A A 116
This son of Niagra was recently bought for $175.000 and gets in here very light thanks to some rather skinny form. Although he has been campaigned on turf recently some of his best form is on the dirt and all of his three wins have come on this surface. He has pretty much tried everything from sprints to routes, dirt to turf, stalking to closing with only limited success. If weight and draw really does mean everything at HRP then this one who put down a 1.36 flat work in January may just be the surprise winner of a very competitive race.
5 Newsnight Sir Daniel Martin Ferrer J C 117
He has some good form to his name and gets in on a low handicap mark and whilst he wouldnt be good enough to beat a few of these on levels the weight relief is worth a good few lengths at HRP. A good third in the BC Derby last year he also won the Springboard Mile as a two year old so can clearly put in a good run at this sort of level.
6 Red Zero Angelos Stable Figueroa H 120
For the life of me i cannot see how this consistent five year old has to give weight to the KYD runner up but then the handicapping system has long seemed flawed to me so i am not even going to try and work it out. Even with a hefty weight this solid sort is in good form and may just have improved enough to get into the finish. His two runs this year have certainly looked like those of an improved horse especially his narrow defeat in the San Pasqual Stakes last time. He was only just beaten by Fox News in that start and gets a 2Lb pull so should be able to turn the tables on him atleast.
7 Count Of Boom Night Rider Stables Castellano J J 118
Has shown plenty of improvement on the statebred circuit and was an impressive winner of the LAPN Championship last time but that form is a long way from a grade one. His works arent bad but he will have to put in a lifetime best and some to get involved with the best of these.
8 Achilles Diablo Diablo Ortiz J L 117
A lightly raced sort he has run OK in a few good races such as the PA Derby and The Peter Pan but has yet to make his mark at this level. He gets a nice weight for this race and was a game winner of the Jazil on seasonal debut and with some strong works it is easy to make a case for him against his more illustrious rivals.
9 Sacred Brave Blushing Meadows Ortiz I Jr 117
Again it seems like an anomaly that such an accomplished sort should get in this race with just 117 Lbs but he gets an awkward draw which may negate some of that advantage. The winner of the Queens Plate last year he also ran well to be third in the PA Derby and very nearly got into the KYD after two good efforts in the LA and AR Derby’s so he certainly has the form on the board to be a player here. He was drawn wide in the Pegasus World Cup and got too far back to get into the race but i expect a much better effort here and at his best he will be a strong contender.
10 Fox News D J C Racing Stables Bejarano R 122
He was given no chance in the KYD last year, drawn 15 and taken right out the back so ignoring that run he really is one of our top dirt horses. Unfortunately he gets top weight and a wide draw which will be tough to overcome but a reproduction of his head second in the BC Dirt Mile or his seasonal debut win in the San Pasqual Stakes will put him right in the thick of it. He certainly is one of the class horses in the race and the stable continues in good form so he could put up a monumental effort if given a chance in running.
11 Battle Of Midway Spankys Barn Van Dyke D 116
He has been in good form recently but despite bottom weight it is hard to see him winning from this difficult draw. He was mighty impressive in the slush last time so rain may bring his best hope of getting involved.
12 De Fuego Defoe Pennington F 116
Although he is better known as a sprinter he has won over a route trip and gets in very light as his stakes form is all over shorter trips. This wide gate and his obvious speed may see him spat to the front by the speed push and if he can save a little he is certainly classy enough to make a race of it. He has laid down a 1.36 and 1 work over the mile so with just 116Lbs may be a sneaky chance at odds.
SUMMARY
The handicap certainly makes Centerpiece an attractive proposition and its hard to get away from his chances. Of the others i think Fox News and De Fuego may run big and the two high weights are also in with a chance.
Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES
