HAW Derby (Grade 3)- $150.000 Purse
HAW- For Three Year Olds
One Mile and One Eighth on the Turf
October 17, 2015

After a year hiatus, the HAW Derby returns to that racetrack on Saturday for what will be the ninth running of the event.  The last time this race was run, it was won by a trainer who’s name is often seen in other places in regards to the SRF, and not in a winning stakes article report.  March Madness won that race, in 2013, for La Rosa Stables.   For the return to the schedule, the HAW Derby has seen as $50.000 reduction in its purse from last time, and is now down a total of $100.000 from the $250.000 amount that it initially debuted at.   With the best three year old turf horses in the game chasing the BC, and probably the next tier that weren’t aiming for KEE likely looking for a bit better of a purse, the HAW Derby is not as popular a race as it could be anymore.  There are five going to the gate, and it’s still a good group of horses.  We’re just not seeing the 9-11 horse field sizes for this race anymore, and more then likely this race wasn’t held last year because it didn’t fill.  Let us turn our attention to these five horses, who seem equally matched and should give us a competitive race.

#1- Garibaldi (Jerry Garcia Racing, ridden by R B Homeister Jr)- The Condottieri gelding spent his summer on the main track, and had a strong string of performances which are highlighted by winning the $100.000 Curlin at beautiful Saratoga Race Course.   He has shown to not have a preference for surface, as he has also picked up two wins in his four turf starts.  Garibaldi has not won a turf stake yet, something that would be nice to add to his versatile resume.   This will be a great spot for him to get that, and if he continued to record those high-90 SRF figures that he has been getting lately, he is going to be hard to beat.  I am leaning towards the horse next to him in the starting gate, but do feel he is the biggest threat to Performing Arts.

#2- Performing Arts (Blushing Meadows, ridden by E E Perez)- Once Performing Arts finally broke his maiden this year, he has been on a great string of form with three wins and two third place finishes in five starts.  Most recently, he was victorious in the $150.000 West Point at SAR, which is a NY-bred stake.  That followed up a third place in the Grade 3 National Museum of Racing at the beginning of the month against pretty good company.   This is a horse that has been effective while running on the lead as well as coming off the pace, but he may be best if the race sets up the way the West Point did, which is exactly the way I think it will.  I like the form he is on, and I like the way this race sets up for him.

#3- Informa (Night Rider Stables, ridden by D Velazquez)-   This gelding has not been able to get away from off tracks lately, but there will be no raindrops in the forecast here for Saturday.   It’s worth bringing that up, because he seems to like those off tracks as his highest SRF figures have been on them.  The only time he has been on the turf which was firm, he ran a rather flat fourth place in an optional claimer at DMR.   I’m concerned about him because of this, and feel this is an important race for him.  He still can very much win the race, don’t get me wrong.

#4- Power From Within (Sarah Stables, ridden by T Thornton)- The trainer has tried graded events with Power From Within before, but only until his last start, the Grade 3 Jefferson Cup at CD three weeks ago, did he showcase some of his internal power.  He was fourth that day, but within a length.  Prior to that, he won the PA-bred Robellino Stakes at a similar distance on the turf and recorded a 99 SRF in that race.  He might be just beginning now to get in the best form of his career, which explains why the trainer gets him right back out there.  A win here could catapult him into races for bigger purses in the future.

#5- Viking Jedi (Delta Farms, ridden by E T Baird)- Earlier this year, Viking Jedi won three in a row, which led to the trainer to try the Grade 1 Haskell with him.  He ran fairly well there all things considered, placing sixth and only missing winner Chrystal Pip by two lengths.  He hasn’t raced since then, and the trainer is calling an audible and sending him back to the turf despite the promise he showed there.  Viking Jedi has two starts on the grass, and has done well in them including a win in a PRX allowance that set off the aforementioned three race winning streak.  The works are great coming in to this race and he will absolutely be in the mix.

Prediction: 2-1-5-3

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES