KD Turf Sprint – Grade III [BC]
KD Race #3 6f Turf Graded Stake
Purse $700.000 For Three Year Olds And Upward.

1 Gleaming Spirit Mb Stables Tunon M

This 16 race winner of more than 1.8K heads three Mb Stables runners that have drawn 1, 2 and 4, as if our champion trainer needs any more help to win big races!
This grand six year old is the current Bc Turf Sprint champ and the winner of this race last year from the rotten draw of nine so must be given every respect. It is interesting that this gelding has only drawn the one box once before in thirty five starts but has been drawn the widest 4 times so if ever he was going to get back to winning ways it would be today. Still able to work 1.09 flat he is undoubtedly the most accomplished sprinter in the race.

2 Twisted Minds Mb Stables Hernandez

Mb Stables knows just how advantaged the three year olds are in these races so goes for a double whammy here by entering not only a three year old but a filly as well. Carrying just 116Lbs she has worked 57 and 3 for five furlongs so on the balance of weight against speed she could be the bolter for a race like this especially as she gets the sought after two box. Already a grade two winner against older fillies in only her third race it will be interesting to see if HRP’s bias of fillies against colts will prevent her from winning. Considering she was beaten a half length in 1.08 and 1 last time out carrying 2Lb more and Glistening Spirit was beaten 3 lengths in the same race time carrying one pound more she should be right in the finish.

3 Korean Bolt Smokey Stover Davis D

Another three year old this time a gelding he is also working 57 and 3, the same as the filly and dead heated with Gleaming Spirit when 8th in the Highlander so must also be right in this. Let’s face it a case can be made for every runner in these types of races and there is no reason that this winner of five from ten can’t win this for the new challenger to Mb Stables monopoly on stakes racing. His win in the TS Turf Sprint back in May was top notch but after a close second in the Jaipur he has disappointed from two wide draws, back to the inside today he could be back to winning ways.

4 Southern Fame Mb Stables Lezcano J

After only the fourth preview of the runners we find the third runner from Mb Stables an up and coming four year old who sizzled with a 57 and 1 work just a few days ago. As HRP class and form goes he has two graded stakes wins in his last three races with a defeat in an optional claimer sandwiched in between. When you work that one out let me know. So on his win in the Connaught Cup where he had stable mate and BC Sprint champion Gleaming Spirit behind then he probably should win this but on his defeat in the WO optional claimer he probably wont, take your pick but with all things being equal he goes into the photo finish for the win today.

5 Convoy Threshold Bahen S R

Recorded the fastest six furlongs of the year in his last race which would seem great if you didn’t notice the fastest six furlongs of all time at HRP is a second and a half quicker. As he hadn’t done much before that we can only assume one of two things, firstly that that win was a flash in the pan or secondly he has had that little dose of improvement that seems to happen now and again and he is about to explode onto the sprinting scene. I guess today we find out which one.

6 Bombastic Nobility Oval Express Farms Desormeaux K J

This seven year old has run in 53 races and won an impressive 13 of them. Like most good horses at HRP it doesn’t seem to matter which distance or which surface the race is over but whilst he has been a great race horse for his various owners it would be a stretch to see him winning today. Having said that he is working well and fast and stranger things have happened at HRP.

7 Salili Team 7 Illusions Gutierrez Mario

When you see the name Cherokee Sunset next to a horses name in a stakes race you have to take notice regardless of form. Third in this race last year he was bought for a rather exaggerated $1.5K by the ex owner of his old sire in April and one wonders whether he was bought as a replacement for the great sire rather than a race horse because he has been a little disappointing since. He finally got a win for Team 7 when scraping home in the grade three Turf Monster Handicap but that was less than a fortnight ago and one feels this is a hopeful rather than planned entry. Having said that he worked 1.09 flat for 6 furlongs so what the heck put him in that photo finish for the win.

8 Bob Mueller TwinTowersRacing Lopez P

TwinTowers has left me red faced more than once when i have said their entry has no chance and then duly won so i am only going to think that today and not say it out loud. So why can this horse win, well its a three year old and it has worked 57 and 3 on the turf so why not but just on bare form it is a hard sell.

9 Boardwalk Fractious Beschizza A

Why wouldn’t a horse that was aimed at and ran in both the KYD and The Preakness suddenly turn into a turf sprinter? Well that is what happened to this gelding as he went from fourth in the KYD to the winner of the Quick Call over five and a half furlongs on the turf in just a few months. As a three year old he gets his weight allowance and with a wide gate will get some help with the early pace so just maybe this could be another of those switch and win types.

10 The Grandmaster John Henry Velazquez J

Another son of Cherokee Sunset he is the winner of 11 races and over 1.5K so sits there with Gleaming Spirit as the class of the race. The winner of this race in 2018 and third last year he obviously loves everything about this race and the year he won he was drawn 11 so this nasty draw will hold no fears. I guess the question is whether he is as good as a five year old and so far his form has looked a little soft. Having said that he won a MTH open allowance in 56 and 1 last time so who knows he may get into that photo finish for the first ten places.

11 Brilliant Kruz Estero Farms Saez L

Broke his maiden over a mile just two races back and last ran in the 10 furlong Nijinsky so the obvious nest race for him would be………..
He gets a rotten draw to try and get his second win and it is a bit of stretch to see him winning today, that however may be the best tip he has ever had !!

12 Cold Weather Rider Night Rider Stables Castellano

A 39 race veteran with 12 wins to his name he remarkably has Korean Bolt behind him when winning the KD Preview Sprint last time so must be in the hopper with some sort of chance. Working 1.09 and 1 puts him right in this but the draw does not and he will need plenty of favors from the race engine to find a place to run his race from. Fast and consistent and deserves to get in the photo somewhere.

13 Charleys Glance Maxmillion Farm Franco G

Last but not least we have the turf kings entry. Another trainer that knows that trip doesn’t matter much at HRP he brings his 4 race winning miler here to try and steal it from the car park. He tried the same in the Poker Stakes a couple back but didn’t last home over the mile but he was in front at the six furlong marker and running 1.08 and 3 so maybe Max will be looking for that sort of effort today.

SUMMARY

A great race indeed with great champs going against the weight allowances. On weighing up snippets of recent form and work times i am going for Southern Fame to head home an Mb Stables 1,2,3. There are another 8 that are within a length so it depends what the race engine does at the end of the day as to who gets their nose in front.

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES