The Nashua (Grade 2)- $200.000 Purse
AQU- For Two Year Olds
One Mile on the Dirt
November 4, 2015
A great day of two year old racing at AQU is highlighted by the fourth running of The Nashua, a grade two event that highlights young horses who may have just missed being able to run in the BC Juvenile, or have been late bloomers in their early racing days. In last year’s race, Mb Stables won the event with Decima, marking the second time he won the race. If we look at the field now though, there’s another name that will stand out at you. Third that day for Wild Aces Stables was A One, who as anyone who reads the article will know, went on to have a spectacular three-year old season. He came into the Nashua with just one win in five prior starts, and was making just his second graded start. Nine days after the Nashua, Wild Aces sold him to Sanny Village for $140.000. From there, the rest is history. At the end of this race, will celebrate and glorify the winner, but that does not mean there can’t be another A One looming somewhere in this field that may not be the winner here. Potential abounds within this field of ten, showing us that the Nashua is not a BC Juvenile consolation prize. Let’s take a look at our runners!
#1- High Pride (Mb Stables, ridden by E Cancel)- The Chai Latte colt looks to make a big step forward in his career after success at modest levels so far. He has raced four times thus far, and has earned two victories, but the most difficult race in which he competed was a $35.000 allowance at RP. He set a track record en route to his victory at seven furlongs, and then followed it up a week late with an impressive mile work at SA. The potential that he has is clear, but he has never seen competition like this before, and it’s possible that this race came up a little tougher then the trainer was expecting.
#2- Coup de Lyon (Nakamura Stables, ridden by A S Arroyo)- It will be the seventh start of the season for the Knowledge Geek gelding, and the third attempt at a graded stake. So far, he has two wins to his credit, taking a NY-bred maiden in May, and then routing an allowance field at ELP in early August. Those graded stake attempts have yielded close calls: third in the Bashford Manor in June, and fourth in the Grade 3 Iroquois, one spot behind BC Juvenile winning Carneyman. In both of those races, he was less then a length from victory. He’s had some time to rest since that September race, and we know he will be able to get this distance without problem. Coup de Lyon will be one of the top contenders in a strong field.
#3- Hollywood Ballet (Alydar Stables, ridden by I Ortiz Jr)- This colt by Hollywood Moon has won two of his five career starts thus far. The first of which was a maiden win against ON breds at WO, and then in his most recent start, he was victorious in an open allowance at BEL. Between those wins, Hollywood Ballet was seventh of eight in the Grade 2 SAR Special, a race that featured the likes of Symboli Rudolf, Black Mach One, and Custer Of The West. That 6 1/2 furlong race may not have been long enough for him, and Hollywood Ballet is showing the desire to want more and more distance. In late September, he uncorked an good looking mile work at BEL. Despite only beating one horse in the SAR Special, he still was only two lengths, and if all he wanted was this increased distance, then he will be a top threat in this race, though I sense more of a midpack finish for him here.
#4- Dj Fireraj (Night Rider Stables, ridden by L Saez)- There is no denying that Dj Fireraj had the potential to make an impact at the BC Juvenile, and there were some rumors that the trainer’s reluctance to put him on the also eligible list for the race is why he did not take part. That may be bad news for the nine other horses here at the Nashua. He still only has one victory to his name so far, but has hit the board in three very good races since then. In the Grade 2 Sanford, he was third by half a length, beaten only by Symboli Rudolf and Gradeur. In the $200.000 Funny Cide for NY Breds, only Palestinian the Juvenile Dirt Sprint winner at KEE on BC day, would beat him. Then, in the sloppy Champagne, he was third and beaten only by the 8th and 9th place runners at the BC Juvenile. Dj Fireraj has been running against the best, and is beating most of them, and those he didn’t beat raced last weekend. This is another good field, but he has the experience to beat them. He is my top pick.
#5- Full Mast (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by J Lezcano)- So far, the Mr Creepy colt has won just one of his four career races, coming in a 5 1/2 furlong sprint early in his career where he routed an AP maiden field. Impressed by this, the trainer sent him to the Grade 3 AP Washington Futurity. He set the early fractions in that seven furlong event, but could not hang on at the end and had to settle for a fifth place finish. One of the horses that beat him that day was BC Juvenile winning Carneyman. He was placed back in allowance company after that, and could only finish fourth in the RP event. On October 15th, Full Mast once again showed he is a stake quality horse, not with a race result, but with an impressive mile work. If he has learned how to seal the deal now at a longer distance, then he has what it takes. Works show a recent trend of improvement, look for him to run well.
#6- Stolen Thunder (Riggins Racing, ridden by M Franco)- Unless the trainer decides to suddenly make a tactical change for this race, Stolen Thunder will be sounding like thunder at the end of the race. He is at his best when he is charging hard with an all out close in the stretch. So far, he doesn’t have much other then potential to show for those come from behind efforts. He did win his maiden race, but since then he has a fifth and a sixth place finish, coming in the Grade 1 Breeders Futurity, and Grade 3 iroquois, respectfully. He is used to going slightly longer then this, and given that those closes came up a little short it would not surprise me if the trainer looks to position him a little closer to the front in this race. Regardless, keep a lookout for him in the stretch.
#7- Plumes (Serenity Stables, ridden by J Alvarado)- Here’s a name that we might not be too familiar with just yet, but will be hearing alot of in the near future if the current trend holds up. The trainer has been very patient with this Plucky Dogma colt, and the results have proven that patience to be worthwhile. He is two for three in his career thus far, beginning with a win in a two furlong event that not many will care all that much about. He didn’t race again until July,though that race, an optional claimer at LA, would also end up in victory. Most recently, he is coming off a second place running in the $100.000 Aspirant Stakes for NY-breds at FL, and finished second. All that looks good on paper, but may pale in comparison to what the others have done in their careers. Then came last Tuesday, where he uncorked an eye-opening mile work at BEL. Plumes is certainly ready to go longer now, and he has shown he can pick it up on race day. In the future, Plumes will probably be a favorite in a race like this at this rate, but for the Nashua you have to have some concern about the fact that he hasn’t raced against this type of opposition before. Don’t count him out, and if odds get high on race day, take a shot.
#8- Eastern Townships (Chili King Stables, ridden by J J Castellano)- The Eastern Change colt has spent a lot of time in Florida running in state bred races as a part of the FL Sire Stakes series. His success in those hasn’t been as great as Stolen Secret has had in the equivalent races for fillies, but he has consistently run well and allowed his trainer to cash a check at the end of the race. The highlight of that stretch is the $200.00 Fager in early August, winning in a field of five. That is the big question hovering over Eastern Townships is whether or not he wants to go longer. He has tried once, in the $500.000 In Reality, one of those high priced FL-bred stakes, and he was beaten in the stretch by all but one. It was still a respectable time for the distance, so the jury is still out on that. Any doubts would be erased with a finish in the money here.
#9- Reindeer (Triple T Racing, ridden by C H Velazquez)- The trainer searches for their first career Grade 2 win, and second overall graded victory by bringing a reindeer to the Nashua. The sire-dam combination here of Charleys Jingle and Forest Prancer, plus his name will certainly put you in the Christmas spirit if you are not already. Reindeer would certainly make Triple T Racing feel as though it is Christmas with a win. In five starts though, all he has is his maiden win to show for it. He’s run effectively in CA-bred races at DMR, and then made his graded stake debut last month in the grade 3 Grey Stakes, and was second by a nose. Although we know that the nose wasn’t a red nose and there’s no doubt about it! He also earned a 93 SRF figure in that race, so if he can build on that, he may just guide his trainer to a win tonight!
#10- Swift Flyer (Mbo Racing Stable, ridden by D Davis)- On the outside, Mbo Racing Stable brings us Swift Flyer, who will be making his fifth career start. In that time, he has already had four owners. Breeder Bayou Star Farm entered him in a maiden claimer for $10.000 for his debut, he was subsequently claimed out of that. By the way, that is still the only race in which this colt has won. Golden Stables claimed him, but never raced him, selling him in June to Power Racing for $75.000. A 3rd place in the LA Cup Juvenile was the highlgiht of that stint, but he would be sold again, this time for $175.000. Mbo Racing Stable made that purchase, and promptly put him in the Grade 1 Frontrunner at SA, he was seventh against good competition. He has some potential, but he might benefit more from dropping down a bit. We’ll see what he has here.
Prediction: 4-2-7-8
— NS
Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES
