Day Mile Stakes – Grade II
CD Race #7 1m Dirt Graded Stake
Purse $500.000 For Three Year Olds.
This race has always been the second division for the KYD and we have a few here that were either a little unlucky to not make the big race, one that maybe could’ve won and had qualified and a few that were too late to the party but are hoping to make their mark.
Here is how they line up:
1 Cioppino TwinTowersRacing Davis D
Third in the San Vincente Stakes at the start of the year making the running he was turned into a deep closer in the Bay Shore 3 months later and managed the same placing pretty much summing up the fact that instructions don’t make much difference to a finishing position at HRP. Despite the fact he only has one free track win to his name I actually think this is an under rated horse as he proved with a 1.36 and 2 work recently and if he can work with the race engine i feel he could be a longer priced chance.
2 Bronze Sunset Nakamura Stables Centeno D E
Only four starts to his name but three wins he clearly knows where the winning post is, now he just needs to show he has the class gene. All his wins have come in much lower grade, but he is working in the ballpark and won in a nice time in a TAM Optional Claimer last time. I am not sure he is quite in this grade yet, but he may well be one day, look for a promising run and put him on the watch list for later.
3 Dayton Pan Farms Hernandez R M
Three starts for two wins this colt looks a nice prospect and won a sprint Allowance at SA last time pretty impressively. When a horse with this record in working 1.36 and 2 for the dirt mile you know they have the X Factor and he may be one of the best chances from the ‘late to the party’ types.
4 Lunar Victory Fractious Franco M
Well, this one went the whole hog at the KYD and was only a length off qualifying in the end showing what a fine line it can be. In both his recent starts in the Risen Star and the FL Derby he looked in with a chance at the mile mark, so I think this trip will suit him a lot better than 10 furlongs. The trainer is in good form and despite the fact that he is working the same as optional claimer winners in this field we can at least say he looks to have the class gene which can often be the mitigating factor in these races.
5 Douwe Egberts First Flight Stable Velazquez J R
He had one go at the KYD in the Rebel but faced a wet track and never got into the race. He had won three sprints prior to that but has failed at the mile so his stamina must be taken on trust There is no doubt this home bred has the speed so it will be down to the trainer to use that at the right time to give him a chance of the win.
6 Silent Murder Mb Stables Dettori L
One of the cast of the Mb KYD division two he only failed by a half-length in the SUN Derby so is unlucky to be faced with the consolation prize here. His works are the same as everything else and he is sure to be strong at the end of this mile and that is more than can be said for some in this race. A lot will depend on the race engine for this one, if the pace is strong then I can see him being one of the best at the end so he must be included in your top three.
7 Range Rover Arindel Jaramillo E
The draw Gods were against him getting into the KYD but he wasn’t beaten too far in the TAM Derby and Wood Memorial, and I have been waiting for him to get a decent gate in a race like this. His works are very good, far better than his finishing positions suggest and I suspect there is a good race in this one’s future if not today.
8 Peace Pipe Arindel Saez L
A grade one winner as a juvenile he looked a big Derby prospect when he won the San Vincente, but he failed by a length at his best chance of making the field when fifth in the AR Derby at the beginning of April. He certainly has the ability, but I wonder whether he is a big race type despite his win in the Champagne. His works of course are great and right up there with the best so they don’t tell us much more than he is quick enough to win and maybe if things fall into place for him, he could be good enough to.
9 Night Raider Mb Stables Lopez P
The second runner in the MB KYD dress rehearsal he looked really promising when taking the Lecompt and then running second in the Risen Star but could not go on with that form in his next two. I feel he is third best from the stable here but that probably means he will win but for me at least that would be a little bit of a surprise.
10 Ten Nations Alydar Stables Van Dyke D
We have horses that have won grade ones, horses that have only won at the free track and now a horse that has only just broken their maiden but the one thing they all have in common is works that are all in the right ballpark for a race like this. I think we have to throw out works when it comes to picking winners in these big races because it seems they are all very similar off the track. That leaves track for and though he won his maiden very nicely last time you would have to say he has the least impressive record in the race.
11 Battle Plan Mb Stables Wilson E J
Wouldn’t it be nice to have an unbeaten horse qualify for the KYD and then not have to run it, well that’s what we have here, the third of the MB runners and certainly the one in the race that has the highest interest as far as ability goes. The draw makes it interesting because he really will have to be a super star in waiting to beat a good field and give ground, so I feel this is a big test. He won the Wood Memorial like a very good horse after winning a big-ticket maiden on debut and whilst his works are only the same as everything else you have to say he is packed with promise and will almost certainly be a very popular choice for the win.
12 Verrazano D J C Racing Stables Silvera Ru
Gets the car park and it seems so often I am saying that about runners from this stable, but he isn’t a bad sort, is working as well as most and does have a good win at this trip in stakes company. His best hope may come from using the wide gate to get to the front early and then hope he is not challenged but the race engine is far from predictable, so I won’t be guaranteeing that. An outsider but not out of it.
SUMMARY
Well, the MB KYD consolation race is a very interesting mix of new promise and proven ability. Battle Plan is the obvious choice, how can you ignore a horse that would’ve been strongly supported in the Derby itself, but there are a couple of others that may take advantage, if the draw takes the sting out of him. Peace Pipe, Range Rover and Silent Battler all have the class and, on their day, could win but of there was a longer priced one that could upset it may be Cioppino.
Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES
