The Salvator Mile – Grade III
 MTH Race #3 1m Dirt Graded Stake
Purse $150.000 For Three Year Olds And Upward.

1 Figured The Storm Arindel Juarez N 124 —

Despite the fact that the three-year-olds get 6Lbs in this race none have turned up which gives a fair chance to the elders here. This one however probably could give that burden away and still be a contender as a former grade one winner. A fairly average two- and three-year-old he came into his own with age and at four broke through with a win in this very race. Since then, he has built into a very good horse around the mile winner the Cigar Handicap and being a runner in the BC Dirt Mile last year. He has been gently raced this year but has shown he still retains that ability with a good open allowance win at GP and a close third in the Westchester last time from a bad draw. He gets a better chance to stalk from this gate today and is a winning chance.

2 Unsuited Command Spankys Barn Cotto P L Jr 124 —

His form had looked a little ordinary at the back end of last year, so he was left unclaimed when taking a turf claimer in March and then came back to the dirt for a good win at GP last time and looks like he is back and better than his best. A stunning 1.35 and 4 dirt work puts him among the best on the site at this trip and although as usual his form doesn’t read like a superstar his works do and sometimes at HRP that can mean they have found the fairy dust. A dark horse but one that I think will be running a huge race.

3 Electile Dysfunction TwinTowersRacing Vargas J A Jr 124 —

Couple recent political events and the average age of most of the players at HRP and you get the best named horse in the game!! This one should win just because of that but regardless of his brilliant name he does have a chance of winning on his own merits. As usual with horses from this barn he has been given no letup in trying to secure black type but has been stuck in a bit of a rut in recent races. His works say he is better than his form lines and this trainer has been known to pull a win out the bag before now.

4 Ginger Clean The Sidley Stud Castillo I 124 —

More recently he has been sprinting and doing pretty well but he does have some wins over longer trips and has looked good enough on the gallops to get some of this. A BC Sprint contender last year he certainly has the pace and as we all know the trip means little at HRP so he may be a lively outsider especially as you look through his works which include a 1.36- and 1-mile work at Lone Star.

5 After Hours Trading Maxmillion Farm Ferrer J C 124 —

I wondered whether the turf king was setting this one up for a switch to the grass but after his game dead heat win in the Kicks Go last time, he has been given another chance on the main track. I am not sure he is up to these on this surface, but he is a battler and won’t be far away.

6 Skylight Sword Onlineracingclub.com Rendon J 124 —

This five-year-old like many arriving at this age has found a little X factor this year albeit at a lower grade than this. An impressive winner last time at FL he deserves a shot here but comes up against a tough field and he would have to be improving quickly to be a contender.

7 Uncle Bo Night Rider Stables Diaz H R Jr 124 —

A winner of only three from thirty-four, I would be writing this one off if it was from any other stable, but this trainer seems to be able to get ordinary horses to run extraordinary races. Despite such an average record he is working ridiculous times clocking under 1.36 for the mile and at seven years old and a losing streak of 11 races I really wouldn’t be surprised in this crazy game to see him winning.

8 Speter Nakamura Stables Luzzi L J 124 —

An under rated type who flies a little under the radar he is drawn wide so will need the AI and race engine to do him some favors if he is to win, which he does have the form to do. He won the Mineshaft in February but has failed to kick on in both his starts since although they have been in better races, and he comes back a little in grade for this. He certainly has the credentials to win but it probably won’t be his or his trainer’s choices that help that scenario play out.

SUMMARY

This is a really nice race with a couple of intriguing questions waiting to be answered. Has Night Rider sprinkled some fairy dust on Uncle Mo? Is Unsuited Command ready to run up to his works. Will the class of Figured The Storm or Speter show through? This race has eight scenario’s and eight different winners so good luck to everyone involved.

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES