The Appleton (Grade 3)- $150.000 Purse
GP- For Four Year Olds and Upward
One Mile on the Inner Turf
March 30, 2024

Three horses that ran in the BC last fall will be among the eleven that will compete in the 20th running of the Appleton, a race held on the inner turf at GP. There have been slight adjustments to the conditions over the years, including in 2019 when it was a race for fillies and mares. Purses have ranged from $100.000 to $200.000 over that period of time. On the two occasions that it was $200.000, it was won by the same horse, the late Hold The Mach, for Night Rider Stables, in 2016 and 2017. Last year, Affirmed Authority got the win, for Asgar, and while he is still active, he has not been seen in a race since October. Here’s a look at those taking part this year.

1- Prom King (Mb Stables, ridden by F Prat)- One of the three horses in the field that ran in the BC last November, but it was not a career highlight, as he failed to beat any of his rivals. To get there, he won four times, including the Shadwell Turf Mile. However, it seems as though the BC took something out of Prom King, as Mb Stables has only started him one time since, and that was an open allowance at FG. He did win that, and that leads to him getting this chance to return where he belongs, against graded competition.

2- Apache Ascent (High Voltage, ridden by A Cedillo)- In early February, Apache Ascent made his only start of 2024 here in an open allowance, and he was soundly defeated, losing by six lengths, placing sixth. That has certainly not deterred the trainer, and perhaps he has stumbled on something with some recent improvement shown in mile works. He’s been in stakes before but did not win any of them.

3- Last Way To The Beac (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by S X Bridgmohan)- For the third time in his career, Last Way To The Beac ran in the BC, but it was his first time in the BC Mile. None of these races amounted to much for him, but the rest of his career has been nothing but highlights. He’s won nine times and has earned over $3,600.000 in his career. In 2022, he won two Grade 1’s: the Manhattan and the AP Million, and last year he won both the Grade 2 Read Stakes and the Grade 3 Mint Million and its large $2,000.000 purse. His only start this year was in the Pegasus World Cup Turf, where he ran well but did not cash a check. He will be a force here.

4- Drone Strike (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by F Pennington)- Ran here at the start of the month and was never able to get involved in the Canadian Turf. He is a much better horse than he showed that day, and now he will get a chance to demonstrate that on the same racetrack. Can be prone to the occasional dud, so hopefully that is all that was. However, he has not won since June, in the $150.000 NY Stallion Stakes- Bid.

5- Brighter Days Ahead (Luz International, ridden by J Rosario)- The veteran six-year-old gelding will make his 33rd start and is looking for his eighth win. He has been a part of the Luz International stable since April, when he was claimed for $50.000, so the hopes were high. He’s won two of eight, but those are also the only times that he has hit the board. When he has been entered in stakes, the results have not been that great and that goes back to the prior trainers as well. First time Luz International has run him long right here, as well.

6- Bronze Bomber (Threshold, ridden by T Gaffalione)- When I saw him previously, I picked him to win despite the trainer being in a cold stretch at the time. Bronze Bomber’s performance, in the Grade 3 FG Stakes, was awful and not indicative of a horse that had just run in the BC Mile. There was every reason to like him then, and if we are going to throw that out because of the soft turf, then we should still like him. Nonetheless, Bronze Bomber is going to have to be a lot better this time around.

7- Devils Delight (Big Jd Racing, ridden by A A Gallardo)- About to get the toughest test of his career here in the Appleton. This is his third race with Big Jd Racing, coming after the trainer claimed him for $7.500 at the beginning in January. It looked like he might have been trending to getting in this type of his race back while he was a part of the Fractious barn and did run in a $100.000 ungraded stake for CA-breds in May, placing sixth. After looking good in a starter allowance win here, Devils Delight gets his second chance to make a big impression.

8- Seven Is Lucky (Mb Stables, ridden by D E Centeno)- After a great fall, running second in both the Grade 3 Baruch Handicap and the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile, Seven Is Lucky still had to sit out the BC. Not to worry, as he showed up in late November to the Grade 2 HOL Turf Cup and won that race. So far, in two races this year, he has not cashed a check, placing eighth in the Pegasus World Cup Turf, then tiring out in the Kilroe Mile against good competition. This really does seem like a field that he can handle if he’s on his game.

9- Hurricane Fly (Fractious, ridden by S Elliott)- The gelding by Captain Rush has spent the majority of his career running on the dirt, and was even seen in the Haskell last summer. Didn’t show much there, so he then made a rare turf start and was very poor, beaten nine lengths in the Sword Dancer. Until his last race, that was the last time that he saw the grass, but after finishing second in the FG Stakes last month, there is renewed hope that maybe he can get it done on the turf consistently. Recent inconsistency will keep me from picking him, but he still more than capable here.

10- Cascade King (Nakamura Stables, ridden by P Husbands)- It’s been a while since Cascade King won a race, that coming in October 2022, but it is not as if he has not been close. Since that time, he has run second five times, all of which have come in graded races and that includes the Grade 1 Pattison last October. He’s also regularly cashing checks, but just not of the 60% variety. What’s it going to take to get him over the hump? Likely just a bit of luck, and if all those seconds were wins, just imagine how highly we’d be talking about him here.

11- Liberty For All (The Next Lohnro, ridden by J Alvarado)- It will be the graded debut for this four-year-old gelding, and it comes after he had run in three straight ungraded races for $100.000 purses. Even though this purse is not much different, the caliber of competition is something that he has not seen before. His last two runs were sprints, making the Diliberto at FG the last time he ran long, where he was fourth. This is a challenge that was not aided by the post draw, but anything is possible.

Prediction: 8-3-10-1

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES