Crosby Stakes (Grade 1) (BC)- $400.000 Purse
DMR- For Three Year Olds and Upward
Six Furlongs on the Dirt
July 27, 2024

With the BC Sprint now just a little more than three months away, it’s time for a “win and you’re in” race here in the Grade 1 Crosby Stakes. This race first appeared on the schedule in 2004, and as you would expect, it has been run every year since than with the likes of Alpha Ultimo, Shoot Skyhigh, and Z One Chance (twice) visiting the winner’s circle at the end. Last year, the race was won by Retaliate, for Fractious, and he would later be seen as the one to beat in the BC Sprint. Unfortunately for the trainer, many did beat him, but he is looking good again this year. He won’t be running here today, however, but we still have a starting gate that is full, so let’s meet our field of twelve:

1- Quiet Return (Allinthegate, ridden by J R Velazquez)- Returns to the track on short rest after winning the Grade 1 Nerud out at AQU three weeks ago. Quiet Return has actually made a loud return back to the world of sprinting, winning each of his two races since cutting back. He beat some big names in the Nerud, including Gorogue Laga and Retaliate, as well as the likes of On Schedule, who is going to try and get some revenge on him here.

2- Incinerator (Night Rider Stables, ridden by F Geroux)- I’m very interested to see how far this one can go, as all he does is finish in the top two. Well, for the last two years that is the case, anyway, but he wasn’t always running against this type of opposition. After being claimed by Night Rider, he’s been asked to do a lot more, and he has still gotten the job done: winning the Fleet Sprint Handicap, and then placing second in the Grade 1 CD. How much longer will he keep rolling?

3- High Time (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by S X Bridgmohan)- Looking to win his fourth race in a row, and had a particularly impressive time at CD last month. On the first, he handled the slop like a boss in the Aristides BC, winning it be three lengths, and then at the end of the month, it was more of a nail biter in the $250.000 Kellys Landing, but he would win that as well. You can go back further in his career and find some graded experience, but what matters most is that he is on top form right now.

4- Tiz Trippi (Rock Creek, ridden by D Davis)- Narrowly missed out on winning the Crosby last year, losing the head bob at the wire, and will be unable to retaliate against the one who won here. They didn’t finish far apart in the BC Sprint, either, but that’s not actually a good thing. He hit the board a couple of times early this year, but after a disappointing performance in the CD, he was dropped into an open allowance that he did win.

5- Dayton (Pan Farms, ridden by A A Gallardo)- Ran last year in the BC Dirt Mile, and he continued running at or near that distance this year. This will be the shortest distance that he has run in quite some time, but he beat several of these at seven furlongs in the CD back in May. Also, he has some excellent six-furlong work times, so everything suggests that he will be just fine, but he is not typically a front runner, so Gallardo will have to be sure to start his run a little earlier than the horse may be used to.

6- Natural Instinct (Mb Stables, ridden by L Saez)- After a couple of second place finishes in a pair of Grade 3’s, Mb Stables extended his distance to a mile for the Metropolitan Handicap, and he struggled in the stretch there. He’s back at it here, and while you never discount anything that Mb Stables enters into a graded race, I’m not convinced that this one has shown he can beat this type of field. Get a piece of the purse? Maybe. But I like his stablemate more.

7- Crush Rush (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by A Cedillo)- In his last start, Crush Rush went wire to wire in the Grade 2 True North at SAR at the beginning of the June. The victory was also his sixth straight triple digit SRF. He doesn’t always jump out to the lead at the start, but when he does, he seems to be at his best. He’s won over $900.000 for his career but lacks a BC appearance. May be on track to change that this year, and a win here would erase any doubt.

8- All Take (Alydar Stables, ridden by R M Hernandez)- The last time this horse ran fewer than seven furlongs, it was 2021, and he only went seven once during that time. He did win a Grade 3 this year, which was the KY Cup Classic at a mile and an eighth. He’s working well for this, but his works aren’t any different than what the rest of the field is doing, so it’s really quite simple for him: will he be ready for the wire at six furlongs? And against many who are used to the distance at the highest of levels?

9- Fionas Miracle (La Canada Racehorses, ridden by M E Smith)- Two starts ago, Fionas Miracle ran second in the Grade 2 Triple Bend Stakes, but was unable to follow that up well in the Nerud last time out. He’s won over $900.000 for his career, so is certainly very accomplished, but when I stack him up against those he is running against here, I just need to see a little more from him recently.

10- Gorilla Glue (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by J Graham)- Ran against his stablemate, Crush Rush, in the True North and ended up placing fourth while that one got the trophy. Prior to that, he won the Grade 3 Runhappy with a strong come from behind effort and that is his typical running style. That’ll keep him out of Crush Rush’s way, since that one is a frontrunner. Probably has to have a career best to win this, but it’s not impossible for him to do exactly that.

11- On Schedule (Mb Stables, ridden by M Franco)- Last year, On Schedule did the Nerud-Crosby double as well and had the same finish in each of them, but that’s not something he wants to repeat. This year, he was much better in the Nerud, running third after setting the early fractions. While there are a few in here that like to be pacesetters, On Schedule seems to be the most natural at the style, so I don’t think we’ll see a change up with him.

12- Lennon (Fractious, ridden by F Prat)- Currently riding a four-race winning streak, with the wins in the Grade 3 Palos Verdes and Whitmore being his last two races. So, he does come into this off of a four-month layoff and has seen an ownership change in the meantime. Formerly, he ran for Arindel, but moved to Fractious last month in the Arindel liquidation auction for $526.010. With a month to get him ready, I have no doubt that Lennon will run a big race here, as his works show he has not lost any speed.

Prediction: 2-7-11-5

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES