CT Classic (Grade 2)- $1,000.000 Purse
CT- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
August 23, 2024
The track may be small, but the purse will be large at CT on Saturday, as the track’s biggest race, the CT Classic, takes place. Nine horses will be participating in this race, hoping to grab the winner’s share of the $1,000.000 being offered. Some of the best horses in virtual racing have won this stake, including Commanding in 2014, Mrs Bombastic in 2011, then Niagra twice, coming in 2015 and 2016. That 2015 race saw him finish in a dead heat with another great one, A One. The purse was larger in those years, but it is still plenty big enough in 2024. Last year, Seydoux II won the race, for Arindel, and he will be back this year to defend his title while in the silks of Luz International. Here’s a look at our field:
1- Electric (Angelos Stable, ridden by S Elliott)- This veteran six-year-old will make his 46th career start, and he has been running exceptionally well as of late. He has won two of his last three, highlighted by the Grade 3 Salvator Mile at MTH in June, then a month later, he came up just short in the head bob photo at the wire in the Grade 2 Seagram Cup. He’s no stranger to winning big races this time of year, as last year he won the Grade 1 Forego up at the Spa. That distance may be shorter, but he is fine at anything around a mile.
2- Calling All Angels (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by D E Centeno)- After back-to-back poor starts, and tough results in four of his last five races, Calling All Angels is leaving the turf behind for the main track. This will be the first time he has run on dirt since the Grade 3 Winn in June 2023. There are very few public works on this one recently, and nothing on the turf, but for him to be here, the trainer has to like what he sees privately.
3- Lunar Victory (Fractious, ridden by P Lopez)- He’s been successful over his career, but he has often seemed as though he was on the cusp of doing better than he has. That may be because he’s only won three times in 19 starts, but he is typically competitive every time he is out on the track. He was able to get one of those wins two starts ago as well, coming in the Grade 3 Blame at CD, but when we wanted to see him follow that up well, he was soundly defeated in the Grade 2 Brooklyn. He may like going back to this distance quite a bit.
4- Seydoux II (Luz International, ridden by L J Luzzi)- 2023 was a great year for this one, as not only did he win the CT Classic, he went on to have a much bigger victory later in the year, which of course was the BC Dirt Mile. He’s been a bit quiet since then, only hitting the board one time in the four races since. During June, Seydoux II found himself part of the Arindel sell off and was picked up by Luz International for $199.000. It was not a great debut, but now that they got a feel for one another, a bounce back is possible, and we know he likes the bullring.
5- Racket Cat (Alydar Stables, ridden by Ar Bocachica)- The trainer is banking on his one to run the race of his life here in the CT Classic. Racket Cat only has one win in 16 starts and has only hit the board five times in them. One thing we do know about him is that he works very well and was particularly impressive here on the 12th. However, eventually, you have to bring that speed into a race and we are all still waiting for Racket Cat to do that.
6- Eichel (Night Rider Stables, ridden by P Husbands)- He’s run in graded stakes twice, but neither went well. In the Grade 2 Brooklyn he was beaten by six lengths and was never a factor, and in the Razorback Handicap, he didn’t beat anyone. Between them, he has a good second in the $200.000 Commentator Handicap, but that’s not a field that will intimidate anyone here. He’s showing potential, but similar to Racket Cat, he needs to show it in the bigger races.
7- Good Memories (Mb Stables, ridden by T Gaffalione)- Looking to do something that has never been done: winning the CT Classic as a three-year-old. This is just the fourth year that they have been eligible, though. I will say this: he would be my pick on equal weight. Given that he is getting a five-pound weight allowance on the entire field, he’s a shoo-in to be my selection. He’s won four of seven, but none bigger than the BEL in June. He didn’t have as good of a run in the Dandy, and he’s going to be brought here instead of the Travers. See, when you’re Mb Stables and you already have three good options for the Travers, you can do that.
8- Bunter Hiden (Night Rider Stables, ridden by E J Zayas)- The laptop says that he has been running well, with four wins in his last five starts, all of which coming in overnights. The one race in that stretch that was not a victory was the Grade 3 Salvator Mile. In that, he could only manage an eighth-place finish, but he was not badly beaten in the race, so it is good to see him get another chance at this level. Would something a little smaller been better, though? Perhaps, but it’s never a bad idea to “go for it” when a horse is running as well as this one is.
9- America First (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by F Geroux)- He’s been a regular participant at the graded level but now has a 0-for-15 record in them. Overall, he has won just twice over 28 starts, with non-maiden win being an ungraded race, the $300.000 TX Derby over two years ago. We even saw him in the CT Classic last year, but he only beat one rival then. Hasn’t really been that close recently, so can’t get excited about him here.
Prediction: 7-1-3-4
— NS
Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES
