CC Emerald
CD Race #10 1 1/16m Turf Stake
Purse $175.000 For Three Year Olds And Upward. Additional Requirements: Have started for a claiming price of $25.000 or less since 1/1/2023.

It’s the BC of the claiming game and with the claiming game being one that has brought us BC champions there are few races that will be more hotly contested than this much anticipated series of races here at CD. Big fields, wide ranges in ability, stakes winners and open allowance winners, coupled with works that wouldn’t look out of place in any BC field, these races are as competitive as any BC race, let’s get down to the hard part which is finding a winner:

1 X Marque Lendroit Asgar Landeros C 124 —

Ran in this race last year but was drawn out and ran a horrible race but gets another chance today with a draw that couldn’t be more different. He came out as a five-year-old this year looking like he was going to have a good year, but his form fizzled out a little even though his works continue to be strong. I am not sure I could tip him on his balance of work this year, but he will run better than he did last year for sure and if you are a follower of works then he is as good as anything.

2 Market Value Team 7 Illusions Geroux F 124 —

Taken out of Nakamura’s stable for $20.000, he won his last race for the new owner with a solid front running display on this track and with a similar draw today will be looking to do the same again. He may be an eight-year-old and a few years ago it would have been unheard of to be running an eight-year-old, but we have seen some great horses perform well into their ninth year in recent seasons so he must be a big chance here. His works are strong, his recent win nice and the trainer one of the best, so he must be a decent hope if he doesn’t get swamped by the outside speed push.

3 Chrystal Catching Maletto Jimenez A 124 —

Beaten a quarter length when second in the Alphabet Soup Handicap last time, he gets a one-pound weight swing in his favor so that will put them pretty close, and they are drawn together again so it will be intriguing to see how that race form looks on this race. He looks like an improving four-year-old and I would put him up there with the best chances in this even looking contest.

4 Through The World Onlineracingclub.com Gaffalione T 126 —

He has won his last five races coming into this and the trainer was so keen on him for this race that they claimed him back after losing him in April to a claim. A seven-year-old, he is a veteran of 47 races and 15 wins with six of them coming this year and looks to be the form horse in this race. The big draw back here is the 2Lb penalty he gets for that stakes win last time and whilst in real life that would be less of a factor here at HRP it can be a massive consideration. His form and works are good enough to make him favorite for the win despite the impost.

5 Investor Lanfranco Stable Bejarano R 124 —

The trainer is looking to ride the crest of the wave at the moment and this cheaply bought five-year-old that has seen some improvement recently could certainly give more cause for celebration in the stable. A fair enough second in a mile claimer last time was not as good as his works, so I do wonder whether he needs something like an off track to live up to those works. Maybe if the rains come, he could be the surprise package.

6 Off Gold Asgar Cohen D 122 —

A three-year-old, so getting a couple of pounds here, but I am not sure the three-year-olds do as well against the olders recently so that two pounds may not be enough. Having said that, he worked a 1.34 and 2 for the turf mile which is as good as anything here and he was a strong third in the Red Bank Stakes against older horses, so the Math does add up for him to win this.

7 Castlepoint Big Jd Racing Pedroza M Jr 124 —

37 races and 11 wins, this six-year-old is no slouch and is admirably consistent which may make him a safe each way bet of you are looking for one. An on-pacer, this draw will not suit so if there is a negative then there is that but there really aren’t any more so he will certainly be a big factor.

8 High Tide The Sidley Stud Jara F 124 —

Claimed after walking home clear in a claimer over the mile at DMR in a fast time he was immediately upped in grade by his new owner but failed in the Lure Stakes. Drawn ten of ten, that could well have been a significant reason, and his works say it was, but I would need to see him back up his claiming win and good work times before I could be too confident in his win chances. The trainer is in great form and is keeping the faith by entering him here so he could just be the surprise package if there is one.

9 Roswell Mb Stables Loveberry J 124 —

Has been in three top stables this year but it wasn’t until he arrived at the biggest of them all that he really started to fulfill his promise. Two runs for two wins for Mb Stables with the last bringing a 99 speed rating, I would say this is the likely favorite for the race.

10 Laser Beam Czech Out Farms Saez L 124 —

A consistent sort with 25 place finishes against just 5 wins you would have to say this six-year-old is a must for trifecta’s but may be a step too far to pick as the winner. Having said that, his last three runs have all been in stakes races and he has picked up a check in everyone so just maybe he can pick up his first win in the season in his biggest assignment.

11 Lifeline D J C Racing Stables Garcia Mar 126 —

If you want to pick a horse with proven stakes form, then this one was the winner of the KD Preview Turf Mile recording a 99 SRF speed figure so he may be your go to horse. Of course, with that stakes win comes a penalty which is a great leveler here at HRP and along with the wide draw will make it even harder. If things go his way, he certainly has the class to win, but there are a couple of good reason why he can’t win against some good ones he can.

12 Mr Toxic Spankys Barn Santana R Jr 124 —

A lightly raced five-year-old with just one win from twelve it would be easy to write him off with that sort of CV, but his last three runs have been very good, and it would be foolish just to write him off because of a poor record on paper. He went in the grade one Fourstardave Handicap and was only beaten a length and then ran home well in the Knickerbocker to be fifth last time and both of those races were way hotter than this one so he could well be a dark horse in this field.

13 Spirited Stride Chili King Stables Corrales G 126 —

Claimed from Fractious Stable for just $9.000 after being beaten in a small claiming race, he is certainly better than that grade and proved it in his very next race by winning the BuckEyed Native by a comfortable length over this trip. He was a big disappointment last time trailing in a well beaten sixth at this track but that was on an off track so we may have to forgive him that effort of it stays dry today. It may be a long time ago, but this was a grade one winning two-year-old who took the Risen Star on the way to being third in the KYD, so we know the class is there if the seven-year-old legs have still got it.

14 Double Jump Team 7 Illusions Beschizza A 122 —

Right out in the car park is this nice three-year-old with plenty of upside. He stays forever and has won four from nine so though he may be out in the cheap seats you cannot write off his chances. If this is run at a fast pace and stamina becomes essential this one will be running on better than most.

SUMMARY

Almost impossible to be sure of anything in this wonderfully open race I think I am just favoring Roswell, but I rather like the three-year-old Off Gold to run a race. Of the rest well everything has a chance here so a pin may be the best bet.

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded