The GoForWand Handicap

AQU Race #2 1m Dirt Graded Stake
Purse $200.000 For Fillies And Mares Three Years Old And Upward.

1 Purple Charger Alydar Stables Velazquez J R 121 —

Sold as a BC qualifier she disappointed in the BC Distaff and her new owner looks to get some compensation here in the GoForWand. Through the Spring and Summer, she was good in all the three-year-old classics for fillies running fourth in the KY Oaks and third in the Acorn but after another good effort when second in the CT Oaks she disappointed in the Cotillion. That race preceded he poor effort in the BC so there are definite question marks around her development at this point. She gets top weight here which would be fair enough on her early form but on recent efforts it may just be too much.

2 Yeah Noha D J C Racing Stables Hernandez R M 118 —

A closing sprinter, one of the hardest racing styles to adapt here at HRP she steps up to the mile today with a handy weight and a good draw. A good winner of the ONT Fashion prior to a tilt at the BC Sprint, she was given no chance by the draw and race engine that day, so it is probably best to scrub that one from the form line. The question is of course the trip, but she has always raced like a mile would suit and today is a good chance for her to prove it.

3 Complicated Crazy TwinTowersRacing Geroux F 118 —

Bought at auction from Fractious Stable, the new owner moved her up in trip after a career spent sprinting and we saw a much better filly as she ran a close third in the grade two Zenyatta. Showing her obvious speed, she went to the front and very nearly made all that day, so with this slightly shorter trip we should probably expect a similar run and that could be enough to steal it.

4 Atomic Woman Williams9 Lezcano J 118 —

This four-year-old gets a huge advantage at the weight today but has been out of her best form for a while now so may still be up against it. She did show glimmers of her old self last time out in the Bessarabian Stakes when only going down by a head into third place and a repeat of that effort would put her very close to winning with these race conditions.

5 Appreciate Mo Mentum Farm Franco M 120 —

The winner of the Santa Maria Stakes back in the Spring, she didn’t really build on that form through the year but comes here pretty fresh after a pipe opener over a short trip last time. Despite being second top weight, I still feel she is well treated by the handicapper being a grade two winner this year and she could well be a good choice in an even field.

SUMMARY

I like the three-year-old in the ace gate, but I feel she is badly treated at the weights and would be hard pushed to pick her as the winner. I like Appreciate on the outside, if she has come back to her best, she will be hard to beat. Of the others, well we will go front to back because I believe that is where they will be in running with Complicated Crazy weakening late into second and Yeah Noha storming through late to be a close third.

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded