Krantz Memorial Stakes
FG Race #7 1 1/16m Turf Stake
Purse $100.000 (plus up to $15.000 for LA-breds) For Fillies And Mares Four Years Old And Upward.

1 Lawitz Our Athletes Dettori L 123 —

Gets a decent draw and is a good sort building a good recent record as she matures. Sometimes these five-year-olds can fly at this time of year and this is a trainer that quietly goes about their business and knows when to strike if the iron gets hot. I would expect her to be up on the speed early on or at the worst stalking from this gate and with three of her five career wins coming in her last six I wouldn’t be writing her off.

2 Outta Style Mb Stables Franco M 123 —

If this trainer has kept a horse in training as a six-year-old you can bet your bottom dollar there is still more to come. She won five of eight last year with her best performances coming from on or near the speed which will suit this race perfectly. In her last start she ran on nicely over this trip to be second in the Forever Together and that effort certainly puts her in with a good chance.

3 Train Station TwinTowersRacing Lopez P 123 —

A consistent and lightly raced five-year-old, she is another that will be trying to get on speed which may not suit with two fast horses inside her. She looks ready for this grade after some good efforts in decent overnight fields and whilst her form isn’t outstanding it is good enough to put her in with a chance of taking home some of the purse.

4 Barbara Big Jd Racing Velazquez J R 125 —

There are three here that carry a penalty, and this is one of them. Although she only won twice last year, they were both in this grade and she ran well enough at graded level to be just about good enough to see off this extra weight. If I had a worry, it is the fact that she has just turned four and is giving older horses weight which is far from ideal and not very often done successfully so whilst I think she is very good I am not sure today will be her day.

5 Ginger Lucy The Sidley Stud Hernandez R M 123 —

This is an ideal race for this multiple place getter at stakes level. She didn’t win a race last year but was second twice at grade two so must have a big chance of starting off 2025 achieving something she couldn’t do in 2024.

6 Spirit Storm Nakamura Stables Curtis B 123 —

Another graded stakes place getter that gets in without a penalty she was third in both the FG Oaks and the KYO making her one of the best of her age group. She had a go at the boys in the BEL but suffered from a bad draw and the curse of the HRP girls against the boys and was well beaten. She struggled a little after that and has been given a nice lay off so I would expect her t need the run today. Having said that her recent works say that she is peaking again, and she was good in the early season as a three-year-old so she may just be ready for a winning start to 2025.

7 Indian Spear Paradise Stable Centeno D E 125 —

The defending champion of this race from last year. As an eight-year-old with form that tails off as drastically as this one’s did last year you have to worry that her days of racing are coming to an end. Add to that a penalty and a wide draw and it seems the odds have been stacked against her winning. Having said that we all know that I like the oldies, so I wish both her and her trainer the best of luck.

8 Aye Aye Adderall Alydar Stables Geroux F 125 —

She went from dirt sprinting last year to a turf router to win her last start in the Blushing KD but with success in both disciplines and 11 wins from 19 starts she may be a five-year-old that is being prepared for a big year. I think the wide draw and the extra weight will stop her today but with some wide gate speed push and a likely lead maybe she could run well.

SUMMARY

For me this is between Ginger Lucy and Spirit Storm. The inside three all have good claims so it is not easy to settle on a top three, but I would be boxing the first two and throwing in the other three for third in a trifecta.

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded