Mineshaft Stakes (Grade 3)- $250.000 Purse
FG- For Four Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
February 15, 2025

The race card at FG on Saturday may be highlighted by the Risen Star and the Alexandra, but there is plenty of excitement on the undercard as well. One of those races is the 20th running of the Mineshaft Stakes, for older horses on the dirt. It’s a Grade 3 that runs for $250.000, an amount that has been constant since 2022. Icicle and Shootfromthehip are just two of the past winners of this race, and it was won last year by South China Sea, for Fractious. The now seven-year-old gelding is still active and runs for Mb Stables. In 2025, we will have a field of eleven heading to the starting gate, so let’s meet the field:

1- State General (Mb Stables, ridden by M Franco)- This six-year-old gelding has won a bit more than $1,000.000 over his 26 career, which has been split evenly between the dirt and the turf. Recently, he’s been running on the dirt, and getting more consistent results with it, hitting the board in his last four races. While they are not all for the highest purses, he has back-to-back seconds in the Grade 2 Cigar Mile Handicap at AQU and the Grade 3 LA Stakes. He’s gotten used to starting on the inside lately, so perhaps that results will follow suit.

2- El Gran Cambio (Bears Stable, ridden by J P Spencer)- Looking to pick up his sixth consecutive win here in the Mineshaft Stakes. The streak began in a $14.000 claimer, and as time has gone on, El Gran Cambio has been entered into tougher and tougher races. Last time out, he ran at the stake level and had no problem graduating in the Grade 3 Valedictory Stakes at WO, so now he’ll get a bigger challenge. My concern for him is that the race may be too short, especially considering his running style.

3- Demonic Chant (Riggins Racing, ridden by M E Smith)- Found his way into the PRK last year after competitive performances in prep races leading up to it, but he never really seemed to live up to the potential that he had shown. It would not be until November that he won a race as a three-year-old, and it was in an allowance at DED. Most importantly, he was able to follow that up here in an allowance last month, so he’s going to get a chance to again run in graded races. He’s flashed the potential, so let’s see if he steps up here. He works very well.

4- Power Grid (The Sidley Stud, ridden by J R Velazquez)- He appeared in the KYD last year, with a big win in the TAM Derby going a long way to get him there. Early in his career, he was on a tear, winning his first four, and then five out of seven, which included the TAM Derby. Since then, he became inconsistent, with a string of tough results surrounding a win in the Grade 3 Dwyer, where he showed that he could still get it done. In December, he was sold to The Sidley Stud for $300.000, and ran for the trainer in the LA Stakes, placing third. It’s time to flip the switch on Power Grid back to the Dwyer form. Works say he can get it done.

5- Investment Center (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by R M Hernandez)- When we last saw him, he came from being ten lengths behind early on to come back and win the Grade 2, $600.000 Clark at CD. That doesn’t mean that he is going to try and run with that style again, however, as prior to the Clark, he was second in a photo in the Grade 3 Forty Niner Handicap while stalking the pace. He’s earned triple digit SRF’s in three of his last four races, with a dud in the slop being the exception. Rain has not been ruled out here on Saturday, and this is probably only a good investment opportunity for bettors if the track is dry.

6- Family Tradition (Luz International, ridden by L J Luzzi)- Since being claimed for $32.000 in late 2023, Family Tradition has been a regular in NY-bred races and stakes. Last October, he picked up an impressive win in once those races, capturing the $250.000 Empire Classic at AQU. He’s been competitive in unrestricted stakes as well, such as running third in the PID Mile, but has not won such a race yet. This will be the first time that he is running in a graded race, and has had success with Luzzi aboard, winning two of his last three with the jockey.

7- Public Information (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by P Lopez)- The veteran gelding by Local Hero will be making his 35th career start and will hope for his seventh win. Most of his races have been sprints, and he was able to get into the BC Sprint last year but was a non-factor in the race despite a 100 SRF. When going at least a mile, he’s also run well, though the last time that he has done so was in May, at the Grade 3 Sexton Mile. Don’t worry about the distance though, because most of his recent sprints are seven-furlong long sprints.

8- Worthy Niagra (Ajm Stables, ridden by D E Centeno)- He’ll need to prove to many that he is worthy to be running in this race, since he doesn’t have the resume as others in here do. This is stake debut, and was last seen in a $40.000 claimer, the race in which Ajm Stables picked him up. He’s only made six starts, winning two of them and hitting the board four times. His works show that this type of race is a long time coming for him, but he still needs to prove it against this company.

9- Foreign Relation (Nakamura Stables, ridden by A A Gallardo)- Spent much of his 2024 running in open allowances, with hit and miss results in them. He seemed to turn the table in August with a pair of wins in said races, and that sent him to the $75.000 Turkey Trot at PRX, where he was second in a photo. His competition level would increase after that, leading into his return to graded company three weeks ago at the Grade 3 Hooper, where he only finished in the middle of the field.

10- Theegala (Alydar Stables, ridden by F Geroux)- The last time that Theegala raced on the main track was back in April 2023. Since then, he has been running on the grass, and it was the right move for him. A strong 2024 would lead to him running in the BC Mile last November, and he ended up cashing the fourth-place check in the race. However, after that came a disaster in the Seabiscuit Handicap, leading the trainer to send him to the dirt. Regardless, expect to see him at the back early on. This is also the third race in a row that he starts from post 10.

11- Angel Dust (Rock Creek, trained by P Husbands)- Rock Creek paid quite a bit for this one, spending $650.000 for the gelding, only to see him lose by a combined eleven lengths in the two starts since. The first was the BC Sprint, so no shame in that, but his dud in the race that followed, the Grade 3 Mr Prospector is a lot more concerning. Hopefully, he is ready to go here to justify that purchase price. He’s quite experienced at going long, and perhaps a return to that can help him get back to where he was.

Prediction: 3-1-5-2

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES