Crosby Stakes (Grade 1) (BC)- $400.000 Purse
DMR- For Three Year Olds and Upward
Six Furlongs on the Dirt
July 26, 2025
Top sprinters have made their way to DMR for Saturday’s running of the Crosby Stakes, a Grade 1 on the main track that will send its winner to the BC Sprint later this year. It’s the 22nd time that the race has been run, and has seen the likes of Alpha Ultimo, Shoot Skyhigh, and Z One Chance (who did it twice) get the victory. The purse level of $400.000 is a high point for the race, and it has been in place since 2022. Last year, High Time got the win for Maxmillion Farm, but he did not run well in the BC Sprint and will look to defend his title here. The one that did end up winning the BC Sprint, Chisel, did not run in the Crosby last year, but he is going to this year! Let’s take a look at him and the eleven others heading to the starting gate!
1- Dorian Gray (Mb Stables, ridden by A Cedillo)- After a long career in overnights, Dorian Gray began to live up to his potential with Night Rider Stables, but would be sold in the September auction for $70.000 to Mb Stables last fall. The now six-year-old has been more consistent since then, winning once in five starts, but getting at least some piece of the purse in every race. When we last saw him, he was second to High Time in the $275.000 Aristides BC and should be competitive again.
2- Crumbler (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by A Jimenez)- Since being picked up by Maxmillion Farm for $300.000 in August, Crumbler has been either going seven furlongs or a mile, and has won two of those six starts. The signature win for him over that stretch was the $300.000 Perryville last October at KEE. After a five-month layoff, Crumbler returned to action in May and ran off back-to-back fourth place finishes that saw him be within a length of the winner. Don’t worry about this being a little shorter than what he is used to.
3- Chisel (Pan Farms, ridden by M Franco)- An impressive three-year-old campaign saw Chisel grab the victory in the BC Sprint, and he wasn’t done there for the year, as he’d go on to win the Grade 1 Malibu after that. However, he would then be done with Fractious, as the trainer sold him to Pan Farms for $1,300.000. His new trainer took a shot at the Pegasus World Cup, and he wasn’t actually bad there, but has gone back to sprinting since. Won the Grade 3 Whitmore in March, and hopes for his second win as a four-year-old here.
4- Licit (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by D E Centeno)- In March, Licit won the Grade 3 OP Mile, which is his biggest career win to this point. Fared well after the OP Mile as well, running fourth in a dead heat in the slop at the Grade 1 CD, but then came his last start out at SAR. In the Metropolitan Handicap, Licit struggled late and found himself only defeating one of his rivals. Right now, that has all the looks of a throw out, and if we do that, then we can look more favorably on his three races prior, which all saw triple digit SRF’s. The bigger question is just how much he can bounce back from the Metropolitan in this strong of a field.
5- Gorilla Glue (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by Mario Gutierrez)- We saw Gorilla Glue in the Crosby last year as well, but he was not seen anywhere near the winner at the finish line. Following that, Gorilla Glue was sent to the turf and had success on the grass, even getting a win in the $100.000 Colonel Power Stakes. That victory would lead to him heading back to the main track, and to run in the Grade 3 Nerud, where he won again. Followed that up with a solid third place effort in Grade 3 True North, so it appears as though we’ll see a much better performance out of him in the Crosby this year.
6- General Zod (Royalty Stables, ridden by F Geroux)- Still looking for his first win at the stake level, and nearly got that in his last start. Instead, he had to settle for second in a photo at the $300.000 Hanshin from CD last month. He’s had a couple of other close calls as well, so it does seem as though he can have his breakthrough at this level at any time. Unfortunately, he also has those occasional poor outings, which seem to be when he runs in handicaps. That’s not the case here, obviously. This is his first sprint since last August, but he does work well.
7- Aggravated Jung (Noblepark, ridden by P Lopez)- This is a horse that knows how to win, doing so in six out of ten starts, and in four of his last five. Additionally, if we throw out his debut race, he has hit the board every time he has been out there. It’s his graded debut, but his performance in ungraded races, such as the $250.000 Maxfield at CD last month that he won, shows that he is more than ready, and perhaps overdue to be running against this type of company. His works won’t wow you, and that’s probably what has kept the trainer from making this jump before, but the colt does have a nose for the wire and has earned it.
8- High Time (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by R M Hernandez)- Looking to join Z One Chance as a two-time winner of the Crosby and head back to the BC Sprint. When he ran here last year, he came off a win in the Aristides BC, and this victory would end up being his fourth in a row. Now, once again, he enters the Crosby after winning the Aristides BC but is not on a similar winning streak. After leaving here High Time later disappointed in the BC Sprint, which is the only bad race that he has had since then. Even there though, he still had a 100 SRF. Typically likes to try and come from off the pace, so keep an eye out for him in the stretch.
9- Heeza Dime (Asgar, ridden by E Jaramillo)- While Fractious sold a lot of his horses for top dollar late last year, it only took $14.000 for Asgar to acquire Heeza Dime in the September 2024 auction. He wasn’t an unknown then, winning three out of four races, including the $125.000 Queenston right before it. Heeza Dime has continued to run well since the sale but has only made four starts. Two of those are wins, including the Grade 3, $500.000 Fleet Sprint Handicap at OP in April. Just missed out last month in the Grade 3 Kellys Landing and seems to be a horse that we haven’t seen the best out of quite yet.
10- Edward The Good (Mb Stables, ridden by J R Velazquez)- Mb had to give Fractious a lot more for Edward The Good than Asgar had to give him for Heeza Dime, but the results have certainly paid off for Mb. That $550.010 sale came a month after running second in the BC Dirt Mile, and Edward The Good rides a three-race winning streak into the Crosby, which is exactly what High Time had done before winning last year. The wins include the $1,000.000 Grade 1 CD and the Grade 3 True North at SAR. Works are great, the horse is hot, and he gets his regular jockey. Probably will be the post-time favorite.
11- Lennon (Mb Stables, ridden by L Saez)- The veteran six-year-old gelding will make the 41st start of his career here in the Crosby as he hopes to return to the BC Sprint. He got into that race while running for Fractious last year and would become yet another horse sold by that trainer in the December auction. Mb Stables won him for $170.010 and has run him six times since but the results have not necessarily been there. He’s won once, but not in one of the stakes he has been entered in. His graded performance, especially in his last three could be a lot better, and when you are in this stable, that needs to happen, or you’ll be lost in the shuffle.
12- Only Way Is Up (The Sidley Stud, ridden by M E Smith)- Last to load into the starting gate will be this gelding who has won three of his last four races. That includes his last two, each of which were in a photo at the wire, coming in the Cartier Stakes and Kellys Landing, each a Grade 3. He’s never been as good as he is right now, so the time is right to see what he can do against top competition. Worked impressively at PRX early in the month and will be ready to roll.
Prediction: 5-10-8-9
— NS
Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES