Makers Mark Mile – Grade I
KEE Race #6 1m Turf Graded Stake
Purse $650.000 For Four Year Olds And Upward.
1 American Nightmare D J C Racing Stables Jimenez A 123
Beaten just half a length last time in the Kilroe Mile from this same draw it seems the universe is giving him a shot at redemption here. Mb’s pair, first and second in that race will look to lock him out again but the extra weeks rest he has had between runs may well improve him enough. It is almost poetic that this horse is drawn right next to the Lanfranco runner, whichever side of the fence you fall on I would say that this one is the far more likely to get some success. You have to put him right there again and his most recent work singed the KEE turf so just maybe this will be his day.
2 Orange Man Awesome Lanfranco Stable Curtis B 123
On past performance this one has little chance, but the trainer can talk a big fight and there are reasons if you dig deep enough that this six-year-old may do better than his form suggests. A lightly raced six-year-old he came from nowhere on this track to run fifth beaten around a length in the grade one Shadwell Turf and whilst that is the only piece of form in his record that makes him good enough to start in this race it did tell us that with the right luck he could get involved. I would say his likely best mile time would be around 1:32 and a half which may not be good enough if this race is run sensibly but you never know what the race engine will throw in to spice things up.
3 Bronze Crown TwinTowersRacing Bridgmohan S X 123
He has run 14 of his 19 races on turf but has only won twice which will make him an outsider to win this. His dirt work times have been more impressive than his turf ones recently, but he has largely disappointed on that surface which is puzzling. He may have the speed, but I am not sure he has the heart to take out a grade one mile.
4 Ello Santa Mb Stables Velazquez J R 123
Every time I write this one off, he comes roaring back. The first time I did it he switched surfaces and became the top turf three-year-old, nearly winning the BC Turf. The second time was after he ran a lack luster race in the Pegasus Worl Turf Cup but then bounced back with his usual tenacity to win The Kilroe Mile last time. His works as you would expect are sublime and with a good draw to run his on-pace style it is hard to come up with anything to beat him.
5 Atomic Eclipse Spankys Barn Gaffalione T 123
There is just no stopping this great old battler, and he proved he still had speed in his old legs with a huge win in the Thunder Road last time. There is no doubt that at nine years old he is in the twilight of his career, but it is great to see him in this line up with a great chance. It would be hard to pick him against this elite field, but I would love to write about his 18th win after this race.
6 Jakarta Nakamura Stables Bejarano R 123
It is not enough to have one great old battler in this field, so we have two, although this eight-year-old has a year on his old mate inside him. There is no doubting at his best he would run very close to favourite for this race but after running very well in the BC Mile last year when beaten just a length he has looked a little past his best. His works are still right on the money, but it tends to be form that goes before the homework and the signs aren’t good. Has he got another grade one in his legs? Well, I love these old household names so I will be cheering an exacta with a 17-year combined age!
7 Good Memories Mb Stables Dettori L 123
When you look at the best of this five-year-olds form it is hard to understand some of his worst form but all we can deal with is potential and this one’s is almost limitless. At his best he won the BEL at three and was a close third in the BC Classic at his worst he has been beaten in optional claimers. However, since being switched to turf for no apparent reason other than why not, he has won three from three including two at graded level and is working as good as the best turf racers in the game. That is HRP world and we are left to try and work it all out and trust me it gives me a headache trying!
There is a lot to like about his unbeaten turf form and his works, so if he floats your boat better than his stable mates then pile on your Disney Dollars.
8 Seven Is Lucky Mb Stables Lopez P 123
I am not sure whether I have a scotoma about this horse but I still see him as under rated compared to his stable mates and yet he is a grade one winner and was only a half-length from winning the BC Mile. Flying home from this same draw in the Kilroe last time, he very nearly beat his much more fancied stable mate, going down by just a neck. I would imagine the race pattern will be much the same here, but he is very capable and could get his revenge if things go his way.
9 Western Knight Our Athletes Geroux F 123
The winner of the grade one American Turf there is little doubt that he could win this but there a few things against him today. Firstly, he has struggled recently to show his best and this wide draw certainly won’t help, secondly his bets form is on a wet track…. which may or may not be a problem and finally he may still need a run after having just the one start this year. All those negatives are enough to put me off, but I certainly wouldn’t say he can’t win and if he finds his best form there is no reason he can’t get into this.
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10 Salah Royalty Stables Santana R Jr 123
The Kilroe Mile is a key form race for this with the first four home running again and as all of them having strangely similar draws you would imagine things should be simple for us. Yeah right! With only a length between them and form lines that can change by three lengths from race to race nothing is ever simple at HRP. So how can this very good four-year-old turn the tables today…. well, it is simple, avoid a battle for the lead. Now that seems simple but with the wide gate speed push on this engine it certainly isn’t as simple as it sounds. But let’s imagine for a minute that this one breaks and finds a stalk somewhere near the rail, then when the leader starts to falter, he launches from a couple of lengths back and it doesn’t look so hard to pull back that length and win. All of that is possible but so are the other scenario’s so all I can say is good luck to Royalty in working this one out!
11 Negril Winning Link Stables Fresu A 123
Racing at a level that has proven beyond him he not only has that mountain to climb but he also gets the car park draw. Sometimes it seems luck and design are closely related and whilst this one is a nice sort, lightly raced and plenty good enough to be in the field it is hard to see him winning this very hot race.
SUMMARY
Well, a great mile here and with so many possibilities it is impossible to say with any confidence who will win. In all likelihood it will be a Mb Stables horse that wins, not only because he has the best three on most form but also just because he seems to win most of the grade ones. Whilst my belief is that one of Mb’s will win, I will be cheering home the pensioners in Atomic Eclipse and Jakarta because there is nothing more, I like than a good story!
Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES
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