Pharoah Stakes – Grade I [BC]
1 1/16 Mile Dirt Graded Stake Purse $300.00 Two-Year-Olds. At SA

Pharoah Stakes looks like a battle between Blood Moon Rising and My Life For Hire depending on which can make the 1 1/16 mile distance of this race; and after that there are a bunch that look like they want this route and the one I put up in third doesn’t… so shame on me.

Here’s the Pharoah Stakes handicap:

Horse                                  Owner                               Odds  SRF

Blood Moon Rising             Nakamura Stables              *8-5       98

My Life For Hire                  Mb Stables                           9-5        98

The Pilchard Freak             The Sidley Stud                   2-1        95

Turn Around                       D J C Racing Stables          4-1        97

Higher Advantage               Serenity Stables                  5-1       92

Evil Ways                            TwinTowersRacing            10-1        87

Bold Flames                       Mb Stables                          6-1        89

Deny                                   South Shore Stables           6-1        89

Larson                                Nynl Stables                      15-1        90   

Wartime Woo Dawg            Jive Inc.                             20-1        83

Dixie Bound                        Alydar Stables                   30-1        90

Just Perfect                        Royalty Stables                 30-1        86

aeCount Crapula                Family Racing                   50-1        91

1  Wartime Woo Dawg                        Jive Inc.                      83

Wartime Woo Dawg broke his maiden in a CD sprint and disappointed in a SAR seven-furlong allowance race, Now Jive is gonna try him out in a big-time stakes

2  Larson                  Nynl Stables              94

It took Larson three races to break his maiden, but when he did, it was a spectacular last to first deep close. Then he followed that up with a deep close second in a high value SAR sprint allowance.

3   Higher Advantage                      Serenity Stables               92

Higher Advantage has won three of his four starts, including his most recent, a mile two-length romp in a DMR overnighter. His only loss came in the five-furlong turf $125.00 Royal Palm Juvenile in which he seemed to have trouble keeping his footing. Not to worry though, I suspect a juvenile that is winning in 1:34 4/5 will have to worry much about turf sprints in the near future.

4   Turn Around                         D J C Racing Stables                 94

Turn Around has already shown us his distance prowess with a couple of in the money performances at a mile including a second in the Grade III Iroquois at CD. In the money in a graded stakes at a mile already is not to be taken lightly.                                   

5      The Pilchard Freak                  The Sidley Stud             95

The Pilchard Freak won the Grade III Best Pal Stakes right after finishing second in the Grade III Sanford but then was found out in the Grade I Hopeful. He will have to recover here.

6      My Life For Hire                 Mb Stables                     98

My Life For Hire is the close second favourite behind Blood Moon Rising in that Blood Moon Rising finished a nose in front of My Life For Hire in the Grade I DMR Futurity, although a strong case could be made that the closing style of My Life For Hire should put him in front at the wire in this longer race.

7   Dixie Bound                        Alydar Stables               90

Dixie Bound won at second asking in a DMR maiden at five furlongs with ease.

8   Blood Moon Rising             Nakamura Stables               98

Blood Moon Rising has won back-to-back stakes races, the $250.00 ELP Juvenile and the Grade I DMR Futurity, making him the narrow favourite over My Life For Hire, although as a front runner that has never raced over seven furlongs and showed some weakness in the Grade III Sanford at SAR, he may be considered the weaker of the two at 1 1/16 miles.   

9   Evil Ways                   TwinTowersRacing              87

Here comes Evil Ways. It took this lad five races to win, buy every race was a milestone, starting with the PEN race. I think everyone here knows how hard it is to finish third in a ten-horse field on debut no matter what level. Then he reeled off three straight seconds each more challenging than the last. Finally, the only other horse than Just Perfect to have a win at today’s distance and they are at matching times

10   Bold Flames               Mb Stables               89        

Bold Flames has only races at six furlongs, but a win in a six-furlong maiden at DMR is not to be taken lightly nor is a fourth in the $100.00 Im Smokin Stakes there either.

11   Deny                         South Shore Stables             89                           

This will be Deny’s first foray into stakes company, but his last three races have been very promising with his deep close style indicating that he will be close as these stakes races get longer   

12   Just Perfect                 Royalty Stables     93

Just Perfect had to wait until he got the right distance and a West Coast jockey before he could get that first win. Now that he’s turned the trick, there could be no stopping him.

13   Count Crapula                    Family Racing               91

Count Crapula is also eligible.

Categories: BC 2026, Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES