The Bold Ruler Handicap (Grade 3)- $200.000 Purse
BEL- For Three Year Olds and Upward
Seven Furlongs on the Dirt
October 29, 2016

We know you’re out there looking forward to next weekend, but we still have plenty of good racing going on this weekend as well.  At BEL, for instance, we will be running the 12th edition of the Bold Ruler Handicap, a long sprint for three year olds and upward.  It is a race that has had such close finishes in the past that two of the past five races have ended up in dead heats.  Ok, so that’s not rare at all in our virtual world but it sounded good.  A horse named Froggy has been the best in this race, winning in 2006 and 2007 as a part of his 18 wins in 91 career starts.   More recently, Roxys Triple Crown got the job done for Aer Stables, and that trainer will have a good shot to make it two in a row.   Night Rider Stables is one of two trainers to have won the stake twice, and will have an opportunity to make it three here.  In all, there are eight going to the gate for this race, and while this is a handicap, weights are essentially even at 119 or 120 pounds making it really a handicap in name only.  Let’s meet them now.

#1- Blowin Smoke (Grimley, ridden by M Franco)- A very lightly raced five year old (bred as yearling), who will be making just the seventh start of his career.  He showed promise and even ran in the Grade 3 Valedictory at WO last year, but prior trainer Eastern Equine just did not race him all that much.  Last month, he was sold in private sales for $65.000, and proceeded to win an allowance right here at BEL.  It will be interesting to see not only how he fares here, and he should have a very good shot, but also how he fares going forward with Grimley.

#2- Academy (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by A A Gallardo)- Looking for his first win in 2016, and he makes quite a step up in class to do so.  Overall, he has won three of 20, but it’s nearly been a full year since that last win, and it was in an N3L allowance at FL.  Academy has run in quality overnights, but you see several back of the pack finishes as track levels increase. Work times are stellar and they always are, but it does not seem as though he brings that to track on race day frequently enough.

#3- Gma Is My Hero (Aer Stables, ridden by I Ortiz Jr)- Looking to follow in the footsteps of Roxys Triple Crown, Gma Is My Hero seems to give Aer Stables a great shot to win this race two year in a row.  This colt has been running against the best all year, and even though there’s a couple of recent double digit finishes, he’s been up against A One in each of this last two races.  That should say all you need to know about that.  Here, we drop down, and let’s not forget that he doesn’t have a weight disadvantage (ok, well there’s one pound if you want to be technical) in this race.   Considered making him my top pick, but I am going to give someone else the nod/jinx.  Still, Gma Is My Hero is one of the favorites.

#4- Sky Heights (Kopites, ridden by J Alvarado)- Went on a four race winning streak early in his career, and overall he has an impressive record of (9-5-2-0).  He has always got a check for his trainer, as the two other results were fourth place starts.  This led prior trainer Australia Wide to sell him in private sales to Kopites for $125.000 in August.  Under his new trainer, Sky Heights has raced once and placed fourth in what was a pretty good Grade 2 Obrien Stakes, also a seven furlong race.  This seems like a very pivotal race for him.  He has a good shot, of course, but you have the feeling that a win may elevate him into the best races out there.

#5- Magnifico (Night Rider Stables, ridden by K Carmouche)- The seven year old gelding will hit the track for the 38th time and only needs 53 more career starts to match 2006 and 2007 Bold Ruler winner, Froggy.   He’s been finishing second a lot lately, with four runner ups in his last five starts, but he has been to the winners circle early this year as well.  He has made several appearances in ungraded stakes as well as a couple graded ones, but has never won such a race.  If he does here, it will be Night Rider’s third win in the Bold Ruler.

#6- Geeky Pleasure (Riggins Racing, ridden by J J Castellano)- It will be the stake debut for this four year old CA-bred as he comes off the best effort of his career.  The race was out at GG in an optional claimer running a furlong and a half less, but he picked up the best SRF number of his career, a 96, in the win.  He did that while coming from behind, so that should create optimism that he has the ability to maintain that form for today’s seven furlongs.  The question is, though, can he do it against the type of opposition that he sees here.   It’s a tough assignment.

#7- Bright Castle (John Henry, ridden by J R Velazquez)- Acquired by the current trainer as he was building his stable, purchasing him from Downwind Stables for $200.000 in private sales.  He has made five starts since then, and has had his ups and downs in them.  Their first race together, the $150.000 Easy Goer, went well with a second place finish, but a pair of fourths in similar races led to John Henry cutting back on his distance.  Looking at his last two, I really think that he has found his niche at this seven furlongs.  Most recently, he won here at BEL at this distance in an optional claimer.  Bright Castle is poised to do well here, and I am going to make him my horse to beat.

#8- Rave (Mb Stables, ridden by E Cancel)- One of those horses that when you look at his history, its not race results that stand out at you.  On August 13th, Alegria claimed Rave from Threshold for $7.000.  A day later, he was sold to Mb Stables for $50.000.   Mb likely was one of those who lost the claim shake that day and decided that he absolutely wanted the horse at all costs, and Alegria is able to cash out big.  Rave has had one start, and backed up that confidence in it with a win in an LAD starter allowance.   While he’s not my top pick, I do feel Rave will be a threat here, but what I find more impressive is if this gelding moves on to bigger things, is how Mb spotted this talent.  After all, leading up to that claimer, Rave had not done much of anything.

Prediction: 7-3-4-1

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES