Henry Championship – Grade II
SA Race #5 1 1/4m Turf Graded Stake
Purse $200.000 For Three Year Olds And Upward.

1 Lantern Yard Avenue Z Espinoza V

This looks the type where at some point his track performance will catch up to his improving works. He started the year with a narrow win in a sprint allowance at GG but has progressed since then to graded stakes company but has yet to really make his mark with his best finish being third in the La Jolla Handicap. Though he finished second last n the DMR Derby last time i actually think there was plenty to like about he made ground that day and he was only two lengths behind at the post which was a good effort considering his slow start. He will need to get out of the gate today but has a bit further to make his run so he may get away with it. His recent 1.34 and 3 mile work suggests he is traveling up his improvement curve and soon he will be winning races like this, is it today? Well it could be.

2 Certified Yank Mb Stables Bridgmohan S X

When an Mb Stables runner gets the perfect draw you have to take it very seriously and this is a very serious racehorse so i think he may well start a strong favorite. Fourth in the BEL Derby and third in teh SAR Derby he got his reward last time in the Duelling Grounds Derby when he found his favored spot in front and held on gamely for a half length win. You may not have to look any further for the winner.

3 Speter Nakamura Stables Centeno D E

A real solid type but gets the weight penalty for being a four year old and is up against some progressive looking three year olds. The interesting thing here is that the wiley trainer looks to the first time on turf hack that we have seen work so many times and looking at some of his turf works they may just be on to something. Every one of his 20 races have been on dirt and he is a graded stakes winner on that surface so if he can improve on turf he will certainly be a contender.

4 Nevada Silver Nakamura Stables Maldonado E

Alongside his stable companion who is looking for the HRP hack this is a far more traditional runner having won the BC Turf Mile last year and being a grade one winner in the Makers Mark Mile this year. He saw this trip out well when second in the Manhattan and certainly represents the established turf stakes history and gives the stable an interesting couple of entries who will certainly make the three years olds work for their money.

5 Simply Magic Winning Link Stables Gaffalione T

It took six goes in maidens and all on the dirt before this one switched to the turf last time to finally get a win. Of course this being HRP we see this one race winner working the same times as the BC Mile winner so it becomes more about the class gene than work times here. That’s the big question mark that will need answering but this is a good place to find out as he takes on some very good and established turf routers over a trip and surface that certainly will suit him. If he won we will just all nod and say “Oh yeah, we could see that coming after the 1.34 and 2 work” if he loses we can say “Well he was just a maiden winner” and the only way we will know which one will be after they cross the line.

6 Creepy Joes Coup TwinTowersRacing Lopez P

Well on his last two starts you would have to say he is a big outsider here but that is just the way the stable likes it and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him run much better today. Of course the works tell us nothing other than he is pretty much the same as everything else but certainly on form it is a stretch to see him winning.

7 Elite Fire High Voltage Silvera Ru

Followed up an ungraded stakes win with a very nice performance in the Saranac last time coming with a storming late run to win by a length from a difficult draw. A through and through closer if there is a strong pace today and the field start coming back to him he could cause a bit of a surprise and finish over the top of them .

8 Keeper Of Time Smokey Stover Gutierrez Mario

It has to be said that on paper his form looks all over the place but that’s not unusual at HRP these days and six or seven length turn rounds in form are simply put down to instructions or draw rather than there being anything wrong with the horse. A gritty on pace effort in the BEL Derby saw hi beaten just a nose and that effort made him a strong favorite for the SAR Derby. In that race he started slowly and was ridden like a closer and suffered a seven length turn round in form with Certified Yank ending up eleventh. As if to prove the point he then went back on pace to be second in the VA Derby so its safe to say that he is better on pace than off it. The wide draw will only give the trainer two options today so his eventual finishing position may be more down to the race engine and instructions than form but on form at least we know he could win.

SUMMARY

This is a really nice race where we see some really good three’s take on an established turf star and another that may just be the ringer. Certified Yank has the draw, the trainer and the most consistent form so he would be the obvious choice of the three year olds but it is hard to go past Nevada Silver, already a BC winner and an established turf star. But if you want some value and a little bit of a gamble then Speter represents a set of circumstances that has led to plenty of long priced winners and if the pace goes mad then Elite Fire could also represent betting value.

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES