The Dixie Stakes (Grade 2)- $250.000 Purse
PIM- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Turf
May 21, 2016

We know that your focus at PIM on Saturday is the PRK, and rightfully so.  On the undercard, history could be made.  Unfortunately, we can’t easily go back and track records like this within our game, and chances are you can go back and find other examples of what might happen in this race.  What I can tell you is that however many entries there might be on this list, it is not a very long list, at all.   The mission is to win the same stake, for three years in a row.  We’re not talking a $15.000 stake here, either.  This is the Grade 2 Dixie, right here at PIM on PRK day.  Seven Years is now exactly that, seven years old, and he is still winning races.  Alydar Stables has had this great one from the start and the trainer should be excited about his chances.  There are three others in this field who are looking to spoil the party, including the BC Mile champion in Sir Tom.  It’s not going to be easy, and maybe Seven Years really shouldn’t be the favorite, but you can’t help but excited about this possible achievement.  Here is the field!

#1- Sir Tom (Brave, ridden by J R Velazquez)- Usually going into this race, the BC Mile champion would be the headliner, and Sir Tom is certainly worthy of being that.  Today, he stands as the biggest obstacle in the way of Seven Years accomplishing the threepeat, and really, Sir Tom is the horse to beat if you don’t want to get sucked in to the historical theme.  He has raced twice since the BC, and also picked up a victory in the Grade 3 Canadian Turf.  In his last race, the Grade 1 Makers Mark, he could only finish fourth.  However, he did beat Seven Years there, just like he did on BC Day.   There are not many recent public works on him, but there is no reason to think he isn’t ready to spoil the party here.

#2- Two Brushes (Drabfantasy, ridden by R J Albarado)- A lot of chatter within our racing world has centered around the ability of three year olds to beat older horses especially with the weight allowance they are given.  If you are a strong believer in that trend, then you have to like Two Brushes here as he gets five pounds on the field.   This will be the fourth race of his career, but also his third race in six weeks.  He has one win and two runner ups to his credit thus far.  After winning his debut, he was thrust into graded company right after and has responded well for his trainer.

#3- Seven Years (Alydar Stables, ridden by J R Leparoux)- The eyes of the racing world will be on this amazing horse as he looks to achieve the monumental feat on one of the overall biggest racing dates on the calendar.  In 2014, he battled six others, and would go on to wire the field.  Later that season, he would run into his friend Sir Tom in the BC Mile and had his moment in winning that BC event.  After the win and after other strong races, he was back at it here in 2015, running in what was a field of eight.  He didn’t wire the field that day, but would defeat some strong opposition in the process.  Since that race, Seven Years has continued to run well, so his being here is not just for sentimental purposes.  Anything but, as earlier this year he turned in a 101 SRF at the Grade 2 San Gabriel in an HRP rout, winning by three lengths.  He’ll be looking for his first win since that January race, and we know he loves this race track.

#4- Clouseau (Wolfs Den, ridden by M E Smith)- This four year old gelding has been running different distances, looking to find his niche, and on both dirt and turf, but the one thing that has remained constant is the presence of M E Smith as his rider.  He’s been with him starting from SA claimers, through a series of Grade 2 events.  It is only recently, however, that Clouseau has been running at the graded level, and he has certainly shown he belongs here.   However, Wolfs Den has to also be looking for him to step it up in these races, too, not that he has been bad.  Four of his last eight races have been wins, but none of the three races that were graded were one of them.  He’s hit the board a few times, but the distance changes give the impression that the trainer is still searching for the perfect formula for his talented gelding.

Prediction: 3-1-2-4

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES