The Endeavour BC – Grade III
1 1/16 Mile Turf Graded Stake Purse $175.000 Four-Year-Olds And Upward. At TAM

The Endeavour BC is another tough race to handicap because of the diversity of the runners and the lack of comparison material. To my eye, Ruths House has the most class and experience in a very tight field and should be the winner if she is fit after the time off she has taken. An extremely close second and likely favourite is Firefish with a terrible post position that knocks her out of first. Then there are about nine horses the figure into third and I can’t pick one. Here’s the field:                                               

Horse                                  Owner                               Odds  SRF

Ruths House                       TwinTowersRacing              4-1        93

Firefish                               Noblepark                          *4-1        90

United Knightley                  Saratoga Stud                   4-1        92

Reorganize                         Czech Out Farms               4-1        94

Spanish Empire                  Arindel                                5-1        97

Anoushka Titan                  Maxmillion Farm                 5-1        98

Youthful Thoughts              Greyhound                          8-1        95

Bullet Dash                          Spb Racing                          8-1        99

Peignoir                              D J C Racing Stables        10-1        96        

1  Youthful Thoughts                    Greyhound                      93

Spinetingling picked up Youthful Thoughts for $1.000 in Night Rider Stables’ dispersal sale and raced her in middling claiming races until Greyhound grabbed her for $15.000 in October last year. The new trainer wasted no time in moving her up and won at first stakes asking in the $150.000 Noble Damsel. Her next run was the grade 1 Matriarch in which she did not place but showed well and earned a berth here.

2  Ruths House                   TwinTowersRacing                 93

I am going to skip Ruths House’s last couple of races and go back to July to look at the lass and second in the grade 1 BEL Oaks and the follow it up with a third in the grade 2 SAR Oaks in August. Now, she hasn’t been on the racetrack since October, but I believe in this stable and a trainer who is going to have a fit, fresh grade I horse at the gate of this grade 3 race.

3   United Knightley                 Saratoga Stud                92

United Knightley was first or second in eight of thirteen starts, but frustratingly, five times a bridesmaid, most recently last out, a big-ticket allowance race at GP, then a couple of deep closer duds after five in a row first and second which included things like second in the grade 1 DMR Oaks and first in the grade 3 Lake George at SAR. As deep closers go, this one is not as deep and not as reliant on the pace, thus not as inconsistent.

4   Reorganize                      Czech Out Farms                  94

Reorganize wanted to be a stakes horse from day one but was having trouble closing the deal. Then she found the missing element: grass. With no stakes placings whatsoever, he was entered into the $100.000 Mrs. Penny Stakes at PRX and scored a romping four-length upset. The remainder of her career has been nothing but turf races, most notably was a second-place finish in the grade 1 Diana at SAR which garnered a SRF 101 just four races ago. Unfortunately, she was unplaced in her two most recent races at AQU and WO.

5   Bullet Dash                      Spb Racing                      95

Bullet Dash started off life as a $4.500 claimer and even though she finished second in the grade 3 Mamzelle, she was claimed two races later for $40.000 from La Canada Racehorses. Two races later, she won the $150.000 CC Tiara at CD and followed that with a second place in the $125.000 Tropical Park Oaks.  

6   Spanish Empire                 Arindel                   97

Spanish Empire’s sophomore year was good enough to qualify her for the BC Fillies & Mares Turf where things did not turn out well. It was a deep closing second in the grade 1 QE II Challenge Cup at KEE that assured her post along with her victory in the grade 2 SAR Oaks. She finished off the year with a disappointing wet fifth in the grade 1 American Oaks in December at SA.

7   Anoushka Titan                Maxmillion Farm                 98

As a juvenile, Anoushka Titan quickly found her way onto the turf and was good enough to make the starting gate for the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf, good enough to set the pace but not good enough to place. Not long after she was auctioned off for $22,000 by her breeder Big Guns Stables. She was tried as a claimer for a few races but proved too valuable and started off as an allowance horse but quickly won out of that status and won the $100.000 Osunitas Stakes at DMR. She followed that up with a spectacular deep close from tenth in the stretch to third at the wire in the grade 3 $2,000.000 KD Ladies Turf. She comes here off a second place finish in the grade 3 Goldikova Stakes.

8   Peignoir                      D J C Racing Stables                   90

The lightest raced horse in this race with eight races,

Peignoir has only one stakes try and was completely outrun in that race. She comes here off a gallant try in a six-furlong allowance race at AQU.

9   Firefish                      Noblepark                     90

Lightly raced Firefish should be the narrow favourite for this race. I’m afraid the car park is no place for a horse with her racing style to be starting from, though. She sure looks fit for her new trainer. Her first work after being purchased from Team 7 Illusions for $180.000 was an eye popping 1:34 4/5, and her others are sharp. Plus, her first race for Noblepark was a closing third in the grade 1 American Oaks at SA. Before leaving Team 7, she won three of five lifetime including the grade 2 Mrs Revere at CD. If it wasn’t for the post position, I’d consider making her shorter than 4-1.

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES