Author Archives
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Storm Water Is Highly Impressive In GP Sprint Championship Win
After winning an optional claimer at FG last month, his third win out of five starts, Storm Water would get his first chance to run at the stake level since winning the SSM Classic in January of 2024, which was also the last time that he ran here at GP. Storm Water would make the most of the opportunity, going out to the lead as he typically does, and not letting anyone by him for the wire to wire victory!
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Gerri G Wins The Heavenly Prize At AQU
Last month, seven year old mare Gerri G returned to the race track after a four month layoff, and won an optional claiming race. A couple of tough graded results over the summer likely played a part in the time off, and she made the most of the rest in that race and would follow it up here in the Heavenly Prize!
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Will a Big Name Win The GP Sprint Championship?
While the name of the race would suggest that this was a graded stake for a large purse, the GP Sprint Championship is an ungraded stake with a purse of “only” $125.000. There was a time when it did carry more prestige, running as a Grade 2 back in 2004, but eventually it was downgraded to a Grade 3 before becoming ungraded in 2023.
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Beating Ruthian May Be a Powerful Task in The Heavenly Prize
At $150.000, the purse for the Heavenly Prize could be more heavenly, but it is still a nice offering for this ungraded stake that runs for the seventh time. It would debut in 2017, but has not been run every year, and for a little while, it seemed like it might be in jeopardy of not filling this year as well.
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Don’t Miss The Confident Elegance and Soliloquy Sunset Rematch in The Honeybee
Last Saturday, the Alexandra kicked off the 50-point races for the KYO, and now all eyes will be at OP on Saturday as the 19th running of the Honeybee takes place for the second 50-pointer of the season. To celebrate, OP has raised the purse this year to $500.000, up $100.000 from where it was last year, and that too, was a $100.000 increase over the prior year.
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Without Warning Lights Up the Board in The Risen Star Stakes
For some reason, Without Warning was made a 26/1 longshot for The Risen Star Stakes, but you can’t say that we were surprised, as we made him our pick to win. The Neon Wolf got off to a fast start, and then had a rough couple races, one of which being the BC Juvenile, which seemed to result in people losing faith in him.
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Make It Six in a Row for El Gran Cambio after Mineshaft Stakes Win
El Gran Cambio continues to get the job done for trainer Bears Stable, and earns his sixth consecutive win here in the Mineshaft Stakes. It’s been quite a journey for this gelding that was claimed for $10.000 back in August. At the time of the claim, he was on a three race winning streak, but those victories were not for high purses.
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Wavy Girl Gets It Done for Saratoga Stud in Royal Delta
The Royal Delta had a deep field of twelve take part, and while two horses took the majority of the money at the betting window, it would be a 14/1 longshot stealing the show. Wavy Girl, a five year old mare trained by Saratoga Stud, would come on strong in the stretch to get the win.
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Pink Attack Looks to Return to Winner’s Circle in Royal Delta
The starting gate is full to capacity for Saturday’s running of the Grade 3 Royal Delta. This stake is for older females on the main track and will be run for the tenth time. At inception in 2016, this was a Grade 2 that ran for a $200.000 purse, so unfortunately the details have only gone backward in that regard.
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No Clear Favorite in Mineshaft Stakes
The race card at FG on Saturday may be highlighted by the Risen Star and the Alexandra, but there is plenty of excitement on the undercard as well. One of those races is the 20th running of the Mineshaft Stakes, for older horses on the dirt. It’s a Grade 3 that runs for $250.000, an amount that has been constant since 2022.
