Bourbon (Grade 2) (BC)- $200.000 Purse
KEE- For Two Year Olds
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Turf
October 4, 2020

On Sunday, KEE will be running the 15th edition of the Bourbon, one of the best prep races for the BC Juvenile Turf. The two year olds that make up this field are lightly raced, as top opportunities to run long on the grass are not that great prior to this. We have seen some greats win this race, including former BC Turf champion Ashkalani, but recent winners have not fared as well. In fact, the last two winners, Many Faces and Stressed Out are no longer with us. Must be a disappointment to have such a promising horse, and not even make it to the end of the three year old season. We’ll take a quick look at the field now, since a race like this is not really about what they have done in the past, but hopes of what the future may hold.

#1- Rembrandt (Mo Mentum Farm, ridden by J L Ortiz)- Raced just a couple weeks ago when he won an allowance at BEL on yielding turf in his second career start. A week before that, he was picked up in the auction for just $10.880, so he has no choice if he wants to rush him into the BC, but if he did win, the BC would then be the third race in six weeks.

#2- Dynamic (Mb Stables, ridden by J Lezcano)- Broke his maiden last month, in his third start, while running a mile at DMR. The Niner Forty Niner colt is working well as he takes on unrestricted company for the first time. Not many in here are coming directly off a maiden win, but Mb Stables knows how to get it done.

#3- Sensei (Barcelona Farms, ridden by K J Desormeaux)- The first horse that we come to in this field with some stake experience. After breaking his maiden, Sensei was sent to the $100.000 Proud Man at GP, and ran fourth, right smack in the middle of the field. He’ll be hoping for a dry track this time.

#4- General Principle (Nakamura Stables, ridden by S Ryan)- Winner of two out of three, and that includes his last start five or so weeks ago in an allowance at DMR. He went wire to wire in that one, which is run also at a mile and a sixteenth.

#5- Just Wanna Blaze (Gdp Inc, ridden by Mario Gutierrez)- He is out of an excellent turf dam in I Justwantthe Purple, and if he has success, it will be good to know that we don’t have to worry about where to stick the spaces within his name. Comes in here after breaking his maiden at this very distance six weeks ago at SAR.

#6- Invalidate (Barcelona Farms, ridden by Ru Fuentes)- Has been in as many barns in his career as he has races (three), but will be excited to now finally be able to make a second start for a single trainer. Barcelona could not be any happier, especially with the way he won the OT Juvenile Turf in his last start, experience that should be some of use here.

#7- Valid Point (Mb Stables, ridden by M Tunon)- From an Invalidate to a Valid Point, we get the second of two entries in this field from Mb Stables. The gelding is one for two thus far in his career. After winning his debut, he was second in the $60.000 Sunday Silence last time out. May have simply needed more distance there, and he has that here.

#8- Raunchy Boy (Estero Farms, ridden by R M Hernandez)- Picked up when he was still unraced for $275.000 in private sales, and then went on to win on debut. He has not done so since, and now this the fifth start of his career will be his first race on the grass. Overall racing experience should help.

#9- Mahogany Storm (Smokey Storm, ridden by R Bejarano)- This one is out of a former BC Champion, that being Hawaiian Pirate, who won the BC Juvenile Fillies back in 2015. Unfortunately, her career did not last much longer than that. Perhaps that can bode well for this well bred colt that has won once in three starts.

#10- Colt Bennett (Luz International, ridden by T McCarthy)- After being gelded, he has gone a perfect two for two, and this will allow him to run in a stake for the first time. His most recent win also saw Mahogany Storm as a part of the field. Earned an 88 SRF for that, and should be poised to be one of the favorites here.

#11- De Novo (Nakamura Stables, ridden by M Mena)- This gelding has “all one’s” in his first four races. Three of them are wins in overnights. The other, and 11th place finish in his stake try, the $100.000 Graduation Stakes for CA-breds. Ran well on the grass in his last start, but it would still have been nice to have seen a public turf work.

#12- Residential Buyer (Aer Stables, A Beschizza)- One of only two horses in this race that has run in a graded stake before, but those are races that Residential Buyer is not going to be excited about. After winning on debut, he has attempted two grade three’s, and was not a factor in either. The concerning result there is the With Anticipation, his last outing.

Prediction: 10-6-2-11

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES