Broke his maiden two starts ago over at Belmont going six furlongs, and just missed in the Notebook in his most recent. Now the juvenile chestnut gets an additional furlong in distance here which should help with his late push to the wire.
- NYSS- Great White Way – Purse $500.000
- Aqueduct Racetrack- For Two Year olds- Foaled in NY
- Seven Eights of a Mile- Main track
- December 14th, 2019
While grabbing the eleven hole in the draw for the gate, Team 7 Illusions two year old out of Day Of Destiny will be looking for the top as he approaches the wire down the stretch. While Cherokee Sunset foals have been the talk when it comes to Team 7, its nice to see a different breed of runner come into the spotlight. In his most recent $100.000 Notebook effort he would close up to finish just three quarters of a length shy of Moment In Time ( D J C Racing Stables ). He will once again have to compete against Sizzla Kalonji and Great Britain from that event here, so it will be no small task. What I like about him is his SRF numbers have gone from 79 to 95 in his past three starts, and moving up is always a good marker.
So will Sizzla Kalonji ( Night Rider Stables) and Great Britain ( John Henry ) be his main competition? AS far as Sizzla Kalonji is concerned, he starts just to the inside in post ten, and it will be interesting to see if he tries to keep Peter E Peat out at the start. More then likely, Peter will drop back slightly at the start an drop in where he can. Sizzla should be up in the mix early but will he stay in the hunt down the lane? He has been post time favorite in his past three starts. As for Great Britain, my only concern with him is he was just gelded some five days prior to the event, and I have seen in the past that a quick turn around from surgery has never shown a horse getting a payout with out at least two weeks of recovery. Prove me wrong, but i think he is going to suffer in this race.
With the way recent maiden winners have come to the front and have taken home bigger events, we have two entered in this affair by the names of Local Dude ( D J C Racing Stables ) and Arindel’s Genghis. Local Dude is coming off a MdSpWt95 affair at CD in just his second start of his career, winning at a mile on the dirt. He carried 120 for that event as well, and now topnotch rider Johnny V gets in the irons. Will Dom have another runner to put Peter E Peat in his place once again? Will have to wait and see. As for Genghis, he has competed in six events already in his career, and he broke his maiden most recently at Churchill as well in a MdSpWt56 event going today’s distance. Backers in that race were ecstatic as the Copper Beast colt went off at some 56-1 odds. He may get some long odds once again, but given he has drawn the rail, and his most recent was over a good track surface, his return here may just surprise once again.
Some top notch runners in most recent events coming here are stakes winners Shake It Up ( Fractious ) and Ulster Man ( D J C Racing Stables ). Shake It Up took home the $200.000 Funny Cide three starts ago at the Spa, so he knows how to win in stakes affairs. While his last two have left him out by a length at the finish, and one race was an experiment with the grass, this distance should agree with his racing style. With Ulster Man, this second entry for his trainer took home the Aspirant Stakes three starts ago as well, getting up to win by a head as the 1-9 favorite. Was three quarters of a length out in his most recent Gr. III Hope Stakes effort after returning ten days from the geld, and this second start should determine if his trainer made the right decision.
Others here who competed in stakes event but were unable to capture victories were Lucky But ( Night Rider Stables ), Jezza ( Estero Farms ), Graveyard ( Mb Stables ) and Son Of Lily ( Chili King Stables ). First with Lucky But, he has just two career starts to his credit and after breaking his maiden in his seven furlong opener, came back to compete in the Gr. III Hope Stakes to finish two lengths shy in sixth. Remains at the seven furlong distance once again as it seems his trainer feels this is his fit, and he will need to bring his best today to find a share. Jezza has competed in both the Gr. I Pharoah Stakes and most recently the Gr. III Nashua. While the Nashua gave him a minor share of the purse money, his SRF numbers have been on the climb in his most recent three career starts, and his efforts have been improving as well. Broke his maiden at this distance, so the drop back from the two stakes events may help him find a placing here. Bejarano is aboard.
Graveyard has been competing over the turf in his past three starts for his trainer, and now the switch to the dirt may have come from his efforts in the morning during the month of November. He placed third in the Gr. I Summer two starts ago on the grass, and was two lengths shy in the BC Juvenile Turf race this season. I personal would wait to see how he makes the change, but with the talents of his trainer and the company he has been keeping lately, its hard to dismiss him. Son Of Lily broke his maiden two starts ago going a mile in distance at DMR. Returned most recently to compete in the $250.000 Sleepy Hollow race in mid October, but the outcome was not fruitful as he would finish last, some ten lengths back at the line. Has been going through his paces in the morning for the past 60 days, and there have been some slight improvements, but watch for him to get some longer odds in the morning line.
Picks – 11-7-5
Duffer
Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded
