CD – Grade I
CD Race #11 7f Dirt Graded Stake
Purse $750.000 For Four Year Olds And Upward.
1 Papa Nature Night Rider Stables Jaramillo E
Like most horses in this stable the trainer doesn’t like to give up on a big win easily and will keep throwing in the entry fees. This one has had plenty of chances but his only two black type wins have come in ungraded stakes races, but he has been within a few lengths at grade one level in the past, so this isn’t a pure hail Mary entry. He seems to go well at the seven furlongs which is a big plus over this awkward trip and his works are very solid including a 1.36 flat recently for the mile. He is a hard pick on form, but it would only take a small move up his improvement curve to win this and sometimes that can happen with five-year-olds out of the blue.
2 Beach Xaar Fractious Geroux F
This one has always promised a bit more than he has delivered and is also one that has only won black type at ungraded level. He too, surprise right,, is working like a BC winner so the works tell us little as always but it is interesting to see this is his first ever run over the seven furlongs so there is an air of possibility about this entry. His three efforts this year haven’t troubled the judge but like the horse inside him if he goes up his improvement curve suddenly or has a day when things go right, he certainly has enough about him to spring a shock win.
3 Puppet Master Spankys Barn Smith M E
Fourth in the BC Sprint last year, it is still a mystery to me how he ended up with just 118Lbs in the Carter Handicap last time, but he made it count with an unchallenged all the way won’t. He won’t have the wide gate speed push today so won’t find the lead so easily but that really was an impressive win and on recent form he must be a huge chance to continue up his improvement curve at age seven!
4 Anna Da Artist Smokey Stover Centeno D E
An eight-race winner, I feel this four-year-old may just be getting high enough on his improvement curve to start being a contender in this sort of race. A good fourth in the OP Mile last time he won the General George over this trip the race before and seems to have found his sort of race distance. The trainer will have him spot on, and I give him a great chance.
5 Twilight Flame Mb Stables Lopez P
Failed in allowance company at this trip and then won the Essex Handicap last time over a mile and sixteenth. He too like all the others is peppering the 1.10 mark for his six furlong works so we only have the form to go on really. The trainer seems to be able to find a length out of nothing so he will of course be well supported here on a day when Mb could once again break the hearts of his fellow trainers.
6 Ukrainian Victory Gdp Inc Loveberry J
The seven-year-old would be a popular name to win this and there is plenty of form that says he could. Fourth in this race last year he represents a solid form line for these sprint races and seems to be in good fettle this season with two wins from three. He goes back up the grades today but some of these sprinters get better with age, so I think he is a real safe sort of bet to give you a competitive run.
7 Lokoya Road Establo Pichon Walcott R W
He has a very good wet track record and that may be his best chance pf getting a win in this race that looks a bit above his pay grade on a dry track. Not a bad sort but this is a big step up for him.
8 Dancing Rattler Martyparty Hernandez R M
A real seven-furlong specialist he has continued his good three-year-old form into this year and always runs a big race. A real scrapper he seems to win or lose by less than a length these days which speaks highly of his heart. This is a step up, but he deserves his shot, and you can guarantee he will be doing his best, so if you want to have a horse to be involved going down the stretch then this one could be a good bet.
9 Ideal Info Arindel Saez L
Just nosed out Dancing Rattler in the Commonwealth last time, that win came off the back of some very good works and it seems he has taken a step up his improvement curve. He will be running on at the death and comes from a yard that will be keen to challenge anything Mb trained over the weekend.
10 King Pigeon Delta Farms Elliott S
Ran some great sprints last year but didn’t do much in the BC Sprint and then the Malibu after that. At his best he is a grade one winner at this worst he may struggle so backing him will be a gamble, but he looked back to his best when taking an optional Claimer over this trip last time and maybe the trainer has got him back in form.
11 Expert Eye TwinTowersRacing Velazquez J R
This seven-year-old son of Commanding probably possess the dominant historical form winning the BC Sprint last year as well as some big runs in the True North, The Crosby and The Forego. That sort of performance would win him this race but his two starts this year have been a little flat and you have to wonder whether he is on a downward trend. The best horse if he is still the best horse.
12 Money Truck Invicta Group Llc Prat F
Gets the car park which I guess gives him two options. If he can use the wide gate speed push and makes the lead, he may be hard to get by but if he goes all the way back, he will have to rely on other instructions and a kindly race engine to get home. Certainly, has the ability but will need things will go his way.
SUMMARY
A tough race to call, but I feel Anna Da Artist may be an OK bet here. I don’t have much confidence in that choice and a case can be made for all of them, but I would expect Puppet Master and twilight Flame to use their draws well.
Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES
