Hooper (Grade 3)- $100.000 Purse
GP- For Four Year Olds and Upward
One Mile on the Dirt
February 6, 2016

Last year, Chrystal Wizard stalked the pace most of the way here at GP, before a great stretch run saw him get to the wire just in time to score a victory in the 2015 running of the Hooper.   He had no trouble getting by the pacesetter, but it was one that was looking to make a deeper close that proved to be his biggest threat. That horse was Texas Sky Hawk. Now, they shall meet again in the Hooper! Chrystal Wizard looks to win his second straight in this stake, while Texas Sky Hawk will be hoping to make up that one length he couldn’t get last year. For Chrystal Wizard, it was an early season victory that see him win a handful of other races during 2015. For Texas Sky Hawk, it was an early season runner up finish that saw a bunch of seconds (and no wins) during 2015.   That will be the battle within the battle here, as there are nine going to the gate in this one, and among the other seven we have the reigning BC Sprint Champion, Trench Admiral. It’s interesting to see that E Trujillo, who had been Trench Admiral’s regular rider including that BC win, has opted for Chrystal Wizard here when he has never had that mount before. Let’s meet our entrants!

#1- Texas Sky Hawk (Aer Stables, ridden by J Rosario)-   On the rail we begin with the runner up in this race last year.    Texas Sky Hawk has been good about hitting the board and getting a check for his trainer, with four seconds and two thirds in his last eight starts.    Those eight starts mark the amount of races he has gone without a win, which was an optional claimer in December of 2014. Some times, those recent races have been against the best, such as the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap (one of the races he did not hit the board in), but he was convincingly beaten in an four-horse optional claimer by a decent stakes horse in Rumby Willie. He will see more Rumby Willie’s here, and it’s hard to put him on top, though he should be a factor.

#2- Milestone (Mcl Stables, ridden by R Bejarano)- The trainer is hoping his seven year old is just hitting his stride with some very slow development. Back in the summer, Mcl Stables claimed Milestone for just $7.500, and in the four races since, he has been quite impressive going six furlongs, including a win in the Mt Hood Handicap, a $15.000 event at PM.   The SRF times are great, but this is a huge step up for a horse that hasn’t shown much. Although, considering how little raced he was in his early years, maybe he just needed a trainer like Mcl Stables to notice his true potential.

#3- Louisiana Flash (Wolfs Den, ridden by P Lopez)- Like the horse to his inside, Louisiana Flash is also making a considerable jump with his entry into this race.   He has mostly been seen lately in high level claimers, and was claimed in September for $15.000. Wolfs Den raced him in similar races to start, but seemed motivated to advance him, after he routed two others in an starter allowance here at GP. That was also at a mile on the dirt, and he is going to have to find a way to be a little bit better then his winning time there, as this race will likely be won in the mid to upper 1:34’s.

#4- Im Too Confident (Mb Stables, ridden by J R Velazquez)- As a couple others in here look to move up, this colt who ran in two of the three TC races, as well as the Haskell is dropping down and hoping to get a win to kickstart his career. This race will mark the beginning of the 2016 racing season for the horse that finished fourth in the BEL in June. If he is going to be able to have a year as good as he did last year, things are going to have to get started well here, and I’m not too confident right now about his ability to beat a few others in here.   There are likely more skeptics out there, and he has a chance to prove us wrong.

#5- Great Buzz (Gdp Inc, ridden by R J Albarado)- In late June, Gdp Inc became the sixth owner in the lifetime of this horse, a five year old who has raced 20 times. The private sale purchase of $80.000 came after a fourth place finish in the PRM Cornhusker Handicap. Prior trainer Aer Stables likely wanted to cash in following what was then a career best effort, but it would be the race after that would be his new best, when he won the $100.000 Alydar at SAR in August. He was unable to back it up in his next effort, and was actually quite flat in his last outing, an optional claimer in November. That inconsistency probably has something to do with why he’s had so many owners so far. Great Buzz will be only as good as he wants to be here.

#6- Moving Cloud (Sanny Village, ridden by J R Leparoux)- One of the best trainers in the game has had a tough start in 2016, winning just one of his first sixteen, but you know sooner then later a trainer of this skill level will get hot. In July, he purchased the Model American gelding from Wynnewood for $350.000, but so far all he has to show for it are two fifth place finishes, coming in the Grade 2 WV Derby in August and the Gallant Bob in September. Since then, he has been on the shelf, with the trainer hoping to make him right.   He had won five of his first six races before the private sale. We’ll see how it goes!

#7- Chrystal Wizard (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by E Trujillo)- Last year’s Hooper winner looks to make it two in a row, and if he were able to do so, he would be the first horse ever to win the stake multiple times.   Jockey E Trujillo certainly believes in him, as the regular rider for the defending BC Sprint winner, Trench Admiral, chose to ride him over that one. After winning the Hooper, Chrystal Wizard would win three more races, two of which were open allowances, and one was the Grade 3 Longacres Mile last August. He ran here last month in the Grade 3 Hals Hope, and would finish fourth, but that was still one position better then Mister Major in the same race, so it was a strong field. It doesn’t look like this seven year old has lost anything in the last year, and there is no reason to be believe he can’t run just about the same race as he did in 2015. Only question is, will it be good enough again against one familiar and the rest new foes.

#8- Trench Admiral (Grimley, ridden by J J Castellano)- For starters, we assume that E Trujillo was offered this mount ahead of J J Castellano. Trujillo has ridden him in the last four races, three of which were wins, and those wins were in the G2 Amsterdam and G1 Kings Bishop at SAR, and of course, the BC Sprint at KEE.   It goes without saying too, that there’s nothing wrong with having Castellano aboard, and he has history with Trench Admiral as well, just further back.  So is the question here, whether or not Trench Admiral will have a problem with the distance.   That would be a silly concern since his career high SRF figure is in the seven furlong Kings Bishop. He hasn’t won going longer then that yet, and he put forth a strong mile work at the beginning of January to erase doubts.   This is the first race of the season for this champion, and he would not be placed at this distance if the trainer didn’t believe in him. Watch for Castellano to get it done, and then wonder if Trujillo will regret the decision. He is the horse to beat.

#9- Congo Jones (Oval Express Farms, ridden by K J Desormeaux)- Well, at least there is no jockey drama going on with our horse in the outermost post, and in fact Congo Jones will have his eleventh different rider in eleven different starts. His form was its best during the spring and summer of 2015, winning three of four once he was finally able to break his maiden. Those were lower level allowances, and the streak led to placement in the $250.000 Albany, at SAR for NY breds, and he failed to beat a horse. Work times don’t breed optimism, as his last mile work was about two seconds slower then Trench Admiral’s recent mile work and people are apparently concerned about Trench Admiral getting the distance! Anything can happen, and if he’s here then the trainer has a lot of faith and there might be a reason for that in private works. I’ll have to see it to believe it.

Prediction: 8-7-2-4

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES