Daytona Stakes – Grade III
SA Race #2 6 1/2f Turf Graded Stake
Purse $100.000 For Three Year Olds And Upward.

1 Penal Hockey Party Maxmillion Farm Maldonado E

A year or two ago I wouldn’t be looking elsewhere for a winner but this six-year-old hasn’t been firing so far this year. At his best he would be favorite but the fact that he has dropped back to a sprinting trip tells me the trainer is looking at options to try and find his former glory. Now in real life a horse than has won all his $4,000.000 plus purse money over longer trips would never find themselves in a sprint with much of a chance but many, many times it has been proven that horses can run over any trip if they are better than the opposition at HRP and he may just find himself in the top three.

2 Powerful Explosion Maxmillion Farm Desormeaux K J

A good winner in his last two over this trip, I certainly feel he is improving, and this may well be the right time for him to break through at this level.

3 Serengeti Creeper TwinTowersRacing Kimura K

As usual with a horse from this stable he has been over a variety of trips and surfaces and has on occasions run quite well. He would be an outsider here, but it is impossible to write off any horse from this yard.

4 Martinez Spankys Barn Van Dyke D

Another successful router that is dropping back to sprinting in the hope of the old HRP hack he certainly doesn’t seem to be in any sort of decline, so this is an interesting choice of race. I am guessing his last work over five furlongs which was quicker than all the sprinters in this race will have convinced the trainer to give it a go and who knows, stranger things have happened.

5 Train Station Day Invicta Group Llc Rispoli U

I actually think this may be a good bet at longer odds despite being beaten at lowly BTP last time. Bought for just $20.000 after a decent fourth in an allowance over this trip I do think he is better than his recent form suggests.

6 Tank Davis Royalty Stables Berrios H I

The stable is in good form and this horse seems to have gone in the same direction with a much-improved win last time. A better sprinter than router, I think he will run well if he can find a stalk from this awkward draw.

7 Teen Angel Party Nakamura Stables Hernandez J J

A consistent sort that has looked pretty good in recent starts but like a few here he is looking to take a step up in a race like this. I think the trip will suit him and a lot will depend o how he can cope with this difficult draw and whilst he is not an obvious chance he is one of many that could get involved.

8 Mosquito Spankys Barn Smith M E

He probably has the best sprinting form with good runs in the Eddie D, The San Simeon and The TS Turf Sprint but strangely he worked slower than the routers in this race last time which just goes to show how hard it is to compare works to favored trips here at HRP. On form he may be the best sprinter here so that is perhaps the best place to stop.

9 Crickets Martyparty Valdivia J Jr

Took the San Simeon over this trip which makes him a major chance, but he has been notoriously inconsistent, and you never know which horse will turn up. At his best he would be a big chance and maybe the wide draw will suit today as it did in the San Simeon in giving him some wide gate speed push to get to the lead.

10 Top Of The Crop Maxmillion Farm Frey K

He is really effective over this trip and that is probably where his best chances lay. The wide gate may give him the edge at the start and that could be key, but this is a tough race to call and there are many possibilities.

SUMMARY

This is a very tough race to call with a couple of good routers coming to sprinting, a couple of up and comers and a few decent confirmed sprinters. As usual I will take the safe road and go for the ones proven over this trip in Top Of The Crop, Crickets and Mosquito. Which one will win out of those three will depend on what the race engine does with their wide draws.

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES