AP Million (Grade 1) (BC)- $1,000.000 Purse
AP- For Three Year Old and Upward
One Mile and One Quarter on the Turf
August 10, 2019

For the last two years, the AP Million has been a great precursor to find out who our BC Turf winner will be. In each of the last two seasons, the winner here ended up going on to win the BC Turf just a few months later. Each of those winners were trained by Mb Stables, including the impressive Early Retirement last year, as well as Clockwork Chai two years ago. This has been a good race for Mb, as he has also won the race four times in the last seven years. He’ll bring three to the gate here as he hopes to continue his streak. The race also features the 2016 AP Million winner, Lunar Blaze, who also ran against both Clockwork Chai and Early Retirement, and is now set to run the race for the fourth time. The gate is full, so let’s run through the field!

#1- Sezarchai (Ekli Stable, ridden by J L Ortiz)- Won the Grade 1 HOL Derby last December, and that stands as the highlight of his career to this point. So far this year, he is doing well in his races that were not stakes, with two open allowance wins in his last three starts. His graded events since the HOL Derby leave more to be desired. Perhaps this is just horse that needs to catch a break, and he should not be overlooked, though is tough to pick.

#2- Sonnenkonig (Gdp Inc, ridden by J Lezcano)- Makes his graded debut in the AP Million after an impressive win in the $100.000 Toronto Cup on soft turf three weeks ago. It was the first time that he had run with lasix, and not surprisingly the three year old will race with it again. This is a tough assignment, but he earned the chance.

#3- Coco (Joshua Stables, ridden by T Gaffalione)– The three year old makes the 13th start of his career, and he comes into this one while on excellent form. While we talked about his neighbor in the gate adding lasix, for Coco, it was the stopping of lasix that may have played a big role in his last two starts. He won the $100.000 Murphy at PIM, but then followed that up with a second place showing, where beaten by a nose by Puget Sound, in the Grade 1 United Nations. He’s rested and ready to roll, and I expect him to do well.

#4- Oh Awesome One (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by D E Centeno)- Making the 43rd start of his career, this seven year old has had an awesome career. This year, the awesomeness is limited to his win in the Grade 2 Dixie at PIM on PRK Day. That was a great race, but other then that, there is not much to speak of in regards to his season. This is not a horse that likes it went, and thankfully for the trainer, an off track is highly unlikely.

#5- Sunlander (Estero Farms, ridden by Alan Garcia)- From one making their 43rd start, to this three year old making just their seventh. He is batting .500 right now for his career, and comes off a win in the $200.000 Snow Chief for CA Breds at SA. His prior two starts saw him finish well back in the running order, though one of them can probably be blamed on soft turf. The Snow Chief win earned a 100 SRF.

#6- Puget Sound (Mb Stables, ridden by A Beschizza)- While Mb Stables has three horses in the field, this is likely the one with the best shot to extend his winning streak in the race. Puget Sound is three for five this year, and his last race was an impressive looking win in the Grade 1 United Nations at MTH. Since being claimed for $45.000, Puget Sound has thrived for Mb, who has changed him into a turf router. Early Retirement made his name for himself in the AP Million, and Puget Sound has a great chance to do that too.

#7- Residue (Fractious, ridden by R Bejarano)- After winning the Grade 1 CD in his Fractious debut, the trainer put him on the grass for the first time for the Grade 1 Jaipur, and that did not go well, but the silver lining was that he did earn a 97 SRF for the 8th place finish. He’s back to the grass here, but will go long for the first time in a while. He had a great work at BEL a few weeks ago on the dirt that convinces me he is fine with the distance, but is this his surface?

#8- Proud Child (Joshua Stables, ridden by L H Colon)- Acquired in the June auction for $32.010, he made his debut for Joshua at the end of that month, at PRX, and went wire to wire to win a starter allowance. He is capable, and is not here just to help out Coco, but I would like to see a good effort at this level before I can have more faith in him.

#9- Dead Madness (John Henry, ridden by E Maldonado)- The gelding has won his last two races, and likes to do so while running at or near the lead. Last month, he ran at BEL for the Grade 1 BEL Derby Invitational, and he won. Now, it gets better, because the last three winners of the BEL Derby Invitational went on to win the AP Million as well. Of course, the last two AP Million winners also won the BC Turf. With five wins in his last seven starts, he should be one of our top contenders, and I am making him my pick.

#10- Decibel (Threshold, ridden by F Pennington)- Last year, Decibel ran second to Early Retirement in the AP Million, and opted for the BC Mile in the fall. He was decent there, but just missed out getting a piece of the purse. So far, as a five year old, the gelding continues to show the ability to be close to the winner, but the $100.000 Dangers Hour represents his only win this season.

#11- Lets Do It Big Boy (RNP Stables, ridden by B J Hernandez)- The five year old gelding returns to the track for the ninth time this season, and will be looking for his first win (or even a place) this year. He ran third in the Grade 1 Manhattan, and picked up a few fourth place checks as well, so he can be competitive with this group. Certainly, he is capable, but I also have the feeling that he has to have the perfect race to get a win, and that may not come from post 11.

#12- General Ferro (Mb Stables, ridden by L Contreras)- Since being moved to the turf at the beginning of the year, General Ferro has put together some pretty results, highlighted by a wire to wire win in the Grade 3 Pennine Ridge. After that, he tried doing the same in the Grade 1 BEL Derby, which is a furlong longer, and he came up short. This is the same distance as the BEL Derby, and that’s nothing the distance meter can’t fix. (Supposedly).

#13- Lunar Blaze (John Henry, ridden by J R Velazquez)- This will be the 36th start for the 2016 winner of this race, and the fourth time he has run in the AP Million. While that seems like a while ago, so far you have to say that 2019 has been his best season since then, so it would not be beyond the realm of possibility. He’s picked up two grade one wins this year: The Pegasus World Cup Turf, and the Kilroe Mile. While I believe the trainer’s other runner is a stronger chance to win, Lunar Blaze is the type of gritty veteran that can find a little more left in the tank.

#14- Confined (Mb Stables, ridden by Mario Gutierrez)- The biggest obstacle for this one is obviously being confined to the outside post. Since being gelded in March, the three year old has had a better nose for the wire and would love to get his third straight win. We last saw him in the Grade 3 Kent Stakes against a smaller field.

Prediction: 9-6-3-7

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES