Crosby Stakes (Grade 1) (BC)- $400.000 Purse
DMR- For Three Year Olds and Upward
Six Furlongs on the Dirt
July 29, 2023
A spot in the BC Sprint is on the line at DMR on Saturday, as the 20th edition of the Crosby Stakes will be going to post. This Grade 1 event has seen some great winners in the past, including two horses that did so twice: Sweeper in 2011 and 2013, and then Z One Chance in 2018 and 2019. Also, a past winner was a nine-year-old Alpha Ultimo in 2009 in what was his next to last career victory. Despite this race meaning so much for the BC, the purses have, comparatively, not been as high as one would think, being either $250.000 or $300.000 before receiving the bump to the current $400.000 level last year. The late Shifu Tan would be the first horse to get the winner’s share of that purse, as he scored the win for John Henry and kept runner up Expert Eye from winning the race in back-to-back years. As expected, the starting gate is full for the race, so let’s take a look at those taking part!
#1- Retaliate (Fractious, ridden by M Franco)- This is the only three-year-old in the field, and that will get him a five-pound weight advantage over the rest of the field. He’ll probably need that, as even though there is nothing wrong with what he has done in his career to this point, he’s making his graded debut, so suffice to say he has never seen a field of this caliber. Fractious claimed him for $20.000 back in January, and the gelding has won two of four since, highlighted by the $175.000 Maxfield stakes at CD earlier this month.
#2- Dancing Rattler (Martyparty, ridden by L Saez)- Over his last six starts, Dancing Rattler has been a part of the exacta on each occasion, winning twice. Two of his second-place finishes saw him narrowly miss out on the win in a tight photo, though both of the wins were also by a neck. While it does not really matter for this race, Dancing Rattler has been particularly good at the seven-furlong distance, which will be meaningful come BC time. That consistency has allowed him to be second as of right now in points for the BC Sprint, so he’ll be one to watch then. He is for this race as well, having earned triple digit SRF’s in four of his last five races.
#3- Tiz Trippi (Rock Creek, ridden by E Jaramillo)- Picked up by Rock Creek in private sales a little more than a year ago for $160.000, and he’s won two of ten since then, with four additional second place finishes. He would run in the Crosby last year, but it would his worst race to date while running in the Rock Creek silks, so this will be a good chance for redemption. Ran a nice race back in February in the Grade 3 Palos Verdes Stakes at SA and will need to have a similar effort here. Good news is, he’s fairly consistent in his race times, so he should be able to do that.
#4- Surprise Authority (Spankys Barn, ridden by L Luzzi)- The last time this horse made a trip to the winner’s circle, it was in May of 2022 at WO after an optional claimer. He’s only made eight starts since then and has done a very good job getting some part of the purse for his trainer, but Spankys Barn would like to get the winner’s share of it. Comes out of the $225.000 Kellys Landing at CD at the start of the month and was a competitive third there. Capable of a breakout at any time and winning, but also it may tough to pick him to do so.
#5- Rudy Is With Me (Mb Stables, ridden by P Lopez)- Last year at this time, he was running in big races out at the Spa, participating in both the Dandy and the Travers. It would be on New Years Eve where he was cut back to sprinting distances, and he’s generally done well in them. After good runs in a couple of handicaps during the spring, he got the win in the Grade 3 Runhappy at BEL in mid-May. Then, something happened, and he pulled a no show for the True North, something he has not made a habit of over his career. I’m confident that he can bounce back from that, and so is the trainer if he is entered here.
#6- Iron Mine (Fractious, ridden by F Geroux)- Speaking of the True North, that is also the last time that we saw Iron Mine in a race, but unlike Rudy Is With Me, he would run a strong race and finish as the runner up, to On Schedule. He will get a chance at revenge on that one here. Lately, Iron Mine has been finishing in that second position, with three straight finishes there. The last time he won was back in September for the Gallant Bob, and he also got a win in the Amsterdam, a race that is also running on Saturday.
#7- Chemical Burn (Mb Stables, ridden by D Van Dyke)- Had a decent career in overnights, but would pass through several trainers in the process via claims. The last time he was claimed, it was for $25.000, when he caught the eye of Mb Stables. That, of course, is usually noteworthy, as Mb is not going to claim a five-year-old gelding to keep running them in claimers. Chemical Burn would win a starter allowance, and then proved his worth in the Grade 3 Fleet Sprint Handicap at OP in April, capturing that as well. Idle since May, when he was fifth in the Grade 3 Triple Bend Stakes.
#8- Demon (Wood Duck Stables, ridden by Mar Garcia)- It may not be a good idea to bet against a Demon when they’re running hot, and this Crossing The Rubicon is just that. He has won his last two, taking the Aristides BC at CD in June and then following that up well by winning the Grade 2 Nerud at BEL at the start of the month. This has Demon in good position to make the BC Sprint for the second year in a row. Last year, he ran in the middle of the field, after an uncharacteristic slow start. Put forth a bullet work here on the 19th, so he is ready to go for this one.
#9- On Schedule (Mb Stables, ridden by J R Velazquez)- At the start of his career, sprinting was nothing new to him, but then On Schedule started going long and won two graded races at twelve furlongs in late 2022. He would start this year off with a dud in the Pegasus World Cup but followed that up well enough. In June, he would be go back to a sprint for the first time in over a year and won the Grade 2 True North, topping Rudy Is With Me, Iron Mine and Dancing Rattler along the way. If he did that before, he could do it again, but he has to be better than he was in the Nerud earlier this month.
#10- First Fleet (High Voltage, ridden by D E Centeno)- It has been over a year now since this one was claimed for just $4.500, but High Voltage is obviously thrilled with the result. For a while, the trainer was content in running First Fleet in allowances, and the Niner Forty Niner gelding did adequately. In April, a second-place finish at SA in an optional claimer would lead to his graded debut in the Grade 2 Eclipse Stakes at WO. He handled that well, and then followed it up by winning the $225.000 Kellys Landing. He’s peaking right now, so this is the right time to take this shot against some of the best in the division. Had a bullet out of 240 works at five furlongs on the 20th.
#11- Stormy Liberal (Big Guns Stables, ridden by F Prat)- This five-year-old gelding has managed eight wins over 24 starts, and is just a couple bucks shy of $500.000 in earnings. Early in his career, he was mainly running in overnights, although you will see a few stakes starts sprinkled in along the way. It would not be until recently where he began to succeed at this level, beginning with a third place run at the Palos Verdes Stakes. Since then, he’s consistently hit the board but still is looking to break through with a stake win. It seems inevitable but faces his biggest test right here. Working exceptionally well, and figures to have a great shot.
#12- Plan To Wheel (Fractious, ridden by A Cedillo)- Fractious gets the rail, the outside, and the post right in the middle here for the Crosby Stakes. Plan To Wheel has been in this race before, placing sixth last year. After that, he was second in both the OBrien Stakes and the Vosburgh but would not take part in the BC Sprint. Been running well of late, with three straight triple digit SRF’s and a win in the Grade 3 Kona Stakes. Ran at BEL at the start of the month in the Nerud and was fourth in that event. Seems on track to make it into the BC this year but could still use a strong result here.
Prediction: 2-8-11-6
— NS
Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES
