three of sixteen but (Grade 3)- $175.000 Purse
BEL- For Four Year Olds and Upward
Six Furlongs on the Dirt
May 13, 2023

This Saturday at BEL, the Man O War will be the featured race, but the track has plenty of other exciting stake action taking place as well. One of the races on the undercard is the sixth edition of the Runhappy, which sends older horses six furlongs on the main track. It will be the fourth running of the race with an official graded designation, and there will be seven giving it a shot. The purse level sees a slight increase, from $150.000, as well. Last year, TwinTowersRacing picked up the win in the race with Rocky Mountain High but that horse has not won again though remains active. Here’s a look at those taking part in this year’s race!

#1- California Sun (Royalty Stables, ridden by K Carmouche)- Makes his stake debut here in this fourteenth start. It’ll be his third race with Royalty Stables who picked him up in a claimer from Lanfranco Stable for $32.000, and he has since won a couple of high track starter allowances, so no small accomplishment there. Usually when you see a horse experience success with a distance and surface change that they didn’t have as much of before, it’s leaving dirt sprints, but California Sun has been the opposite. It’ll be interesting to see how he steps up.

#2- Street Edge (Spankys Barn, ridden by M Franco)- We know that Street Edge has since become a star, but he had a start similar to California Sun. It was last year where he hit his best stride with five graded wins and a spot in the BC Sprint. He was well bet in that race, going off as the post time favorite, but he would disappointment many who wagered on him. He’d start this year with a couple of turf races, but since returned to the main track in his last start, the Grade 3 Commonwealth. That did not go well in terms of finish, but he did get a 99 SRF for the race.

#3- Adjournment (Bayou Star Farm, ridden by P Lopez)- This gelding has been a great claim by the trainer, picking him up for $12.500 last August, and he has since won three of five while always hitting the board. That run beginning modestly, but he would gradually be moved up the ladder in terms of purse, as well as being moved from the turf to the dirt. In his last start, he was down in Florida winning a race simply known as “The Sprint”, for FL-breds, and with that, it is now time for his graded debut. Doesn’t have a lot of recent public works, but when they have come, they’re bullets!

#4- Sting Operation (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by J R Velazquez)- The trainer will be looking to score his second straight win in the Runhappy, and saddles up Sting Operation to do so. This colt has won three of sixteen but does come off a win in his last start, in the $100.000 Shackleton with a strong late running effort. He doesn’t have to run that way though, as one of his other wins, was a wire-to-wire triumph that he took by eight lengths. SRF’s have been showing gradual improvement, earning him this opportunity.

#5- Two More Wishes (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by L Dettori)- Picked up by the trainer in private sales in late November for $12.000, and has made three starts since then. In February, after running second in his first race in D J C Silks, Two More Races won the $125.000 Stymie at AQU. Afterwards, he followed that up with a better than it looks fourth place effort in the Grade 3 Commonwealth at KEE, a race where he earned a 100 SRF. It’s the 26th start for the six-year-old gelding but he’s never been as good as he is right now!

#6- Rudy Is With Me (Mb Stables, ridden by L Saez)- Last year, Rudy Is With Me was here over this same weekend, but he was running in the Peter Pan, which I’ll be getting too in a little bit! He also ran in the BEL, but that was not one of his better efforts. After that, he would run in some other great races which look great in the past performances, but none were wins, and he was eventually dropped into optional claimers. He has been resurgent in his last two and earned a 100 SRF when placing third in the Grade 3 Fleet Sprint Handicap. More of the same will make things tough on his rivals here.

#7- Contradiction (Aer Stables, ridden by D Davis)- He’s best known for running in all three of the 2021 TC races, and finishing second in the PRK and later winning the PA Derby. But it’s not 2021 anymore, and last year, he would only make $19.200 on the year despite being entered in many graded races. Finally returned to the winner’s circle in a PRX allowance, but his return to graded action after that has not gone well. It’s tough to rule out a horse that has done good things in the past, but that version of himself needs to reappear for him to have a shot at win here.

Prediction: 6-3-5-2

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES