The Hal’s Hope (Grade 3)- $100.000 Purse
GP- For Four Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
March 27, 2021

The Hal’s Hope is a smaller Grade 3 that is taking place at GP on Saturday as a part of the FL Derby undercard. It will send older horses nine furlongs on the main track as it runs for the 18th time. The purse has varied between $100.000 and $150.000 over its life, and the distance has also bounced back and forth between eight and nine furlongs. Last year, Long Time Ago got the win for Maletto. For this race, the gate will be full, and here’s a quick look at it.

#1- Mr Grusome (Tinkey, ridden by J L Ortiz)- Making his 24th career start in this race, and he has been able to find the winner’s circle often, with 12 wins in those races. Lately, he has been a strong open allowance horse, but he did run second in the Grade 3 GP Sprint Championship last month. Been a while since he has gone long on the dirt, but he may surprise those who doubt him here. Adds have been tinkered with a bit, and that might be helping a lot.

#2- High Fives (High Voltage, ridden by A Cedillo)- Last won in August, coming in an open allowance at SAR, but since then the trainer has been entering the gelding in upgraded competition, which includes the Grade 2 San Pasqual last month. That did not go well, but in looking at his works, there is plenty of reason to think he can bounce back from it.

#3- Relate (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by T Gaffalione)- He was seen in some big races last year, including the PA Derby, but the finishing results in them are why he was dropped back down into overnights in November, which is where he has been ever since. After winning an six furlong optional claimer, he gets a renewed opportunity against graded company.

#4- Final Decision (Nakamura Stables, ridden by E Jaramillo)- Started his year well, winning the SSM Classic right here in January, but then he went to OP a month later and disappointed greatly in the Grade 3 Razorback Handicap, beating only one horse in a 13 horse field. He’s had some time to think about it, though the works seem to go back and forth a little bit. Probably a horse that I should pick and could even be among the favorites, but I am just not feeling it with him here.

#5- Range Of The Sun (John Henry, ridden by S X Bridgmohan)- This will be the 40th career start for this gelding and I feel like I have written a preview for at least half of them. Up until his win in October at the Grade 3 Durham Cup he’d been running well, but since then, he has not been doing so. The works are still great, so let’s not start thinking he is at the end of the line quite yet!

#6- Inoubliable (T Boy Racing, ridden by J R Velazquez)- A winner of three of his last four races, and two Grade 3’s are a part of that. Has only raced one time in 2021, and that was at the end of February, where he beat three rivals in the $100.000 Dominguez Memorial Handicap, for NM-breds. This race is like the others that he had won, and I think he returns to that form just fine.

#7- Crack Dab (Gdp Inc, ridden by Ru Fuentes)- This horse that was a thrill to talk about last August when he ran second in the Whitney and then won the Pacific Classic has been looking to return to the winner’s circle. He might be getting closer, as his last two starts have been third place showings where he was coming on late at a slightly shorter distance. Be watching for him in the stretch, although you never know if a tactical change gets made, especially now.

#8- Southern Attitude (Arindel, ridden by S R Bahen)- Picked up a couple weeks ago in the auction from Mb Stables for an affordable $17.980. He is on a three race winning streak, but was never tested by Mb at the stake level. Recently, he was impressive in a work right here, and regardless of how he runs here you have to wonder if this one simply got lost in the shuffle of his old barn.

#9- For The Boys (Rock Creek, ridden by L Saez)- Picked up by the trainer in private sales in the middle of February for $75.000, and made his debut in Rock Creek silks last month at the Fool Handicap, placing fourth. In that, the trainer turned him from a horse going long into a sprinter, but the veteran of 30 career starts has mostly been a router, and here he will likely be glad to be back at it.

#10- Red Divos Alliance (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by D Davis)- Still a horse that is struggling to find the winner’s circle. He has now made 18 starts, and only has one career win. Most of those starts have been in overnights, and he is always competitive, often finishing within a length. He works well, and as long as he continues to do so, he will keep getting these chances.

#11- Telladifferentstory (Nakamura Stables, ridden by J Alvarado)- The story of this horse lately seems to be that he has two good starts, and then a bad one. So, fortunately for the trainer, he comes into the Hal’s Hope off of a disappointing finish in the Mineshaft, but at the same time, he was within a length from the win. He also ran in that on only two weeks of rest, so he is much fresher for this race.

#12- Izzy Mandelbaum (YME Stable, ridden by M E Smith)- Been a consistent finisher over his career, being a part of the exacta in nine of his ten races, with three wins. That has earned him this shot at his stake debut, and he did run nicely in his last, an optional claimer at SA. Starting on the outside is tough, however.

Prediction: 6-8-9-7

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES