The 19th Running of the G2 Californian Stakes
Saturday, April 22, 2023
SA Race #13 $200.000
4+ 123 Lbs (plus penalties) 11/8
#1 Detained (Rock Creek/SCRATCHED)
#2 Galapagos (Night Rider Stables/Ru. Gonzalez): 5yo gelding was a stakes-winning juvenile before finally dropping to the $7.500 claiming-level where this outfit won a two-way shake. Hasn’t been extremely active since that December ’21 start; however, he does own a pair of wins from five starts with this barn. Took a crack at OP G3 foes last time where he ran evenly to be 4th. His early pace makes him a fit on this engine.
#3 Boogaloo (London Racing/J.J. Hernandez): Gelding has made one start this season where he rallied nicely to be beaten only a length in a FG G3. He’s drawn a check in 11 of his 14 starts so he’s earned his keep. Lack of early foot makes him pace dependent so he’ll need some help on the front end; however, he has put together two consecutive strong rallies to just miss in similar events, and he should be hitting his best stride through the lane.
#4 Good Guy (Arindel/E. Maldonado): 4yo started his season here in a similar spot back in January where he contested the pace before finishing 4th. Came back to win a N3X last month, and showed a strong, late kick in getting the job done over a muddy surface. That stretch-running strategy may be the key to success as his last two victories have been from well off of the pace. Strong attempt but move since we last saw him should have him ready to produce a top effort here.
#5 Brave Freedom (Nakamura Stables/U. Rispoli): Winner of a January G3 almost duplicated that feat when last seen in a runner-up effort down at FG. MGSW has the most wins in the field and he should be fine with the slight class-hike he gets here. Appears to be one of the quickest horses in the field and should be able to clear the three on his inside without being pushed too hard. Logical contender needs only to maintain current form to be a factor.
#6 Nutmeg (TwinTowersRacing/R.A. Vazquez): Colt finally broke his maiden in 11th attempt but didn’t need nearly as many opportunities to clear his first condition. Looked good at GG as he led them from start-to-finish; however, water’s a bit deeper and the sharks are more formidable here. Given his pedigree, a win here could make him a viable commercial stallion option. Should be involved from the time they open the gates.
#7 Lets Celebrate (Riggins Racing/M.E. Smith): Came back from a near 15-month layoff to best $15.000 N4L claimers before a rallying, 3rd-place finish in a G3 to start his 5yo campaign. Took a $150.000 Hcp over at SUN in preparation for this assignment and has been doing all of his training on the farm since we last saw him. Like a couple in here, he’ll need help from a pace standpoint, but he appears to be a better horse than he was when he went on the shelf.
#8 On Schedule (Mb Stables/D. Van Dyke): MGSW lost a heartbreaker last out in the G2 GP Mile, but he’s holding his form quite well, if you draw a line through season-opening G1 try. The last four works since that last start appear to point to a horse sitting on another big performance. Has to overcome a bit of a wide draw but he’s done so successfully before. Could prove dangerous in a couple of different scenarios here.
#9 Angel Dust (Arindel/K. Kimura): Gelding has started his 4yo campaign with three consecutive ITM finishes in three starts. Bested CA-bred N2X runners last-out over a muddy surface; however, the pilot from that one chose to ride the barn’s other entrant here. Has yet to run poorly on this engine, and there’s nothing on the work tab to suggest a regression is forthcoming any time soon.
Final Analysis: This is a solid, if unspectacular, group for the G2 Californian. We see it 8-5-4-2 and we’ll box those numbers in exotics. Good luck to all involved!
Categories: STAKES ARTICLES
