Grable Stakes- $100.000 Purse
DMR- For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old Foaled in CA
Seven Furlongs on the Dirt
November 11, 2018

As we recover from a thrilling BC weekend, the race calendar moves on and we have more races to talk about this weekend as well. The focus this weekend seems to be statebred racing, and at DMR Saturday, we will have the 16th running of the Grable Stakes. This is a long sprint for female Californians, and it has been run at both HOL and DMR throughout its lengthy history. The first four editions of the race were open to everyone, and not a statebred, though it has always been a smaller stake. This year, we get to see a field of four who look to earn the biggest win of their career. No one here has won a stake in their career, so this race will provide a nice career building block for its winner. Let’s meet our runners!

#1- Christmas Robber (Chili King Stables, ridden by A Delgadillo)- Winner of two races in twelve career starts, but has been able to hit the board with better frequency, especially in the third position. She has been seen mostly at a mile during this calendar year and is coming off a career high SRF of 90. She’s only three, so this will allow her a three point weight advantage on two of her opponents, and  playing the angle of her being a steady runner on the main track for her career against three rivals moving from the grass is something to consider.

#2- Liverpool Spitfire (Angelos Stable, ridden by V Espinoza)- Claimed by the trainer in August, and only knows how to win when running in the Angelos silks. The trainer is not sitting on the two-for-two run that she is on with him though, and is changing her up from being a five furlong turf sprinter, into this race on the main track. Recent works have been on the grass as well, and they have been good, however a dirt work in August seems very promising for this race. Picking her is simply based on whether or not you think she will flourish on the dirt, and I like her chances.

#3- Pink Peppermint (Allinthegate, ridden by N Arroyo Jr)- The script for Pink Peppermint is close to being the same as it is for Liverpool Spitfire. She, too, has spent most of her recent career as a five furlong turf sprinter. Her last start saw her come off the grass for a small PM stake, but she only placed in the middle of the field. Has some good speed figures in her past performances, but they go back a bit as she has been lightly raced this year, as well as last year. Very capable here as well in a race with no bad options.

#4- Smart Queen (Night Rider Stables, ridden by H Figueroa)- The trainer picked her up for $14.000 in a SA claiming race last month and this will be their first race together. Night Rider is optimistic about the one he has picked up since Smart Queen has mostly run in low-to-mid allowances in her career, and was a lower claimer before that. She is consistent though, with six wins in 18 starts, and 14 in the money finishes. Smart Queen is also moving to the grass, where she has been in all but her first career race.

Prediction: 2-4-1-3

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded