1 Birthday Shot – trained by Ubetracing.com

A very lightly raced four year old she has been slowly moved through the grades since winning her only start as a two year old. Owned originally by Canadian Racing she was claimed by her current owner when winning a high end claimer the time before last and bringing her record to 4 from 6. Within a month her new trainer had upped her in grade and she took on The Distaff Handicap where she kept on well enough in s small field to suggest it wasn’t a step too far. She was second in that grade two and comes here with bottom weight, a good draw and every chance to gran some of the purse again.

2 Effie Josephine – trained by Oak Tree Stables

A prolific winner in recent starts she has certainly proved pretty good at overnight level. She won nicely last time out and there is no reason to think she won’t give a good account of herself today but I just feel she lacks top class form.

3 Red Velvet Cake – trained by Mb Stables

She was at three wins from four starts when the champion trainer claimed her from Wynnewood and since then she has been more seriously challenged at the top level. Arguably her best run was a one length fourth in the grade two Bessarabian Stakes although she also put good runs in as a three year old in The Summertime Stakes and the TC Of America. The foot has come off the gas a little at the start of her four year old campaign but she has appreciated the drop in grade to win two competitive overnights and certainly looks like the confidence boost will have helped her chances today.

4 Hehehe – trained by Maxmillion Farm

The class horse in the race she is now a six year old but seemed to be as good as ever when winning the Hurricane Bertie over this trip on Valentine ’s Day. A winner at grade one two and three she deserves top weight and to be honest the three pounds she has to give most of these would not mean a thing in real life. HRP is very different though and three pounds is more like twenty pounds so it is certainly a consideration when looking at putting some money on her to win. Her works look as good as ever and I expect her to win this with a bit in hand though and cannot believe a couple of bags of sugar can stop her.

5 Clutch Situation – trained by D J C Racing Stables

Very cleverly placed to win 8 from 14 she has been asked to up her game since being bought at the end of last year and she has responded with some good efforts. She showed plenty of speed to make the running and end up second in The Whimsical takes last time and I suspect with three runs under her belt this year she is ready to run big today.

6 Jimmies Fivepeat – trained by Triple T Racing

Another classy and grand old campaigner she is set to top the thousand dollar win mark today. A regular in the top grade last year she raced all over the place in routes and sprints, on turf and dirt but whilst some of her best form is over a route trip she did in fact win this race last year so shouldn’t be seen as a one trick pony. You have to think she may be on the downgrade after being beaten and claimed at AQU in March but she came out for her new owner and ran respectively in the grade one Wiley last time out so maybe there are a few mile left in the legs.

SUMMARY

I would have to go for the class in this race and Hehehe but with a few that could be on the brink of the same sort of success it is a tough race to call.

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES