The Kelso Handicap-GII (P3)
                          BEL Race 5 1M- Dirt
                             Purse $300.000
                       Three Year Olds and Up

A good sized field of ten runners will be ready to go here at Belmont Park for the Kelso Handicap. A lot of these runners are coming out of other stakes races and a couple are not also. It looks like it will be a competitive race and there is some good horses in here for sure. Let’s take a look at the field.

1. Made To Sin (25-5-5-2 $1409.400), trained by John Henry

Here is a very classy horse right here and he has been in a lot of tough races in his life. He is coming out off of a seventh place finish in the Pacific Classic. The out before that he ran second in the Cornhusker Handicap at Prairie Meadows where he got beat by a neck. If he runs big he will have a shot.

2. Royal Eclipse (11-4-2-3 $104.930), trained by Chili King Stables

Now this horse is coming off of a very impressive win in an optional claimer at Del Mar last put where he won by an impressive two lengths. He hasn’t been tested like he will be in this race but maybe he is ready to take the step up in class and maybe he will surprise us and get a very big win.

3. Delta Storm (12-3-3-1 $149.760), trained by D J C Racing Stables

Here is a three year old who has done most of his best running in sprint races and hasn’t ran very good routing against tough competition. He just ran sixth in the Jones Stakes at Parx and that was not a very good performance. I just think he does not want to go this far in distance and I don’t see him doing much.

4. Nice Dive (15-9-1-1 $124.040), trained by Threshold

When this horse was bought that two hundred dollars everyone called him the free track freak or the free track monster. Well now he is running on the pay side and has done pretty good so far. I think he might like turf more than the dirt but maybe he will like it and run a pretty big race.

5. Give Your All (27-12-3-4 $1421.160), trained by Mb Stables

Here is another one who is coming out of a sprint race and that was a win at Saratoga last time in a wide open allowance race going seven furlongs. He won that after an eleventh place finish in the Belmont Sprint Championship. He is stretching here so he will have to handle that and run a very big race.

6. Oklahoma (17-6-1-2 $125.450), trained by Mb Stables

Here is another one who used to be a free track runner until Mb Stables bought him for forty five dollars from Spinetingling. He won his first two races for Mb Stables and that was an allowance at Woodbine and the Alydar Stakes at Saratoga last time. He has a decent shot I think.

7. Clear My Way (13-6-1-1 $303.550), trained by Jokerjoes

This horse will be making his first start for his new trainer Jokerjoes after he was bought for one hundred and twenty five dollars off of an eleventh place finish in the grade one Whitney. He won the Cornhusker Handicap before that so obviously he has some ability. If he runs like that he could have a shot.

8. Crop Duster (20-3-8-1 $505.080), trained by Mb Stables

Here is a horse who used to be very good but has come over some rough times as of late. He hasn’t been able to find the winners circle in a long time and that really concerns me. It doesn’t matter if it’s in a grade one or an ungraded stakes he just cant find the winners circle at all. He’ll have to run very big.

9. Immortalis (12-3-2-2 $112.250), trained by D J C Racing Stables

This horse will be coming off of a stakes win but that race was also way back in July and it was also only a three horse field on the mud so I’m not sure how tough of a race it really was. If he really ran a big race that day then he has a shot in here but if that was a fluke he won’t stand a chance.

10. Highest Esteem (32-12-8-2 $729.660), trained by Axeman

The old classy gelding of the field and he is off of a third place finish in a grade two last out at Saratoga on the turf. He will be returning to the dirt in here and I think he may be better on the dirt. If he runs like he knows how to he will have a very good chance in here and I’ll make him my top pick.

Summary

Well this is a pretty tough race right here and there is some very good horses that will be going to the post for it. I’m going to make the old classy gelding Highest Esteem my top pick mainly because I just don’t see a standout in this field at all. Good luck to everyone in the Kelso Handicap.

10-6-7-1

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES