American Stakes, Purse $100.000, G3, 1 Mile, Turf for 3+ year olds
Coming off one of the biggest racing weekends of the year you would expect there to be a lack of quality races to give owners a break in preparation for Preakness weekend but that is just not the case. When owners were entering horses for this Grade 3 battle for 3 year olds and older going a mile on the turf I don’t think that they felt that they would be running into a potential monster, but that could be the case here. This race is a battle between four and six year olds, recent claimer winners vs. BC runners. Let’s take a deeper look into this field.
1-A Crystal Brooklyn (Aer Stables)- A Crystal Brooklyn comes in with a good run of form, winning three of his last five races, with both of his non wins second place finishes. A Crystal Brooklyn was a recent $37.000 purchase by Aer Stables from Sanny Village for $37.000 directly after Sanny Village put a claim in for him out of an OC race. Aer Stables then tried to step up A Crystal Brooklyn and he finished a good second at SA. Since the race A Crystal Brooklyn has been training well so owner Aer Stables, fresh of his KYD win, probably decided that this was a good solid spot to place him. This will be A Crystal Brooklyn’s first chance against graded stakes company; will the jump in class be too much? I feel this is where the horse belongs however this is a tough field.
2-Spanish Twirl (Nakamura Stables)- Spanish Twirl is a two time overnight stakes winner on turf however these wins were in January 2014 and August 2014. Most recently Nakamura Stables got a win from Spanish Twirl in a $35 claimer at SA, then came back with a second in an allowance race at SA however this was on a good turf course. Whatever Nakamura Stables did with Spanish Twirl in those two races has really woke him up. Spanish Twirl has since been burning up the turf course in the mornings with back to back blistering workouts one at a mile at AQU and the other going 6f down the hill at SA. These works have to have pleased Nakamura Stables and prompted him to place Spanish Twirl in this spot. I think this horse may be a major factor at the end.
3-K T (Downwind Stables)- If you look at running lines for each horse running here K T towers above the rest. K T has won multiple Grade 3 races and is also Grade 1 placed. KT also has run in multiple BC races and placed 2nd as a 2 year old. 2015 hasn’t been the best year for K T up to this point only hitting the board one time on three starts. K T’s most recent win is an allowance race in December of 2014, and his most recent stakes win was in September of 2014 at PRX. K T also comes into the race working well working sub 1:35 miles on the turf. This shows me that the horse still has something left in the tank, and he is just trying to find his friends so he can get back to his winning ways. Will K T’s class carry him to victory here? He looks tough.
4-Steel Kelp (PJR Farms)- Steel Kelp is a six year old gelding who is going to hit the track for the 39th time and it appears that this is the first time he is trying graded stakes company, and the second time he is running in a stakes race. Steel Kelp is coming in on a nice run winning back to back OC races at SA in nice times. Steel Kelp also seems to be working well with the trainer up at the track during this win streak. PJR Farms appears to have decided to give this old boy a shot after those two wins and cannot be happy with the other horses that he has seen enter this field. Can Steel Kelp step up and win a big one and make his owner PJR Farms look like a genius? It is possible but I think it is going to be a tough task against this field.
5-Power Ball (Nakamura Stables)- A recent $40.000 claim for owner Nakamura Stables, stepped up Power Ball last out to ungraded stakes company and Power Ball finished in a dead heat for 6th. Nakamura Stables saw enough from Power Ball in that race to step him up again this time to the graded stakes level. Power Ball comes into the race not having won since sprint on the turf back in August of 2014. Power Ball has been working well in the morning going sub 1:35 miles on the turf, but hasn’t been able to translate that to victories in the afternoon. Power Ball appears to me to be a nice horse but think that he is not as good as his stable mate, and feel he may have an uphill battle in this race.
6-Antelope Storm (Frozen Tundra)-Antelope Storm likes to win races, and has won 6 of 11 that he has entered. Antelope storm is also a multiple overnight stakes winner on the turf with his most recent stakes win coming at DMR in November 2014. Since that win Frozen Tundra has stepped Antelope Storm up to a Grade 2 races and finished 5th and then tried another overnight stake and finished 8th. Since the last 8th place finish there has only been two published works from Antelope Storm but both were fast and it makes me believe that this horse still has something left in the tank. Can Antelope Storm overcome his recent form and get back to his winning ways? His works and his desire to win could possibly help him get there.
For being a smallish field there is a lot of class in this race headed by the former BC placed runner K T. Even with that said I don’t think that this is as simple as saying that K T is going to walk over this field as there are some other runners here that have peaked my interest. The recent form of older horses recently has made me take a step back and take a deeper look at this field. With that said here is my top four selections for the race in order of preference 2-3-1-4, best of luck to all the owners.
Warbucks
Categories: Grade III
