Lafayette Stakes
KEE Race #2 7f Dirt Stake
Purse $400.000 For Three Year Olds.

I feel that this race may have snuck under the radar of some of the players here at HRP. With only seven runners for a $400.000 prize, you would think there was more than seven three-year-olds willing to have a go, but such is the time of year when all eyes are on the KYD. I can think of twenty at least that ran in KYD qualifiers that would’ve been better suited by this race distance.
One man’s oversight is another’s prize though, and six trainers will contest for a very nice prize on the under card of a big race day, here is how they line up:

1 Knorth Kinght Our Athletes Velazquez J R 120 —

This one was trucking along nicely winning three in a row including the Swale Stakes over this trip. The mile and an off track tripped him up in the Gotham but back to his graded stakes winning trip here, he would have to have found himself in good spot. Drawn the ace he should easily get onto the speed and from there he may prove too good.

2 Cinco de Mayo D J C Racing Stables Moore R L 120 —

His form is a little up and down and his one attempt at stakes level saw a never really dangerous sixth in the Southwest, but I do think he is up to this level if giving his best effort. He will need a strong pace if he is going to run his normal pattern from this gate as I see him as more of a miler, but his works are sharp, and the stable is on fire.

3 Zions Mission London Racing Corrales G 120 —

There is nothing better than an unbeaten horse and with four in a row, including an ungraded stakes win this one has certainly proved he loves winning and hates losing. This is a big test today, but I liked the way he dug deep to win in the mud last time and the fact that this trip looks perfect for him. His works are a little off the best here so he will have to outrun those, but it happens these days, and I wouldn’t let that fact put you off.

4 Parisian Arrow Asgar Centeno D E 120 —

Won a nice sprint maiden at DMR before going the KYD route and failing, spectacularly in the Bataglia Memorial last time out. He was better in the Southwest before that when a close fifth, but I do think this drop back to sprinting is what he has been crying out for. The works are good so I guess it comes to where he can position in the running here from a mid-pack draw. He led all the way to win his maiden so that is an option, but I think if he can slot in just behind the speed he may be seen at his best.

5 Smack Fractious Franco M 120 —

Every year there is a trainer that seems to get a magic touch, almost the same magic touch as Mb has had for years. This year it is Fractious that takes that mantle and here is a good example of a horse from the yard. Only three races, one win, a poor run in the Gotham last time and out working this field like they are weekend hacks. His maiden win came over seven furlongs and like every three-year-old that can work anywhere in the top 100 he went the KYD route when taking on the Gotham. To his trainer’s credit that experiment was not pursued, and he comes back to a trip that is far more in his ballpark. I think this one wins, plain and simple.

6 Imperious Fractious Lopez P 120 —

Out of the two stable runners, there is this one who has placed at grade one, run well in BC and is being totally out worked by his one-win stable mate, such is HRP these days when works and form seem to have little correlation. A good third in the Swale behind Knorth Kinght he has yet to capture the promise of his second in the Pharaoh as a two-year-old but clearly retains enough ability to have some of the best race day form in this race. I think his stable mate beats him and I think Knorth Kinght holds him for second but third is a decent prospect.

7 Fear The Longhorn Royalty Stables Saez L 120 —

His two wins in a big-ticket maiden and Allowance at SAR and CD say he is certainly up to stakes class. His works are probably close to the best out of the runners in this race, but whenever he tackles stakes class he runs like a donkey. Beating only two horses home in 4 attempts at black type he really does look like a “morning glory” or a “lacking the class gene” type.
Having said that I do think this is a horse waiting to happen and just maybe the seven furlongs here is what will make it happen.

SUMMARY

Anything from the Fractious Stable can be treated like a runner from Mb Stables these days, they often rise to the occasion and in this case often have the help of a stable mate. I think the winner here is Smack probably from Knorth Kinght with the other Fractious runner in third, that seems the most obvious and straight forward got to bet but I wouldn’t mind risking a Disney Dollar on Fear The Longhorn because if that horse runs up to his works and promise at overnight level, he could get a surprise win here.

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded