The Quick Call (Grade 3)- $175.000 Purse
SAR- For Three Year Olds
Five and a Half Furlongs on the Turf
July 17, 2022

The first Sunday of the SAR meet will feature the 13th running of the Quick Call, which is a quick race on the turf, just five and a half furlongs. A full field of twelve will be going to post for what is the highest purse ever offered by the race, at $175.000. When we first saw this race on the calendar, the only thing that is similar about it is that it was on the grass, as it was an ungraded stake at a mile, running for $75.000. It became a sprint the next year, but it would not be until 2019 when the race became graded. The race last year was won by Elijah G, for Mb Stables, who ended up running in the BC Turf Sprint and has continued to run well into his four year old season. It’s a good role model for all of our twelve in this one to have. Let’s meet those runners now!

#1- Inspector Lagrasse (Night Rider Stables, ridden by J L Ortiz)- Claimed from Dawson Farms in January of this year, the horse seemed to have responded well to the immediate geld of Night Rider, though I also feel that he was showing this potential before he was put in the claimer. He has two wins in four starts with Night Rider, including a $75.000 stake in March. So, you can phrase it like that, in a very positive manner, or you could say that he has beaten one out of the last eleven horses that he has faced. Must be better than the last two races.

#2- Norski Raider (Mb Stables, ridden by L Saez)- Last month, he picked up the win in the $150.000 Bid for NY-breds in what was a five horse field. He had been running long for Mb ever since he picked him up in the auction last fall, but in May he would be put in a five furlong stake, the $200.000 Walker, and seemed to like that better. Versatility is always a good thing for any horse, but especially if you are in a deep stable like the one Mb has.

#3- Shadow Ball (Sting Racing, ridden by D Cohen)- Like Norski Raider, he is sired by Raid Of The Mist, and they have seen each other a couple times recently, including an allowance in January, then the $75.000 Black Gold Stakes. That would also mean that Shadow Ball had been running long a lot, and he also seemed to take a liking to the cut in distance. His last race was an allowance win at PRX, which the trainer hopes to build on here.

#4- Mr Insurrection (Aer Stables, ridden by J Lezcano)- Took part in the BC Juvenile Turf last year, thanks to winning two races during the summer and fall right before it. Though the BC did not go well, Mr Insurrection rebounded with two wins, each coming at TUP. Naturally, then, that’s not going to wow many people coming from a horse that just ran in the BC but he’s picked up his level of competition since. Hasn’t raced this short of a distance in over a year, though.

#5- Next Edition (Mb Stables, ridden by M Franco)- As a two year old, he finished third in the always tough Grade 1 Summer Stakes to earn a spot in the BC Juvenile Turf Sprint. He ran fifth there, but also saw his placement drop to overnights for a while and only for his last race did he run in a stake again. That would be $100.000 Paradise Creek, and he was second at BEL that day. Traditionally has been at the front early, but of course, that doesn’t mean it will happen here.

#6- The Greek (Arindel, ridden by D Davis)- The Greek enters this turf sprint having never sprinted on the turf before. He was seen in some KYD preps, but those are not the highlights of his past performances. Recently, he has fared much better in overnights, including sprints, and now he will step foot on the turf for the time in a race. Worked very well at MTH in anticipation, so perhaps this move was long overdue.

#7- Training Wheels (Gdp Inc., ridden by R Santana Jr)- It’s been a tough for the jockey here so far, with one win in 26 starts, but Santana might be on the right horse to change that. Training Wheels has been active on the west coast, running first or second in all but one of his starts while having back to back victories. They were each turf sprints, and now he will get his stake debut here at SAR. See no reason to believe he won’t be up to the task.

#8- Pride In The Ride (Asgar, ridden by J R Velazquez)- This is definitely a horse that knows how to win, doing that in six of his eleven career races. As a two year old, that success earned him a spot in the BC Juvenile Turf Sprint, and he cashed a third place check in that race. That trend has continued this year with four wins in five starts, highlighted by the $200.000 Palisades Turf Sprint and then the Grade 2 PEN Mile. On paper, he’s the one to beat.

#9- Creepy Rocky Party (Mb Stables, ridden by T Gaffalione)- Picked up in late December for $70.000 in private sales and has proceeded to run quite well in the silks of Mb Stables. He has won three of his last four, but only one of them is a stake. That would have been last month, in the $75.000 Desert Code Stakes. The one race that he did not win in that stretch was the Palisades Turf Sprint, won by Pride In The Ride. Creepy Rocky Party was fourth.

#10- Blend (RNP Stables, ridden by J Rosario)- This one spent some time in the Mb Stables barn as well, and had a third place run in the Grade 3 Futurity last year. Following a four month layoff, he won an optional claimer then waited another four months to be auctioned off for $75.580. Seems like he lost a lot of potential time in there, but Blend reappeared on the track soon after the auction, running for RNP Stables, but he did not like the soft turf that day. With that race behind him, the new trainer will be hoping to throw that one out and get a better result.

#11- Sleepy Sunday (Rampage Stable, ridden by I Ortiz Jr)- It will be the stake debut for this gelding, and the trainer will be hoping his pattern of alternating wins every other start will continue here. The geld seems to have worked wonders for him in terms of consistency and he has been earning SRF’s in the low 90’s ever since. Worked very well here on the 11th, but must know that this Sunday is not time for sleeping.

#12- Sharkamaulu (Arindel, ridden by J Alvarado)- Won three of eight as a two year old, and that got him one of the spots in the BC Juvenile Turf Sprint. He was able to get something out of that, placing fourth and has had some solid performances this year as well. What he is missing as a three year old is a victory and he is becoming a little inconsistent. While he has many more turf sprints on his resume than his stablemate, I think I prefer The Greek over him.

Prediction: 8-11-6-9

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES