The Inside Information – Grade II
GP Race #7 7f Dirt Graded Stake
Purse $200.000 For Fillies And Mares Four Years Old And Upward.
1 Sass Arindel Gutierrez R
This is a race with some big names in it so when you see a horse that ran in a one win allowance at CT last time and got beat you have to go right past it despite a few positives which may of course see a shock win. The ace draw is good over this trip and having worked 1.10 and 3 you cannot doubt the potential here. The emerging star trainer Arindel is in the driving seat so that is another mark of respect but even with all those ticks there are too many crosses for me to give her a serious chance.
2 Zero Twist John Henry Bahen S R
Seven furlongs can be a specialist trip so i like the fact that this ones last two wins have been over this trip. Drawn the perfect draw and working below 58 for the 5 and 1.10 and 2 for the 6 you have to give her a chance despite the fact she comes up against some of the big names in the game. If there was a good each way bet it would be this one.
3 Precise Performance Mb Stables Gonzalez Ru
The winner of the grade one Ballerina over this trip and a close and closing second in the BC Fillies and Mares Sprint last year she had won the BC Distaff the year before and is one of the best females in training at the moment. A likely favorite and rightly so she has the draw as well which makes her chances of the win even higher. The fact that she has only had a wide draw in two of her last ten and a good draw like this in the rest may make her record look better than it is but heck it is very hard to find fault in it. The only chink i can find in her armor is that she was beaten in her first four races last year after the BC win so if history repeats itself then it may be worth trying to find some better odds.
4 Lady Sammyantha The Sidley Stud Beschizza A
Another seven furlong specialist she was only a half length behind Precise Performance in the BC after winning the Raven Run previously so you have to give her a live chance. She hasn’t publicly worked this year and was last seen on Boxing Day when fifth in the La Brea so we wont know how she has progressed since turning four. She doesn’t get the weight allowance now so that could be the telling factor at this early point in the year.
5 Notorious Return TwinTowersRacing Stein J
Another four year old that ran in the BC Sprint she was third a whisker behind Precise Performance but like the filly inside her will have had to have improved to turn the tables as she no longer gets the three year old weight allowance. Having said that she was really consistent last year and improved from Allowance level to grade one contender and that is often a good sign that they carry on improving at four. The trainer is like the horse a great trier who always gives you a run for you money so if she is fit enough then she wouldn’t be easily over looked.
6 Five Star Queen Angelos Stable Saez G
Whilst her form fits this type of race this is hotter than a lot of grade two’s and she may just be up against it. Having said that she has won ten races so certainly knows where the winning post is and is another that loves this trip. I can’t see her winning but just maybe she could find a small pay check.
7 Grand Cyclone Smokey Stover Alvarado J
Bought this one for $750 less than Fractious had paid for her two races previously and then duly won the Sugar Swirl in her first start for the new trainer. She also ran in that BC Sprint and was only two lengths off the winner in sixth and close enough to those that beat her to suggest the horrible draw may have been the big difference. She won the Princess Rooney over this trip and finds a much better draw than she did in the BC so i suspect we may just see her right in at the finish. The trainer is of course in form at the moment and this may just make the start to their year even better.
8 Ms Joyce RNP Stables Lopez P
Ran on well to be just a length behind Grand Cyclone in the Sugar Swirl and also ran third in the grade one Test as a three year old so must carry some respect into this race. An eight race winner she has plenty of miles on the clock but her works are still very solid and she does not look out of place in this company. The draw of course will make things tricky so the win may be beyond her but she would not surprise if she got in the money.
9 Dan Patch Waldo Albarado R J
She is a bit difficult to weight up but she was sixth in the SA Oaks and has won three grade three’s so she shouldn’t be taken lightly. A sub 58 five furlong work says she has made some nice progression since her last start in October last year but she will have to be flying to win this from a rotten draw. Another that can’t be written off but place money looks best.
10 Canary For One Mo Mentum Farm Espinoza V
This one gets the car park and whilst she is an improving sort this sort of level may be too soon for her. Certainly capable as she has shown in her five wins she will need the race engine to carry some algorithms for her to be a winning chance.
SUMMARY
This is certainly a good looking race and i think that Grand Cyclone may be the answer. Precise Performance tends to take a while to get going early in the year but she looks nailed on for a top four and of the rest, well it will be very tight and a lot may depend on the pace of the race.
Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES
