DMR Handicap – Grade II [BC]
DMR Race #9 1 3/8m Turf Graded Stake
Purse $300.000 For Three Year Olds And Upward.
1 Andes Threshold Moran D 116
In good old HRP tradition he was turned from a sluggish closer to a sprinting front runner with the click of a button last time and i guess the question for the opposition here is will he go out like a greyhound again. Well he had the the outside draw last time in lesser company and the inside draw this time so whilst it may be a possibility i would imagine a bit more restraint without the wide gate speed push. He isn’t a bad sort apart from that and has run some honest races at this level making him a definite top three chance.
2 Trouvillle Royalty Stables Rocco J S Jr 115
These handicaps are normally won by an inferior horse carrying a feather weight and whilst this one is not a bad sort if you compare him to the top weight he is just ordinary on the form book. He showed his liking for a longer trip last time when running a great race from the wide draw to take a decent allowance at PRX and i like these older types in these handicaps especially when they get a great draw like this. So on paper he would only seem to have an each way chance but 115Lbs will certainly help him cover the ground quicker than some so there will be no writing him off.
3 Religion D J C Racing Stables Maldonado E 116
A bit like his name just when you think he makes sense he drops a clanger and he has dropped a few in his career so far. He looked good in the Tropical Park Derby last year but terrible in the TAM Stakes in his next start just as this year he has looked good at overnight level but looked not so good in the Arlington Stakes. His works are telling one story and his results are telling another so whilst he has the times to win this race off 116Lbs it does look unlikely.
4 High Fives High Voltage Davis D (+1)116
Not sure how this horse got this jockey over Andes but he did and it remains to be seen if he made the right decision. The winner of just two like most of these older horses he can work the graded stakes winning times but has yet to put that effort into his races. He has done nothing this year that suggests he is going to win which probably means that’s exactly what he will do!
5 Mickey South Shore Stables Bocachica A 123
This is a brave decision by the trainer as this three year old carries clear top weight but the win and your in carrot was enough to allow him to take the gamble and lets face it he is probably the best horse in the race by a few lengths. That however would be on levels or with the three year old allowance so it was take a gargantuan effort to overcome the handicap here. Twice a grade one winner this year already he is the best worker in the race with the best form so the 8Lbs he has to give away to some is far from unreasonable .
6 Rotarian Mb Stables Hernandez R M 117
He was a pretty good three year old running third in the San Vincente Stakes as a maiden and then running a close third in the Amsterdam but all of his two and three year old career was spent on the dirt and it is only in his last four that he has gone to the turf. Of those four runs there was an excellent second in the Man O War at grade one but then he was less convincing in his last two from wider draws. If he gets on speed from this better draw he could do well and maybe with his stable mate next to him that will be the tactic. A winning chance on his best form.
7 Mob Ties Mb Stables Gutierrez Mario (+1)117
A lightly raced four year old who looks much better than the races he has been competing in suggesting he has been sat on for a race like this. The winner of three of his last four and over this sort of trip he is working like a BC winner (as most horses do these days) and the trainer has won this race wit similar types in the past.
8 Two In The Chamber TwinTowersRacing Jaramillo E 118
One of the more accomplished in the field he gets a fair weight but may struggle to give a few of these up and comers the weight. The winner of the Elkhorn which is good for a race like this he has been less than encouraging since although is seldom not competitive. He fits nicely into the stable ethos of ‘give them a chance’ and his best would certainly put him in it at the end.
9 Louisiana Chicken Maxmillion Farm Murphy Ci 115
Gets the car park draw but also 115Lbs so i wouldn’t be writing him off especially as he hails from the turf kings barn. He has only raced six times with just the one win but it would pay to not overlook his consistent form in some good races since his maiden win especially his excellent fourth in the Connally BC Turf and equally good third in the Dangers Point. Bottom weight, lightly raced and from a stable that can find top flight turfers, this may be the value bet in the race.
SUMMARY
With the exception of Micky this isn’t a star studded ensemble and it is a shame that as a win and your in race for the BC it is unlikely to throw up a serious challenger unless the top weight can win. It is a very even race so hard to settle on one to win so i would be boxing up Andes, Rotarian, Mob Ties and Louisiana Chicken for the trifecta.
Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES
