Summer Stakes – Grade I [BC]
WO Race #4 1m Turf Graded Stake
Purse $500.000 For Two Year Olds.

1 Alydar D J C Racing Stables Velazquez J R 120 —

It looks like DJC has a good one here as this home-bred out of emerging star sire W W Durant has gone three from four so far. Though he hasn’t raced beyond five and a half furlongs, yet his racing style suggests he will be better over further and certainly his late powerful finish that saw him capture the Skidmore last time was enough for the trainer to step him up to the mile. His works are super but from this ace gate he will have some traffic to negotiate if he is going to come from behind and for that he will need some good AI and a bit of race engine luck. If he gets it, he is a very good winning chance.

2 Last King Riggins Racing Elliott S 120 —

The stable has been on fire and after three pretty average runs on the dirt this one exploded when taken to the turf last time and that spells trouble for his rivals today. Though it was only a lowly LAD maiden he thrashed the field by five lengths and has since worked a sub 1.36 for the mile and you know what they say about stables in form, all the glitters tends to be gold. Gets in the perfect gate and although still on the small side, looks to be one that is forward enough to be a big factor in this race.

3 Terra Authority Alydar Stables Wilson E J 120 —

I am thrilled to see this one in the field, as I have a soft spot for the dam Terra Command. Stretched out over a longer trip on this surface last time he made all for a tough win and his on-pace style will stand him in good stead here with a few of the principals liking a late finish. His works are in the ballpark and the trainer looks to have found his niche, so look out rivals.

4 Black Eyed Riggins Racing Hernandez R M 120 —

The closing style which is so hard on this engine hindered him in the With Anticipation last time as he went back and though he made ground ended up last of the seven runners. Looking at his works that run was not what he is capable of, but he will be in a raft of horses looking to come late and once again his effort will be in the lap of the AI. His works are among the best, so you would expect a much better showing today.

5 Street Sense Maxmillion Farm Cedillo A 120 —

Talking of stables in form, there are none in better form than Maxmillion at the moment and he looks to lift this maiden to her first win today. Bought from the Fractious clear out, he worked a 1.10 flat minutes after being bought for $65.000 which prompted the trainer to rush him here for this BC qualifying race, and who can blame them. He has run well in three dirt maidens and if that work is a clue, then the turf may improve him enough to be the dark horse in this field.

6 Ole One Eye TwinTowersRacing Geroux F 120 —

An on pacer, he ran very well in the Funny Cide but after making the running was run down in the last furlong. He has his first run on turf today and whilst he worked well enough, I am not sure he is any better on the surface, so whilst he will give a good sight, I am not sure he can beat a few of these.

7 Mystic Talent Red Fox Farms Centeno D E 120 —

Red Fox Farms is having a wonderful first full season with their juveniles and brings this one here off the back of a stylish win in the Soaring Free Stakes last time. What I like about him is his running style here as on-pace is certainly the place to be most of the time and he was very strong off the front last time. Any moisture won’t bother him, and he looks to make this season even better for the new trainer.

8 Triangulation Acber Farms Franco M 120 —

You look at this one’s form and think OK, he las a sneaky chance then you look at his mile work and say wow. He sizzled the PRX mile in 1.35 and 1 last week and whilst that was a very hot work, we have to temper that with the fact that works have become so disjointed to race results. He ran well in the Skidmore last time running on pace until flattening out late, but that sort of run seems to be how routers can run in sprints, and I wonder whether we will see a better effort today. The wider draw suggests some wide gate speed push so he may be our early leader and if he can run up to that work then he will be hard to get by.

9 Profound Fury Mb Stables Buick W T 120 —

It is as familiar a picture as Moore on an Mb runner to see Buick on one now Moore has left the game, and they will be looking for the trademark late finish of the European champion Jockey to launch this one wide at the end. He won his maiden nicely at this sort of trip but was then a little ordinary in the Soaring Free but may have been hating the wet ground. On paper I think he has a bit to find but it seems that if anyone can find that bit it is Mb Stables and a win for this one would not be a surprise.

SUMMARY

I look at this race and I keep seeing a fast pace and Buick bringing Profound Fury late and wide to snatch the win, but there are a few here capable of big late finishes and I still think there may be one that runs just behind the pace that may get first run and hold on for the win. Which one that is of course is hard to work out, but I rather hope it is Terra Authority that achieves it.

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES