The Lang Stakes (Grade 3)- $200.000 Purse
PIM- For Three Year Olds
Six Furlongs on the Dirt
May 21, 2022

The Lang Stakes is part of the festivities on the undercard of the PRK, but the horses will not have to run nearly as long. It is only a six furlong race, giving three year old sprinters a chance to impress in front of a large virtual crowd. The race first appeared in 2005, and for a purse half of its current $200.000, and would lose it’s graded status after the 2010 running. In 2020, it would become a Grade 3 stake once again, and was won by Iron Return, for Alydar Stables. Last year, Estero Farms took a trip to the winners circle with Settle The Score Vr. It would be his last race for that trainer, and he now runs in the silks of John Henry, having a solid career. This race will have seven going to the post, and the first impression of the field is that it is filled with up and comers while not having as many proven stars, so it’s a great opportunity for all of them!

#1- Coolio Code Party (Night Rider Stables, ridden by Ch Marquez)- Struggled early in his career, and that would lead to him being auctioned by Mb Stables after four starts for a mere dollar. Yep, that’s it. Raced once for T Boy Racing, and was then claimed for $3.500. Now with Night Rider Stables, he’s raced well in two starts, and won one of them, but still has not been anywhere this level of competition yet. Clearly blossoming in this barn, though.

#2- King Pigeon (Delta Farms, ridden by D E Centeno)- A lightly raced horse, with only three starts having been made so far. After making his debut, he would be gelded and has since won both of his starts after the geld. The maiden victory came at TAM in February, and then two months later, he looked sharp in his allowance win at PRX. If he runs like that again, he can certainly win this race and may be a horse to keep an eye on in the future, but we have to see how this goes, first.

#3- Viking Lucy (Rock Creek, ridden by J Pimentel)- This Viking Jedi gelding has three wins in nine starts and will be making his graded debut after appearing in a handful of ungraded stakes. None of his wins were in one of the stakes, but he did take a $93.000 allowance at CD, and that could be just as good of a field, if not even better. We last saw him out at TUP, in the $60.000 Rollins Stakes, and he ended up third, finishing within a length of the victor. Seems to get a little better with each race, even if the finishing positions do not actually show that.

#4- On My Toes (The Freakshow, ridden by S Elliott)- If you like horses that know how to win, then this is the horse for you. On My Toes has won six of the ten races he has been in, and has hit the board in all but one of them. He was particularly good in starter allowances, as The Freakshow took advantage of the $6.500 claiming race he got him from quite well. Also has finished third against good company in the $100.000 Winkfield, and in his last start, won the $150.000 Eddie Stakes for CA-breds. Absolutely no reason to think that he can’t take this next, logical, step.

#5- Caliguska (Mb Stables, ridden by A Cedillo)- While this gelding had a steady two year old campaign, he is starting to come into his own quite well over his last four starts. In that time, he was two victories, with one of them coming in the $110.000 Ocala Sophomore at TAM. Off of that seven furlong race, the trainer wanted to see what he could do running long in the Grade 3 Lexington, but the KYD-prep hail mary did not go according to plan. He’s back to sprinting here, and it seems to be what is best for him.

#6- Red Ranger (Arindel, ridden by J R Velazquez)- In his fifth start, Red Ranger broke his maiden in a maiden claimer at WO, and Arindel clearly was glad that he was never claimed. After that win, which was a month ago, he was entered in the $125.000 Woodstock Stakes on May 1st, and ran a respectable third. Now, here in the Lang Stakes, he is about to make his third start in five weeks. He hasn’t been raced heavily up to this stretch, so I am optimistic that he will handle that part fine.

#7- No More Rattle (Bigchief Stables, ridden by M Franco)- Here is the highest earner in the field, making a little more than $200.000 for his career. He can thank a big win in the $200.000 Lively Shively for a large portion of that. Since then, he has only been racing more than a mile, and all in KYD preps. That would not go well for him, including a particularly flat performance in the BG Stakes. It’s back to sprinting, and for him, it probably couldn’t happen quick enough.

Prediction: 4-2-5-3

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES