San Felipe Stakes – Grade II
1 1/16 Mile Dirt Graded Stake Purse $200.000 Three-Year-Olds. At SA

San Felipe Stakes is an economically priced qualifier for the KYD which has a few runners that have already qualified for the Derby. In fact, the top two on my handicap have already qualified and make a pretty substantial wall blocking the hopes of others which would appreciate that free entry into the Big Show. TwinTowersRacing’s Sinissipi Swinger looks like the likely favourite here off his victory in the Grade III Lewis Stakes. Winning here would make it four in a row, and I expect just that. Second choice and also already in the KYD is D J C Racing Stables’ Weaponize which won the Grade III Holy Bull Stakes. I think most likely to get past those two and earn their way in are Heel Turn and/or Fandom. Here’s the field:

Horse                                  Owner                               Odds  SRF

Sinissipi Swinger               TwinTowersRacing            *2-1        97

Weaponize                          D J C Racing Stables          5-2        97

Heel Turn                              Bigchief Stables                 3-1        96

Fandom                              Aer Stables                         4-1        96

Bank Robber                      Our Athletes                        5-1        97

Quantum Pursuit                TwinTowersRacing             6-1        96

Up To No Good                   Riggins Racing                   6-1        92

Suffering Fools                   Alydar Stables                    8-1        92

Political Star                       Big Guns Stables              10-1        89        

Magic Fighter                      Maxmillion Farm               12-1        92

Ethereum Hack                   Family Racing                  20-1        89

Petit A Petit                        Jerry Garcia Racing          20 1        91

ae-Blacketer                       Panionios Racing             30-1        90

ae-Olden Times                  Paradise Stable                30-1        89

ae-Bronx Copper                Langley Farms                 30-1        87

1  Weaponize              D J C Racing Stables                         97

Only five races and Weaponize is loaded, having already earned his trip to the KYD with his win in the Grade III Holy Bull Stakes at GP. That was a nice 1 1/16 mile race coming from behind and showing his like for the longer routes. His performance was powerful enough to make me think he could see to it no one else gets a free trip today.

2  Suffering Fools              Alydar Stables          92

Suffering Fools went into the Grade III Withers as the favourite based on two wins and two seconds for four races, never lost by more than a neck, but maybe that was too simplistic. Those races were just maidens and allowances… never a stakes challenge. The result was a distant seventh. We will have to see how the experience has suited him.

3   Quantum Pursuit                Mb Stables                96

For Quantum Pursuit, a very impressive performance, stepping up from a maiden win straight into a second-place finish beat only a neck in the Grade III Lewis Stakes. He followed that up with a 1:36 4/5H mile work locally and looks primed for this. Coming from the world’s top barn, I expect nothing but a top five run. This is the race dark horse.

4   Sinissipi Swinger                     TwinTowersRacing              97

Sinissipi Swinger went into the Grade III Lewis Stakes never having raced in a dirt route of any kind, much less a qualifier. He came in off back-to-back sprint wins, including the $125.000 TP Prevue. Much to everyone’s surprise, he handled the mile and the classy race like an old pro and earned a trip tom the KYD. Looking at his competition here and form, I’m betting he will string it out to four wins in a row and deny someone else the free trip.

5   Ethereum Hack             Family Racing                89

Ethereum Hack ran third in his debut in a maiden claimer at TUP where he was claimed from Greyhound for $4.500. He then won a big-ticket maiden at AQU and here he is.

6   Fandom           Aer Stables         96

After coming into the Grade III Lewis Stakes undefeated, great things were expected of Fandom, especially by me, and let’s face it, he did really well for the third race of his life being in a Graded stakes race as he stalked into the stretch from seventh and finished fourth beaten only a half-length. I think he will learn from that and appreciate the added distance.

7   Political Star                       Big Guns Stables                         89

After running third in the State Bred $500.000 NY Stallion Series – Great White Way, Political Star stepped up and won the $150.000 Jerome at AQU which gave him his ticket to the KYD. Then looking for experience or hoping to stop another ticket taker, he entered the Grade II Risen Star Stakes and disappointed. Now he’s back to try that again.

8   Bank Robber                          Our Athletes            97

Fancy looking form for

Bank Robber with three wins and a third from four starts. It’s a little problematic, though, in that all the races are State Bred and none are longer than seven furlongs. The seven-furlong win was the $135.000 Runyon at AQU, though. So, race five will be the big challenge being at 1 1/16 mile and a Grade III stakes race.

9   Magic Fighter                        Maxmillion Farm              92

Back in July Magic Fighter won the Grade III Sanford at SAR which was enough to get him into the BC Juvenile where he ran a too late closing sixth. He then took time off until January where he ran fourth in the Grade II San Vicente Stakes locally. During that time off he was sold by his breeder Grimley for $400.000. After the San Vicente. He won an overnight at GP at today’s distance, then followed that up with a 1:36 3/5H mile work.

10   Up To No Good                         Riggins Racing        92

Up To No Good looked fantastic in the Grade I Champagne as he swept home from a deep close to third only beat a half-length. That was enough to get him into the BC Juvenile on three weeks’ rest where he, unfortunately, ran last. He followed that seventh in the $150.000 Jerome, not as bad as it looks since it was only a length back. And then a nice longshot surprise in the $250.000 Davis Stakes, a qualifier, where he registered another deep close this time second beat only a half-length.

11   Heel Turn                              Bigchief Stables             96

I got the feeling Heel Turn needed more seasoning before the BC Juvenile. As it was, he closed well to finish fifth in only his fourth race. Then he didn’t race again until February in the Grade III Lewis Stakes beat only a neck after four months off. If he gets a nice bounce from that return to racing, he could take the whole thing.

12   Petit A Petit                 Jerry Garcia Racing             91

Petit A Petit won at second asking in a big-ticket maiden sprint locally, and racing legend Jerry Garcia Racing decided to give him a shot here. No public mile works for comparison.

13   Blacketer                      Panionios Racing                 90

Blacketer is undefeated with two allowance level wins and a recent 1:36 4/5H mile work.

14   Olden Times                   Paradise Stable             89

Olden Times never lived up to all the early hype.

15   Bronx Copper                     Langley Farms               87

Bronx Copper has won two of four races but showed poorly at a mile while still testing adds.

Categories: BC 2026, Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES