Palos Verdes – Grade 3

SA – 6F – Dirt

For Four Year Olds and Upwards

February 5, 2023

1 West Coast Party (Martyparty) Won back-to-back stakes, including the Grade 2 SA Sprint Championship before finishing third in the Bet On Sunshine and switching to allowance level for his last start. Finished third in that one, too. Works are good. Could get part of the purse.

2 Stormy Liberal (Big Guns Stables) Finished second in the Fool Handicap (Grade 3) last March and switched to allowance and high-level claimer level with just a couple of unsuccessful tries in stakes. Will need a top effort to compete here.

3 Hard Discretion (TwinTowersRacing) Put together a nice string of graded performances last year, culminating in a win the San Diego Handicap (Grade 2) in July. That was at 1 1/16 mile. Has been running at a mile and over for the last few starts. Remains to be seen if he’ll like this shorter distance.

4 Tiger Shark (Arindel) Coming in on a two-race win streak at allowance and optional claiming level. Stakes winner in state-bred company but is yet to get it done at this level. Tends to come from off the pace, so he’ll need a good trip and a big effort.

5 Iron Mine (Fractious) Won back-to-back graded stakes and earned a spot in the gate for the BC Sprint. Finished last that day, then followed that up with a sixth-place performance in the Grade 1 Malibu. This is a softer spot and should be more to his liking.

6 Sweet Sweet Sweet (Night Rider Stables) A seven-year-old gelding with plenty left in the tank, although he has been struggling lately. Won the Grade 1 Forego in August but couldn’t hit the board in four subsequent starts.

7 Tiz Trippi (Rock Creek) Won an optional claimer last out. Before that, he had a string of three second place finishes in state-bred stakes and allowance company. Looks competitive and could have a say in this one.

8 Rogue Commando (Mb Stables) This gelding was on a roll with two wins and two seconds in graded company until he finished way up the field in the BC Sprint. In his last start in the Malibu (Grade 1), he finished tenth of eleven. If he can get back to his pre-BC Sprint form, he could be the one to beat here. Should like the softer spot.

9 Audioslave (Alydar Stables) Won the Triple Bend (Grade 2) in May. Since then, has been competing in graded company with mixed results. Best graded finish since then was a third in the Obrien. Second in the $300.000 Bet On Sunshine two starts back. Wouldn’t count him out.

Picks: 1-9-5

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES