The Queens County Handicap ($125.000 Purse)
AQU- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
December 22, 2018

As we head into the Christmas Break, I want to thank everyone out there for reading and for the kind feedback that I have received both in the forums as well as through sitemail. It is nice to know that people are reading the articles. I want to take this time, then, to wish everyone on HRP a truly happy holiday season! There’s one more race for me to talk about before closing the book on 2018, and that is the 13th running of the Queens County Handicap, an ungraded stake running at the Big A. It has not been contested every year, and was not part of the schedule in 2017, not sure if that is because of scheduling or the race not filling, of course. The most successful horse in this race was Pumpillian, from Sanny Village, who won in 2009 and 2010. Those were also the last two years that this was a graded stake. Six go to post in this race, with weight ranging from 117 to 121 pounds. Here’s a look at the field!

#1- Oklahoma (Mb Stables, ridden by J Alvarado)- On the rail, this four year old gelding makes the 21st start of his career and will hope for a dry track (should be), so that he can show off the form that allowed him to win the $100.000 Alydar at SAR in August. That was his stake debut, and he was unable to step up in the Grade 2 Kelso. Now, after a pair of starter allowances on tracks only good (finished 2nd and 3rd), he’s back in stake company and will pose a threat for the win.

#2- Commander Die Hard (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by E Cancel)- In his tenth start, this colt by Commanding was finally able to find the winners circle. He’s been passed around a couple times, but it was TwinTowersRacing who figured out how to get it done for this one, as he would have the add combination of lasix and a shadow roll for the first time.. He spent a lot to acquire him, to the tune of $125.000 on Halloween. Therefore, we know there are bigger aspirations for Commander Die Hard. As the low weight, look for him to step up well here.

#3- Sweep The Fire (Nj Vets, ridden by K Carmouche)- Having won half of his races, 8 of 16, Sweep The Fire is certainly due to pick another victory as his current three race winless streah is the longest of his career. To do so, he will be dropping down from graded competition. We last saw him in late October setting the pace at the Grade 2 Fayette before dropping to eighth. His last win was a smaller graded race, the Grade 3 Iselin at MTH, which has a $100.000 purse. After some rest, the trainer hopes for a bounce back.

#4- Believe In Opus (Mo Mentum Farm, ridden by R M Hernandez)- We have seen this horse in some big races this season, which includes the Travers at SAR. That was a bit ambitious of a placement coming off an ungraded and a smaller graded stake, and he would finish towards the back. That didn’t derail him too much, because he bounced back nicely in the Grade 3 Premiers at HST, placing second. Most recently, he attempted the Marathon, and was off the board. This simply looks like a horse who has carved a good niche at this level of stake racing, though is not an elite. This is his type of race, but is the high weight.

#5- Lost In Truth (Nakamura Stables, ridden by D Cohen)- This veteran finishes off his five year old season by making his 28th career start and hopes that it can result in his first stake win. On the rare occasion he has attempted a stake, the trainer has gone big, such as running him in the Grade 1 Crosby two starts ago. His last race was his turf debut, so if we go back a little further, he put together a nice string of races in the spring and summer that he needs to repeat. So far, he has not really stepped up when the trainer has wanted him too, in regards to class. Maybe this will be different.

#6- The Spaniard (Big Jd Racing, ridden by J Rosario)- Caught the attention of many this summer when he was entered into the Grade 1 Haskell as his stake debut, and then finished second. Following that, he ran in the Travers and collected a check in that as well, running fourth. Given that, one would expect the upward trend to have continued, but it would not. In the Grade 3 Lucas Classic, he was a distant fourth, and has had about three months of rest since.

Prediction: 4-6-5-2

— NS

Categories: Ungraded