Seabiscuit Handicap – Grade II
DMR Race #7 1 1/16m Turf Graded Stake
Purse $250.000 For Three Year Olds And Upward.
1 By The Night O Bay Oval Express Farms Hernandez J J 120
This horse has won 5 of his 24 and not placed in one of the rest which is an unusual record but with four of those wins coming this season you have to respect the fact that he is rapidly climbing his improvement curve. He won the Niagra well two back but i was more impressed with his effort to win the Lure last time under a penalty. I would have been pretty keen on him from this draw but he has been given a pretty bg weight considering he is only getting a pound from the BC Turf fourth placed finisher so whilst he may well be improving quick enough to win he isn’t as strong a choice with 120Lbs.
2 Straits Of Hormuz Nakamura Stables Hernandez C J 118
Gets in with bottom weight but when you look at his form and compare it with the top weight who only has three pounds more he shouldn’t really be in contention. Of course regardless of form his works are as good as any and he has been pretty consistent at overnight level and sometimes 3 Lbs can seem like a three length advantage at HRP so you never know especially with the Nak factor on his side.
3 Lets Do It Big Boy RNP Stables Pennington F 121
This wonderful veteran ran his heart out as always in the BC finishing a brilliant fourth in the Turf after a gutsy grade three win prior. This evergreen son of Cherokee Sunset is all class and guts and should be able to give this field a few pounds and a sound beating.
4 Cinnamon Strike Smokey Stover Gutierrez Mario 118
This four year old winner of four gets in very light here especially when you consider the good fifth in the BEL Gold Cup and the strong performances in top flight overnight company. the trainer may have beaten the handicapper here and certainly has if you just take work times into account so i would expect a big effort.
5 City Watch John Henry Tunon M 120
He was very good as a three year old and was building nicely through this campaign but that progress stalled when upped into grade two and one company in his last two. He certainly has the latent ability to win this if things go right for him but he has struggled to settle on a running style and has been flipping around being a leader or a closer and that can sometimes not help with consistent performances. If the trainer gets the instruction right and Tunon decides to follow them he must be a chance.
6 Sparky Laga Angelos Stable Beschizza A 119
another that was improving through the season he too has hit the wall in his last two but that may have been a draw problem rather than ability so we will have to wait and see if he turns up today. You can’t knock his record but i just have the feeling he has already come to the end of his season.
7 Off Track Torcher Maxmillion Farm Davis D 119
You can never write the turf king off in these types of races and this one worked a 1.34 and 2 on this track for the mile so that puts him right in it. The problem here is that he is a three year old in a handicap which makes him way worse at the weights with all but one of the runners so whilst i would be keen at weight for age i cant give him a winning chance in this.
8 Rebel Storm Fractious Bravo J 118
Claimed for just twenty dollars two back he has won both races for his new stable and earns a crack at a purse. Both those races were in routes and they are the only times he has run over ground so the new trainer may just have cracked the shell of a stakes winning nut. The works say he is a lot better than a claimer and if there is one that may just upset the more accomplished ones it is this .
9 Cool Dude Que Nakamura Stables Court J K 120
The second from Nakamura Stables he was just behind Lets Do it Big Boy in the Knickerbocker and doesn’t get enough weight to turn those tables especially with the wide draw. A consistent sort who is lightly raced he is certainly in the mix but doesn’t stand out.
SUMMARY
I rather like Rebel Storm for this as very often a lightweight that has found a vein of form is a good bet. Lets Do it Big Boy will give his all as always and Cinamon Strike and Straits Of Hormuz shouldn’t be left out of calculations.
Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES
