Mister D Stakes (Grade 1)- $600.000 Purse
AP- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Quarter on the Turf
August 14, 2021

It’s time for the AP Million! Or, make that the Mister D Stakes, and it’s no longer “a million”. Over the years, the AP Million has been a classic race, and one that had a lot of excitement surrounding it. It’s history in our virtual world has been pretty special, too, with Bronze Sabre winning it in back to back years in 2009 and 2010 and then Dead Madness duplicating that achievement a decade later in 2019 and 2020. Other greats have won the race, too, including Spanish Showboat, HRP’s greatest horse that never won a BC race. It’s not the AP Million, as circumstances surrounding the race track have led to purse reductions, and this race was not immune from that. It will now only race for $600.000, but still should be a great race to watch. Will this be the last such race here at AP? Well, that’s all out of our control. We have nine going to post for this edition. Here they are!

#1- Ptyrannical (Arindel, ridden by Mar Garcia)- This three year old has won four of eleven starts, but as of right now has not been able to take the next step into stake competition. All of his wins are in overnights, and two of them done very impressively in allowances at CD and SAR. He should be succeeding at this level, too, but he simply has not. The FL Derby, Holy Bull, and Kent Stakes all saw him finish well behind the winner (he was a distant third in the Kent), and the same held true for ungraded stakes as a two year old. Is he ever going to break out? I wouldn’t put money on it right here.

#2- Technic (Fractious, ridden by A Cedillo)- Picked up in private sales last September for $500.000 just six days after winning the DMR Derby. Since then, a lot has been spent in nomination fees, and he has two wins to show for it. In January, he had a strong win in the Grade 2 San Marcos, but has not built on that any further. Went wire to wire in an optional claimer at WO in his last start, but that’s not why that price tag was paid for him. It’s time for Technic to remind us why he was so highly regarded as a two year old.

#3- Winter Solstice (John Henry, ridden by S R Bahen)- It would have been cool to see Dead Madness come back here to try and win the race three years in a row, but we’ll have to settle for seeing if his trainer, John Henry, can do so. Winter Solstice has won three races this year, including the Grade 1 Man O War. Since then, Winter Solstice has been a bit cold during the summer, failing to pose a threat in either the Manhattan or the United Nations, also Grade 1’s. He shouldn’t be written off, and has bounced back well from occasional duds in his career, and that was certainly the case with the United Nations.

#4- Forbidden Blush (Smokey Stover, ridden by A Beschizza)- There is certainly no one in the field who is hotter than Forbidden Blush, as she has won her last six races. That’s right, I said “she”. The streak started with the filly winning an open allowance at GG last December, and she has been perfect during 2021. Recently, she has won a Grade 3, and a pair of Grade 2’s, so she is doing everything right now that Smokey is asking her to do. Now, the trainer wants to see how far he can take it, and enters Forbidden Blush in her first Grade 1, against the boys. She’ll get a five pound weight allowance over all but the three year old, Ptyrannical. Feel she will be more competitive than Z Command was last week, but it’s a tough ask for sure.

#5- Concerto Of Eggs (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by G Saez)- This veteran five year old has made 30 career starts, and has been to the winners circle three times. He has been a better bet to finish second and third over his career. That is something he did in each of the Man O War, where he was third and the Manhattan, where he was second. Therefore, we know that Concerto Of Eggs can be a strong threat here, as well. At this point, he has not won a graded stake over this career, but he is knocking on the door. Like Winter Solstice, his last race was a dud in the United Nations.

#6- Feathers Not Dots (Night Rider Stables, ridden by L Saez)- The gelding has had his moments, with a good career in NY bred stakes with Team 7 Illusions, then a perfect 3-for-3 with John Henry. In late February, Night Rider Stables picked him up for $100.000 in private sales, hoping there would be something left, and changed his adds around a bit. To this point, he’s been okay, being in the middle of the pack in the Manhattan and AP Classic. Against similar runners today, I don’t know if we can expect much different.

#7- Anoush Command (Fractious, ridden by J Pyfer)- After thrilling us with a strong three year old season, Anoush Command has continued to get positive results with a successful transition to turf races. It started by winning the HOL Derby, but did not stop there, as he would later win the Grade 1 Kilroe Mile. He hit the board in other Grade 1 races, too, such as the Makers Mark Mile and the Forester Turf Classic. However, his best result was his most recent one, where he went wire to wire in the United Nations, pulling away from the field early and leading them by as many as five lengths at one point before scoring a two length win. If he’s not already, a win here might make him a favorite for the BC Turf.

#8- Immoral (Mb Stables, ridden by E Jaramillo)- There is no doubt about Immoral being one of the favorites for this race as the gelding has scored two impressive wins this year: The Makers Mark Mile, and the Forester Turf Classic, each of which are Grade 1’s. He’s even raced in the AP Million, now the Mister D before, and was second to Dead Madness last year. Jaramillo has been his regular rider, so there is familiarity there. Now, there’s also the matter of his last two starts. How concerned should we be about them? He was a dud in the Manhattan, and failed to contend in the Suburban. Yes, that’s on the main track, but he’s been good on the main track, so I’m not as eager to easily throw that out.

#9- Hollywood Capo (Nakamura Stables, ridden by J K Court)- He’ll be moving up the ladder a bit after winning the Grade 2 Wise Dan in late June. The victory is one of four that he has over his fifteen starts, and they have been scattered over his racing career. Nakamura picked him up in January for $200.000 in private sales, gelded him, and raced him for the first time in the Grade 3 SF Mile, where he was second. He has some very impressive works coming into this race, so he can get it done here. Though, I feel a little safer picking others.

Prediction: 7-3-8-4

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES