2/5/22
8 SA San Pasqual Stakes (GII)
$200.000 4yo&Up 1 1/8m Dirt 123lbs +penalties
Seven handicap types will be headed to the gate for the classic mile and an eighth San Pasqual Stakes (GII) at SA on Saturday, and we got a nice group of horses here. Let’s go to the outside posts for the top choices as I put Penalty Shot on top today. He looked good winning the Discovery (GIII) and just missing the Malibu (GI) so there’s no reason to go past him, in my eye. Real One, right next door, is another that closed out the season with some big efforts, so let’s lump these two together and see if we can’t ring up some cash.
Here’s The Field –
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123 |
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12/1 |
Won the Kingston at BEL taking down NY-bred stakes company in that race and was two-for-six in a lightly raced 6yo campaign. He’s won a few dollars and you can’t do that without showing some talent, but this is a tough lot and he’s struggled in his last three starts.
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123 |
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10/1 |
Another that has put some nice cash in the bank and he’s had a rough go of it in his last pair of starts. He won the Birdstone at SAR going the marathon distance, and was the runner up in the Grand Prix of America JC facing similar. Can he find some of that mid-summer form?
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123 |
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5/1 |
Nice runner up efforts in both the Fayette (GII) at KEE and last out in the Discovery (GIII) at AQU, and those were at today’s distance. He showed a nice closing move in both of those races, so he could be sittin on a win, and I like betting horses like that.
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Big Bang Raj | Rock Creek | Smith M E | 123 | 9/2 |
He makes his first start of the ’22 season and bank some nice cash in ’21 showing a three-two-two line from nine starts including wins in Marathon at CD and the Brooklyn (GII) at BEL, both at a mile and a half. He was second last out at the same, so is he a bit of a marathon specialist?
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123 |
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7/2 |
Four wins from nine start in the ’21 season, three of those in a row included a nice victory in the Native Dancer. He was the favorite last out in the San Antonio (GII) but just never got going that day, finishing eighth. Can he turn it around from that one? I think he can.
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123 |
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9/5 |
His best work may have come at the end of ’21 with a win in the Berkley Hcp (GIII) at GG and a runner up effort int he San Antonio (GII) at SA. The barn has been hot so it looks like a double dose of good stuff and I certainly think he’s a horse you have to use when you head to the windows.
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123 |
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7/5 |
Three wins and five seconds in his sophomore season and a couple of lengths from one heck of a year. He won the Ruby Stakes (GIII) and the Discovery (GIII) and just missed in the Malibu to close out ’21. He has to be given a big chance in this one.
COZMAN 7 / 6 Willies Green Card 4 / 6
Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES
