This Saturday at GP, another edition of the ever-popular series of CC races will take place.  This is an attempt to offer a high purse for those who might not normally get a chance to compete for one, although in our virtual racing world it is not as rare to see those go for smaller claiming tags and then go on to bigger and better things.   The Canterbury is for turf sprinters, and will run for the second time.  Last year, Chamber Assembly picked up the win for La Canada Racehorses.  He would run in stakes at the beginning of this year, though recently was dropped back into a  $7.5000 claimer, and picked up by Mb Stables.   There is a field of ten going postward for this event, so now let us take a look at them.

#1- Summer Star (Hambletonian Stable, ridden by Alan Garcia)-  One of four entries that the trainer brings to the gate for this race.  This four year old gelding has had the best year of his career in 2015, winning seven of fifteen races to bring his career record to twelve wins in 31 career starts.   Of his wins this year, two have come running in starters, and he picked up another win in an open allowance. While it will look like he is a couple ticks off from where he will need to be, you have to like that he knows what it takes to win lately, and with a clean rail trip, he could get it done.

#2- Rock Hard Rajiv (Night Rider Stables, ridden by Ed Castro)- When this five year old gelding was three, he was competing in some high end allowances, and having success in them.   Since that promising start, he has just won one of his past fifteen races, or six less then Summer Star has won over the same amount.  He’s still been running in more challenging races, staying mainly in mid-level claimers, running for an approximate $25.000 tag each time.  Only recently has he been going short on turf, and he’s actually put together a recent string of good efforts.   This is the shortest he has ever run, and I am concerned that it’s not his ideal distance.  I’d like him more if there was another furlong.

#3- Seattle General  (La Canada Racehorses, ridden by L Conteras)- The trainer and the sire (General Assembly) look to go for two-for-two in this stake, and Seattle General actually looks like he will give them a great chance.  I am particularly impressed with his last race, when he won an optional claiming event at CRC in :56.31.   The SRF of 94 seems a bit low for that effort, and he has scored a couple higher such figures in longer races.  In early August, he also made a valiant comeback bid in the $100.000 Quick Call at SAR, going from 11th to 3rd in the final furlong and a half, gaining four lengths on the leader in the process.  So far this year, he has won half the races he has been entered in, that’s at a 5-for-10 clip, and I really like him in this race.

#4- Plucky Prince (Hambletonian Stable, ridden by J R Leparoux)-   At times, his former trainer, Pjr Farms, looked to advance the career of this three year old gelding, trying a couple ungraded stakes along the way, but he has not been able to take that next step forward this season.   As this year went on, his placement gradually dropped, and he was claimed in his last outing by Hambletonian Stable for $15.000.  The new trainer figures to see the same potential that his old trainer did, but the question is whether or not the new connections can take him to that level he looked like he may be approaching.  I really like the decision to bring him here and to test his meddle against this crowd.  Regardless of the outcome, Hambletonian Stable will have a much clearer picture of the horse he has on his hands.

#5- Check Point Charlie (Axeman, ridden by G L Olguin)-   This four year old  gelding was once a stablemate of Plucky Prince in the Pjr Farms barn, but his time to be claimed was back in April.   That was at an event at PRX, in an optional claimer, and Axeman was wise to note that he was the only one in the race up for a tag that day.  He has been very consistent when running in his current silks, putting together a record of 8-2-3-2, and has always earned a check for his trainer.  This is a shorter distance that he has been running for Axeman, though regularly ran it for Pjr Farms.  He likes to be on the lead, so I am not concerned about that aspect of things.  I like him in general as an improving horse and believe he may be in store for a strong 2016, but for now he’ll try to take care of business here.

#6- Slow Jack (Blushing Meadows, ridden by P Lopez)-   In his last four races, Slow Jack has been anything but slow, winning three of them.  This is the stretch of time that followed the claim by Blushing Meadows from Wolfs Den for $20.000.  His most recent start was particularly impressive, earnign a 98 SRF for winning a seven furlong starter at BEL in 1:20.19.  The race in that period that he did not win was the $100.000 Better Talk Now, and he did not defeat a single horse that day.  This is a short race for him, as the last time he ran just five furlongs, it was with Wolfs Den in January of this year. Slow Jack likes to be on the lead, and has run fast early fractions recently, so the talent is certainly there to win at five furlongs.  I am looking elsewhere, however.

#7- Ferrari Testarosa (Hambletonian Stable, ridden by J C Caraballo)-  So far, this Exclusive Notice gelding has had a modest career, that was hindered by eight months off this year due to horse selling park at its finest.  After his debut race, he went 3-1-1-1, ultimately scoring a quality win at a five furlong turf event at TAM.  Then he was put on the shelf and sold on three separate occasions before he was ever able to race again.  When he was allowed to race again, emerging with Hambletonian Stable, he’s hit the board a couple times against winners who ran flawlessly.  He has the ability to win here, and might be the sentimental choice as the horse a couple big guns in the game didn’t want.  In a sense, he’s a perfect example of the type of a horse that suits the CC series.

#8- Sweep The Street (Boulevard, ridden by R M Hernandez)-   After taking nearly a full year off between September 2014 and September 2015, the three year old colt returned with a vengeance and has won both races he has been in since.  As good as that is, he has not met the type of field that he will see here today in either of those, as they were only four horse and three horse fields.   His winning time at BTP at five furlongs on the turf is something that these rivals are able to eclipse.   He did work well on this track on Wednesday, so  he may be able to make up the time that it seems like he will need to in order to factor into this.

#9- Five Foxes (Night Rider Stables, ridden by E J Zayas)- The second of two entries that the trainer brings to the Canterbury looks to give him his better chance of winning. Five Foxes has won three of six races this year, including an ungraded stake.   That occurred in his most recent race, the Millions Turf Sprint Preview Stakes against FL-breds at CRC.  He earned a 99 SRF for that race, and it’s important to note how he won, because that is the best part.  With just one furlong to go, he was seventh and four lengths off the lead, and recovered to win the race, going approximately 11 1/2 seconds for the final furlong.   This is the way he likes to race, and this is a race that could potentially have a lot of up front speed.   All those pacesetters better be looking over their shoulders for the 9 during the stretch.

#10- Predator Showdown (Hambletonian Stable, ridden by J Bravo)- Finally, we reached the fourth entry that the trainer brings to the Canterbury, and he looks just as good as the others.    He has had a successful career in his showdowns thus far, winning 12 of 26 races, and that career record of 26-12-10-2 means he has been in the money all but twice.  However, most of those early races were at the free tracks.   It was Sanny Village who initially saved him from those ranks, but was sold after two races to Hambletonian for just $15.000.  In 2015, he has been either first or second in every race, but has never been in a race like this.  Predator Showdown is able to run a big one here, and figures to be in the mix with a great shot all the way to the end.

Prediction: 3-5-9-10

— NS