The ET Mint Julip, Purse $100, Grade 3, 1 1/16th miles, Turf for F&M 3+
Belmont Day is here which ends the triple cown and the ET Mint Julip is a graded stakes race that is being run at CD where the journey to the triple crown started. This is a nice looking race for fillies and mares who are 3+ that will be lining up to go a route of ground on the turf. The field has two former graded stakes winners but you have to go deep in their past performances to find those. Let’s take a look at the field:
1-Vorurtle (Sarah Stables)- Comes into the race winning one out of her last 13 races from the start of 2014, with seven second places finishes. The win came sprinting on the dirt back in August 2014 in an ungraded stakes race. Five out of the last seven races have been Grade 3 races and she has yet to get over the hump and pull one out a victory. The only public work since the last race for this horse was second fastest going 5 F on the dirt at CD on May 25th. Has this horse found the field to break into the graded stakes winning category? We will find out on Saturday.
2-Rip Snortin (Aer Stables)- Was a recent $110 purchase by Aer Stables and he is running her back in graded stakes company just like her previous owner did. She has won two out of her eight lifetime starts with her most recent win coming in October of 2014 in an N1x race. In her most recent start Rip Snortin finished a nice third in a Grade 2 race going long on the turf, which was an improvement from her other graded stakes tries. This horse looks like she is on the improve and could have a say so at the finishes.
3-Panther Tree (Black Ice Racing)- Has won over half her starts winning seven out of twelve starts with three more seconds. She was able to go on a nice run early in her career and won six races in a row including several ungraded stakes races. In her most recent start a Grade 2 race she finished off the board for only the second time in her career and the first time since her first life time start. Most of her wins have come sprinting on the turf but she has stretched out around two turns one time at a flat mile in an ungraded stakes and got the win. Can she do that again in a graded stake? Only time will tell.
4-Elieithyia (Barcelona Farms)- Is one of the two former graded stakes winners in this race, however that came back in 2013 when she was a two year old. Since that graded stakes win she has managed only two other wins however her most recent start was one of those, in an ungraded stakes race routing on the turf. Has this horse seemed to find her form and can she go on a nice long run of great perforamces? It looks like that may be the case since Barcelona Farms purchased this horse it has two wins and only missed the board one time. This is one you have to look at to be a part of it in the end.
5-Iceberg (D J C Racing Stable) Comes into the race with a win and two thirds in her most recent three starts. Iceberg has tried graded stakes company two times in the past and finished fourth by three lengths in August of 2014 and most in her most recent start finished 3rd by ¾ of a length in a Grade 2 race. She does boast an ungraded stakes win which was three races back. Can this horse improve off her last 3rd place finish and get over the hump and get her first graded stakes win? She is someone you have to pay attention to.
6-Queen Quickness (Halo Thoroughbreds)-Is the other former graded stakes winner in the race however that win came back in March of 2014 but it was going long on the turf. Since that win she has managed three wins however one of those wins was at the free track. The positive one of those wins was in an ungraded stakes race. What has me concerned with this horse is her most recent race at the free track where she finished 3rd by four lengths carrying a low weight of 117 pounds. Is this horses best races behind her or was that a fluke? We will find out on Saturday.
7-Death Dream (Alegria)-This recent $15 claim by current owner Alegria was stepped right up into graded stakes races after the claim and the horse did not respond, and finished fourth in a four horse field by 12 lengths in his only start since the claim. That was her first try against stakes company and owner Alegria saw enough from that run to give her another shot, but is trying to shorten her up a bit from the mile and half journey she took last out. Will shortening up the horse be enough to get her over the top? I think its going to be a tough for her to do so against this group.
There are some nice looking fillies and mares lined up for this race which could have many different outcomes because of how closely grouped the horses appear. I am looking forward to seeing if one of the former graded stakes winners can get back to that form or if we are going to have a new graded stakes winner. Here is my prediction. 2-4-3-5
Warbucks
Categories: Grade III
