7/2/22

   7   CD  American Derby (GII)

$200.000    3YO   1 1/16m Turf     122lbs +penalties

The endless string of Derby races brings us to CD, but no… it’s not that one and it’s not even the Ohio Derby (who has the money for that purse?  Right?) but we get a field of seven sophomores set to go a mile and a sixteenth on the CD turf course in the American Derby (GII).  I landed on Union Mills as the top choice in this one.  He’s been second in his last two starts, and I think that Murphy field was a solid group, so look for him to fire big today.  Let’s go right next door and put Full Speed in the conversation.  The barn is always dangerous and this one has five second place finishes from ten starts… he’s due.  I also have a feeling that Boardwalk Empire may be a good one, and the lightly raced cold could surprise from the outside post.

Here’s The Field –

Purchased at the Dec Auction for $10.010 and won at first asking for the new barn, but has mixed results in stakes company.  Just missed after leading most of the way in the Woodhaven at AQU but just never got going in the Paradise Creek, so who do we get today?

He has a maiden win, and was second in the Davis Stakes back in Feb, but the last pair have not been what the barn wants.  Eleventh in the FL Derby (GI) and did close a bit to be fifth in the Day Mile (GII) but comes back to the turf where he was third in his only start. 

He was on the TC trail but a ninth in the LA Derby (GII) and a seventh in the SA Derby (GI) stopped those aspirations, since it’s been a pair of runner-up starts on the grass in Cal-bred stakes company.  So, back to graded foes… but can the grass make the difference?

He’s still looking for his first win of the ’22 season but was third in the Pasadena Stakes and a runner-up effort in the Cutler Bay before tiring to be last of five in his most recent, the Snow Chief at SA.  Let’s see who we get in this one. 

No wins this season but three runner-up starts and a third, so he’s knocking on the door.  His last pair have been on the grass, both second place efforts, so he looks ready to run a big race today.  He ran big in the Murphy at PIM last out and that could end up being a key race. 

I think this one is camera shy…  only a maiden win but has been second five times and third in another race, so he has some good cash in the bank despite the lack of victories.  He loves the grass, always gets a check and has been fourth over this course in his last pair.  Give him a big shot today. 

Three wins from only six starts so he has every chance to keep the improvement going, and he looked good taking down high-end OptAlw types at WO last out.  His graded efforts have been his down-fall, but I think he has the chance to turn that around some today.

COZMAN    5 / 6     Willie’s Green Card     4 / 1 / 7        

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES