5/16/2020
2 SA Barrera Stakes (GIII)
$100.000 3yo 7f Dirt 122lbs
Lucky seven will be head to the gate for the 2020 Barrera Stakes (GIII) here in SoCal. I will be looking for a very competitive race here as a bunch of these were on the TC Trail and didn’t quite make the cut, so they are looking for other avenues to make bank. I’ll look at Red Strategy as the top choice today. He won the Sugar Bowl then struggled in a couple of races only to get the win last out. I’ll put Workload in the second spot off of that runner-up race in the Southwest (GIII) and his last two were against real TC Trail horses and he was still respectable in both of those…. good enough for me.
Here’s The Field –
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Rally Monkey |
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Wood Duck Stables |
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Talamo J |
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122 |
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6/1 |
Was tagged two back for $40.000 and has been the beaten favorite in both starts for the new stable. He was second vs. Alw horses at FG then finished sixth beaten a length in the Eddie over this track last out. That was vs Cal-breds so it certainly doesn’t get any easier here.
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Workload |
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Mb Stables |
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Pereira T J |
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122 |
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8/1 |
Kicked of 2020 with a ice win at FG against Alw horses. Since then, it’s been a tough road down the TC Trail… he was tough in the Southwest (GIII), then a pair of up-the-track finishes against some very salty company in the Rebel and ARK Derby. This seems like a more reasonable spot, and it’s still salty.
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Red Strategy |
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Gdp Inc |
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Velez J I |
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122 |
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6/1 |
Won the Sugar Bowl at FG, tired in the San Vincent (GII), then ran a bad race at GP only to get back on-track last out winning at SUN vs. Alw types and got the job done in a quick time. So, it’s back up the ladder and we see who shows up today.
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Clockwork |
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Winning Link Stables |
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Espinoza V |
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122 |
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5/1 |
His only bad race was vs. graded types when he was eleventh in the LA Futurity (GII) last year. Both 2020 starts have been solid, although he was facing softer than what he sees today. He seems to like running over this surface, so the home cookin’ may do him well.
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Tango Mango |
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Maxmillion Farm |
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Smith M E |
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122 |
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10/1 |
Sold after that win at LRL where he took the Private Terms. He broke maiden for a $7.500 tag at FL for his only other win, so the new connections think a lot of him. He did throw down a bullet work over this track so they must like what they see.
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Temple Of Gloom |
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Fractious |
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Fuentes Ru |
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122 |
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8/1 |
He’s been facing some tough fields but hasn’t shown a lot in those races. Got the job done in good fashion in the Mucho Macho Man at GP back in Jan but his Withers (GIII), FofY (GII) and SUN Derby (GIII) finishes are not what you want to see coming into this one. Can he turn it around?
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Genghis |
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Arindel |
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Prat F |
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122 |
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6/1 |
Was taking care of business as ’19 closed and ’20 started, then it was a ninth in the Gotham (GIII) and an eighth in the BG Stakes (GII). Was rolling in that am work over this track getting ready for today, so the change back to a sprint could be what he needs to get back in form.
Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES
