7/2/21

  2   PRM     The PRM Cornhusker Hcp (GIII)

$300.000          3yo&Up            1 1/8m   Dirt               Hcp Weights

The Independence Day weekend will certainly bring us a ton of great stakes action and Friday we get The PRM Cornhusker Hcp (GIII), and it looks to be an interesting one.  I went to the outside post and took Twilight Flame off of that pace-setting third in the Met Hcp (GI) in his most recent.  He’s still looking for his first win of the season, but I think it’s a spot where he will get after it and prove too much.  Let’s go right next door and give That Funky Monkey a shot at the big prize.  He has found graded horses to be a big tough, but I think this is another one that is sitting on a big race and will use his speed to make his case when they near the wire.  It’s an open book with any horse capable of getting his picture taken.  Let’s see how this one plays out. 

Here’s The Field –

Lightly raced gelding makes his third start of the 21 season and his win came in the claiming ranks at WO.  Last of nine vs. graded horses in his most recent so either he turns it around in a big way or it’s another long day at the office. 

Looked good taking down big money Alw horses at CD to get his nineteenth career win.  The big barn nabbed him out of a $25.000 claimer and he struggled against stakes company, so either they found something or… well, let’s just go with they found something.

This one shows a steady stream of graded efforts on his form, and he won the LA Stakes (GIII) to kick-off his 21 campaign.  It’s been a tough road since that win, so let’s see if he can find his old form or if it’s another also-ran effort.

Closed well to be third at LS in the Sexton Mile (GIII) and he won an Alw race at SA prior to that one, both of those since the hostile takeover at the $40.000 level.  He’s won seven of fourteen over the past season and a half so there’s no doubt he knows how to get his picture taken.

Steady check earner prior to that tiring seventh in the Gold Cup (GI) at SA last out.  He’s been solid vs. softer, so let’s see if he can handle the graded types or if it’s time to take him back to the Alw level.  He has tactical speed and I love that.

Another that has been solid but for the graded efforts.  Fifth in the Muniz Mem Hcp (GII) at FG and likewise in the HOL Derby (GI) at DMR last fall.  Still he has four wins from sixteen starts and six other on-the-board finishes so he certainly should be a factor. 

Looks like he will be my top pick off of that third in the Met Mile (GI) at BEL last out.  He set the pace throughout and got caught late so the instructions for this one will be a concern, but he looks the part and I think he will get the job done. 

COZMAN      7 / 6               Willie’s Green Card    4 / 7 / 2      

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES