The Flat Out ($100.000 Purse)
BEL- For Four Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and Three Eighths on the Dirt
May 15, 2016
A field of six gets set to go eleven furlongs in what will be the inaugural running of the Flat Out Stakes. This is an event added to the BEL meet to provide an opportunity for those distance horses that may not necessarily want to be battling the elite horses of their division, but have still shown themselves to have plenty of talent. In doing so, many have picked up multiple wins throughout their career and have now used up their allowance conditions. It’s an ungraded stake, so it’s not going to draw any big names, but it looks to be a competitive field as they know how to get the job done. Let’s meet them!
#1- Kiss A Native (Night Mare Racing, ridden by J Rosario)- On the rail, Kiss A Native will be looking to shake off a rather disappointing finish, in which he placed a distant fourth in a four-horse allowance at TAM. Prior to that, he was routing a pair of rivals at the free track. Most of his wins have come running at very low levels, such as RIL or for free. After a win at FL, the trainer began to place him higher, but it hasn’t necessarily resulted in a string of great finishes with better results benefitting from being in a shorter field. What the trainer may be hoping for is that he will really love this distance. He has been at his best late previously, but has never raced this far.
#2- Copperhead Rythym (Bigchief Stables, ridden by C H Velazquez)- Unlike the others in this field who have won at least four races in their career, Copperhead Rythym has just a lone win in eight starts. That maiden win came in February of last year. He has raced in high company now for his last two races, including the Grade 3 mile and a half Tokyo City Cup last month. However, he was a non-factor in that, so I’m not really going to put much stock in the fact that he is coming out of that race. He’ll like the distance and linger around until the end, but I think a couple in here are better.
#3- Plucked Lightly (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by J R Velazquez)- The Plucky Dogma colt has gone long before, it has just been a long time. He had a string of seconds going a mile at tracks such as HOU before breaking his maiden at a sprint at PIM. It would kick off a stretch of four wins in five starts, including winning his first four races at less then a mile. Plucked Lightly would remain competitive in races like that until the end of last year, and this year his first three races have not gone how the trainer planned. So now, it is back to going long, and this time, real long. Expect him to be a factor here.
#4- Messy Ruler (Pan Farms, ridden by J Alvarado)- This one recently changed hands between a couple of private sales forum legends, going from Tacaro Farm to Pan Farms for $15.000. It looks like a very good pickup for his new trainer, given that the Risen Ruler gelding heads into this race on a three race winning streak. Credit Tacaro for that, with the three wins all being at the free track. Prior to that, his previous trainer did have him on the pay side and had sporadic results. He’s just started going long, and you have to wonder if Pan Farms spotted something that clued him in to this horse wanting a distance like this. Messy Ruler is an intriguing play in here as it seems like he is stepping up too much, but he could have more then enough ability to win here if he takes to the distance.
#5- Skhyperion (Team 7 Illusions, J Lezcano)- You can add up the career earnings of the five others in this field, and they still wouldn’t top what Skhyperion has accumulated over the course of his career. This will be the first time he races on the main track for his trainer, and it seems as though Team 7 Illusions might just be looking for an alternative option as to where to run his horse after a disappointing finish in his last start. Skhyperion has done some good things which were done around this time last year. Winning the $200.000 Pennine Ridge here last May is the highlight of that stretch, but he also has two noteworthy runner up finishes: the Grade 3 Kentucky Cup Turf last September, and the $500.000 Breeders Stakes for ON-breds at WO in August. Both of those were running at a mile and a half. Skhyperion is the horse to beat here, regardless of surface.
#6- Accentor (Mb Stables, ridden by I Ortiz Jr)- In late March, Mb Stables purchased this one from legendary free track trainer Spinetingling for $30.000. As a part of the Spinetingling stable, Accentor became accustomed to visiting the winner’s circle after every race, including being on a six race winning streak just prior to the sale. The distance in all of those wins were much like what we will run today, as well. In his first race in his new silks, Accentor placed third in a four horse optional claimer at GP, and the trainer was not impressed, opting to geld the six year old since that race. It’s a step up, but when a horse has won 12 out of 26 career races, I don’t care where they were raced at, it is a horse that knows how to show up on race day. That will make him a strong contender, and will make Skhyperion earn it.
Prediction: 5-6-3-4
— NS
Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded
