08/24 The Ballston Handicap – Grade II
SAR Race #6 1 1/16m InTurf Graded Stake
Purse $400.000 For Fillies And Mares Three Years Old And Upward.
1 Kapai Kapow Grimley Castellano J J
Chance here again for the older horses to get competitive as the weight for age doesnt come into play. This honest five year old may just be a good bet here as i really liked her third last time out in ungraded company when lumping 125Lbs to a close third place. Today she comes in with bottom weight some 7Lbs less and being relatively unexposed on turf she may just have got a good deal here by the handicapper.
2 Nice Tactical Speed Maxmillion Farm Gutierrez Mario
You NEVER write off the turf king in a race like this and this solid four year old with the perfect draw could easily put another graded stakes into teh trainers pocket. The winner of the Turnback the Alarm Handicap on the dirt this is her first ever start on the turf thus she gets in with 119Lbs although i cant see why she gets a pound more than a turf winner when she hasnt even raced on the surface. With a sub 1.35 turf work for the mile and her trainers confidence behind her though this could be another one of those HRP only winners that happens when a horse strikes a new surface for the first time.
3 Mistique Chili King Stables Garcia Alan
Bought recently for $150 this improving three year old is terribly off in this race compared to others where she would be receiving 5 Lbs from all the runners. On that basis alone you could write her off but mark my words she is a nice sort and if she runs well or even wins today could turn out to be an outside BC chance.
4 Z Fan Nakamura Stables Saez L
Another solid mare she has won eight races but has struggled a little to break through at this sort of level. She hit a decent patch of form around this time last year and after a good allowance win last time may just be entering that phase again. She gets the same jock that steered her to her only black type win in The Ticonderoga last year and may just be the dark horse in this race.
5 Five Million TwinTowersRacing Velazquez J
Has only won one of her four races at this sort of trip but showed enough in her last two starts to prove she can do it over this trip. She ran very well in the Wilshire Stakes to be third and was coming on late when second last time out. She will certainly give her trainer a run but doesnt win too often and maybe a better each way chance than win.
6 Snacks D J C Racing Stables Lezcano J
There’s a lot to like about this filly and she certainly brings strong form to this race. Her neck second in the grade one Wiley was by far the best form in this race and whilst she has to deal with 120Lbs that is only two pounds off the bottom weight so its not too big a burden. Being a late closer the risk is always that she gets held up but if she gets some luck then she should be good enough to mow them down late.
7 Agenda Mb Stables Bejarano R
Gets in with top weight but with only three pounds between all the runners its the usual handicap that isnt a handicap race. This four year old looked good when she won the Very One but went off the boil in her last three starts when ridden on the pace in the Wiley and NY and hating the off track last time out. If the trainer can get the tactics right then she is a serious filly but i will need to see a return to her best before i get confident about her going forward.
8 Sweet Gail Sccj Stables Pennington
Another that has gone off the boil after some good efforts she was a neck third in the Wiley but then failed miserably when faced with the three year olds in her last two. Back to favorable conditions today she wouldnt have to do much more than return to form to be a winning chance.
9 Machined Team 7 Illusions Colon L H
For 22 races this horse had sprinted winning five races and nearly $300 then last time out T7 tried her over a mile and she walked home in a competitive open allowance going 1.33. So could the experienced trainer been wrong all along and this five year old is a potential star of the routing ranks? Well stranger things happen at HRP.
10 Nice Laff Phooey Maxmillion Farm Centeno D E
This deep closer was run in the lead last time but was pretty disappointing in the Wilshire Stakes so she will probably be ridden back today unless she is being used as a rabbit for her stable companion. I guess the weather will play the biggest part in her chances as she looked very good when winning the Marshua River in her only start on an off track and was certainly better than she has been in most of her other races. So if the rains come put her in, if they dont ignore her.
SUMMARY
A competitive handicap i think i like Snacks for this race for a fairly convincing win.
Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES
