The Fayette (Grade 2)- $350.000 Purse
KEE- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
October 29, 2022

Last year, one of the best horses in the game, Combat Wombat, made an appearance in the Fayette and ended up getting the win. This year, we might not have a horse of that caliber going to post, but we still end up with a very good field of ten horses looking to take home the winner’s share of the largest purse ever offered by the race. Up to this point, the purse for the race has been either $150.000 or $200.000. Now, we get both with the $350.000 being offered. Even though there is not a Combat Wombat here, we do have two horses in the field who are close to $1,000.000 in career earnings and there’s no one in here that you would label as a horse trying to make a name for themselves. They have all proven themselves, in some capacity, already, that they belong in a race like this. Perhaps it can be the race that takes them from being very good to becoming elite. Here is a look at the field!

#1- America First (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by L Saez)- This colt has won twice in his twelve career starts, with his career highlight being the $300.000 TX Derby where he came out on top. It was his first race, in a long time, with lasix, and it appeared to work very well for him. Ran decently in the two races that followed, which included a solid third place effort in the WV Derby (Grade 3) at MNR in early August. He would lose the lasix after that race, and was poor in his last outing. As of now, lasix is not scheduled to return. Being the lone three year old gives him a three pound weight allowance on the field.

#2- Ags Cherokee (RNP Stables, ridden by J C Ferrer)- This is another horse looking to put a bad race behind him. The last time we saw this gelding, it was in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile, which obviously is a stronger race than this will be. He was tenth, though the silver lining could possibly be that he was beaten by just two lengths. RNP Stables is changing things up, and seeing if Ags Cherokee can handle the main track much better. He has hardly ever run on the dirt, with his last such effort happening in July 2020.

#3- Funny Cide (Iolaus Racing, ridden by D Davis)- After a strong end to his three year old season, Iolaus Racing had to have had high hopes for 2022. Up to this point, Funny Cide has not really delivered, being winless in his five starts. It’s not a complete wash out, though, because he has been second on three occasions and those results have made him over $111.000 this year. We last saw Funny Cide in the Pacific Classic where he was one spot away from adding to that total. He’ll likely be glad this race is a little shorter.

#4- Figured The Storm (Arindel, ridden by E Jaramillo)- This one finished off his 2021 running in mid-level claimers, and doing well in them. That gave the trainer confidence to enter him in the Grade 3 LA Stakes at FG to start his four year old campaign. He ran in the middle of the field there, and a couple of starts later he would win an ungraded stake at AQU. Arindel kept trying to being the horse along even further, and he would continue to get results, as Figured The Storm won the Grade 3 Salvator Mile in June. That was one of his five victories this year. Look for him to run well here, too.

#5- Crimson Rioja (Mo Mentum Farm, ridden by T Gaffalione)- The last time that Crimson Rioja was on the track, he looked sharp, winning the $200.000 Downs at ALB. In the start prior, he was anything but, turning in a dud in the Pacific Classic. That sums up this gelding as he has been very inconsistent throughout his career. Perhaps we can suggest that he just doesn’t answer the bell against top company, but does well when a step down from that and that is the type of race we see here. For me, it’s the type that would not surprise me one bit to see winning, but at the same time, one I cannot put virtual money on.

#6- Flip A Coin Party (Threshold, ridden by E Maldonado)- It only took a dollar for Threshold to pick this horse up in private sales in February, and the results have been outstanding. Prior to the sale, there wasn’t any reason to believe that Flip A Coin Party was capable of completing at this level, but Threshold figured something out, running him long for the first time in a while in the SUN Handicap in their first race together, and got the win. That was not a fluke as he continued to run well and in his last outing, placed third in the Grade 2 CT Classic. He should be a strong contender here as well.

#7- Press Row (Rampage Stable, ridden by J Rosario)- Since June 2021, Press Row has finished either first or second in all but one of those eleven races. Most of those are second place results, but close enough to the winner. In his race, he just missed the headbob at the wire in the PID Mile. That was the first time he had ever run in a stake, so the trainer was undoubtedly thrilled with how he stepped up in the race. Now, he’ll run graded for the first time and meets the strongest field he has ever seen. Based on form, he’s more than up for the challenge.

#8- Ronaldo Chop (Night Rider Stables, ridden by J J Castellano)- After running most of his career on the dirt, Night Rider Stables sent Ronaldo Chop to the turf for the Grade 3 International Turf Cup, and the gelding stepped up to deliver a win. However, following that, it was off to the Shadwell Turf Mile and that race did not have a happy ending. The trainer could have written that off as being simply too much for him, but instead is bringing Ronaldo Chop back to the main track for the Fayette. He had generally been good on this surface over the year, and did win the $75.000 Shear Mile Stakes at SA.

#9- Jakarta (Nakamura Stables, ridden by J R Velazquez)- Nakamura Stables picked this one up in private sales for $450.000 from Fractious in late January, a month after he won the Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile. Jakarta’s five starts since have been very hit and miss. There’s been the very good, such as when he ran second in the Shoemaker Mile and third in the Fourstardave Handicap. Then, the other three leave you scratching your head. He rotates these good and bad, so if we use that, the next race is good.

#10- First Sargeant (High Voltage, ridden by Mario Gutierrez)- This is the highest earner in the field, accumulating over $900.000 for his career. Pretty much all of that has come here in his five year old season. In April, he earned a massive victory, beating a great field in the $1,000.000 Grade 2 OP Handicap. Since then, he may have stalled out a bit, but did run in a third place dead heat with Flip A Coin Party two back in the CT Classic. Last seen at the start of the month where made a late run to get fourth in the Awesome Again. Hasn’t always fared well with outside posts.

Prediction: 4-6-10-7

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES