Ali – Grade III
KEE Race #1 1 3/16m Dirt Graded Stake
Purse $300.000 For Four Year Olds And Upward.

1 Crack Dab Gdp Inc Eramia R E 123 —

This seven-year-old has been right up there since 2018 when he ran in the BC Juvenile turf sprint. Not surprisingly he failed that day considering his later racing preferences, but he was still only beaten a length and that always is a sign of the class gene when they can perform at any trip and on any surface, He stayed on turf until late 2019 but then switched to the main track where he was to really make his name. Taking the grade one Pacific Classic in 2019, he went to the BC Classic but found it a bit too tough that year. 2021 saw another year of top races and good performances, and he ended that year with a fourth in the BC Dirt Mile. He didn’t take on the BC last year but was looking good until a very poor run in the Clark at the end of the year raised a few question marks as he reached his senior years. However, it is the code that chooses when a horse is done and a game second in the grade one SA Handicap last month proved that he still had the talent and that he may just be suffering from that inconsistency that tends to come with age. A recent 1.10 flat work shows me that he is ready to perform again, and I certainly expect a top three finish.

2 Smoking Makes You Il Night Rider Stables Castellano J J 123 —

Well, this one beat Crack Dab in the SA Handicap last time on level weights and with a worse draw, so common sense says he will have no trouble confirming that form today……but then again, I am not entirely convinced of the consistency of this new engine, so I am not sure it will be as simple as that. Another veteran at eight years old, that was a huge win considering he had generally been kept to lower grade as his form seemed to be slipping into retirement. So, with a grade one already to his name this year can the resurgent pensioner take another big race? Well on that form he can so you either trust the form or you look further into the other runners to find a reason he can’t.

3 Oleg Arindel Moran D 123 —

The stable has two runners drawn next to each other here and whilst neither are working the times of the two inside them a case can be made that will see them run well. This five-year-old doesn’t win too often but when he does, they tend to be in the big races as he proved last season with a big win in the Razorback Handicap and the CT Classic. Those wins led him to the BC Dirt Mile where he ran well to be third. His two starts this year have just been OK, he looked in need of the run in the Pegasus and then ran better in the Challenger when getting too far back and making up ground late. The jury is still out as to whether he is the same horse he was as a four-year-old, but he loves the big occasions and he has his best draw since the CT Classic so maybe today we will see him back to his best.

4 The Hook Arindel Hernandez C J 123 —

I am not entirely convinced by this one’s recent form, but he won the Bourbon Trail over this trip last year so there is certainly some ability there. It would take a much-improved run to win this, but his works are in the ballpark, and he has youth on his side.

5 Burnin Red Hooves TwinTowersRacing Gaffalione T 123 —

A runner in the BC Juvenile and the winner of the Bashford Manor as a two-year-old he looked a derby prospect going into the new year old 2021, but his form fell right away to the point where his next win came in 2022 in a $16.000 claimer where he failed to attract a claim. That win though for some reason seemed to relight the candle of his latent ability and he went on to win three in a row and then place in his next two starts in grade three’s. His works are certainly reflecting this switch back to his juvenile form, and I do see him as a bit of a dark horse here who may just surprise a few.

6 Tall Heckler Mo Mentum Farm Murrill M 123 —

Just a solid over nighter he has changed hands a few times recently but showed some improvement for his latest owner and an off-track last time when cantering home in a decent allowance at FG. With a 1.36 and 1 work for the mile prior to that run we may be looking at one of those HRP specials that goes from claimer to stakes winner almost overnight and if he is offered at good odds by the odds monkeys, I would be having a little win bet just in case.

7 Set In Space Nakamura Stables Alvarado F T 123 —

Another that clearly has some ability as his 2021 season was really good and included a narrow defeat in the Clark Handicap. 2022 didn’t go so well though, and he ended up going to lowly FP for an allowance win before going to GG to repeat and then the Tenacious Stakes at FG to throw together three wins the likes of which you tend to only see at HRP. He ran well in the Challenger last time flying home to be beaten a neck and well in front of Oleg so on that form he must rate a danger. His works are less encouraging, but we are seeing far less comparison between works and racecourse performance so that may not be an issue and he remains a good chance at grabbing some purse money.

8 Sports Page Arindel Loveberry J 123 —

The winner of only four races but nevertheless the biggest money earner by far in this race. Second in the BC Juvenile of 2020 and then third in the BEL of 2021 he then took the Gold Cup in 2022 before finishing second in the BC Classic last year. On those efforts he is head and shoulders above this field but strangely after spending $800.000 to buy this horse Fractious then ran him in a claimer after he failed in the Pegasus this year and he was snapped up by his current owner. Today i guess we find out if there is any of that old ability still there as Fractious clearly thought that with declining works and that poor effort on seasonal debut that the son of Charley Farley was washed up and finished. I would never write a horse of this caliber off at just five years of age until at least three below par performances in a row so today will be an acid test for him.

9 Never Met Me RNP Stables Court J K 123 —

Last but not least the horse in the car park is rather an interesting runner because this seven-year-old has run his last 16 races on turf and has won 8 of his 10 victories on that surface. He had shown some ability on the main track so this isn’t a complete Hail Mary, but you do feel the trainer is looking for something to boost this old fella after two disappointing runs.

SUMMARY

A race with a couple of greats, a couple of head scratchers and a couple of dark horses in it there is plenty to interest the punter. There is nothing here that jumps off the page apart from Smoking Makes You II’s last win and many will see that as the key form for this race and could be right, but I don’t really trust the handicap form and suspect one of the others may find their old sparkle and take it down. Which one that is, well I don’t really know but if I had to place a bet here it would be an each way bet on Tall Heckler in the hope that his is the improvement curve that is hitting the highest peak.

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES