9/2 The TAM Stakes – Grade III
TAM Race #7 1 1/16m Turf Graded Stake
Purse $175.000 For Four Year Olds And Upward.
1 Green Rush Pennsville Farm Gallardo A A
A five year old he has shown he can live with this grade and gets a draw he can work with today. He was a good winner of teh Red Bank Stakes last season dead heating with Broomsticks Sporran but also ran some good place efforts in the Premiers and the Oceanport. All of his 4 wins have come on the turf and he looks like a real honest sort who always give his best so he should be competitive in this race even though he probably isnt much better than a grade three horse.
2 Id Rather Go Blind TwinTowersRacing Ortiz I Jr
Although he has only won once from seventeen efforts he has some very good form to his name. I liked his effort in the HOL Derby at the end of last year and he went on to finish a close second in the Tropical Turf Handicap from a wide draw showing that he was improving far beyond his previous form. His works are telling me there is even more to come and he could turn out to be a real threat from this handy draw.
3 The Drifter D J C Racing Stables Bravo J
He was looking like a TC contender for a while last year when a close fourth in the Spiral but his trainer wisely switched him to turf and he ran some decent races. Good seconds in the La Jolla Handicap and the Saranac preceded a fair effort in the Shadwell turf Mile but he hasnt really built on that form since and he does come here with something to prove. His works are excellent and good enough to win this but he has to find some X Factor from somewhere.
4 Decision In Five Nakamura Stables Lynch F
A lightly raced four year old with only 9 starts he has shown enough to be a contender here and is another that is working as good as any grade one horse but has a little to prove before he can go to that grade. A good second in the Hill prince last year he went on to win the Let It Ride and then ran well enough in the Mathis Brothers Mile after bring prominent early on. This is around his level at the moment but he looks to have improved form three to four and he should run well.
5 General Patton Threshold
He has taken a while to come to himself but at age 5 looks to have reached a peak in his improvement curve. A game winner of the Lure last year he has been working well but is a difficult read and we will have to see what he does today before getting excited about his chances.
6 Joffre Mb Stables Hernandez B J Jr
The best three are drawn wide in this race and tactics are going to play an important part. This one won the LRL Turf Cup last year before running a cracker in the HOL Derby when fourth. He beat home the winner of the BC Mile in the LRL Turf Cup and one of his rivals today in Lucky Phooey so on that sort of form he must have a winning chance.
7 Xmas Snow Maxmillion Farm Centeno D E
Won the La Jolla Handicap and the Commonwealth Turf last year so is well in for this race despite a 2Lb penalty which he gets for winning the Commonwealth turf just a day after the penalty cut off. That factor mat be the difference in this race and it is tough seeing him beat the two horses alongside him and give them weight.
8 Lucky Phooey Estero Farms Colon L H
The BC Mile winner gets Colon and that pretty much guarantee’s a win but a wide draw wont make it easy for the turf master to steer another winner home. That BC Mile win was a bit of a shock after he was beaten in the LRL Turf cup in his previous outing but this is a tough and consistent sort who is always thereabouts and he took his chance that day witha game nose win. He may need the run but he is working well and there is no reason why he wont run well today.
SUMMARY
With the three best horses drawn wide i am going for the best drawn of the three to win in Joffre. The penalty wont help Xmas Snow and the wide draw may be tough for Lucky Phooey so i will go for the longer odds in General Patton to chase him home.
Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES
