3 AQU The Bold Ruler Handicap (GIII)
$200.000 7f Dirt Hcp Weights
Sprinters will be the focus today as we look at the field for the 2019 running of The Bold Ruler Hcp (GIII) going 7f at the Big A. I’ve always looked at this as a key sprint stakes and wish they would moved this back a few weeks as we prep for the BC, but here we are and we have a great, full field for this one. My top choice sneaks into this one as He Needsa Manzillian scratches, so Creep City looks ready to run another big race. Lightly campaigned this season, he hasn’t missed the board with a 1-2-1 record in four starts, and changed hands via private sale and at a heft price for a 4yo gelding. He’s just missed in two graded starts, prior to the sale, and I think he will be the one to beat, if he can overcome the outside post. Lucky Star is another that seems to be sitting on a big race and perhaps a win. Moving over to the powerful Mb Stables off of a private purchase, the 6yo gelding ran a bang-up race when second in the Vosburgh (GI) in his first start for the new trainer. The old boy seems to be as sharp as ever and looks like a solid play to me. I’ll put Have A Seat on my tickets as well, and at 7yo, he’s another than just seems to defy age. He is 3-for-5 this season, and he was 9-for-4 last year so it’s really hard to fault this ol’ boy. He’s in great hands and should be a huge factor in this one as well. Glorious is another that has been right in the thick of some very tough races and although the post does him no favors, he just missed by a head at WO from an outside post.
Here’s the field –
1 Broken Tap Arindel Needs his best to be part of this one 6/1
2 Relentless TwinTowersRacing Last pair dull, shortens up looking for old form 8/1
3 Notable D J C Racing Stables Did improve while switching to sprint distance 8/1
4 He Needsa Manzillian Estero Farms –SCRATCHED– SCR
5 Have A Seat Maxmillion Farm Back-to-back wins vs. softer, needs his best 4/1
6 Striped Maple Nakamura Stables Hard to like vs. this bunch 15/1
7 Lucky Star Mb Stables Solid effort in first try for this barn, looks poised 5/2
8 Blurred Return Spankys Barn Has been facing tough horses, maybe this is the spot 10/1
9 Air Show Mb Stables Must improve for a minor share 12/1
10 Charleys Agent Fractious Second try for new barn, needs to improve 9/1
11 Shanghai Days Night Rider Stables Clunker last out, can he get back on form? 5/1
12 Glorious Spankys Barn Been hanging around vs. graded types 7/2
13 Creep City Alydar Stables Draws in, looks the part 7/5
COZMAN Picks 13 / 7 / 5 Willie’s Green Card 7 / 13 / 5 Scotty 12 / 8 / 13
Categories: STAKES ARTICLES
