Crystal Water Stakes
SA Race #8 1m Turf Stake
Purse $100.000 For Three Year Olds And Upward Foaled In CA.

I guess if you wanted to highlight one of the negative effects on HRP profits then state bred stakes would be one of the few remaining cash drains. It is a shame because the few states that have statebred racing should be competitive and promote banter among the breeders but sadly what we see fairly often is soft short fields and barely any interest.

Here we have a $100 prize up for grabs and 4 runners with barely $400 in prize money between them. We see full fields for $12 allowances, for $2 maidens but here we see a field cobbled together with the prize money effectively shared out between them.

Of course this isn’t the players involved in the races fault and there is enough talent in the field to make it a good race but it is a shame when these types of races are overlooked in favor of full fields and a few dollars in prize money.

Could they be better promoted? should we take away meet titles and introduce breeder titles for each state? who knows what would be the right thing to do but it is a shame that ‘nothing’ seems to be the answer we are stuck with at the moment.

Anyway onto the 4 runners and with two three year olds and two four year olds and a much more sensible weight for age allowance we should see a good race.

1 Sparky Laga       Night Rider Stables        Cedillo A       124

The first runner we see is a four year old who has shown much improvement since being well beaten and claimed for $14 last summer. The change was immediate because his first race saw a 5th at claiming level but then he improved to take a decent starter allowance and went on to a remarkable third in the Mathis Brother Mile. In his two starts this year he was below par in the Thunder Road but much better last time out when fourth in the Sensational Star Stakes, beaten just a half length. A repeat of his grade two third place will put him right in this race and from the perfect draw he must be considered a winning chance,
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2 Herbalise       Rousee           Smith M E        121

Whilst some horses go through amazing transformations by being bought or claimed this ones metamorphosis came when he was gelded after a winning debut. He went on from that MD maiden win to smoothly win an allowance and then run creditably in the Hopeful Stakes. A first and a third at overnight level has him hard fit for this and coming back to a surface and trip that saw his allowance win must be a big plus. I am not sure he could beat the older horses at level weights but the 3Lb does bring him into it and he runs from the sought after two box
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3           Spoonz         Gdp Inc          Fuentes Ru        121

Another that seemed to improve a little for being gelded he has raced five times for one win and has looked pretty handy this year. His maiden win at GG was his first on turf and he was pretty impressive but though he was only second last time out i did feel the extra furlong may have found him out so coming back to the mile will certainly help his chances. His 1.34 and 3 mile work three weeks ago brings him right into this with the 3Lb help and whilst he may not look as good as the older horses on paper he is sure to be competitive.
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4 High Command        Nakamura Stables       Pereira T J       124

You would have to say on form this is the best horse in the race but he has been dealt the wide draw and whilst in a small field it shouldn’t have much effect we have seen that it can still drive some horses to run below par. He was bought for $250 last year and went for overnights to stakes racing in a heart beat. Tow brilliant runs from terrible draws in the Arlington Million and the Hirsch Turf Classic didn’t do him justice but then i have been waiting for him to make amends ever since and as yet he hasn’t run up to that level in 4 attempts at lower grade. The canny trainer will have to tweak his racing style again but it is a balancing game because he left tings too late as a closer and weakens as a front runner so somewhere there must be the instruction that unlocks his potential.
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SUMMARY

It is sad there are only four runners but this race has plenty of intrigue despite that. The two three year olds have some ability but aren’t getting the usual 5 or 6 Lbs they get against older horses but both older horses have little issues so even with so few runners it is hard to settle on the winner. I think i will go for Sparky Laga because there seems to be the least questions about him but if Nakamura finds the magic instruction then High Command could win by open air. Of course history tells us one of the three year olds may win as well so maybe this race is one to enjoy rather than throw any hard earned dollars at.

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded