The Forbidden Apple – Grade III
SAR Race #6 1m InTurf Graded Stake
Purse $150.000 For Four Year Olds And Upward.

It seems just about every player at HRP has realized that there is very little point in trying to beat the three year olds with older horses so we have here a little grade three worth just $150.000 rammed with talented older horses trying to get a fair race. Of all the big races over this weekend this is probably the most interesting and competitive of the lot, here is how they line up.

1 No Childe Of Mine Our Athletes Leparoux J R

This is a good example of a decent four year old that hasnt achieved all it will yet. A good enough two year old he was taken through his levels at a nice click improving with every race at three and that patience has really paid dividends now he has turned four. A good winner of his first two races he did well enough in the Connaught Cup Stakes last time when fourth to suggest this son of Hardline can win a race at this level. The winner of a race over this trip he is better known for his sprinting but can certainly get the mile and if he doesnt get too buried from this draw could run a nice race.

2 Nice Dive Threshold Gaffalione T

Gets into a great gate this consistent former free track star gets his chance. He acts on any going and whilst he has a ton of speed his strength in a finish can sometimes be questionable so he will need things to go his way to get more than place money.

3 Duke Or Earl Gdp Inc Maragh R R

An exceptional dirt runner he was in fact considered a turfer not so long ago but the one thing we know at HRP is that the surface doesnt really matter that much with a majority of horses. A sub 1.36 worker on dirt he actually won the DMR Mile on the turf last year so clearly has the ability at this level to win. Only the trainer knows what his turf works are like but they wouldnt be here if they werent confident. This five year old could be the dark horse in the race.

4 Eclipse My Knowledge Nakamura Stables Luzzi M J

This horse has run 20 races on the dirt finishing a cats whisker behind in second in both the San Antonio and the San Pasquale. As i was saying in regards to the three surface doesnt seem to matter so much at HRP and he switched to turf last time for a very nice win in the wet of a strong overnight at CD. Whilst he is a tough sort this is a difficult race for this grade and he may just be a split second better on dirt so i am not sure he can win but he will be there at the end for sure.

5 Lunar Blaze John Henry Velazquez J R

This is one of the best older horses in the game and at six years old he isnt slowing down too much. The winner of the Kilroe Mile he has been close up in both the Forester Turf Classic and the Manhattan the second of those from a terrible draw and he must rate a major chance from this nice draw today. With a sub 1.34 work over the turf mile the third fastest this year and being a multiple grade one winner contesting a grade three he should really be a strong favorite to win this.

6 Xmas Snow Maxmillion Farm Smith M E

Bought for $15.000 Maxmillion worked their magic on this horse and took it from a losing allowance horse to a stakes winner last year. Winning a couple of grade three’s as a three year old he carried on that form this year winning the TAM Stakes before leading for a long way in the Forrester Turf Classic before weakening into seventh. He got back to his best last time when a close third in the Wise Dan over his best trip of a mile and sixteenth and like any runner from this stable he deserves a lot of respect.

7 First Class Male Team 7 Illusions Castellano J J

Cherokee Sunset seems to have a runner in just about every stakes race these days and here is another to carry the flag. Pretty average up to his win in the TAM Turf Classic he went on to run a career best third in the Forrester Turf Classic before a good effort in the Manhattan when a running on sixth. The trip will be his biggest hurdle here as he looks to need more than a mile but he will be running on at the end.

8 Thoughtful Idea D J C Racing Stables Davis D

On the face of it this fairly lightly tried sort looks a bit outclassed in this field but the trainer has plenty of success with this type of fringe horse and it wouldnt surprise me to see him go well. A good second in the Fort Macey last time proves he can go at this level but in a tough field with a difficult draw i cant put him at the top of my list.

9 The Hand Youre Dealt Mb Stables Franco M

Its not often Mb Stables get the sort of luck that see’s there mandatory three entries all drawn wide. With things as they are we will probably see a wide gate bias and he will finish one two three but failing that all the entries have a very good chance not least this five year old. A similar draw in the Shoemaker Mile last time saw him run a very good third but i rather think that today Mb may try and get him closer to the pace so one of his stable companions may be used to spread the field a little bit so he can slot in better.

10 Nowhere Man Mb Stables Lanerie C J

Working faster than his stable companion The Hand Youre Dealt he hasnt achieved the same results but was a nice fourth in the Kilroe Mile just a length off the winner and certainly has the ability if he can get in the right frame of mind. A nose second in an open allowance last time was one of those stupid and infuriating HRP results where a sub standard three year old beats a better horse because of the unrealistic weight allowance so that run wasnt bad and it wouldnt surprise me to see him run a big race.

11 Its True YME Stable Landeros C

Two results for this horse this year demonstrate perfectly the class system at HRP because he was beaten a length in an optional claimer when third prior to being beaten a length and filling the same spot in the grade two Connaught Cup. He is a consistent and improving sort but is stuck out in the cheap seats today against a tough field and it is hard to see him winning even though it could easily happen.

12 By Design Mb Stables Santana R Jr

This son of Commanding is working like a BC winner but couldnt even win a TAM Allowance in April. So what do we make of him? Well it is one of those races where anything could win and he is no different but he has looked better over a mile and a half despite working quicker than the rest of the field over six furlongs. Being the widest drawn he may be used to dictate the pace and as the sort who stays forever he may actually prove hard to get past.

SUMMARY

Its easy to get excited about 1.09 and change works for six furlongs and 1.34 mile work outs but lets face it there are probably 100 average three year olds doing the same so its hard to separate this field on works alone. On form it isnt much easier as when you cross reference the form anything could win as usual so its down to instinct and that instinct is telling me Lunar Blaze can get back to winning ways.

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES