Say Florida Sandy
AQU Race #1 7f Dirt Stake
 Purse $100.000 For Four Year Olds And Upward Foaled In NY.

1 Di Bug John Henry Bahen S R

Five year olds can have a slight advantage at this time of year so you have to take the chances of this one pretty seriously even though his form may have been slipping. Runner up in the BC Sprint as a three year old like most horses turning four he struggled a bit last year not winning in ten attempts but running well enough to suggest he hadn’t declined too much. The ace draw will certainly help his cause today and his works are strong enough to make him a live winning hope.

2 Akkadian Night Rider Stables Lezcano J

Another horse that will appreciate getting out of his four year old season he did manage an excellent third in the Vosburgh but only managed the one win last season. Claimed for a third time in his career his new trainer has found a good spot for him here and managed to secure the perfect draw so he has every chance of winning some sort of check.

3 Stolen D J C Racing Stables Cancel E

An interesting entry because on works at least he looks like he should be a real contender here despite some lack luster form. Part of the problem seems to be that he has been jumping around in trip and whilst that doesn’t make a big difference to performances at HRP it does make it difficult to get a line on him. Having said that his two wins over a mile last year suggest he has the stamina to sprint seven furlongs and his works are as good as any sprinter so with a good draw he could be a dark horse.

4 Duke King Mental Bloch Racing McCarthy T

Whilst it may seem a long shot that a seven year old with two wins from nineteen and no form whatsoever for a race like this should have any chance at all we must not forget this is a game and stranger things have happened. The fact that his works are as good as anything else in the field suggests that he is a lot better than his form suggests, the question is how much better?

5 Im Too Lucky Big Jd Racing Morales P

Just four wins from twenty four but working as well as any grade one stakes winner it seems to be the way things are these days that works no longer tell us how good a horse is. His form says a big no but there was improvement in his form when switched to dirt at the end of the year and he may just be better than his rather thin race record.

6 Unfold Fractious Davis D

Another that struggled through his four year old season without a win it seems a long time ago since he won the BC Dirt Mile as a three year old. But we have seen plenty of top three year olds win a big race and then go missing for a season before coming back as a five year old and that could easily be the case for this classy sort. He ran well enough to be second in the Crosby and third in the Pegasus World Cup last year to suggest that his lack of winning was more down to the weight for age penalty than any loss of ability so i fully expect him to be a big winning chance today.

7 Man In Black Angelos Stable Juarez N

Getting out in the draw this one isn’t a bad sort and meets an even field but he would have to be considered a long shot. His works suggest he has ability and he isn’t altogether out of this but it is hard to make a winning case for him.

8 Cliffs Of Dover Spankys Barn Franco M

An interesting entry with five wins from twelve he has recorded some fast speed figures and is working as well as anything so whilst he hasn’t got the stakes form of some of these he does seem on the cusp of black type. The wide draw ill certainly make it tough for him and his age is against him but i do think if there is an unlikely winner then this is it.

SUMMARY

Well Unfold looks like the winner to me but there wont be much in this race and a chance can be given to Di Bug and Akkadian as well as outside chances to Cliffs Of Dover and Stolen.

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded