Lecomte Stakes – Grade III [KYD]
 FG   Race #11   1m 70   Dirt   Graded Stake
Purse $200.000  For Three Year Olds.

As the race for the roses hots up we get an intriguing race of fillies, wannabe’s and reputations. Here’s how they line up for a few measly KYD points as the TC puzzle starts to take shape.

1 Broken Tap, trained by Barcelona Farms
A very consistent gelding he has won or placed second in all of his six starts. Starting off in maiden claimers he scored at the second attempt in impressive fashion causing his trainer to up him in grade to statebred stakes race for the remainder of his season. Two good seconds over shorter trips saw him thrown into the FL Sire Stakes where he came up against a decent field but managed to out stay them and win by a neck. With nothing else on the horizon he was then thrown into a statebred sprint at the end of the year but still had enough class to win over six furlongs carrying a penalty. One feels that this is a testing session for the trainer to see just where this horse stands outside Statebred races but he has done enough to be pretty competitive from a good draw.

2 Wheres Kemp II, trained by Blushing Meadows
The stable has had a great start to the year but this one may need another race or two before he is up to this grade. He just got home in a sprint maiden  at GP last time and whilst he has some good work times to his name his last public work wasnt so encouraging, He is bred to stay this trip but it remains to be seen if he is a live TC candidate.

3 El Gran Landing, trained by Sccj Stables
Bought for $30.000 this colt took his maiden at the second time of asking over 5 furlongs at WO. Thrown into the deep end he did well to finish second in the Sanford and was then given his chance in the Hopeful and The Futurity and gave a good account of himself finishing fifth in both. Upped in trip in his last start of the year he faded late after leading to be second in The King Glorious Stakes. That last effort called his stamina into question and he will have to prove he can stay a mile before i can have any confidence in his TC aspirations.

4 Motor City, trained by First Class Stable
Won on debut but took a while to follow up taking an allowance on his fourth start. That was a good win in a fast time so the trainer took that effort to the Nashua where he ran a cracker to be a close and closing second. He proved that effort was no fluke with a battling third in the Remsen last time out and this trip and race could be set up nicely for him. His work times are certainly good enough and whilst his trainer doesnt have the stakes record of some of his rivals this could be the one to take them up a notch.

5 Rod Steiger, trained by Asgar
Another to win on debut like most that do he took a while to follow it up. A couple of OK efforts saw him take the field in the grade one Champagne but he was a pretty anonymous seventh there causing hs trainer to return to statebred races. He won the Frost King Stakes before a game second under penalty in the Kingarvie Stakes. On the upside he is proven around this trip and has a good draw but his work times suggest he may have a bit to find on some of these.

6 Imperfect Warrior, trained by Joshua Stables
There’s a couple of fillies every year that try and take on the boys and a few have had success thanks to a generous weight allowance. This filly kept improving last year ending up with three in a row culminating in the Blue Mountain Stakes. There are plenty of question marks here, the trip, her sex, the fact that she hasnt raced outside statebred level but she has a better chance than her form suggests. Her work times arent bad and 5Lb’s puts her pretty close on homework. An interesting entry who adds plenty of interest to the race but you’d be a brave person to throw you mortgage on her until she has proven herself.

7 Slip Away, trained by TwinTowersRacing
He was looking like a turf star for most of last year winning his maiden impressively on the sod before taking the Summer Stakes in a very fast time, Those efforts saw hm take to the BC Juvenile Turf field and he ran a cracker to be a hard closing third beaten just a length. With the Spring TC races in mind his trainer threw him into the Remsen on the dirt on his last appearance and he surprised a few with a battling second a smidgen in front of Motor City. That form alone makes hims a lively winning chance here and he worked nicely enough over the mile last time to put him among the favourites.

8 Subutai, trained by Easy Money Stables
Where Slip Away was taking on the BC turf this one was taking on the BC Juvenile and running equally well. He has probably the best dirt route form in the race winning the Bashford Manor before two excellent fourths in the Iroquois and the Breeders Futurity. Those efforts preceded a start in the BC where drawn 12 he looked to have little chance. On a day dominated by on speed however he was taken way back and then flew home to be third beaten less than a length. That was a huge effort and his work times suggest he has kept improving making him a must for the top three at least.

9 Its All Over, trained by Mb Stables
Its not very often we see just one entry from this stable in this sort of race so it either means he is confident he doesnt need any more entries or he is waiting for bigger races to air his stable stars. Winning on debut this twenty dollar purchase then struggled from two wide draws before eventually winning again on his last start in an FG Allowance. His running style so far suggests he is an on pace runner who only just stays a mile but i wonder whether he will be tried further back today. If he is then he could be a surprise package, if he is left on the pace again i think he will be vulnerable.

10 Nowhere Man, trained by Smokey Stover
This one has the form and some of the best work times in the race but also has to deal with a wide draw which certainly brings him right back into the pack as far as his chances go. Two good wins in his first two races suggested a good race was in him and he proved that when takeing the Nashua by a game half length. On a line through Motor City he should’ve been good enough in the Remsen last time out but in true HRP style he couldnt run the same race twice and this time finished well behind Motor City. As usual his form throws mud at the form book and whilst i would be pretty confident had he been drawn 3 or 4 this wide draw is enough to make me worried.

12 All Systems Go, trained by Mo Mentum Farm
A nice sort he has been given a tough task here to win from the car park. Not as accomplished as some of his rivals he did take The Notebook last time and has never been out of the first three so he is not without a chance. His work times are OK and the trip should be also but he will need to improve to get into the reckoning.

SUMMARY
On the form lines it looks between Nowhere Man, Suntai, Slip Away and Motor City but there are plenty of chances hovering just behind these proven three year olds. If i was stepping outside the box i would look at Its All Over but it would be a stretch on known information so i am sticking with safety and going with Slip Away and Suntai to fight out the finish with Nowhere Man and Motor City fighting for third.

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