The Inaugural Stakes ($100.000 Purse)
TAM- For Colts and Geldings Two Years Old
Six Furlongs on the Dirt
December 19, 2015
This Saturday at TAM, we will have the tenth running of the Inaugural Stakes, which is a six furlong event with an uncommon distinction of being for colts and geldings only. When it first appeared on the racing schedule, the race was an afterthought to many, as it was only run for a $60.000 purse. It had a couple small increases until 2013, when it went off for its current level, and as such it started to attract some better fields, but there have always been good horses that stopped by this race. In 2009, Unlv Running Rebel passed through here, and the last two winners, Artemus Major and Victory Lap have gone on to have good careers. This year, it’s a little more difficult to get excited about the field. We have one very promising horse, Time To Ride. Other then him, everyone else is still eligible for a N1X condition. Color Me Purple has won twice, but one was a statebred, so in our game he fits that mold as well. However, this race is called the Inaugural Stakes, and perhaps this will become the inaugural step for one of the lesser accomplished runners thus far to take towards having a great career. Let us meet our field of seven.
#1- Shogun (Witeout Stables, ridden by D P Butler)- Could not win a fair track maiden in his first three starts, and was subsequently sent to the auction in September by previous trainer Mo Mentum Farms, where he was picked up by Witeout Stables for $5.010. Shogun responded by winning a MSW at MNR, and was thrust directly into the OK Classic Juvenile, where he beat just one horse. That race was won by Time To Ride. A work at RP in October shows that he can have some potential, but so far that’s the exception to the rule and perhaps too much is being valued by the amount of lengths he won at MNR by. This isn’t the greatest field, so he could have a decent finish here, but in the long run, this is a colt that still needs to improve, or start showing his best ability more often. Of course, if Time to Ride doesn’t show up here, this is a completely wide open race.
#2- Urban Decline (Alydar Stables, ridden by M G Pino)- After falling to win at two bottom level tracks, the trainer sent Urban Decline to the turf at CRC for his last start, and he finally broke his maiden. Off that, he returns to the main track, and even though he won on the grass, I do agree with the trainer here that it should be on the dirt where he will be most successful. His works are impressive, showing six consecutive bullet works, the last two of which have been this month. We know he is great in the morning, therefore. Now, he will have to bring it to the race. If he does, he can not be counted out and may even be a favorite here. We shall see.
#3- Mystery Boy (Heavens Own, ridden by G Boulanger)- The Pip Boy bloodlines point to this gelding potentially having a great career, as every quarter that sire is good for one or two graded winners, it seems. He was gelded after his debut race, and was sent to a CA-bred maiden at DMR against a full field of ten, and came from behind to win that race at the very end. His race winning time in that one, if it could be duplicated here, would be enough to win this race. I really like where this horse might be heading in the future, perhaps a little more then where he is today, but as was said in the opening, this could be his inaugural leap to greater fame.
#4- On High Alert (Mb Stables, ridden by D E Centeno)- This Commanding colt looks like he is starting to come into his own over the second half of 2015. Mb Stables patiently waited to debut him until September as his work times for the sixth furlong were disappointing in comparison to his five furlong works. After his debut, he began to show improvement, and just a few days ago, he uncorked a sub-1:11 work for the first time publicly. In mid-November, he broke his maiden in a race for NY-breds, and now comes here to build on that effort. Should he do that, we can expect him to be in the mix until the end but a couple in here look a little better.
#5- Time To Ride (Riggins Racing, ridden by A A Gallardo)- As I write this, the trainer currently stands at 4,999 career wins. More then likely, he will have picked up #5,000 long before this race, but I want to take a moment to congratulate him on that achievement. Only Spinetingling and Barcelona Farms have reached the milestone thus far. In the unlikely event that the trainer has a massive slump between now and post time, Time to Ride would have a great chance to be the lucky one to get that win. Time To Ride is indeed the class of this field, having won three of his five career starts thus far. One of them is a stake victory, as he captured the $100.000 OKC Juvenile in October. After that win, he was sent to the Grade 3 Lewis Stakes, and he would place second in that four horse field. He has turned out SRF figures that no one in this field has matched thus far, although Dogs Got Wings has been close. Time To Ride has it all going for him, the experienced trainer, the experience in this type of race, and the ability to get to the winners circle. He should be a fairly large favorite in this field, but don’t call him an automatic. There are some strong up and comers in this field that make sure this colt truly understands that it will be time to ride on Saturday.
#6- Dogs Got Wings (Downwind Stables, ridden by B Pedroza)- After an attempt to get the Dogs Bachelor Party gelding to have success while running longer, the trainer is returning him to sprinting for the first time since July. His sprinting career showed a lot of promise, finishing second in the Grade 3 Bashford Manor (to Black Mach One) at CD, and then finishing fourth in the Grade 3 Sanford at beautiful SAR. In that, there is no shame at all in losing to the top three from that race. Off of that, Downwind looked to get him to go longer, and the works certainly showed that was a good thing to do. The results, though, were not what the trainer was envisioning, so it’s time to cut him back to six furlongs here. If he can return to the form he was showing over the warmer months, then Time To Ride doesn’t have to look very far in the starting gate to see who is biggest threat here is. If you want to play beat the probable large favorite, this is your horse. Dogs Bachelor Party foals do seem to generate a lot of fan support at TAM, however.
#7- Color Me Purple (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by I Beato)- The trainer has a lot of confidence in his Mr Creepy colt, but he’s going to have to show he can get the job done when the purse size increases. He hasn’t worked publicly since late October, and two works back there is an impressive bullet work at MTH in September that will get your attention. Has Color Me Purple only gotten better since then? If he has, then he might finally get over the ungraded stakes hump he has seen. In his six career starts, three have been ungraded events, and his best showing in them is a third in the NY-bred Bongard. The other three races see two wins and a strong second in a SAR optional claimer. This is a good field to see if he can finally advance his career a little more.
Prediction: 5-6-2-7
Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded
