KD Turf Sprint (Grade 2) (BC)- $1,000.000 Purse
KD- For Three Year Olds and Upward
Six Furlongs on the Turf
September 10, 2022

It is a fantastic weekend of racing at KD, and here in the KD Turf Sprint, points are on the line for the BC Turf Sprint in a couple months, and trainers have been sure to almost full up the starting gate. This race first appeared on the schedule in 2015, but for nowhere near the $1,000.000 purse that we see today. 2021 would be the first year that we saw that generous amount, and the race ended up being won by Scafati, for Fractious. Part of that field also included Gleaming Spirit, who won the race in both 2019 and 2020. Scafati would remain hot, going on to win the BC Turf Sprint at DMR, which at this time is the last time that he has won a race. Gleaming Spirit also won the BC Turf Sprint in 2019, and the 2020 winner of the BC race, The Grandmaster, was second that same year in the KD Turf Sprint. Safe to say then, this race has a great recent history for the BC race. This winner would love to be the next one on that list to have a chance in a couple months. Let’s meet the field of those who are trying to be that horse!

#1- Mystery (Fractious, ridden by T Gaffalione)- Ran in this race last year, but only finished in the eighth position as his stablemate took home the win. Towards the end of 2021, this former runner in the BEL began to get hot, and would run off three straight wins during the winter months into this season. This included the Grade 3 GP Turf Sprint. His last race was also a win, coming in mid-July in the Grand Prairie Turf Challenge at LS. Speaking of challenges, this is the toughest one he has had in a while, but he could handle it well.

#2- Kid Commander (Allinthegate, ridden by J R Velazquez)- If the headbob at the wire of last year’s race went a different way, we would be talking about Kid Commander looking to win this race again. It was still a strong second place run for him, which he brought to the BC and finished third in the Turf Sprint. He was still running well in the winter, scoring a victory in the $100.000 Kenner Stakes and a place in the Kilroe Mile but after that, his results have been tailing off. It seems as though, lately, he has not been getting off to good starts from the gate, impacting his results.

#3- Insist On Perfection (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by M Franco)- Picked up in private sales for $220.000 in May of last year, and since the purchase, Maxmillion Farm has done a very good job bringing this horse forward. The potential was there before the purchase, but after running second in the Kent Stakes and fourth in the Simpson, he was looking better. He still does not have that exciting win yet, but ran second on a good turf surface last month at SAR in the Grade 3 Troy. The effort earned him a triple digit SRF for the first time.

#4- Shakespearean (Mb Stables, ridden by Mario Gutierrez)- After being gelded, Shakespearean went on a great run of races where he was continuously hitting the board. There were four wins in there, but only one of them was at the graded level. It was a good one, though, the TS Turf Sprint at CD, a race where he saw several of these. Was flat for some reason in the Jaipur, but recovered well in his last race, the Grade 3 Troy, and that can let us throw out the Jaipur. Look for him to be one of the biggest threats here.

#5- Commanding Millions (Rock Creek, ridden by D Davis)- Picked up in private sales from yours truly in May for $45.000, and has hit the board in two overnights since then. This would seem to be a massive jump up in class for him, and I know that there have been moments in his career while I had him where I thought he could be on the cusp of this level, too. But he never stepped up. Is moving him to the turf the answer? I’m rooting for him with my heart, but being with him for a while, I have my doubts.

#6- Labor Force (Threshold, ridden by E Maldonado)- Speaking of having doubts, I have them here. Labor Force was claimed in his last start for $3.200, after running second at RUI. He didn’t show much in his career, and has been claimed several times. He’s had some turf tries, though I suppose it’s been a little while since then. If he wins, the horse that beat him in that RUI claimer is in the auction for a buck on the 18th.

#7- Cherokee Devil (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by E Jaramillo)- This Cherokee Sunset colt is racing the best he ever has in his career, which was always a good one, right now. He has wins in three of his last four races, and while two of them are allowances, it also includes the Grade 2 Connaught Cup Stakes up at WO, a seven furlong race. The race that was not a win was the Jaipur, and while he was sixth, he was not badly beaten. He had to start that race from the outside, and that certainly impacted his race in at least some capacity. There’s a lot to like with this one.

#8- Scott The Cherokee (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by S X Bridgmohan)- Winning is something that has been difficult for this one, as he has just a single victory in 22 career starts. Lately, he has been running third, doing so in his last four but all of them in overnights and a couple of them in claimers. This is his stake debut, and while I wouldn’t rule out a midpack finish, this is not one that I can pick in this field.

#9- Fight The Good Fight (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by F Geroux)- He’s raced half as much as stablemate, and won twice as many. Sounds a lot better than it really is, but if I had to pick one of these (which I won’t be), this is the horse it will be. In his last race, he ran a strong race in a DMR optional claimer, so he’s earned the chance to run at this level, but he meets up with a good field here, and he certainly has to live up to his name.

#10- Shelbags (Lindeman Prairie, ridden by A Cedillo)- This seven year old gelding has picked up thirteen wins over his 47 race career, but didn’t really come to life until he was picked up by Lindeman Prairie. The trainer has done a great job bringing him along, and Shelbags would make it to the BC Turf Sprint last year, and finished one spot away from earning a check. He’s run well this year, with a win in the Grade 2 Highlander at WO in July being a part of it. Didn’t handle the Troy well, but can overcome that.

#11- Elijah G (Mb Stables, ridden by L Saez)- We saw him last year in the KD Turf Sprint, and he put together a good race, finishing behind only Scafati and Kid Commander at the end of it. This would bring him to the BC Turf Sprint as well, where he would place sixth. On to this year, we have seen Elijah G in the winner’s circle three times in eight starts highlighted by the $160.000 Beau Stakes at CD, and he was also second in the Highlander. Comes out of the Troy, where he was fourth.

#12- Pxg (Mb Stables, ridden by R M Hernandez)- The veteran six year old gelding has been good this year with three wins in his four starts, taking his career win total to eleven. Much of that has been in overnights or in small ungraded stakes, but from time to time, he has been seen in races like this one. Has not raced since late June, and has not been in a turf sprint since last October. This post position won’t his upset bid, either.

#13- Valvano (Royalty Stables, ridden by Ru Silvera)- One of only two three year olds in the field, and this gets them a three pound weight allowance. For Valvano, any benefit that could have come from that is likely nullified by having to start from this post. He is still a lightly raced horse, comparatively speaking, to what he is facing here and in none of those starts, has he been on the grass. The trainer has had him preparing for it in works, but this is a tough way to go about your first turf race.

Prediction: 4-7-2-1

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES