Mineshaft Handicap (Grade 3)- $150.000 Purse
FG- For Four Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
February 16, 2019

As many of the top two year olds prepare for the first 50-point KYD prep race of the season, they will get to see a horse as a part of the undercard who is what they want to be, a KYD Champion. 2017 KYD winner Shootfromthehip will begin his five year old season here in the 14th running of the Mineshaft Handicap. Shootfromthehip may have more career earnings then the rest of the field, combined, but at this point in his career, is he still the favorite? Or is Rumble, who essentially the runaway second highest earner in the field, the better horse now? What about the others? Well, let’s take a look!

#1 Pip Boy Phooey (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by J J Castellano)- Max looks to win the race for the second year in a row, having done so last year with Dogs Noah. Now, he will get a chance to do it with this Phooeys Ideal foal. He’s been a steady and consistent sort through his career, and since being gelded last August, he has two wins in his last four starts. This sets him up nicely for his graded debut here. He’s tried an ungraded stake before, and ran fifth. Ten days later, he was gelded. I’m picking him on a gut feeling.

#2- Eatin My Dust (Hambletonian Stable, ridden by J Bravo)- Had a five race winning streak that begin in late 2017 and ended with his first race of 2018, and that included the Grade 3 Hooper at GP. A couple races afterward, Hambletonian picked him up in the auction for $40.000, and had bigger aspirations. A couple months later, he was in the Grade 1 Woodward, and actually did finish fifth. A poor race afterward ended his tenure at the graded level until now. A couple runner ups in ungraded stakes gets him back in graded company.

#3- Rumble (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by J R Velazquez)- Just three weeks ago, he made his four year old debut in the muddy Grade 3 Hooper, and could only manage sixth. The quick turnaround tells me that the trainer isn’t one bit concerned about that performance. What is of slight concern is that he is the highweight in the field, but only being 2-3 pounds more, its not something that can’t be overcome. He’s due for a big race.

#4- Shootfromthehip (Nakamura Stables, ridden by A Beschizza)- The gelding enters his five year old season after only managing to win once last year. Since winning the KYD, he’s only won twice, one of which was the Haskell, but after that its only been a February 2018 win in the San Pasqual. It’s now been a complete year since that win, and while he will still show his KYD winning form, it doesn’t seem to be consistent anymore. That said, he did just run fourth in the BC Dirt Mile, so if he’s a horse that steps it up with higher purses, is this big enough?

#5- Viking Major (Nakamura Stables, ridden by F Geroux)- Acquired in private sales in September for just $12.000 after some disappointing finishes that could have had the prior trainer thinking his best was behind him. He’s been second in a couple of four horse optional claimers since then. So, the jury’s still out. Tough to pick.

#6- Blurred Return (Spankys Barn, ridden by R Santana Jr)- Winner of three out of twelve in his career, but none of the victories are in any of the six stakes that he has attempted, with three of them being graded. He’s on the cusp of such a win, though, as four of the stakes have seen him finish second, and often gets his picture taken with the winner at the wire. Eventually, there will be a break through for him, and it would be pretty neat if it were to happen against a one time KYD champion. Tempted to pick him.

#7- Nice Distorted Laff (Night Rider Stables, ridden by S X Bridgmohan)- this five year old gelding knows how to get it done, with seven wins in 18 starts, and there are a couple of NY-bred stakes mixed in with that. His last stake win came in July at the $100.000 Saginaw at BEL, defeating Port On The Horizon. Ran second in an allowance in his last start, last month. The winner of that race? Pip Boy Phooey. Note he was passed in the stretch by his rival there for that one’s win, and this is a little longer of a race here.

#8- Harleys Hope (TwinTowers Racing, ridden by R Bejarano)- Likes to do things in batches lately, with two seconds in his last two, then two sixths before that, and prior to that, it was three wins. That all adds up to four wins and four places in 16 starts. He has mainly been a productive allowance horse, though has attempted a couple of ungraded stakes, but finished well off the pace in either. Now, he makes his graded debut in hoping the next pattern is resuming some wins.

Prediction: 1-6-3-4

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES