BG Stakes (Grade 2)- $1,000.000 Purse
KEE- For Three Year Olds
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
April 8, 2017
The starting gate is full for the 13th running of the BG Stakes, which was downgraded to a Grade 2 this year for some unknown reason, just like the Wood Memorial at AQU was that also runs on Saturday. The grading has changed, but thankfully the purse has not, so there is still plenty on line. Also at stake, of course, are those 100 KYD points for the winner at this crucial time of year to get a horse into the big race next month. That is why the gate is full, and we should expect an exciting battle. This race has been good for Mb Stables over the last two years, as he won the race with Im Too Confident in 2015, and then Spring Lover last year. He’ll have three again here, but you have to wonder that if one of them does win, if they would be picked over the other options he is going to have. That’s just one of our stories for the BG Stakes, let’s meet the fourteen participants in this race!
#1- Wipeout (Sanny Village, ridden by G L Stevens) (0 KYD Points)- Had a strong two year old season that saw him win the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes in August about a month after he was acquired in a claim for $25.000. This would ultimately lead to him being able to appear in the BC Juvenile, though he finished near back. Why am I talking about these long ago races? Because Wipeout has not raced since! He will be brought back from a five month layoff, so he will be fresh, though hopefully not rusty. I like the horse, but the layoff scares me away.
#2- Solow (Blushing Meadows, ridden by J R Leparoux) (0 KYD Points)- Ran here in the Grade 1 Breeder’s Futurity back in October, and since then it has been nothing but the grass for this Rene gelding. He’s run well in them, with a pair of seconds that came in the Grade 3 Dania Beach in January, and then most recently last month in the Palm Beach Stakes, the latter of which was also going long. You have to go back quite a ways to try and compare public work times to see how he might fare when going back on the main track, but what I do see, makes this look very promising.
#3- Nineties Batler (John Henry, ridden by L H Colon) (2 KYD Points)- The trainer did not have to pay a lot to get this one, picking him up for $20.000 in a maiden claimer, going long on the turf. It was the first time that he did that condition, and he really stepped up. John Henry had acquired himself a gem, and after a good run in the Grade 3 Pilgrim, he would later win the $100.000 Awad. During prep race season, he’s been competitive, with the best result being a third place run in the Sham to get his two points. A work earlier this month is very encouraging and suggests he is about to run a big race.
#4- King Death Row (Aer Stables, ridden by T McCarthy) (5 KYD Points)- Looking at this horse’s performances, the question to ask yourself is whether or not you think that the Gotham, his last race, was a throw out. If it can be, then King Death Row should be one of the top contenders in this field following a win in the always tough Runyon for NY-breds, and then the Grade 3 Withers. It appears as though the trainer is calling on Dixieland Force to entertain a strategy that was executed in the SUN Derby to perfection. If that’s what it takes, then there is all the more reason to like this one.
#5- Coin Flip (Mb Stables, ridden by J L Ortiz) (10 KYD Points)- This is the best bet amongst the three Mb Stables entries in the field. He was at his best late in his two year old season when he ran off a three race winning streak that included in the Grade 1 Breeders Futurity. In the BC Juvenile, he just missed getting part of a check with a fifth place performance, and seemed destined for big things this year. Unfortunately for the trainer, he has been able to hit the board in two tries this year, with the most recent race being the Grade 2 Risen Star. He should be one of the top choices here.
#6- Mancini (Our Athletes, ridden by C S Nakatani) (9 KYD Points)- A very consistent gelding by Pink Panther who has hit the board in eight of ten races in his career. What is holding him back in the KYD picture, however, is that only two of those races have been victories. Two of the recent second place runs have been heartbreakers as well, missing in tight photos in the Grade 3 Hutcheson, and then the Grade 3 Lewis. Last month, he went out to SA to take part in the San Felipe, a race that the trainer surely wanted better in then the fourth place finish. Our Athletes got a big win (in a dead heat) with Atletico in the LA Derby last weekend and would love to double up and get a second one in, and to do that at KEE.
#7- Snow To Remember (Oquinn Farm, ridden by D R Flores) (0 KYD Points)- Picked up in the auction a few weeks ago for $68.000, Snow To Remember is a horse that has shown potential in his career, but has only been able to find the winners circle one time in nine starts. His best second place finish was in the Runyon for NY-breds in December. In late February, his last start with his prior trainer, he had a disappointing finish, and I am led to believe that is what led to him going in the auction. Snow To Remember may just need a fresh face as a trainer. This is a tough assignment, but you never can tell.
#8- Grounded In Reality (Mb Stables, ridden by T Gaffalione) (0 KYD Points)- This Commanding foal has only raced three times, with the lone victory being his maiden race in February. He followed that up with a simple allowance at TAM, and ran second. Off of that, he comes here, and given the trainer, that’s a surprise. He has some nice works, and based on that, you can see why you would take a shot here, it’s just that Mb has so many other KYD candidates. He’ll get valuable information to see where Grounded In Reality stands, going forward, and perhaps that is the big reason why he is here. Capable of being contender in here.
#9- Forestry (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by L Saez) (0 KYD Points)- In his last race, this Charley Farley colt had the best run of his career if you look at SRF numbers, even if that fifth place run in the Grade 2 Rebel did not get a check and any KYD points for the trainer. He was coming on well in the end of that race, and he does get a little more ground in this one. If he can duplicate that effort, then he will contend. So far, he has been able to win at the stake level despite a couple decent races.
#10- Seminole (On The Map Racing, ridden by H A Karamanos) (0 KYD Points)- The autogen broke his maiden in his last start, and now the trainer chases his KYD dream with the gelding. He’s worked well of late, so the big question will be weather or not he can make this big jump off his maiden win. The SRF numbers do suggest that he is going to need to be a little quicker then he was at FG, but he is still lightly raced, so anything is possible at this point.
#11- Not Perfect (Kopites, ridden by K J Desormeaux) (0 KYD Points)- Purchased in December for $300.000 from Gdp Inc after a couple of good showings in the fall. He has only raced once, however, for his new trainer, and that was in off about two and a half months of a layoff for the Grade 3 Withers, and he would never be a factor in that race. After a little more time to rest, the time is now for this gelding to prove himself he belongs in the KYD, and that he was worth that purchase price.
#12- Dixieland Force (Aer Stables, ridden by J Alvarado) (0 KYD Points)- Raced two weeks ago in the SUN Derby and set a blistering pace that helped the trainer with the race with his Bronx Bomber. It’s hard to imagine, given the short turnaround and the way he ran last time, that he is here for anything other then to do the same for King Death Row. Hopefully, he’s at least getting special treats back in his stall for being such a team player.
#13- Treasure Trove (Mb Stables, ridden by V Espinoza) (0 KYD Points)- Lightly raced with just five career races, and never failing to hit the board, there is plenty of potential with this Smart App colt, and I believe this is a name we’ll be hearing about in the SRF for a while, as I like the way he is developing. His last two races are victories, the first being when he broke his maiden, and then following it up against allowance company. Both were HRP-routs of three lengths. That should help him back this large step up in competition, and I think he is going to handle it pretty well. Treasure Trove could be a major spoiler in this race. If the odds get high, take a shot.
#14- Champsville Sweeper (Axeman, ridden by G Boulanger) (2 KYD Points)- From the far outside, Champsville Sweeper should have what it takes to be one of the race’s top contenders. In eleven races, he has picked up four wins, and all of them have come with the NM-bred condition. He was dominant in NM-bred stakes as a two year old, winning three of them. As a three year old, he has exclusively moved on to open company and earned a couple KYD points with a fourth place result in the El Camino. This is a tough post to overcome, and it may do him in.
Prediction: 5-6-4-13
— NS
Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES
