The Skidmore
SAR Race #7 5 1/2f Turf Stake
Purse $150.000 (plus up to $22.500 for NY-breds) For Two Year Olds.
1 Power Struggle Mb Stables Davis D
Bought for $160 after a state bred maiden win at PEN he then looked very expensive in his first effort for the stable finishing well down the field in the Tremont. Some turf works since then suggest he may be better suited for the grass and the stable will be hoping for a much better effort and with the ace draw he wont get a better opportunity. The stable draws one two here which will be a much needed relief and you would expect the old magic to shine.
2 On The Horizon Mb Stables Velazquez J R
Ran the early maiden races winning in May at LS and has been on the farm waiting for his opportunity to add to those first two efforts. Strong turf works suggest the trainer has been waiting for the turf races to kick off and with the perfect draw i would expect a bold show. His work times are in the ball park as is most of this field so they don’t tell us much but the draw and an inform jock may be the key to his winning chance.
3 So Neon Asgar Carmouche K
Experience can count for a lot with these juveniles in the early stakes races and this one has more than most with four races under his belt. Two decent efforts at WO suggest he is on the improve and of course the works are pretty much the same as everything else so it will come down to a bit of luck and a good trip. He has the draw for both so look like a decent top four chance.
4 Material Man Angelos Stable Castellano J J
Whether you win a maiden at LAD or a Stakes race at SAR the works will pretty much be the same so it is hard to weigh this one up after his maiden win on an off track at LAD. Bought cheaply he certainly would turn out to be a real find if he can take this race but looks a little outclassed on exposed form. Having said that a decent dirt work recently puts him in the picture and these races can turn out to be a bit of a lottery for the punters so it is hard to write him off.
5 Indian Summer Diablo Diablo Bridgmohan S X
On paper this looks like the winner to me as he has plenty of ticks in boxes for a race like this. Firstly he has started four times which gives him the experience, secondly he not only won one of those big ticket maidens but then ran a close second in the Victoria Stakes from a terrible draw and thirdly his 1.10 6 furlong turf work suggests the grass is right up his street. Put all those ticks with a decent enough draw and he looks the obvious choice for the win.
6 Storming The Tower Fractious Saez L
The big ticket maidens have been a great form guide for these early stakes races and this one took one at CD on the turf. The track was wet so it is hard to compare his win but the works (which you guessed it are the same as everything else) say that he is up to this step up if things go his way. He gets the same jock who won at CD and a good enough draw to get a decent trip so must be in the hopper for the win.
7 Money Printer Go Brr Patterson Stables Leparoux J R
This would be some performance if he could win this as a maiden especially when his debut came just two weeks ago at lowly FP where he was beaten ten lengths. However, if you take a bit of time to really look at this it is not such the crazy entry that it looks. Working 59 secs on the dirt pre that race and leading well past halfway before weakening says this horse is far better than he looks at first glance. Being just 15.1hh with just two weeks break after a debut suggests this is a very hopeful entry but we must remember this is a computer game and the code doesn’t know he shouldn’t win. I have one eye on this one as a possible shock winner.
8 Flotsam TwinTowersRacing Franco M
Impressive in his maiden at LAD, the time was a bit slow so it was hard to weigh up but his next race at stakes level suggested he was above average. This will be his first race on turf but i didn’t see the improvement in his works that i would’ve hoped for and with a difficult draw he looks up against it. When i write something like that it normally means that horses from this stable improve ten lengths so you are welcome TwinTowersRacing !
9 Insilca First Flight Stable Gaffalione T
He has shown plenty of pace in both his starts winning his last one at BEL. He will need that pace to clear the field and find the rail from this draw but if he flies the gate and gets there he has enough speed to lead them and could be hard to pull back. This is his first turf race so there will of course be question marks but his works are in the ball park so it is just a matter of waiting to see what the race engine does with him.
10 Mesquite Ranger Nakamura Stables Lezcano J
Hails from a stable that normally runs them up on the pace he has raced more like a horse that needs cover and did very well from a similar draw last time suggesting he may be a chance if the race engine allows him the same favors today. If he can slot in he will be finishing strongly but a win in a RUi maiden is a long way from a stakes race at SAR so it is hard to go over the top about his chances.
11 Tonight Tonight South Shore Stables Prat F
Won his maiden nicely enough and looks a decent sort but this may be a bridge too far for him at the moment and may be a bit of a hopeful entry especially from this terrible draw. This is his first race on turf and his work on the surface was just OK so i see this more of a fact finding mission than a realistic winning chance.
SUMMARY
On paper this looks a clear enough verdict in favor of Indian Summer but there are plenty of chances which will be doing their best to upset the likely winner. Storming the Tower may be the best of those and the Mb pair will be pushing hard so that would be my top four in this race.
Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded
