Alexandra Stakes – Grade II [KYO]

       FG            Race #12              1 1/16m               Dirt                      Graded Stake

Purse $300.000  For Fillies Three Years Old.

1 Ontario Pharmacist                    Williams9                        Dominguez Jo          122

After some good but not outstanding runs as a juvenile she lined up in the grade two Oak Leaf as a 17/1 chance but turned that race into a procession with an all the way three length win. That was her first attempt at beyond a mile and she was so impressive that she was strongly fancied to repeat the performance in the BC Juvenile in her next start. What happened next was one of those HRPisms and can only be explained by one of two things. The first and most obvious is the instructions because she went straight to the front from her wide draw (possibly assisted by the wide gate speed push) in the Oak Leaf but was content to stalk in the BC on a much slower pace. The second possible explanation could be inconsistency or the break between races as she came back to somewhere near her best last time out when stalking in the Starlet and keeping on strongly for a close second. I must admit the draw bothers me but if she can do what she did in the Oak Leaf from an inside draw she could well go all the way again and win this.

2 Enbarr                            Delta Farms                   Sanchez M J                  122      

Well as Credit Crime won this last year it is always great to dream that you have the next Credit Crime and this once raced home bred has the potential to make those dreams come true. One run, one win, in a decent maiden at FG over five furlongs tells us very little about her ability to stay this trip against this class of horse but you have to be good to do what she did on debut and it is clear that a lot of things add up for her today, Can she overcome the inexperience? The class gap? Well, I am a sucker for a superstar and I hope she turns out to be one.

3 Lilahs Empire                   Royalty Stables                       Centeno D E          122

As you would expect on this engine there is a lot of speed in this race and this is another that may be looking to get the lead early on. She looked impressive when making all in the mud last time and I guess with a repeat of those conditions you would have to take her seriously. Her works are OK and she is clearly capable never having been out of the first three in five career starts but her form isn’t as impressive as some and she doesn’t stand out to me.

4 Tranect                          Acber Farms                  Lopez P                           122                     

Her form has the looks of one of those “go figure” moments at HRP because after she won the Untappable and qualified for the BC Turf Sprint she then finished the season winning the grade two Starlet over a mile and sixteenth on the dirt. That last run from a similar draw was huge and puts her in with a big chance here but without that effort you may have expected her to be finding a turf race somewhere. Her works say she is good and her form says the same and very often a good horse at HRP has very little trip or surface preferences so she must be among the favourites here especially with the sort of running style that may be perfect for this race.

5 Pointed Out                         D J C Racing Stables                Pennington F 122      

Her form looks a bit up and down as she hasn’t really settled on one trip but on her efforts in the Pocahontas and the Alcibiades she may be the type to cause a bit of a surprise here. She will likely go back from the draw so may need some racing luck along the way but if she gets it, she could be the dark horse in this race.

6 Real Tactics                     Mb Stables                     Dettori L                          122      

After winning her first two races this filly struggled a little to follow up in some state bred stakes races but that can often happen with juveniles that get going early in their career. Her trainer stuck with her though and was rewarded with a very impressive win in the Busanda where she stalked the lead and ran out an easy two length winner. She has fitness on her side and her works are telling us she is back on the improvement curve, she could start favourite and must be a big win chance.

7 West Coast Girls                     Diablo Diablo            Espinoza V                     122

On form and results this one has a big chance and if the speed is on early her late running style could come into play. She got the timing right last time coming from a mile back to win the Untapable with Pointed Out behind so must be given a great chance if the race plays fast early on.

8 Wild Water Wagon          La Canada Racehorses        Bejarano R                  122

I really liked this one as a juvenile and she looked great in winning the BC Juvenile Turf suggesting that the turf was going to be her playground. The lure of the KYO however took her to the Demoiselle where she ran well enough to be third and give her another shot on the dirt today. I am not sure she is quite as good on this surface and feel she may end up back on the grass but mark my words she is very good and could well get involved even if this isn’t her preferred surface.

9 Wants It All                  Mo Mentum Farm      Velazquez J R                           122

It is great that we have the two female BC champions here to face of against each other and this filly is the dirt champion of the BC after winning the BC Juvenile Fillies. She was beaten a mile in the Oak Leaf, a race which looked very strange to me, but bounced back after being sold for $600.000 to win the BC. She has been given plenty of time to get over that big race and steps out today off the back of a decent work. She will probably start favourite or close to it and certainly deserves to and whilst she would be a big win chance the lack of a recent run just outs me off a little.

10 Fire Missle                        Mb Stables                     Santana R Jr                  122      

Just four starts for one win she is outworking those figures and looks a serious prospect. With speed inside her she will probably look to go back a little but as one of the few in this line up to break 1.37 for the mile she clearly has the ability to win if the race engine works in her favour.

11 Darkest Hour                      Pan Farms                      Salles L                       122      

Another wide deep closer the pattern of this race looks like the inside will lead and the wide gates will rush late and this one certainly has the form to be the one who times it right. One of only a handful to break her maiden in a graded stakes race she won the Sorrento from a similar gate position in her second start. Her run in the Pocahontas was better than the seventh she finished in after being buried on the rail and even her second last in the BC had merit after she went way back and made up plenty of ground to be beaten just three lengths. She won’t be among the favourites but could be one of the late finishers and with a clear run could make the top three.              

12 Madame Masque                 Riggins Racing         Geroux F                         122               

The car park goes to the Busanda runner up and I guess the question we have to ask about her is which racing position will she take up today. The wide gate speed push would help her lead as she did in the Busanda but probably her career best run was in the Golden Rod after coming from worse than mid pack. The trainer will be hovering over the gaming buttons but with speed on the rail I wonder whether she may be best trying to slot on behind the stalkers. Good luck to Riggins Racing on clicking the right button!

SUMMARY

A great race with both BC winners involved and plenty of win chances. I could easily go for the easy option here of an Mb runner or a BC winner but I am feeling a little adventurous today and am putting my hopes on Enbarr turning out to be the next Credit Crime.

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES