The Fleet Sprint Handicap (Grade 3)- $500.000 Purse
OP- For Four Year Olds and Upward
Six Furlongs on the Dirt
April 13, 2024

Checking on the action down at OP on Saturday, we will be treated by the $500.000 Grade 3 Fleet Sprint Handicap, giving us an opportunity to check out some of the games top sprinters. The race first appeared on the schedule in 2006 for a modest $150.000, and gradually saw its purse increase over time until reaching its current level in 2020. In the early days of the race, Ljosalfar won back-to-back editions, with other winners being New York Yankees and Mick Jagger. In 2023, Chemical Burn got the win for Mb Stables, and it is currently the last time he has won a race. The gelding is still active and running in the silks of Angelos Stable at this time. This may be a handicap, but the entire field with one exception is carrying 119 pounds, and the exception carries 120. So weight will not be a factor here. As one would expect, the starting gate is full for this race, so let’s take a run through the field:

1- Top Of The Crop (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by D Cabrera)- This six-year-old gelding has made many stakes starts over his 21-race career, but he is still looking to win one of them. All of his four wins are in overnights. He’s had a couple close calls, such as two back in the $125.000 Forego in February, and a race like that can give us hope that he is on the verge of a breakout. But when against graded competition similar to this, he has rarely been in the mix. He works nicely, but he needs to show it on a race day against a field of this quality.

2- In Action (Spankys Barn, ridden by D E Centeno)- Most of the action this one has seen has been in overnights, and he has found himself claimed in a race four times since February 2023. Trainer Spankys Barn added him two races ago, and instead of doing the same ol’ type of race with him, gave him the chance in a stake. He also removed Lasix. That was the $150.000 CA Cup Sprint in January, and he was good enough to get a shot at the Grade 3 Fool Handicap at AQU, where he was third.

3- Blamethespeedparty (Martyparty, ridden by T Gaffalione)- He did win the Grade 3 Whitmore last March, but since that point, he has struggled in the graded races he has been in. It’s not that they have all been bad, but there are a few of those aggravating “fifth by a length” results in big races. Most recently, he has been dropped into allowance company, but didn’t really stand out. Having said that, I believe his third place run in February is better than it may appear. Not super sure he is ready for this caliber of competition right now but sometimes you just have to go for it.

4- Natural Instinct (Mb Stables, ridden by J Lezcano)- For most of his career, Natural Instinct has been running long and has run second in both the $300.000 TX Derby and the WV Derby early on. So far as a four-year-old, his distance has been cut back, but he has not had a chance to sprint against graded foes until now. Last ran fourth in an allowance at TP but was only a half-length behind the winner. Prior to that, he went wire to wire in a TAM allowance.

5- Pure At Heart (Night Rider Stables, ridden by A A Gallardo)- After bouncing between claimers and starter allowances, Pure At Heart got a chance to prove himself in a high-level allowance at AQU, running third against NY-Breds and that sent him to the Grade 3 Whitmore right here last month. That was a close race at the end, but Pure At Heart could only end up sixth in the race despite earning a 99 SRF. Works are nice, but he is a little more inconsistent than some of his rivals here.

6- Incinerator (Night Rider Stables, ridden by M Franco)- Made his debut for Night Rider Stables last time out at SUN, and went wire to wire to win $100.000 Thomas Memorial Stakes, which makes him the one that carries 120 here and not 119. The writing was on the wall that he was capable of running against stronger, as he did very well in his five-race stint with prior trainer Jormav. Night Rider picked him for $50.000 in an optional claimer, which may be placement the prior trainer regrets.

7- White Sunshine (Spankys Barn, ridden by L Saez)- You can go back in this one’s history and see some very big races and a BC appearance, but it has been a while since then. Those races were for Smokey Stover, then he had a mediocre stint with Tinkey, bouncing between the dirt and turf. Spankys Barn bought him in private sales for $50.000 and ran him for the first time in the Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes, a turf race, where he was third. His dirt works are very nice, and Spankys Barn is a good trainer to get this horse back to where he once was.

8- Cherokee Asset (Rock Creek, ridden by D Cohen)- Had a strong run back in October, running third to R Lopez in the Grade 2 Phoenix with a 101 SRF, but surprisingly has never been given the opportunity to run in a stake again. His performances in the two allowances that followed certainly would not motivate a return to this level, and he was dropped all the way to TUP on Leap Day, where he finally got another win. Now, can he leap back into a good run at this level? I do think he has the ability, but he does need to show something here.

9- Lokoya Road (Mb Stables, ridden by I Ortiz Jr)- After running third in the Grade 2 Nerud, prior trainer Establo Pichon sold him to Mb Stables for $375.000. We may be used to seeing Mb take horses to an added level, but that has not been the case for Lokoya Road up to this point. He did have a good string of races, such as a third in the Cigar Handicap, so there has been money won. The last two have been struggles, so there will be a change with this one and a cut back in his distance. We’ll see if it works!

10- Booker (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by A Cedillo)- In his last start, Booker picked up a win in the $150.000 Stymie at AQU, with a wire-to-wire win at a mile. He’s gone back and forth between that distance and sprinting and seems to be the type that has no problem with such a change. Prior to the Stymie, he had an agonizing fifth by less than a length performance in the Forego, which was good but didn’t get the trainer a check. While he has had chances in the past to step up at this level, he seems to be in top form right now.

11- Strong Kommand (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by E Jaramillo)- Struggled last time out in the Grade 3 Folsom Handicap, running eighth and missing by five lengths. Do we want to blame that on the off track? His last three races on wet surfaces have been poor, but digging back further, he wasn’t as bad. So, I’m not fully ready to throw that out entirely based on the rain. The horse is generally inconsistent, but if the version of himself from TP in late January shows up again here, he can be a threat.

12- Danube (Mo Mentum Farm, ridden by R Bejarano)- Prior trainer Wood Duck Stables entered Danube in an optional claimer with a $100.000 tag last month, and Mo Mentum Farm really liked what he saw and spent the money. Danube had plenty of stake experience up to that point and did win the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes at SA in May. Afterwards, he would be a bit inconsistent. Now, we will see if Mo Mentum Farm is ready to get that good side back from this gelding.

Prediction: 6-7-10-8 (This is a very low confidence prediction).

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES