Winn (Grade 3)- $150.000 Purse
CD- For Three Year Olds
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
June 15, 2019
The field is small for Saturday’s running of the 16th Winn Stakes, with just five horses going to post. It’s seemingly a good race for talented three year olds who might not quite be ready or have not fared all that well against the elite of their division, but that did not get more then this small assortment of horses. We end up with a mix of horses that attempted TC prep races but did not get the best results, and those looking to climb the ladder. Here’s a quick look at the participants.
#1- Instagooglefacetweet (John Henry, ridden by T Gaffalione)- The social media star is still looking for his second career win. This would seem to be a good no excuses type race for him to see if he can get that. Since arriving at John Henry, the highlight has been a runner up in the Grade 3 Southwest, but then he didn’t show up for either the Rebel and Wood Memorial. He has been on the shelf since then and here he gets a small field against company he is capable of handling.
#2- Twisted Aggravation (John Henry, ridden by J Talamo)- The trainer brings us two runners in this field, and I would feel a lot better about Twisted Aggravation if it were not for his last race. If there is a reason for that, such as blown meters or a failed instruction attempt, then his outlook is much better. He was a complete dud last month at the SUN Handicap, with a very flat and uninspired race line, but he did do better running against NM breds before that.
#3- Not To Be Denied (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by R Bejarano)- We get ourselves one runner from the TC series as Not To Be Denied took part in the PRK last month, helped set the pace, before dropping back to finish near the rear of the field, but didn’t exactly drop like a rock. I actually think a similar effort and the shorter distance could be all he needs against competition that is not like what he saw in the PRK. That might not be the plan, though, as he was third in the SA Derby while coming from off the pace. That kind of effort probably works here too while using similar reasoning. I don’t think he will be denied here.
#4- Cherokee Reward (Estero Farms, ridden by J R Velazquez)- Ran on the KYD undercard in the Grade 3 Day Mile and ran fourth in the slop. This was after a decent, though unspectacular season through the preps where his best run was finishing second in the Lecomte. I’m a little unsure what to expect from him here quite honestly, as he has run different styles and two of his last three starts on fast surfaces have not been the best. That said, he is working great coming into the race.
#5- Pxg (Mb Stables, ridden by A Beschizza)- This horse has switched trainer hands a few times in his young, six race career, and now Mb Stables is hoping to unleash him at this level. In three races so far, he’s been on the grass twice and been decent. Then, he switched to the main track, and won a six furlong sprint at the $100.000 Gold Fever in his last start. Since then, he has been prepped to run this distance in what is his graded debut.
Prediction: 3-1-4-2
— NS
Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES
