Stanton Stakes & Dominion Day Handicap
June 30, 2008
Delaware Park will be running the $55,000 Stanton Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on the turf today. The pace is hard to decipher in this race. There is no telling who will have the early lead. Knight In Armour is the most likely candidate from the rail. At odds of 10-1, I don’t think he will hold up very long. My choice this race will be the undefeated colt Deal Making. Trainer Graham Motion is an expert at preparing horses for the turf. The colt is a son of Empire Maker and a Danzig mare, so there is no lack of breeding here. He should be able to lay close enough to the speed and jockey Ramon Dominguez should have him a position to win the race. You have to like this one at odds of 6-1.
In the $200,000 Grade 3 Dominion Day, True Metropolitan will be tough as the 7/5 favorite. I’ll look elsewhere as last years Plate Trial winner, Jiggs Coz is eligible to improve second race off the layoff. At odds of 4-1, I expect him to sit right off of True Metropolitan and make a move near the stretch. The late running Sterwins will also be tough at odds of 9/5. Sterwins defeated Go Between two back and is a very nice horse, but I don’t see the pace setting up for him here. Good luck, and check back to GradedStakes.Com for selections later this week.
Heatseeker’s Time Comes Too Soon
June 30, 2008
Santa Anita Handicap winner Heatseeker has been retired due to injuring the medial branch of the suspensory ligament in his left foreleg. Heatseeker would require atleast 6 months off if they had decided to keep him in training. This saddening news comes just days after Heatseeker was unexpectedly scratched from the Hollywood Gold Cup. Heatseeker would’ve been one of the top choices in this years Breeders Cup Classic.
“We are extremely disappointed as we had our sights set on the $5-million Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I), where we figured to be one of the favorites based on Heatseeker’s dominance of his division this year,” said owner William de Burgh. “I am very grateful to Jerry and his stable team. We all had a lot of fun with Heatseeker, and I know it is a huge disappointment to them as well. Horses like him do not come around very often.” Courtesy of Blood-Horse.com
Heatseeker showed he was getting better every start by winning the Grade 2 Californian last time out. In a race that lacked pace, he voluntarily placed himself close to the pace, before drawing off in an emphatic victory. His retirement comes as a shock to everyone. In an older male division which already lacked depth, Heatseeker was one of the few bright spots. He was fun to watch, and I’m sure he will be remembered for his accomplishments on the track.
Bad Day for Pletcher and Velazquez
June 30, 2008
Sunday was a bad day for Todd Pletcher and John Velazquez. They hooked up in the Tremont and Astoria Stakes with two highly regarded horses who totally flopped. Each were coming off of impressive victories on the Polytrack at Keeneland. That could possibly have been the reason for their bust.
Mr Mistoffolees is a son of Storm Cat, and he sold for $1,500,000 at the Keeneland sale in 2007. The DRF chart for the Tremont says the start was good for everybody but him. He stumbled badly at the break, and steadied early in the race. Mr Mistoffolees ended up 5th and last in the Tremont. He was sent off at odds of 1-5 after his emphatic victory at Keeneland first time out. He won by 9 lengths and covered the 4 ½ furlongs distance in a blazing :50. He just had some bad luck in the Tremont if you ask me. I would draw a line through this race the next time you see him.
Pride won first time out at Keeneland from the 12 hole. That is very difficult to do while racing at 4 ½ furlongs. She stumbled a bit at the break in the Astoria, but had no real excuse. Like I noted before, the fact that she was coming off the Polytrack could have played a role in her defeat. She ended up just missing for third.
The winner of the Tremont was Dagnabit with Cornelio Velasquez and Rick Dutrow hooking up on that one. The son of Freud raced wide and ended up winning by a ½ length. Bold Union was the victor in the Astoria. She drew off by 9 ¾ lengths under Stewart Elliott for trainer Kelly Breen. Her time was a second faster than the boys.
Pletcher and Velazquez swept the Tremont and Astoria in 2007 with Ready’s Image and Glacken’s Gal.