Jockey Club Gold Cup

The mighty Curlin has been installed the 3/5 favorite for this event. He will be very tough to beat, and I expect to see him draw away with authority. The most likely up setters are Mambo In Seattle and Stones River. The latter colt charged home extremely wide in the Pennsylvania Derby to finish 4th by 3 lengths. He should relish the extra furlong that this race offers. Mambo In Seattle also ran wide, but in the Travers. He missed the win by a nose, yielding to Colonel John. It was a gutsy move to skip the Grade 2 Super Derby in favor of this race, so the connections must think highly of him. My instincts tell me Curlin wont go down here.

1st- Curlin
2nd- Stones River
3rd- Mambo In Seattle

Plays:

$1 Trifecta: (5/8,9/3,4,8,9)

Vosburgh

One year has passed since Fabulous Strike won this race in 2007. In that time the son of Smart Strike has raced only once winning in the dominating fashion that we have become accustomed to. I expect to see that same dominating gelding tomorrow. Fabulous Strike has balls to the wall speed and should be able to wire this field. Last years Vosburgh field was stronger, so I don’t see why he will have a problem this time around. Lucky Island is the second best horse in the race. He had a had horrible trip last out when finishing 6th in the Forego. You can throw that race out. I love his closing style, and I expect to see him charging late.

1st- Fabulous Strike
2nd- Lucky Island
3rd- Kodiak Kowboy

Plays:

$1 Trifecta (1,3/1,3,4,5/1-5)

Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational

I sure wish the folks in Washington could strike a deal on this bailout, but we will save that discussion for another time. This is a very competitive race, but I like Strike A Deal. He has enough tactical speed to be close or on the lead early, and I think he will love the added distance.  Dancing Forever and Proudinsky will provide a challenge for Strike A Deal. Though he couldn’t get past Big Brown in the Monmouth Stakes, Proudinsky was very game. His trainer, Robert Frankel, is one of the best in the game. Dancing Forever had been running very well until coming up empty in the Sword Dancer last out. I expect to see him return to form in this race.

1st- Strike A Deal
2nd- Dancing Forever
3rd- Proudinsky

Plays:

$1 Trifecta (3,7/3,4,7/3,4,6,7)

I can’t wait for Saturday, and the 2008 edition of the Kentucky Cup at Turfway Park. While the card isn’t quite as good as last years, several good horses have been entered.  The most notable entrant is Zanjero, winner of the 2007 West Virginia and Indiana Derbies. He will be racing in the Kentucky Cup Classic. The other star of the series is Bold Union. She was a dominating winner of the Astoria prior to running 4th in the Grade 2 Adirondack. She will be racing in the Kentucky Cup Juvenile Fillies. Lets take a look at each race and break it down.

Kentucky Cup Juvenile Fillies

I’m going to go with the Kelly Breen trained Bold Union. She broke her maiden easily at Monmouth Park, drawing off by 10 lengths. After that race she was much the best in the Astoria, winning by 9 3/4 lengths. Last out she was fourth in the Ardirondack. I’m going to throw that race out. I love the fact that Kentucky Derby winning jockey Stewart Elliott is making the trip to Turfway for the mount. If she can get the distance,  I believe she will hard to beat.

Other contenders in the race include the Ken McPeek trainee Dream Empress. She broke her maiden at 1 1/16 on the turf at Saratoga in her last outing. Since that race she has fired a 1/26 five furlong move at Keeneland.  Zayat Stables Megalicious will also be tough. A daughter of Songandaprayer, Megalicious was given a 91 ESF first time out.

1st- Bold Union
2nd- Dream Empress
3rd- Megalicious

Plays:

$1 Trifecta: (1/ 2,3,5,6,9/2,3,5,6,9)

Kentucky Cup Juvenile

Steve Asmussen has a very nice colt in this race named, Retap. From the freshman sire Tapit, Retap broke his maiden at first asking against a nice field at Churchill Downs. The second place finisher in that race, Join In The Dance, would go on to finish fourth in the Saratoga Special. After breaking his maiden Retap would finish second in two minor stakes. The winner in each of those races came back to win in their next start.  Retap can close, but also has enough tactical speed to be close early. Look for him in the winners circle.

Proud Jefe is the likely pacesetter. He finished 5th last out in the Saratoga Special, coming home evenly. Prior to that he was the dominating victor a minor stakes at Canterbury Park. West Side Bernie closed strongly under Elvis Trujillo to break his maiden first out at Monmouth Park.  He earned a 86 ESF for that race and has been breezing nicely since.

1st- Retap
2nd- Proud Jefe
3rd- West Side Bernie

Plays:

$1 Trifecta: (3,4,7/3,4,7/2,3,4,5,7)
$1 Superfecta: (3,4,7/3,4,5,7/2,3,4,5,7/2,3,4,5,7)

Kentucky Cup Sprint

This race is by far the most competitive. I handicapped it for a long time, and I couldn’t come up with an overly strong case for any horse. After scratching my head I decided to go with Salute The Sarge. Trained by Eric Guillot, he is the best closer in a race full of speed. He has two wins from three starts at the six furlongs distance. I expect to see him rolling late for the win with Corey Lanerie in the irons.

By a razor thin margin, Fatal Bullet is my second choice. Trained by Reade Baker, he has posted two consecutive 100+ ESF’s. He should be on or near the lead. His last race was a minor stakes win at Presque Isle Downs.  This will be only his second try in graded stakes company as a three-year-old which is a bit of a concern. Gentleman James will also be tough.  He finished second in the Grade 2 Carryback two races ago, posting a 101 ESF. This will be his first start on the Polytrack. I don’t think he will have much of a problem adjusting due to the :46 B four furlong move he posted at Turfway on September 21.

1st- Salute The Sarge
2nd- Fatal Bullet
3rd- Gentleman James

Plays:

$1 Trifecta: (5,6,7/4,5,6,7/2,4,5,6,7)
$1 Superfecta: (6,7/5,6,7/2,4,5,6,7/2,4,5,6,7)

Kentucky Cup Distaff

This race looks like an open and shut case, with synthetic specialist Bear Now entered. She has never finished off the board on a synthetic surface, registering 7 wins from 11 starts. She is also quite adept at the 1 1/16 distance scoring 5 wins from 8 starts. I expect to see her on the lead, and in the winners circle.

Maren’s Meadow looks to be the main rival. Her only start on the synthetic was a win in Turfway Park’s  Grade 3 Bourbonette Stakes, which is on the Lanes End under card. Her most recent start was a 4th place finish at Delaware Park. The winner of that race, Seattle Smooth came back to beat the Kentucky Oaks winner, Proud Spell.

1st- Bear Now
2nd- Maren’s Meadow
3rd- Devil House

Plays:

$1 Trifecta (4/3,6/2-7)

Kentucky Cup Classic

This isn’t quite the race it was last year, but its hard to outdo a rematch between the 1-2 finishers in the Kentucky Derby. My top choice however will be a horse who ran in that very same Kentucky Derby. That horse is the Steve Asmussen trained, Zanjero. The impeccably bred son of Cherokee Run most recently won a minor stakes at Mountaineer Park, posting a monstrous 110 ESF. Zanjero will be piloted by Shaun Bridgmahon who has won a Grade 2 and Grade 3 aboard this colt. Look for him to sit mid pack and make a winning move near the ¾ pole.

Zanjero’s competition will come from Stream Cat, and Honest Man. The latter colt has six wins from ten starts. His most recent victory came in a Grade 3 at Monmouth Park. This will be his first start on the synthetic, so it will be interesting to see how he responds. Stream Cat won the Kentucky Cup Juvenile as two-year-old, and finished third in last years Kentucky Cup Classic. He was the winner of the Grade 3 Arlington Handicap two starts back. Any of the three aforementioned colts could win this wide open race.

1st- Zanjero
2nd- Stream Cat
3rd- Honest Man

Plays:

$1 Trifecta: (1,2,6/1,2,6/1,2,3,6)
$1 Superfecta: (1,2,6/1,2,6/1,2,3,6/1,2,3,6)