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2011 With Anticipation Stakes

August 31, 2011 By 1 Comment

$150,000 is on the line Thursday at Saratoga in the Grade 2 With Anticipation Stakes for two-year-olds going 8 ½ furlongs on the turf at Saratoga.

The race is likely to have Breeders Cup implications and you can expect to see the winner in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf later this year at Churchill Downs.

Captain Webb (English Channel x Miss Mary Pat by Service Strip) has been tabbed the 3-1 morning line favorite after a flashy maiden win going the same distance as today’s race over the same track. The second place finisher in that race, Daddy Nose Best, returned to win next out against a strong group. He is owned by James Scatuorchio (he also owned the English Channel) and trained by Todd Pletcher. Not surprisingly, John Velazquez is listed to ride.

He was bet to favoritism in the debut for obvious reasons like wonderful turf breeding, top notch connections and a blazing :59 B turf move going five furlongs. He didn’t disappoint that time, but this will be a much tougher group. My natural tendency is to try to beat the favorite, but that may be tough to do in this spot.

State of Play (War Front x Valeta by Procida) probably rates the best chance to upset at 5-1. He races for Team Valor International and is trained by Graham Motion. His debut resulted in a strong win over a good field at the Spa going 5 ½ furlongs on the grass. Ramon Dominguez will be in the irons and it is likely he will put the colt on the lead.

Another interesting option is Optimizer (English Channel x Indy Pick by AP Indy) who races for D Wayne Lukas and owner Bluegrass Hall. His maiden win came against a good field at first asking. I love the way he finished up in the lane and he should have plenty of room to move forward. Robby Albarado will keep the mount.

Like I said before, it’s going to be hard to get away from the chalk here. The other two I mentioned are worth a look though.

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Conveyance seeks to stay perfect in the Southwest Stakes

February 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

It seems that every race I’m talking about lately is led by a fast Bob Baffert three-year-old. I don’t know if the Hall of Fame trainer has ever had as many good young colts as he does right now. He is sending out Conveyance in the Southwest Stakes which is raced at 1 mile over the dirt at Oaklawn Park. The son of Indian Charlie is a perfect three for three and was last seen taking the Grade 3 San Rafael Stakes. The first three finishers from that race will contest this event. Conveyance showed he can take off the lead when he won last out after being passed on the lead. All three of his wins have come on synthetic surfaces. It will be interesting to see how he responds to dirt.

Bob Baffert isn’t the only master in this race. D Wayne Lukas will send out Grade 1 winner Dublin for the first time since he finished seventh in the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes as the even money favorite. He is likely to get a lot of support at the windows. The son of Afleet Alex is working well and will have TJ Thompson in the irons for the first time. If he runs well in this race it is likely that Lukas will target the Rebel for his next start.

Dryfly and Pleasant Storm both looked strong last out when finishing 1-2 respectively in the Smarty Jones Stakes. Dryfly went wire to wire for owner Charles Cella who also owns Oaklawn Park. He might catch a speed duel if Garrett Gomez insists on taking Conveyance to the lead. Pleasent Storm closed from way out to be second in that race. If a speed duel develops he would be the primary beneficiary. Both colts have a strong case to win the Southwest Stakes.

Mission Impazible looked very strong when racing for the first time since April when he finished a close second in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park. It appears that he has enough speed to be close if needed but the jockey may prefer to keep him midpack. The son of Unbridled’s Song looks fresh for a run at the Triple Crown, but he has to run huge in this race to get his foot in the door.

Kitty’s Turn, Cardiff Giant, Domonation, Crider, and Cool Bullet round out the field. Who do you like in the Southwest Stakes? Click here for information on how to get my picks and plays. My selections won 4 of 6 races over the weekend. Don’t miss out!

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