Contentious field set to gather for Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes

Davona Dale was a champion filly who raced for the storied Calumet Farm. The daughter of Best Turn won 11 of 18 starts. Her best victories came in the Kentucky Oaks, Coaching Club American Oaks, Acorn Stakes, and the Mother Goose Stakes. She was trained by John Veitch who also trained 1978 Travers Stakes winner Alydar. The Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes is named in her honor. A solid field has gathered and any number of filles could take the top honors.

Bickersons is likely to be the favorite after freaking to a seven length victory in the Grade 2 Forward Gal Stakes last out. The daughter of Silver Deputy earned a 104 BRIS figure for that effort. She has performed well every time that Joe Bravo has has been in the irons. Conventional wisdom would suggests that she will regress in this spot. Her past performances show good efforts on the dirt, minus her debut over a sloppy track. She will be tough to take down if she runs back to her last race.

Dale Roman’s filly Sassy Image owns a win over the track and at this distance. She is riding a three race win streak. Two of those wins include the Grade 3 Pocahontas, and the Grade 2 Golden Rod. She has an adaptable running style. Jockey Robby Albarado should be able to lay fairly close if he chooses, or rally from the back of the pack. He might try to get first jump on the pacesetters before Bickersons is able to. I think this would be a smart decision.

Amen Hallelujah won the Grade 2 Santa Ynez in her last start, but got a tough break drawing the one hole in this race. Julien Leparoux will pick up the mount and he figures to try and take back in the early stages of the race. If she is able to come with one strong run for trainer Richard Dutrow and owner IEAH Stables she could find herself in the winners circle.

Christine Daae broke her maiden last out by 8 3/4 lengths for trainer Patrick Biancone. She is bred to run all day as a daughter of Giant’s Causeway and should do well at this distance of one mile. She sports a nice :59 2/5 B five furlong bullet. Corey Nakatani is in to ride from Oaklawn Park. The filly looks like quite a runner based off her last effort, but she will have to prove she can do it against winners.

Who do you like in the Davona Dale Stakes? Click here for information on how to get my horse racing picks and plays for this race and all the stakes action this weekend!

The Program seeks first stakes victory in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes

Bob Baffert has a deep stable of three-year-olds this year. The Program may be his fourth or fifth best sophomore, and he is the likely favorite in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes which is a prep for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby. That really says something about his stable when he is sending out his fourth stringer for a nice prep race worth $150k.

The field for this race looks fairly weak and I have a hard time seeing any of the entrants making it to Churchill Downs on the First Saturday in May, but anything is possible. The Program is probably the most likely candidate. He will be racing for Thoroughbred Legends Racing Stable and Martin Garcia will be in the irons. The son of Harlan’s Holiday was last seen scoring a nose victory over Indian Firewater in an allowance event. He was fourth in the CashCall Futurity at the age of two. The extra distance in this race should suit him well. He obviously wouldn’t be a surprise.

Kettle River enters the Sham on a two race win streak for trainer Eion Harty and owner Darley Stable. He defeated The Program in his last race which was an allowance win. He is working up a storm, but I have to wonder if the distance will suit him. He is a son of Congaree. Brice Blanc will get the call to ride. He has started just three times, and I doubt we have seen his best stuff yet. Maybe this is his coming out party?

Alphie’s Bet figures to get plenty of support for trainer Alexis Barba. The son of Tribal Rule was last seen breaking his maiden against state bred company at Santa Anita over the lawn. Before that he was second behind Robert B. Lewis Stakes winner Caracortado in the California Breeders Champion Stakes. He is a big time closer, so he will need things to get hot up front if he is going to have a chance. He is working up a storm and should run well.

Michael Machowsky is getting recognition as the trainer of Caracortado, but he also has a tough Triple Crown contender with Nextdoorneighbor. He is a son of the Chilean bred Lido Palace. He took a maiden special weight by four lengths last out in his third trip to the track. The colt figures to get the distance. Mike Smith will pick up the mount in place of Rafeal Bejarano who has opted to ride Setsuko. Both colts look strong. Setsuko is bred to run all day as a son of Pleasantly Perfect with Mr. Prospector on the dams side.

Who do you like in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes? Click here for information on how to get my picks and plays for this race and other stakes action this weekend!

Radiohead looks for first U.S. win in the Grade 2 Hutcheson Stakes

The Grade 2 Hutcheson Stakes at 7 furlongs is perfect for colts that aren’t ready to go 9 furlongs in the Fountain of Youth. The race has produced notable sprinters and routers alike. Kentucky Derby winners Spectacular Bid and Swale both own a win in this race. Last year’s winner was Capt. Candyman Can who would go on to win the Grade 1 King’s Bishop. The field for 2010 is very strong and the winner will pick up much needed graded stakes earnings for the Kentucky Derby.

Although he didn’t fare well in his first start in the United States, Radiohead still looks like a strong contender. His only race in the US was a seventh place finish in the Breeders Cup Juvenile. The son of Johannesburg is trained by Richard Dutrow for IEAH Stables. He won the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes as Ascot last summer. He is working sharply for his first race over the dirt. Julien Leparoux will have the mount. He usually does well with horses coming in from overseas.

Richard Dutrow also has Grade 2 Saratoga Special winner D’funnybone entered in this race. He backed up big time last out in the Breeders Cup Juvenile after pressing the pace. I’ll forgive that effort because dirt horses werent running well on that weekend at all. The son of D’wildcat delivered an electrifying win in the Grade 2 Futurity at Belmont before the Breeders Cup. If he can regain that form he will be tough. He figures to get a nice stalking trip with Edgar Prado in the irons.

A Little Warm and Wildcat Frankie could shake things up for the Dutrow runners. They finished one-two in the Spectacular Bid Stakes, respectively. Wildcat Frankie has posted an allowance win since then, but A Little Warm hasn’t raced since. A Little Warm is trained by Anthony Dutrow and will be ridden by Jeremy Rose. A wet track would likely help his chances. Wildcat Frankie will be piloted by Paco Lopez  for trainer James Hatchett.

City Trooper, Ibboyee, Sum Champ, and Hear Ye Hear Ye round out the field. Who do you like in the Grade 2 Hutcheson Stakes? Click here to get my picks and plays. I had the winner in 5 of 7 races last week. Don’t miss out!

Jackson Bend and Buddy’s Saint lead strong Fountain of Youth Stakes

The Fountain of Youth Stakes served as a “coming out” party of sorts for Quality Road in 2009. He would use the race as a springboard for a win in the Florida Derby. The field was very strong last year and is just as strong in 2010. Jackson Bend and Buddy’s Saint figure to get most of the money. Buddy’s Saint is making his three-year-old debut after a strong win in the Remsen at 2, and Jackson Bend was last seen running second in the Holy Bull Stakes. Let’s take a look at the field.

Eskendereya looks like the speed of the speed for trainer Todd Pletcher. The son of Giant’s Causeway is a perfect two for two on dirt tracks. He was last seen winning an allowance at Gufstream Park. He is training very well and will have John Velazquez in the irons. Stablemate Aikenite is also entered here. He ran 6th in the Holy Bull in his last start. Pletcher was quoted that the extra distance today will help his cause.

Trainer Nick Zito will send out Jackson Bend and Ice Box. The latter won an allowance in his last start. Joe Bravo will pick up the mount on the son of Pulpit. Jackson Bend turned many heads when he swept the Florida Stallion Stakes. He was so impressive that Robert LaPenta privately purchased him. He is sired by Hear No Evil. The colt was super impressive last out when he finished second to Winslow Homer in the  Holy Bull. He had a bad trip and had to endure brutal fractions. He should have a huge shot to win here.

Buddy’s Saint is a son of the ill fated Saint Liam who died shortly after  beginning his career at stud. He has showed tons of ability so far with huge wins in the Nashua Stakes and Remsen Stakes at 2. If he has improved since those efforts its going to be scary to see how good he is. Jose Lezcano will retain the mount for Bruce Levine. It would come as no shock if he won this race.

Lost Aptitude will be switching to dirt from turf for trainer Dale Romans. The son of Aptitude has never run a bad race on the turf, but its hard to know how he will do on the dirt. He won the Grand Canyon Handicap at Churchill Downs in November. He just missed winning the Grade 3 Tropical Park Derby in his last start where he ended up second. Rajiv Maragh will get the mount.

Mike Smith will be in to ride Pulsion for Patrick Biancone. He finished second in the Grade 1 Norfolk behind Lookin at Lucky, but couldnt put it together in the Breeders Cup Juvenile where he finished 11th. He is working very strongly, but will need a fast pace in order to have a chance.

Pleasant Prince, Prince Will I Am, and Positive Split round out the field. Who do you like in the Fountain of Youth Stakes? Leave a comment and share your thoughts. My picks and plays are available by clicking here. I did very well last week. I had the winner in 5 of 7 races. Don’t miss out!

Ron The Greek tepid favorite in the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes

The Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes is in the final prep for the lucrative $750,000 Louisiana Derby. It was won by Friesan Fire in 2009. He would go on to be the favorite in the Kentucky Derby. This years field is competitive with 12 entrants and is lead by Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes winner Ron The Greek. Other notable entries include Stay Put, Drosselmeyer, Tempted to Tapit, and Discreetly Mine.

Ron The Greek will  be spotting the field 4 pounds after closing from far back to take the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes in his last trip to the track. The son of Full Mandate is trained by Thomas Amoss and piloted by James Graham. He came from 16 lengths off the pace in the Lecomte. It may be wise for Graham to try and keep him closer this time around due to the fact that this is a much more competitive field. If he waits too long the other closers will get first run. He looks like a very solid colt with a huge shot at winning this race at odds of 3-1.

Bill Mott is leaning towards shipping Drosselmeyer in for this race after an impressive performance at Gulfstream Park where he stopped the clock in 1:49 2/5 for 9 furlongs. The Winstar Farm owned son of Distorted Humor will be ridden by Kent Desormeaux. He is a perfect 2 for 2 on dirt tracks. The colt looks very fast and if he improves off his last effort he is going to be very tough to hold off in the stretch. His morning line price is 4-1.

Tempted To Tapit turned many heads last out at Aqueduct where he splashed home in a maiden to win by 11 1/2 lengths going wire to wire in the mud. Before that race he was second to Laus Deo. Before that he was second to Schoolyard Dreams who would go on to finish second behind Rule in the Grade 3 Sam F Davis Stakes. The son of Tapit will have David Cohen in the irons. Steve Klesaris is trainer. His pedigree tells me he should run all day. He may stay at Gulfstream Park for the Fountain of Youth Stakes. It will be interesting to see how he performs at odds of 8-1.

He looked very fast running second in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at 2, but Discreetly Mine hasn’t lived up to his potential so far. The speedy son of Mineshaft was last seen finishing fourth in the Spectacular Bid Stakes at Gulfstream Park. JJ Castellano is picking up the mount up for trainer Todd Pletcher. I expect an improved effort from him at odds of 5-1, but it is probably going to take a step forward for him to win.

Stay Put is a wild card for trainer Steve Margolis and jockey Jamie Theriot. He is a fast closing son of Broken Vow. He has won his last two races. I had the good fortune of betting him when he won last out at odds of 7-1. His pedigree tells me he can get this distance with ease. If he can win this race he will quickly find himself on the road towards the Run for the Roses.

Who do you like in the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes? Click here for information on how to get my picks and plays!

Rail Trip headlines big day at Del Mar in the Pacific Classic

I love the place where the surf meets the turf. Del Mar is easily one of the best places on this planet, and Sunday will be its best day of racing. Some of the events include the Grade 1 Pat O’Brien Stakes, Grade 2 Del Mar Derby, and the Grade 1 Pacific Classic. It doesn’t get much better than that. The winners of each of these races will almost undoubtedly find a place in the upcoming Breeders Cup.

Battle of Hastings looks like the best horse in the Del Mar Derby. He is returning to California after a successful campaign on the east coast that included victories in the Colonial Turf Cup and the Virginia Derby. The son of a British sire named Royal Applause, he has a great turn of foot and doesn’t win by big margins. He got up by a head in each of his last two wins. Tyler Baze has done very well on him thus far. I really like his chances to win this.

Papa Clem also looks interesting in the Del Mar Derby. The Arkansas Derby winner has yet to make a start over the turf, and has been running poorly since peaking to run fourth in the Kentucky Derby. Trainer Gary Stute has given the mount to Garrett Gomez for the first time. Perhaps that can help the son of Smart Strike get out the current rut he is in. I really like his works of late, especially the four furlong move around the dogs in :45 4/5 H.

The Pat O’Brien Stakes produced last years Breeders Cup Sprint winner in Midnight Lute. It is likely to do the same again this year, but the horse is a three-year-old named Zensational. Trained by Bob Baffert, he is getting better with each start. He has already defeated older horses and jockey Victor Espinoza fits him very well. I highly doubt he loses this race. Bigbadleroybrown has been running better every time he races. I’ll look for him underneath.

I really like Rail Trip in the Pacific Classic at odds of 4-1. He ran exceptionally well to win the Hollywood Gold Cup last out by about 3 lengths. He proved his doubters wrong in that race after losing two races in a row. The son of Jump Start proved that distance wouldn’t be a problem last out going 10 furlongs. He will be going the same distance in today’s event. If Rail Trip is able to get a win here then he will be the early favorite for the Breeders Cup Classic.

Colonel John will hold a strong hand after winning his first start of the year over the turf in the Wicker Stakes. He won the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at this distance last year. Parading was the favorite in the Hollywood Gold Cup, but couldn’t get it done. Will he run better here? I think not. I didn’t like him at all last out, but I would probably include him on exotic tickets at a bigger price this time around.

Who do you like in the Pat O’Brien Stakes, Del Mar Derby, and the Pacific Classic? Leave a comment and let your voice be heard!

Mi Sueno headlines Darley Debutante

Things are looking good for the folks at Southern Equine Stables. House trainer Eric Guillot has saddled four winners from 11 starters at the Del Mar meet. He won the Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes with Mi Sueno a few weeks ago. That was the filly’s first win and she took the race by a whopping six lengths.

The daughter of Pulpit is working well and should only get better from here. With a little luck she could become the first Breeders Cup winner for Southern Equine.  I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Nick Hines of TVG and Southern Equine. I wish him and the rest of that operation the best of luck in this event. They are certainly holding a strong hand with this filly.

Blind Luck looks tough for Rafeal Bejarano and Jerry Hollendorfer. She broke her maiden and was claimed first out at Calder Race Course. The daughter of Pollard’s Vision earned a huge BRIS figure of 101 for that race. She completed the 4.5 furlongs in :53 1/5.

After breaking her maiden she won a $40k starter allowance at Del Mar. She enters the race with a nice six furlong move. Rafeal Bejarano is just getting back in the saddle after a bad injury so this would be a nice way to rebuild the confidence. He is one of my favorite riders and I wish him luck.

I have  a hard time seeing Necessary Evil winning this one after Mi Sueno crushed her last out. Necessary Evil beat the boys in the Grade 2 Hollywood Juvenile Championship two back and beat Mi Sueno in her debut, but it appears Mi Sueno has surpassed her and then some. You might want to include the daughter of Harlan’s Holiday underneath on exacta, trifecta, and superfecta tickets, but I wouldn’t use her on top at odds of 7/2

I think they are going to have a hard time beating Mi Sueno here at 9/5. Who is your pick?

All Star field gathers for Grade 1 Forego Stakes at Saratoga Race Course

It’s hard to believe a year has passed since last years Forego Stakes. Last years running seems like yesterday and is still fresh in my mind. My top selection, First Defence, won the race easily. He paid somewhere around $17 to win, but I can’t remember the exact price. He never really did much after that, and I haven’t heard much about him this year. This years field is much stronger. Let’s take a look.

Everyone remembers Pyro, right? The former Kentucky Derby contender won the Louisiana Derby and looked like he would keep powering home to the winners circle until things started to fall apart in the Bluegrass Stakes. He has won just one time since losing in that prep. He looked really sharp in his first race of the year after breaking poorly. I’ve always believed Pyro was a late running sprinter. Changing jockeys from Shaun Bridgmahon to John Velazquez will help him. I like the son of Pulpit’s chances to win this race.

Kodiak Kowboy is the favorite at odds of 5/2. He finished third behind Fabulous Strike last out in the Vanderbilt Handicap. That race was loaded with talented sprinters so running third wasn’t too bad. The Larry Jones trainee does his best work at seven furlongs and is a Grade 1 winner at this distance. I think it will take his best race, but it will come as no surprise to find this warrior in the winners circle.

After entering the meet on a very big hot streak, Calvin Borel has won just a single time from thirty seven mounts. Could Ready’s Echo be the second win? His perfect two for two record at the seven furlongs distance tells me he could be. Todd Pletcher will throw on blinkers for the first time after this guy finished third in the Grade 3 Seagram Cup at Woodbine. The son of More Than Ready would benefit from a quick early pace.

Cornelio Velsquez is having one of the worst years of his career and is winning races at a mere 7% clip. It’s not all bad for the seasoned vet though. Gold Trippi won a minor stakes last out over Pyro. It looks like he is getting better and he can hang with the best in this race. His odds are very juicy at 20-1, considering the horse that he just beat is much lower at 4-1. I would definitely throw Gold Trippi in on exacta, trifecta, superfecta, pick 3 and pick 4 wagers.

My Pal Charlie looks tough at odds of 6-1. He finished second in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Handicap at this distance earlier in the year. He ran fourth in the second running of the Breeders Cup Dirt Mile last year. The son of Indian Charlie has struggled a bit lately, but will do better turning back in distance. Robby Albarado always rides well for trainer Albert Stall. I wouldn’t count this one out.

Who would’ve thought that we would get odds of 15-1 on a horse that beat Fabulous Strike three races ago? Certainly not I. True Quality is a speedster that is going to gun for the lead. Javier Castellano will be riding for the first time. His last race was a seventh place finish in a minor stakes over the turf at Penn National. That race didn’t play to his strengths and he will do better here. Could he go from flag fall to that’s all? It’s worth a shot at 15-1. Keep him on all exacta, trifecta, and superfecta tickets.

Can I hit this race two years in a row? Probably not, but I’ll try. I like Pyro as my top pick even though I’ve been burned by him several times in the past. It looks like he is on the improve and I think he will do well at this distance. Who do you like? Leave a comment and let your voice be heard!

Arlington-Washington Futurity tops big day of racing at Arlington Park

I’ve been told by several people that Arlington Park is one of the most beautiful tracks in the United States. I haven’t been fortunate enough to visit yet, but from the pictures it looks like a truly wonderful place. They have several big races on the card this Labor Day weekend, and the focus will be on the babies.

Thats right, the Arlington-Washington Futurity and the Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes. The winner of those races will almost undoubtedly show up in the Breeders Cup Juvenile and Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies. The Arlington Washington Handicap is also on the card.  Let’s take a look at the fields for those events.

Dixie Band is the likely favorite in the Arlington-Washington Futurity. The gelded son of Dixie Union is a perfect two for two, winning the $50k Spectacular Bid Stakes last out. David Flores will be picking up the mount for trainer Wayne Catalano. He isn’t the flashiest worker. Distance shouldn’t be a problem because he is only racing one furlong further than he did in his last race. He has a nice stalking style. It would come as no surprise if he ran huge to win this race.

Piscitelli is also interesting. He is shipping in from Monmouth Park after breaking his maiden in his second try. The son of Victory Gallop rallied from the back of the back in that win. It will be interesting to see how he handles the synthetic surface. Junior Alvarado will ride for trainer Gregory Sacco.

Wayne Catalano also trains the favorite in the Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes.  She Be Wild is a perfect two for two, drawing off to an easy victory in each of those starts. The daughter of Offlee Wild has a nice stalking style, and she will relish the extra ground. She has several nice works since her last race including a :58 2/5 B five furlong move. Junior Alvarado will ride.

I suspect this will be an easy win for her. The rest of the field doesn’t look like much and she seems like a filly that could explode on to the scene in this event. Catalano also trained Dreaming of Anna who capped an undefeated two-year-old campaign with a win in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies. Could this girl be headed in the same direction?

The Washington Park Handicap is also on the card. It is open to three-year-olds and up and is contested over 1 3/16 miles on the main track. Some of the entrants include Grade 1 Lanes End Breeders Futurity winner Wicked Style. He hasn’t been running well lately, but classy horses can rebound. Dubious Miss is a tough allowance horse, but can rumble with the likes of these. A win from him wouldn’t be surprising.

Are you going to Arlington Park to watch these races? What are your thoughts? Leave a comment!

Strike The Tiger headlines Grade 3 With Anticipation Stakes

The meet at Saratoga Race Course is quickly coming to a close. We have just a few graded stakes races left and I’m looking forward to each one. The Grade 3 With Anticipation Stakes presents a unique challenge. It is for two-year-olds over 8.5 furlongs on the turf. Nownownow won the race in 2007 prior to taking the inaugural running of the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf. You can bank on seeing some of these colts in the Breeders Cup.

Strike The Tiger is a very interesting entry. He is undefeated in three career starts, including a victory at the Royal Ascot meet in Great Britain. He made history with that win, becoming the first American trained horse to ever win a race at the meet. He did so at odds of 33-1. He won’t be anywhere near that price in this spot, but could still offer value. The son of Tiger Ridge will be racing at a route distance for the first time.

He has a lot of early zip, but I would like to see if he can settle behind the early leaders to avoid a speed duel.  He did well to win his first start back in the U.S., taking the $50k Chenery Stakes at Colonial Downs in wire to wire fashion over 5.5 furlongs on the grass. The works are solid entering the race. Wesley Ward has been doing a great job with him and the same can be said for jockey John Velazquez. I’m thinking about keying him first in exacta, trifecta, and superfecta wagers. I might single him on my Pick 3 and Pick 4.

Two Notch Road is likely to get some support after shocking the racing world by winning the Continental Mile at odds of 107-1. Now that’s what I call lighting up the tote board! That win was the first time the son of Partner’s Hero had raced over the turf. I have my doubts about his ability to duplicate that form. I may use him to round out some exotic tickets, but he will be left off all exacta tickets.

Todd Pletcher has a pair of interesting entries in Zapster and Interactif. I like Zapster the most even though he is a maiden. The son of Ghostzapper ran a good race as the favorite to finish second in a maiden special weight last out over this same distance and surface. I like his early speed and expect a good run from him here. Interactif ran strong to break his maiden first out, but ran poorly in the Grade 2 Sanford Stakes last out. He should improve while switching surfaces and extending to a route distance.

The New York bred Jung Man Scott should have plenty of support after breaking his maiden in 1:02 2/5 for 5.5 furlong on the turf, earning a BRIS figure of 92. The Richard Dutrow trainee is progressing very well. The son of Freud will have ace jockey Ramon Dominguez in the irons. He is the likely pacesetter.

I’ll make Strike the Tiger my top selection. This race promises to be an interesting one. Who do you like?!

Next Page »