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2011 Easy Goer Stakes betting preview

June 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Wow, the $60k ungraded Easy Goer Stakes came up tough! Three of the five entrants are stakes winner while two are graded stakes winners. Let’s take a look at the entrants. Although the field is short, a strong opinion could lead to a good payoff given the competitiveness of the race.

Friend or Foe (Friends Lake x Unbridled Star by Unbridled)- I have always had a lot of faith in this horse and he was my top pick when finishing sixth in the Travers at odds of 24-1. Since then he won the Empire Classic by five lengths and finished fifth beaten three lengths in the Cigar Mile. The colt is a perfect 3 for 3 at Belmont Park and jockey Alex Solis can place him wherever he pleases. I’m projecting a fast pace so look for him to sit right behind the front runners.

Tahitian Warrior (Maria’s Mon x Chatique by Deputy Minister)- I bet this horse in his career debut where he scored by 4 3/4 lengths at odds of 7-1. He hasn’t been nearly that good of a price since, but he could provide value in the Easy Goer. He is a fresh horse and stretching out from 6.5 furlongs to 8.5 furlongs means he ought to be on the lead, but if not he will be very close. This is his first time going two turns which is something I don’t like. I find it incredible that they havent tried the turf with him yet given his strong breeding.Look for him to win next out.

Rail Trip (Jump Start x Sweet Trip by Carson City)- Winner of the Hollywood Gold Cup in 2009, he has missed a lot of time since finishing poorly in the Woodward Stakes last out. He is a winner of three races from four tries at the distance, two Grade 2 races. The works are very strong and he should be close to the front. Ramon Dominguez sees fit to ride this horse for Rick Dutrow. Rail Trip is a very, very live racehorse.

Mission Impazible (Unbridled’s Song x La Paz by Hold your Peace) Failed to fire last out in the Alysheba. Before that he finished first in the Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap at Fair Grounds. He should prompt the pace, but things could be too hot for him today. I question if he is up to running with the likes of these right now.

Convocation (Pulpit x Shade Dance by Nureyev)- Lagged behind a hot pace last out and picked up the pieces to be second in the Grade 3 West Chester. He has finished second 5 times in 7 attempts on this Belmont track. He wouldn’t be a shock, but I don’t think he is capable of winning this one. On the plus side, this race is third off the shelf which is always a strong angle.

I’ll take Friend or Foe as my top pick. He is the only horse that I believe could be going up whereas the rest may have seen their best races already. He could be in the perfect spot turning for home too. Rail Trip is a close second choice. If he reverts to the form that let him win the Hollywood Gold Cup he might jog here. Best of luck and check out our horse betting page for information on how to play the race.

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Blame goes from hunter to hunted in Jockey Club Gold Cup

September 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

While the race isn’t as strong as it has been in recent memory, the Jockey Club Gold Cup will be fun to watch. It is a race with serious Breeders Cup Classic implications.

The favorite is Foster Handicap, and Whitney Handicap winner Blame. The Al Stall trainee is riding a five race win streak. His most recent win came in the Whitney Handicap where he blasted past the heavily favored Quality Road who had set a dawdling pace. Regular visitors of this website know that I was on his bandwagon a very long time ago. I said in June that he would likely be my Breeders Cup Classic horse.

Despite his great form, Blame could have some trouble here. It will be his first time going 10 furlongs, and this race appears to be severely lacking in the pace department. Can he gun down lone speed going a little further? It certainly wouldn’t surprise me, but I’m not willing to just concede the race to him for those two reason.

West coast shipper and Jay Em Ess owned Rail Trip will get plenty of support at the windows. He took the Hollywood Gold Cup in 2009. That race is contested at today’s distance of 10 furlongs. This race will be the first start for the son of Jump Start in the barn of Richard Dutrow. His works are impressive, and he is handling the track well.

One of the biggest things going against him, for me, is Cornelio Velasquez. He’s off to a fast start at the Belmont meet, but he’s been pretty dreadful over the past year or two. Hopefully he can return to his winning ways of the past. Dutrow really moves horses up. He’s got Rail Trip training beautifully. This gelding has the perfect running style to win this thing.  If something happens to Haynesfield, he could probably wing it on the front end and take them all the way. Rail Trip wouldn’t shock.

I’m a big fan of Pick 4′s. They provide good value and, the payoffs are excellent. The key to cashing a nice Pick 4 is finding value. I think the value horse in this race is definitely Fly Down. The three-year-old proved he can go the distance. The son of Mineshaft finished 2nd by a dirty nose in the Travers last out. He would’ve certainly won with a cleaner trip. Pace could be a problem for this one as well, but he’s closed into slow paces in the past. I’m not wild about jockey Jose Lezcano lately, but I would be afraid not to have this guy on my ticket.

The only speed horse in the race is Haynesfield. He failed to make the lead after breaking through the gate last out in the Whitney, but you can expect to see him on the front end this time. 10 furlongs is probably out of this colt’s range. Look for him to back up big time in the stretch. He’s still a nice colt going 8 or 9 furlongs and I expect the connections to turn him back in his next race

Hold Me Back, Mythical Power, Dry Martini, and Tranquil Manner round out the field. This is a three horse race in my mind. Fly Down, Blame, and Rail Trip are those horses. Blame is clearly the best horse, but the best horse doesn’t always win. I’m going to make Rail Trip my top selections. He hasn’t raced in several months, but that doesn’t bother me. He’s going to get first run at Haynesfield, and hopefully he can kick clear. I’ll use all three on my Pick 4 ticket, and play a secondary ticket with him singled. Who do you like? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

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Zenyatta early favorite to repeat in Breeders Cup Classic

June 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment


Zenyatta is favored to repeat in the Breeders Cup Classic according to an unscientific poll conducted by Gradedstakes.com. The daughter of Street Cry received 35% of the 140 votes. She recently improved her record to 17 wins from 17 starts while recording a narrow victory that may have been easier than it looked over the British mare St Trinians in the Vanity Handicap. She is being tentatively pointed to the Clement Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar for her next start.

Checking in second with 23.57% of the vote is Nick Zito’s Kentucky Derby runner up Ice Box. He was last seen finishing ninth in the Belmont Stakes. Zito said that the hot weather may have caused the son of Pulpit to perform poorly. The deep closer needs a fast pace to chase and if they burn it up in the Breeders Cup Classic he would be a serious threat. His next start hasn’t been determined.

Quality Road recorded the third highest amount of votes with 17.85% of all ballots. The son of Elusive Quality out of a Strawberry Road mare set brutal fractions and held on to win the Metropolitan Mile in a time of 1:33.11 seconds during his last race. Trainer Todd Pletcher likes to race him fresh and will wait for August 7 and the Whitney Handicap for his next start. I’d like to see him race more. His time in the Met Mile may have been even faster if he wasn’t running off the shelf. Despite that, its very hard to complain about a Grade 1 win under any circumstances. I just think Quality Road is immensely talented and capable of even more. The 10 furlongs distance of the Breeders Cup Classic will be the biggest question for him in November.

The fourth place finisher in the poll was Preakness Stakes winner Lookin At Lucky who garnered 10.7% of all votes. Bob Baffert is currently pointing him towards a start in the Haskell Invitational and then the Travers Stakes. ‘Lucky has a strong group of older horses to compete with this year, but he always bring his “A” game. The son of Smart Strike could be in the mix for the Breeders Cup Classic.

The fifth place finisher was the choice “Other” with 5.71%. This could include horses like Rachel Alexandra who recently got back on track with a powerful 10+ length win in the Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs. Another horse not listed that could have an impact in the Breeders Cup Classic is Belmont Stakes runner up Fly Down. It looks like he is only now finding his best run. Another possibility is Musket Man although I think he is much more likely to compete in the Breeders Cup Dirt Mile.

Little to no confidence is being placed in Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver who got just 2.8% of all votes. I think he deserves more consideration. You have to remember that the Breeders Cup Classic will be contested at Churchill Downs. Super Saver loves the track. He also has the benefit of Calvin Borel aka the King of Churchill Downs. Don’t count Super Saver out based solely on his poor Preakness performance.

Checking in tied for 7th are Rail Trip and Blame. Both are very tough older horses. Blame was most recently seen easily taking the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs. He loves the track and that will play to his benefit in November. Trainer Albert Stall has always been high on the horse. I think if he continues to improve he will be the one to beat in the Breeders Cup Classic. If I had to take one horse today to win the ‘Classic it would be Blame.

Rail Trip is also a nice runner. He took the Hollywood Gold Cup last year and is trying to repeat this year. He scored an easy win in the Californian last out with new rider Rafael Bejarano. Will he handle the dirt? That is his biggest obstacle. He missed last years Breeders Cup Classic due to injury.

Who is your early pick in Breeders Cup Classic later this year? Leave a comment and share your thoughts!

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

September 5, 2009 By Leave a Comment

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!

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Rachel Alexandra set to tackle older males in Grade 1 Woodward Stakes

September 1, 2009 By 7 Comments

Forego, Seattle Slew, Spectacular Bid, Affirmed, Alysheba, Cigar, Ghostzapper and Curlin. What do all of these horses have in common? They have all won the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes. Three-year-old filly Rachel Alexandra will seek to add her name to the list of winners on Saturday.

If you had told me at the beginning of the year that a three-year-old filly would more likely than not win the Woodward I probably would have had a good laugh. However, the super filly is breaking all the rules. She is seemingly unbeatable, and the scary thing is that she is only getting faster. We may have seen only the tip of the iceberg.

Rachel Alexandra has compiled an excellent list of wins this year. She was a dominating winner of the Grade 2 Fair Ground Oaks, and Grade 2 Fantasy. After those races she won the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks by a shocking 20 lengths. Although it was by a mere length, her win in the Grade 1Preakness Stakes was also very impressive. She pretty much jogged around the track to beat two fillies in the Grade 1 Mother Goose, and toyed with the boys again while winning the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational. It doesn’t get much better.

After winning the Haskell by an easy six or seven lengths over Summer Bird most fans wanted to see the daughter of Medaglia d’Oro race in the Travers. That was not to be. As you probably already know, Summer Bird won the Travers. Some claimed she was dodging Quality Road (one of my favorite colts), a statement which that I find laughable. If Rachel Alexandra had raced in the Travers she would’ve won the race by at least several lengths.

It seems like everything coming out of Rachel Alexandra’s races is coming back to win. A filly which she faced in November returned to win a Grade 3 at Saratoga this past weekend. Flashing won the Grade 1 Test Stakes after facing the super filly. As I already stated, Summer Bird came back to take the Grade 1 Travers. Can the older males pose a challenge for her?

The older male division has been weak for several years. It started going downward in my opinion after Lava Man exited his prime and Invasor was retired to stud duty. It hasn’t picked up much since then. I would argue that the three-year-old male division is stronger than the older male division.

The horses in the Woodward probably do not stand a chance against Rachel. The top older male, Rail Trip, will be racing on the west coast in the Pacific Classic. It would be interesting to see how she would do against him, but I fear even he would be left in her wake.

The best finish for a three-year-old filly in the Woodward Stakes came when Summer Guest ran second and was disqualified to third in 1972. Shuvee and Lady’s Secret both competed in the race at four, with the latter running second and the former running off the board. Both mares are in Racing’s Hall of Fame.

The Woodward field is likely to include 2008 Belmont Stakes winner Da ‘Tara, 2008 Fountain of Youth winner Cool Coal Man, 2009 Whitney Stakes victor Bullsbay, 2009 Foster Handicap winner Macho Again and multiple Grade 1 placed Asiatic Boy. You would think this is a star studded field after seeing each horses marquee win, but all of them pale in comparison to the freak of nature that is Rachel Alexandra.

I can’t wait to watch this race. A good friend of mine always says he likes to see history being made. I’ve always been resistant to that statement, but I cannot wait to watch Rachel Alexandra become the first three-year-old filly to beat older males. It’s something I will probably remember for the rest of my life. Get ready boys; you can run but you can’t hide. Rachel Alexandra is coming for you.

What do you think about the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes? Send a tweet via Twitter @gradedstakes, or leave a comment below!

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