Saturday Stakes Races 3-8-2014

This Saturday features superb racing from Santa Anita, Tampa Bay Downs, and Gulfstream Park. 

Santa Anita plays host to the GI $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap which features the top two finishers from the Breeders Cup Classic in November, Mucho Macho Man and Will Take Charge. Last years Santa Anita Handicap winner, the always tough Game on Dude, will also be a major player. The undercard to the Big Cap features three very deep graded stakes races including the GI $350,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes, and the GII $300,000 San Felipe a Kentucky Derby Prep race worth 50 points to the winner. 

Tampa Bay Downs has its biggest racing day of the year on Saturday featuring the GII $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby as well as two graded stakes race on the turf proceeding it. At Gulfstream Park the feature is the GII $250,000 Gulfstream Park Handicap featuring the return of the 2013 Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice. Below are my selections for all of the graded stakes races around the country. 

Good luck!

Santa Anita 

Race 9 GI $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap

1. Will Take Charge (2-1)

2. Mucho Macho Man (9-5)

3. Game on Dude (5-2)

In the Big Cap I think there is a strong possibility of Mucho Macho Man going after Game on Dude early, setting the race up for Will Take Charge. Game on Dude has yet to prove he can beat horses with the talent and quality such as Will Take Charge or Mucho Macho Man, and he also may have lost a step with age. I still believe Will Take Charge was the best horse in the Classic, and I expect him to run down Mucho Macho Man, at a distance that suits him perfectly. This instant classic airs on Fox Sports 1 at 7PM EST time. 

Race 8 GI 350,00 Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes

1. Suggestive Boy (6-1)

2. Za Approval (3-1)

3. Winning Prize (7-2) 

Suggestive Boy won this race in 2013 before being sidelined. He returned last month and ran an even fifth off of the eleven month layoff. I believe Suggestive Boy, is the most talented horse in the race and he should improve greatly in his second start off the layoff. Za Approval has shown he loves the course at Santa Anita running a massive race to finish behind horse of the year Wise Dan in the Breeders Cup Mile, but he has not run since that effort. While he could certainly win, since Suggestive Boy has the race underneath him, he will be a little sharper. Winning Prize was very impressive in winning the Grade II Arcadia last month defeating many of these but the going gets much tougher here. 

Race 7 GII $250,000 San Carlos Stakes 

1. Big Macher (6-1)

2. Shakin it Up (3-1)

3. Sahara Sky (4-1)

With a race that seems to have very little speed, I searched for a horse that has speed and Big Macher fit the bill. Big Macher is coming off a stakes win against California bred runners, but he should be able to compete with these.  The most talented horse in the race is Sahara Sky, but his last race off the layoff was nothing to get excited about. If Sahara Sky runs back to his form of last year he should win this race. 

Race 5 GII $300,000 San Felipe Stakes

1. Kristo (4-1)

2. California Chrome (3-1)

3.  Midnight Hawk (4-1)

With the scratch of the morning line favorite Bayern, It really opens the race up. I like Kristo because he continues to improve, I am not sure he wants to go far enough, but with the way the race shapes up and Rosario on board he has a serious chance. 

Tampa Bay Downs

Race 11 GII $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby

1. Hy Kodiak Warrior (10-1)

2. Conquest Titan (7-2)

3. Ring Weekend (15-1)

I am Top Billing believer, and Hy Kodiak Warrior comes out of an allowance race at Gulfstream Park won by Commissioner, and Top Billing was second. Top Billing and Commissioner both ran in the Fountain of Youth two weeks ago with Top Billing running a very good third. Hy Kodiak Warrior has yet to run a bad race, and I do not believe this rendition of the Tampa Bay Derby is particularly strong.  Conquest Titan is the most proven of the bunch, but he will need a good trip coming from the back and he is a short price. 

Race 10 GIII $200,000 Florida Oaks 

1. Kitten Kaboodle (8-1)

2. Testa Rossi (2-1)

3. Interrupted (15-1)

Race 9 GIII $150,000 Hillsborough Stakes

1. Riposte (2-1)

2. Cloud Scapes (9-2)

3. Waterway Run (7-2) 

Gulfstream Park 

GII $250,000 Gulfstream Park Handicap

1. Golden Ticket (5-1)

2. Palace Malice (5-2)

3. Brujo De Olleros (6-1) 

Weekend Stakes Races 9/29-30/12

This weekend in horse racing has major implications for this years Breeders Cup. Belmont Park hosts "Super Saturday". Belmont's card could not be higher quality. The purses are high, the fields are big, and the feature The GI Jockey Club Gold Cup features six Grade I winners. On the other coast Santa Anita hosts its huge pre- Breeders Cup day. Between Santa Anita and Belmont Park there will be a total of 14 graded stakes races. My selections for Belmont, Santa Anita, and Remington Park which hosts the Oklahoma Derby are below.

Belmont Park
Saturday

Race 5 GI Beldame Invitational $400,000
1. It's Tricky
2. Royal Delta
3. Cash for Clunkers

Race 6 GII Kelso Handicap $400,000
1. Tapizar
2. To Honor and Serve
3. Shackleford

Race 7 GI  Vosburgh Invitational $400,000
1. Sean Avery
2. Rothko
3. Fort Loudon

Race 8 GI Flower Bowl Invitational $600,000
1. Nahrain
2. Hessonite
3. Zagora

Race 9 GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational $600,000
1. Point of Entry
2. Finnegans Wake
3. Little Mike

Race 10 GI Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational Stakes $1,000,000
1. Hymm Book
2. Ron the Greek
3. Fort Larned

Sunday
Race 7 GII Matron Stakes $200,000
1. Kauai Kate
2. Unabashed
3. Seasoned Warrior

Race 9 GII Futurity Stakes $200,000
1. Carried Interest
2. Overanalyze
3. Handsome Jack

Santa Anita
Saturday

Race 6 GI Chandelier Stakes $250,000
1. Executiveprivilege
2. Beholder
3. Scarlet Strike

Race 7 GI FrontRunner Stakes $250,000
1. Know More
2. Power Broker
3. Capo Bastone

Race 8 GI Zenyatta Stakes $250,000
1. Include Me Out
2. Via Villagio
3. Amani

Race 9 GI Rodeo Drive Stakes $250,000
1. Marketing Mix
2. Nereid
3. City to City

Race 10 GI Awesome Again Stakes $250,000
1. Game on Dude
2. Suggestive Boy
3. Richard's Kid

Sunday
Race 9 GII John Henry Turf Championship $150,000
1. Slim Shadey
2. Turbo Compressor
3. Bourbon Bay

Remington Park
Saturday

Race 9 Oklahoma Derby $400,000
1. Daddy Nose Best
2. Called to Serve
3. Speightscity

Weekend Stakes Races 4/21/12

This weekend features the Doubledogdare on Friday at Keeneland and the Coolmore Lexington on Saturday as well as two graded stakes races on the grass at Santa Anita and one stakes race at Pimlico.

Keeneland

The Doubledogdare S. (G3)
1. Pachattack
2. Principal Role
3. La Gran Bailadora

The Doubledogdare features the return of Pachattack who finished a really good third in last years Breeders Cup Ladies Classic, I think she will get the job done on Friday. Principal Role is making her first start in the United States, she has been very consistent in Europe so I look for her to continue that trend on Friday. La Gran Bailadora should enjoy the added distance but is probably not good enough to get there. I think Joyful Victory has regressed from last year will be too short of a price. Kathmanblu makes her first start of the year she got off track last year and has the oppurtunity to get back on track on friday.

The Coolmore Lexington (G2)
1. Holliday Road
2. News Pending
3. Gold Megillah

The Coolmore Lexington is the last race on the Derby Trail. The favorites will be Morgan's Guerilla and Castaway, I do not like either. I love Holliday Road who took a huge step forward on the poly track last time in the Spiral. I think News Pending will rebound as well, I think the polytrack will suit him. Gold Megillah can't seem to get a good trip I think he will on saturday and should run a good race.

Santa Anita

The San Simeon (G3)
1. Compari
2. Irish Art
3. California Flag

Santa Barbara (G2)
1. Vamos a Galupiar
2. Cambina
3. Capital Plan

Pimlico
The Dahlia
1. Master Shade
2. Idle Talk
3. Coco Ecolo