Turfway Park Stakes Analysis for Saturday, March 23
March 22nd, 2013BY JUDE T. FELDFollow @racehorsereport
Kentucky Derby (G1) aficionados from around the world turn their attention to Turfway Park on Saturday afternoon as the $75,000 Team Valor Rushaway Stakes and the $550,000 Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati Racing Spiral Stakes (G3) highlight the day’s action at the Florence. Kentucky oval. Sandwiched between those important Derby preps is the $100,000 Fathead Bourbonette Oaks (G3), a steppingstone to the Kentucky Oaks (G1).
Here’s my analysis of those three events as heard on the Horse Racing Radio Network Xpressbet Weekend Stakes Preview Show:
TP 8th Race – $75,000 Team Valor Rushaway Stakes 1 1/16 Miles
#9 CROP REPORT is a beautiful son of Medaglia d’Oro. He began his career at Newmarket in England, breaking his maiden in his second start. His American debut came at Gulfstream Park on February 23 – a race in which he encountered more trouble than Lindsey Lohan on a Saturday night. He hit the gate leaving it, took up repeatedly during the running and never was given any chance to win by jockey Joel Rosario. Trainer H. Graham Motion adds blinkers to his charge’s equipment for this race, indicating that maybe the colt was more at fault for his problems than his pilot. In any case, he looks like an “international goodthing†in here despite the unfortunate outside draw. #2 DIVINE AMBITION broke his maiden in his racing debut at Turfway Park last fall. With only very mild success in two Tampa Bay Downs stakes when sent to the lead, sharp trainer Darrin Miller ran him at Gulfstream Park in an allowance race last time out. He rated kindly for jockey Corey Lanerie that day and came home victorious. Look for him to move forward again today with another patient ride. Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas has been enjoying a magnificent run along the 2013 Derby trail. He saddles #1 RED WINGS for the Rushaway. The son of English Channel has taken some time coming to hand, but has shown steady improvement in his last three starts. Although he has never run on Polytrack, his pedigree suggests that it should suit him well. He will be a big price, but jockey John Court rides longshots like they are odds-on favorites and often gets his picture taken.
TP 9th Race – $100,000 Fathead Bourbonette Oaks (G3) 1 Mile
#5 PURE FUN capped off a nice two-year-old campaign with a victory in the prestigious Hollywood Starlet (G1) at Hollywood Park. It was her lone start on a synthetic track and no doubt her best race in eight lifetime starts. The daughter of Pure Prize has been training like a bomb at Gulfstream Park for this race, including two bullet workouts going five furlongs. Her juvenile pace and speed figures tower over the field and she looks like a deserved favorite in this spot. It is also a great sign that jockey Garrett Gomez flies in from the left coast to ride her. #2 MARATHON LADY has improved in every start. She broke her maiden at Oaklawn Park in her latest trip to the post, earning speed and pace figures very competitive with these fillies. Her trainer Steve Hobby won his 1000th race at the beginning of the month and he knows how to compete at this level. #1 STREET OF GOLD took a couple of months off after a useful juvenile campaign. She returned to the races with a powerful allowance score over the track on March 2. If she improves with that race under her belt, she could be quite effective in this spot.
TP 10th Race – $550,000 Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati Racing Spiral Stakes (G3) 1 1/8 Miles
#1 BALANCE THE BOOKS had a tremendous two-year-old season. After breaking his maiden at Saratoga in August, he won the Bourbon (G3) at Keeneland and finished off his year with a troubled third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1). He has only raced on turf, but that form often transfers well to Polytrack. His pace and speed figures on the grass are superior to his competitors in this race and his tremendous closing kick should be very effective in this speed-laden field. Trainer Chad Brown is effective 27% of the time with his layoff entrants and that bodes well for a good performance and a possible run for the roses. #7 MAC THE MAN is three-for-three at Turfway Park and has won $50,000 stakes back-to-back in Florence. His trainer Jeff Greenhill has been winning at 29% clip this year and is 46% when Norberto Arroyo, Jr. rides his charges – of course Mac has contributed considerably to those lofty stats. With Mountain Cat on the bottom side of his pedigree, the mile and one-eighth should not be a problem and he has shown the ability to rate. #3 UNCAPTURED is a talented colt that is making his 2013 debut. He capped off his 2012 campaign with two graded stakes victories at Churchill Downs. Trainer Mark Casse has always been high on the son of Lion Heart, who has been working with gusto over the synthetic Ocala Training Center track in Florida. He certainly should be considered among the best in this field. #6 FOR GREATER GLORY had a ton of trouble in the John Battaglia Memorial here on March second. The son of Afleet Alex can improve considerably off that effort for trainer Steve Hobby.
