Notes on the Saturday Program
November 7th, 2008By Jude T. Feld
The late Arthur I. Appleton bred EDGEMOOR, a starter in the Arthur I. Appleton Juvenile Turf Stakes at Calder Race CourseAppleton Museum Photo
An eclectic group of competitive stakes await horseplayers this afternoon. As usual at this time of year, check the weather and track conditions before heading to the windows
BROADWAY PRODUCER opens as the deserved 5-2 morning line choice in the Find Handicap, LAUREL’s 7TH RACE, off his Maryland Millions Turf victory last month. He will be tough to beat. The value play is LEXI STAR, whose dirt figures are competitive with the favorite. She ran third in her only turf start – a mile and an eighth at Laurel – and opens at 15-1.
A cousin of Queen Elizabeth II once told me to play two-year-olds from the Seattle Slew line late in the year. Well, it’s November, HAWKEY STAR is by Tomahawk by Seattle Slew and he earned a Brisnet speed figure equal to par for this level when he broke his maiden last time out. He could take the Frost King Stakes field wire-to-wire in WOODBINE’s 6TH RACE.
ALWAYS FIRST has always had a touch of class. Trainer Tom Voss had his charge ready to fire at Keeneland with only one prep race after a year’s rest. The gelded son of Barathea should have benefited greatly from that victory and could score another one in the Red Smith (G2), AQUEDUCT’s 8TH RACE, with a repeat of his Lexington effort.
Who better to win the Arthur I. Appleton Juvenile Turf, CALDER’s 9TH RACE, than a colt bred by the late Arthur I. Appleton. EDGEMOOR broke his maiden by 12 when stretched out to a mile and returned to run a troubled third in a Florida-bred stakes. By Halo’s Image out of a Northern Jove mare, his pedigree screams, “Turf!â€
MY PRINCESS JESS will attract considerable betting action in the Mrs. Revere (G2), CHURCHILL DOWNS’ 9TH RACE. The Grade 2 winner ran a bang-up third in the QE II (G1) at Keeneland in her last start and that makes her a major contender. Keep an eye on CLEAR POND however. She earned a massive turf figure on a soft course at Arlington Park and with the Kentucky rain of Elvis fame pouring down as I write this, her 20-1 morning line looks enticing.
Horses like CHARLIE’S MOMENT are the reason Indian Charlie’s stud fee has gone through the roof. Short or long, dirt or synthetic, (and probably turf too) he is always in the hunt. He’ll be tough once again in the Real Quiet Stakes, HOLLYWOOD PARK’s 9TH RACE.
