DeFrancis Dash tops huge Saturday at Laurel
The $350,000 DeFrancis Dash will top a stakes filled card at Laurel Park on Saturday afternoon. Nine top level sprinters including multiple Grade 1 winner Palace will compete in the six furlong event. Palace is coming off a win in the Hudson Handicap at Belmont in his last start and prior to that was fourth in the Grade 1 Vosburgh Stakes beaten only three quarters of a length He has run at Laurel once and it was an off the board finish in a stakes event. Palace tends to like to come from off the pace and for a sprint race of this caliber, there isn’t a ton of early speed. Trouble Kid from the outside post has four wins in a row and has some good early speed. He came from off the pace last out to win the Valley Forge Stakes at Parx, but prior to that he had gone wire to wire in the Grade 3 Gallant Bob Stakes. Stallwalkin Dude will make a quick turnaround as he just finished eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint two weeks ago. This will be his 16th start of 2015 but he’s been on the board in 12 of the 15 starts and many of those against graded company.
Charles Town Oaks winner Hot City Girl leads a big field of twelve in the Safely Kept Stakes at seven furlongs. She’s won two races in a row and done them both in wire to wire fashion so look for her to jump out and battle for the early lead. Her main competition in the race could be Tricky Zippy who finished second behind the very talented La Verdad in her last start at Belmont. Tricky Zippy won three races in a row earlier this summer including a stake at Saratoga. Two year olds will contest the $100,000 James Lewis Stakes including Never Gone South who is 2 for 2 in his career with a stakes win at Delaware Park on his ledger. King Kranz is still a maiden after three starts but his second place finish in the Grade 2 Futurity at Belmont suggests he’s more than capable of stepping up in a race like this.
El Kabeir will make his second start off a long layoff in the $100,000 City of Laurel. El Kabeir was a Kentucky Derby contender until an injury in his third place Wood Memorial effort sent him to the sidelines. He returned with a dull last place finish in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler Handicap in his return at Belmont. Paige McKenney and Legendary both loom large in the Dickie Small Stakes. While Legendary hasn’t won yet this season, he’s been keeping company with some tough hombres. He’ll be trying the main track for the first time in his career though so that will be the big test. The Stakes action kicks off on Saturday in Race 3 with the Smart Halo Stakes which features Lost Raven who was a big maiden winner at Belmont and now steps into stakes company.
BetPTC.com Selections for the DeFrancis Dash
- Palace
- Stallwalkin Dude
- Trouble Kid
Longshot: Spring to the Sky
BetPTC.com Selections for the Safely Kept
- Hot City Girl
- Darling Sky
- Tricky Zippy
Longshot: Ancient Goddess
BetPTC.com Selections for the James Lewis
- King Kranz
- Never Gone South
- Discreet Lover
Longshot: Corvus
BetPTC.com Selections for the City of Laurel
- Roxbury N Overton
- Guns of Steel
- El Kabeir
Longshot: Artistic Drifter
BetPTC.com Selections for the Richard Small Stakes
- Paige McKenney
- Talk Show Man
- Catholic Cowboy
Longshot: Ever Rider
BetPTC.com Selections for the Smart Halo Stakes
- Lost Raven
- Crystal Rosario
- Fly Girl
Longshot: Twirl Girl
Red Smith Handicap is Aqueduct Saturday feature
Turf routers will go eleven furlongs on Saturday in the $250,000 Red Smith Handicap at Aqueduct. The race is loaded with stakes winners including former Grade 1 winner Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker will actually be making his first start at Aqueduct on the grass but he’s enjoyed a ton of success across town at Belmont on the lawn there. Jose Ortiz will ride and Mr. Speaker should be running late from just off the pace. Graham Motion will send out Holiday Star who comes into this race in some of the best form of his career. He won the Grade 3 Sycamore last time out and has been very solid at races around this distance.
War Dancer is a horse who always takes money at the windows and hasn’t backed it up with a win in more than a year and a half. He has good tactical speed though and has finished second in both his tries at this distance. Kaigun is well traveled and when he shows up and runs his race he’s very dangerous. Last time out he led the Grade 1 Canadian International in mid-stretch before fading to fourth. His best effort makes him a player here.
BetPTC.com Selections for the Red Smith
- Speaker
- Kaigun
- Holiday Star
Longshot: Great Dancer
Fourteen to run in the Mrs. Revere at Churchill Downs
A full field of fourteen runners will compete on Saturday in the $200,000 Mrs. Revere Stakes at Churchill Downs. The Grade 2 event is for three year old fillies on the grass and features Onus who comes into the race red-hot. Onus has won three straight races culminating with a win last out in the Grade 3 Commonwealth Oaks at Laurel Park. Her wins on the grass in her last three have all been stellar efforts including an allowance win by ten lengths and that stakes win last time out by four and a half. Forest Boyce will once again be on board Onus for trainer Shug McGaughey. There main competition could come from New York shipper Partisan Politics. Partisan Politics won the $200,000 Pebbles Stakes last time out and figures to be a major player in here. Javier Castellano will come in for the ride for trainer Chad Brown who of course is always solid on the lawn.
Chad Brown will also send out Tammy the Torpedo who scored a very strong allowance win in her comeback to the races last out. She went to the sidelines for nearly a year after a seventh place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf but was brilliant in that return start. Kiaran McLaughlin will send out Robillard who will be making her Churchill debut. She won a very nice allowance last time out at Keeneland and seeing how her last two wins have come wire to wire and she’s drawn on the inside, she should be right on the pace early.
BetPTC.com Selections for the Mrs. Revere
- Onus
- Partisan Politics
- Devine Aida
Longshot: Robillard
Bob Hope Stakes is for two year olds at Del Mar
Two year olds will go seven furlongs in the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar on Saturday. Toews on Ice comes into this race off a big win in the $70,000 Speakeasy Stakes and looms very large in this spot for trainer Bob Baffert. Baffert will also send out debut maiden breaker Dr. Dorr who rallied off the pace to score impressively in his career bow. I’malreadythere comes into this race off three straight turf efforts including a strong second in the Zumia Beach Stakes at a mile. He’ll certainly have a fitness edge on some of his rivals as he’s cutting back to one turn. Trainer Kathy Ritvo will send out Mac Daddy Mac who was very impressive winning his debut at Santa Anita a few weeks back. He picks up the riding services of Gary Stevens for the Bob Hope Stakes and should be prominent early on in the race.
BetPTC.com Selections for the Bob Hope Stakes
- Toews on Ice
- Mac Daddy Mac
- Jury
Longshot: Street Vision
Saturday Stakes Action at BetPTC.com
Aqueduct
Race 7 Red Smith Handicap 3:20pm EST
Charles Town
Race 7 A Huevo Stakes 9:55pm EST
Churchill Downs
Race 10 Mrs. Revere Stakes 5:15pm EST
Del Mar
Race 8 Bob Hope Stakes 7:00pm EST
Delta Downs
Race 8 Gold Cup Stakes 9:52pm EST
Golden Gate Fields
Race 7 Oakland Stakes 6:45pm EST
Laurel Park
Race 3 Smart Halo Stakes 12:58pm EST
Race 5 Richard Small Stakes 1:52pm EST
Race 6 City of Laurel Stakes 2:18pm EST
Race 8 James Lewis Stakes 3:13pm EST
Race 9 Safely Kept Stakes 3:40pm EST
Race 10 DeFrancis Dash 4:10pm EST
Turf Paradise
Race 7 City of Phoenix Stakes 6:52pm EST
Race 8 Luke Kruytbosch Stakes 7:23pm EST
Woodbine
Race 8 South Ocean Stakes 4:25pm EST