Saturday Previews
Last month's impressive six-length maiden winner Curlin Rocks returns to the fray, while Nine Oclock Ceaser looks to add to trainer Steve Henson's impressive early season tally
PENALTY TO RANGERS has hit the board in both her starts this year and went down by just neck and a nose when third in her most recent effort. She’s a consistent sort and won’t get too many more suitable opportunities than this to notch a second career win. NOTHINGBUTSUNSHINE is one of two Steve Henson runners and deserves respect. A repetition of pretty much any of her runs last season would be good enough to take this, although bettors will need to ignore her season debut when she trailed home last of six on sloppy ground. MISS ACCELERATE may also not have appreciated the wet track last time and could represent some value. She ran well enough at Emerald Downs and, earlier, Golden Gate last year to suggest she can operate successfully at this level.
Although it was just a head at the wire, BRIAN’S DE LEIGHT, on the lead throughout, took full advantage of some moderate fractions to hold today’s rival TIME TICKER a shade cleverly last time, with SLOOP JOHN B and the Hastings Racing Club’s PRINCE CAIRO both unplaced. The winner, who is no slouch, could easily make merry again if he’s allowed to dictate. However, JOSE JOSE looked a very smart performer in the making when putting nine lengths on Bak to Liberty last spring. And, although his campaign was cut short by injury, he makes his season debut here on the back of some eye-catching workouts and it will be interesting to see how he gets on.
HORATIO was Stakes-placed last season and his third behind the smart Diocles and today’s rival Crown Council on his debut last month should have blown any cobwebs away. He gets the nod here to break his maiden on the way to better things. It won’t be easy. CROWN COUNCIL went down all guns blazing, just failing to hold off Diocles, and he’s another whose first win looks both overdue and imminent. WESTMINSTER and RUN RUDOLF are fascinating debutantes. By the former leading freshman sire Bolt d’Oro, Westminster was formerly an expensive yearling before being re-sold through the following year’s Keeneland horses-of-racing-age sale where he was snaffled up by current connections for a lot less. RUN RUDOLF, meanwhile, is as BC-bred as they come, a half-brother to the brilliant Bayakoa’s Image and has been working well.
A redoubtable collection of blue-collar racemares here, all of whom continue to give everything. QUEEN OF ATTITUDE was eating up ground late when chasing a spot on the horizon called Arikara last time, edging today’s rival SILK STILETTOS in the process. BELLAROO returns to familiar waters after running really well in a tougher race last time and last season’s lower-level claimer of the year should be even closer today. They may all have to go a bit to catch NINE OCLOCK CEASER, however. She made every yard to win on her season debut last month and, even though this represents a slight step up in class, may still be on the upgrade.
CURLIN ROCKS could not have been more impressive on his season debut, cruising to a six-length, gate-to-wire victory after more than a year on the sidelines. This will be a much tougher challenge, but he looked as though there was more in the tank when geared down by Amadeo Perez and he could still be on the upgrade. WISELY PLAYED is the definition of consistent and the popular closer certainly deserves a good prize after just failing to catch Rockcliffe last time and going down by a neck. Longer distances appear to be his forte but if there’s a strong enough pace, he’ll no doubt be flying late again. GUNFIGHTER, second in the 2022 versions of both the Sir Winston Churchill Derby Trial and the Chris Loseth Handicap, looks to be the class of the race but missed the whole of last season. However, he’s been gelded in the interim, done everything asked of him in the mornings and should make his presence felt.
LASTING LIGHT has run two crackers already this season and would not be winning out of turn. She was just caught by Miss the Hype last time and she might just benefit from a paucity of early speed here. RICHARDS COMMAND has proved equally adept coming off the pace or closer to the front and shouldn’t be too far away again. ZETAMARIE had Richards Command behind her when second last time and there’s little between her and Lasting Light, while ROSE OF TEXAS wasn’t too far away behind Lasting Light, despite being declared a non-runner after a botched start.
The trusty dart will be needed to find the winner here. ICE BREAKER wasn’t too far behind Miss the Hype and Lasting Light last month and had AMANDA and TEXAS HUMOR behind her. CERTIFIABLE, meanwhile, makes her season debut but represents the in-form Rob Maybin barn, while the redoubtable PINEAPPLE TIDBITS showed signs that she may soon be back to winning ways after a fine fourth to Jersey Lillie last time.
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Bloodhorse Daily Headlines — Saturday, June 1st
