TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS
| RAZORBACK BREEDERS’ CUP H.
(G3), 9TH-OP, $125,000, 4YO/UP, 1 1/16M, 5:11 P.M. (CST), 3-13 |
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| PP | HORSE | TRAINER | JOCKEY | WT |
| 1 | MAUK FOUR | CART J D | BURNINGHAM J | 112 |
| 2 | THE LADY’S GROOM | GORHAM MICHAEL E | BOREL C H | 114 |
| 3 | GIGAWATT | FLINT STEVE | HERNANDEZ B J J | 114 |
| 4 | ADDED EDGE | ROMANS DALE | QUINONEZ L S | 115 |
| 5 | CLAYS AWESOME | HOOPER TIMOTHY | DOOCY T T | 112 |
| 6 | PURGE | PLETCHER TODD A | ALBARADO R J | 116 |
| 7 | INTELLIGENT MALE | NORMAN COLE | THERIOT H J II | 113 |
| 8 | ABSENT FRIEND | NORMAN COLE | CHAPA R | 115 |
| 9 | RIVER MOUNTAIN RD | HOLTHUS ROBERT E | MCKEE J | 111 |
| 10 | SEPARATO | RITCHEY TIM F | ROSE J | 112 |
Sunday’s Razorback Breeders’ Cup H. (G3) at Oaklawn Park has drawn a talented
field of 10 runners, including Peter Pan S. (G2) and Jim Dandy S. (G2) hero
PURGE (Pulpit). The morning-line favorite is conceding experience
to his rivals, though, and we’ll go with the lightning-fast ADDED EDGE (Smart
Strike). The five-year-old has not made it to the winner’s circle in two tries
this year, although he did close out his 2004 season with a gutsy win in the
Michael G. Schaefer Mile S. The Grade 3-winning chestnut has recorded triple-digit
BRIS Speed figures
in all five of his starts since switching to the barn of Dale Romans last
summer, where he owns a record of 2-1-1, and we look for him to win his first
graded stakes race for his new trainer in this one.
Purge must be respected. Conditioned by Eclipse Award-winning trainer Todd
Pletcher, the bay won two Grade 2 contests last year over some of the best
three-year-olds in the nation. He has not returned to the track in the same form
in 2005, but has been training forwardly since his latest outing and looks as
though he is finally ready to run this year.
THE LADY’S GROOM (Runaway Groom) will be on the front end and was in top form
going into last year’s Saratoga Breeders’ Cup H. (G2) before finishing a badly
beaten seventh. The chestnut was given the rest of the year off, and he finished fourth in
in his 2005 bow, an optional claimer, but was steadied on the
backstretch. The five-year-old should move forward with one freshener under him,
so don’t forget this sleeper at
the windows.
In his first and only start for new conditioner Cole Norman, ABSENT FRIEND
(Runaway Groom) closed with a rush to take the Essex H. (G3) here at Oaklawn. If
the five-year-old grey can keep that form, he’ll be a contender here.
The Steve Flint-trained GIGAWATT (Wild Again) has been switched to the dirt
since moving to the Flint barn, and is taking to it well. The dark bay took the
Louisiana H. two back, run at the Razorback distance, and ran into traffic
problems last time when finishing fourth in the Mineshaft H. (G3). The
five-year-old is worth a second look for the exotics.
SEPARATO (Victory Gallop) rates our longshot special. The bay four-year-old
was third in the Essex but frequently runs at or near the Razorback distance
(7-5-1-1 at 8 1/2 furlongs) and could surprise at longer odds. MAUK FOUR (Boston
Harbor) owns a shot to steal it on the front end, but that seems to be the
five-year-old’s only chance in a field stacked with closers. We’ll use the
chestnut on the bottom of the gimmicks.
Fourth in the Essex, RIVER MOUNTAIN RD (Deputy Commander) consistently
records Speed ratings in the mid- to upper 90s, but that does not look like it can get it
done in this bunch. We’ll watch the Robert Holthus trainee for now. INTELLIGENT MALE (Ride the Storm) appears more comfortable at the non-graded
level of competition and may be a step below these. CLAYS AWESOME (Awesome
Again) steps up here and we’ll give him one start, despite two wins in a row.
| TRACK BANDIT SELECTIONS:
|
1st-ADDED EDGE | |
| 2nd-PURGE | ||
| 3rd-THE LADY’S GROOM |