Weekend Watch: Presidents' Day loaded with stakes action
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Due to the holiday weekend, entries for some of the weekend’s biggest races were unavailable until after the writing of this week’s Weekend Watch. With that in mind, Horse Racing Nation brings you a special holiday edition of the column focusing on Monday’s graded stakes action. As always, given times are in Eastern Standard Time.
Kentucky Derby happenings
Despite speculation that this year’s edition of the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park would split, the Derby prep ended up drawing 11, with two of its entrants cross-entered in Saturday’s Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds. Principe Guilherme did run on Saturday, finishing seventh, while Kentucky Club scratched and will run in the Southwest.
Mourinho, who won last month’s Smarty Jones Stakes, has been tabbed as the 2-1 morning line favorite. Smarty Jones runner-up Combatant is back to try again. Hopeful (G1) winner Sporting Chance will make his 2018 bow here. He has not raced since winning that race in September but has a sharp workout pattern for trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Jerome runner-up
Notably, Ezmosh, who has the outside post in the Southwest, was only narrowly defeated by Risen Star winner Bravazo last out in an allowance race at Oaklawn. A live longshot?
The top four finishers will take home points on a 10-4-2-1 basis. Post time is at 6:10 p.m.
Razorback Handicap draws a large field
Some of the sport’s biggest names are no longer racing, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t plenty of familiar names lining up in the gate. The Grade 3 Razorback Handicap, set to go off at 5:35 p.m., is a prime example of that. Four of the entrants are former Kentucky Derby runners while three others consistently show up in graded stakes.
This year’s running of the Razorback brings back the top finishers of last month’s Fifth Season Stakes, a local prep for the Razorback. Sonneteer won that event with Futile, Far Right, and Untrapped running second through fourth behind him. Graded stakes winners/runners Hawaakom, J Boys Echo, Shotgun Kowboy, and Rated R Superstar all join the fray this go around as well. Far Right probably is the biggest “horse for course” threat, but Leofric is an interesting new shooter. A 5-year-old intact son of Candy Ride, Leofric is actually undefeated in four starts at Oaklawn but has not faced this level of competition. He’s lightly raced but his numbers fit.
Giulia makes U.S. debut in the Royal Delta
At 20-1, Guilia is the longest shot in the Grade 3 Royal Delta field, but she is quite an interesting addition to a competitive renewal. She has the typical South American stamina and is a Group 1 winner going ten furlongs in Uruguay. Interestingly enough, she did not race at all last year and last faced the starter on October 8, 2016. She could be part of the pace as that is her run style, however, she is not as speedy as her competitors.
Lewis Bay, winner of the Rampart (G3) in December, has been installed as the morning line favorite, and this will be the beginning of her 2018 campaign. Curlin’s Approval will attempt to improve on her back-to-back runner-up finishes in her last two outings, including running second to Lewis Bay in the Rampart. If you like the “horse for course” angle, one of these two ladies will be your choice. Lewis Bay is 2: 1-1-0 at Gulfstream Park, and Curlin’s Approval is 12: 7-3-0 over the main track. Grade 3 winners Verve’s Tale, whose last two works were bullet moves, and Unbridled Mo, who has not raced since April 2017, are also in with a chance. Post time is 5:16 p.m.
Faversham steps up in California Cup Derby
He could never lift a hoof on the track, and Faversham would still be famous simply for being a full brother to two time Horse of the Year California Chrome. Trained by Art Sherman, who also guided California Chrome through his career, the ridgling showed ability in his career debut last month. He broke slowly but got up for second, traveling six furlongs at Santa Anita in state-bred company. Sherman thought enough of that race to try Faversham in the California Cup Derby, which is also restricted to state-breds. Bob Baffert trained Heck Yea, who is undefeated in two starts, is the one to beat, however. The race is slated to go off at 7 p.m.
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