Sunday Racing
Here’s my last minute pick in the Vanity Handicap at Hollywood this afternoon: Splendid Blended. She won the Hollywood Starlet last December over Sharp Lisa, who won her next start. Splendid Blended also did fairly well in the Acorn on June 4. That race was her first start in six months, and she finished fourth, about three lengths behind winner Round Pond and a couple back from runner-up Smuggler, winner of the Mother Goose Stakes last Saturday. Ten minutes before post time, Splendid Blended is 4-1. Favorite Andujar is 2-5.
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That was a nice way to start the afternoon, even if Splendid Blended’s odds were knocked down to 5-2 and she only paid $7.40 to win. The race was a good effort from the three-year-old filly, as was the second place finish of Island Fashion, who has been badly off form since running second in the Santa Monica Handicap at Santa Anita last January. Andujar finished third. All three looked a bit tired at the end — “It was more like a staggering contest, the last part,” said Splendid Blended rider Jerry Bailey in a post-race interview.
I’m passing on the American Oaks — I’m sure it’ll be a great race to watch, but trying to handicap the international cast of fillies is too much work for this holiday weekend. That, and the only one I’m drawn to is the undefeated Melhor Ainda, 2-1 on the morning line.
Looking ahead to Monday …
Turf champion Kitten’s Joy will make his 2005 debut in the Firecracker Handicap at Churchill Downs (Courier-Journal). “If he’s going to get beat, this is probably the time to do it, with him coming off an eight-month layoff,” said trainer Dale Romans. “But he came back great, seems stronger than last year, and I’ll be very disappointed if he doesn’t win.”
The Dwyer at Belmont has a field of seven, and Roman Ruler is the expected favorite. He’s making his first start since March, when he was pulled off the Triple Crown trail due to a quarter crack. “At this point he’s doing well, and his feet look good … The thing about that horse is the talent is there. He’s a really good horse if he shows up,” said trainer Bob Baffert (Daily Racing Form). The foot problems and the fact that he’s had one race — in which he was eased — in the past eight months makes Roman Ruler an easy horse for me to play against. The Nick Zito-trained Middle Earth is another. He’s attracting a lot of press, largely because he ran third to Lost in the Fog in the Riva Ridge three weeks ago, but that was a sprint, as have been eight of his nine starts. Middle Earth has only raced at 1 1/16 once, in the Whirlaway last February, where he finished fifth (and not a good fifth). I’m thinking the race could go to Flower Alley, who hasn’t run since the Kentucky Derby, followed by Mr. Congeniality and Proud Accolade. The former is a recent Belmont allowance winner; the latter won the Champagne at Belmont last fall.
Looking back to Saturday …
The Sackatoga crew is disappointed with Funny Cide. “He’s not the same horse we have seen the last three years … We have to regroup,” said owner Jack Knowlton (New York Daily News). Funny Cide will be given time off to freshen up and “for his connections to figure out what is wrong.”
