Go West Young Man
The saying about the Manifest Destiny that is accredited to Horace Greeley is Go West Young Man and we are taking that advice this week with a look at a mile $100,000 state-bred stakes from beautiful Sunland Park.
If you get a chance to head to New Mexico check out this emporium. I was there decades ago with a lifelong friend and we had a superior time.
And we got to rub elbows that day with legendary champion Rodeo rider Larry Mahan, who happened to be enjoying the afternoon in the company of a couple of cowgirls that make the West so special.
As for today’s stakes, the Sydney Valentini Handicap is for state-bred fillies and mare three years old an up.
A field of 10 is set to face the starter with the lone also eligible a rank outsider who will be at least 20-1 if the scratches are kind.
Since this is a handicap, let’s take the race from the lightweights and move up. There are 2 in here tabbed at the lowest at 114 pounds. They are Desert Tap and Fan’s Cat.
Desert Tap got away with soft splits last time and drew off late while the Cat is unbeaten in three starts but has never gone beyond. 6 and a half furlongs. There is some route success in Cat’s pedigree but it came in Arizona and both of these ladies will be double digits on the tote.
A trio has been assigned 115. They are Please N Teras, Ambers Pride and Jengoneby. Please has not won in eons, Pride was crushed in only route attempt while Jengoneby came back running, is proven long and must be left in the mix.
The 12-1 Setustrait will tote 116 but she has been crushed in every single stakes attempt and has not looked right since a close victory over 6 months ago.
Dream Kin will hover around 8 or 10 to 1 and she was tabbed at 117. Still eligible for a N3X fray, this mare has been handled by a number of today’s foes in the past and she will need the race of her life.
Those that like the 119-pound Happy Me will get a hard knocking runner. She likes this place, has speed, but is strictly a sprinter and was humbled only try at this distance.
Two left to analyze, one at 120, and the highweight at 125.
La Sorpresa, 120, is out to defend her Valentini title and she is coming to the race this year off a game score to end 2010.
Her limited speed will put a lot of pressure on the rider to make the right move at the right time.
The likely chalk is Cali Baby. Eight for 14 in her career, for some reason Luis Contreras was on this miss last year but her favorite pilot Alfredo Juarez has the reins, and he has been up for this mare’s last 6 wins.
Cali has tactical speed, she was only a half a length off a :44 and change pace winning a sprint last September.
Expect for it to unfold like this. Happy Me will make backers giddy by showing early speed. Dream Kin and Fan’s Cat will be pushing the issue with Cali getting a solid trip 4 or 5 off a valid pace.
