Today’s previews are the biggies on the card, the $150,000 Claiming Crown Jewel and the $100,000 Lady Canterbury Stakes. They also appear to be the shortest fields on the card. Understandable in the case of the Lady Canterbury, though not as apparent in the Jewel as the horses in that field are very well matched. The Jewel, in essence, is a $35,000 Starter Allowance with a purse of $150,000.
Claiming Crown Jewel
Purse: $150,000
Distance: 1 mile and 1/8
Surface: Dirt
Forest Warfare (Baird): Eligible for “Non-Winners of 2 Other Than” condition. A short field, but taking a real step up in here.
Furthest Land (Leparoux): Comes off a nice stakes win at Indiana Live. Four of five non-maiden wins were on turf or synthetic with the sole dirt win coming over a sloppy Indiana surface. Gave the Grade I Turf Classic at Churchill a try getting drilled by the likes of Einstein and Court Vision. May win on class alone.
Repenting (Arce): Allowance winner at Presque Isle going a mile and 70 yards. Should push the pace a bit but will need to revert back to 2008 dirt form to win here.
Fancy Runner (Rose): Claimed at $50,000 two back, responded with a decent effort at $65,000 at Delaware.
Antrim County (Theriot): Last year’s Iron Horse winner, the 2009 campaign for this 6-year old Giant’s Causeway gelding has been excellent with two wins in only eight starts while hitting the board in every other effort but one.
Glamour Guy (Albarado): Looks to be the speed in this race with Repenting. Coming off a $50,000 claiming win on the Jersey shore.
PICKS:
1. Furthest Land
2. Antrim Country
3. Repenting
Lady Canterbury Stakes
Purse: $100,000 (plus $50,000 Breeder’s Cup funds)
Distance: One Mile
Surface: Turf
Quiet Queen (Hebert): Defending Champion of this race, she hasn’t won since. 2009 has not been near as good to her as 2008 was. Looks like a long shot in here.
Euphony (Berry): Wow. Winner of six in a row, nine of eleven and has ALWAYS hit the board. Beyers are excellent and consistent, but may be a bit better on the dirt than turf, though she’s won on all surfaces at several tracks including a Grade III victory at Arlington.
Fabulous Babe (Stevens): Strong pacesetter in the MNHBPA Mile, has come up short in every stakes try.
Happiness Is (Homeister): A solid high level claimer with solid Beyers, she may be a step below this group.
Sirrah (Ferrer): Young filly is picking a tough race to take on her elders here. She only broke her maiden two races back in May, but followed that up with a win in the Northbound Pride Stakes over this turf course. Speed figs are significantly lower than the rest, however.
Adhsilver (Albarado): Won the Hoist Her Flag Stakes here in the slop only going 6 furlongs. She’s never tried this distance and has not won on the turf yet.
Lady Carlock (Leparoux): Classy mare has been tackling graded company at Gulfstream and Keeneland and winning the Grade III Swanee River (at 13-1), but has been declining since.
PICKS:
1. Euphony
2. Happiness Is
3. Lady Carlock
Well, that wraps up my preview of the Claiming Crown as well as the Lady Canterbury. Tomorrow morning before heading to the track I will post a quick review of my choices taking into account scratches and post position (for some of the early reviews before the draw) then head off to visit Fizzy Pop. I look to start dropping some notes live from the press box a couple of hours prior to post as well as Twittering (http://twitter.com/tlgrevelis) all day as well. If you’re at the track, please Tweet (@tlgrevelis) as I look to be doing some roaming in the crowd throughout the day and I’d love to say hello!
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