Jim Dandy (Grade 2) Preview

Racing Dudes Win Bet: #7 Liaison

Racing Dudes Exacta Bet: 7/ALL boxed 

Racing Dudes Trifecta Bet: 1,3,6,7 boxed

Horses to use in Vertical Bets: ALL

Analysis:

1. Alpha (KY) – Has there ever been a more evenly matched Jim Dandy?  You can make a case for any of the eight runners, and Alpha could be the horse that ends up being the favorite at post time.  Things were going extremely well before the Kentucky Derby for Alpha, but a things certainly didn’t go his way there.  This will be his first race since then, but judging by his recent Saratoga works it looks like he’s ready to go.  It can probably be argued that Alpha has shown the most talent of any of these horses, but has he hit his ceiling?  Have other horses on the improve passed him by?  If the answer is no to both those questions, maybe Alpha can become the horse of the summer much like Stay Thirsty did last year.

2. Fast Falcon (KY) – Here is an up and coming horse that came within a neck of winning the Dwyer Stakes even though his trip was less than ideal.  He’s on the improve, and could very well be Zito’s Travers horse.  He’s the biggest wild card in this race, and with a perfect trip he could definitely pull the upset.

3. Atigun (KY) – Another wild card in this race is Atigun.  I’ve had a hard time getting a gage on this horse.  He was impressive in allowance wins at Oaklawn Park and Churchill Downs, but he didn’t run all that well in the Arkansas Derby or Rebel.  I pretty much wrote him off in the Belmont, but at mid stretch he looked as though he was going to win the race.  He flattened out to finish third, but that effort was his most impressive ever.  He returns back to a more normal distance in this one, but another Belmont type effort will be good enough to get the job done.  Will he show up with his “A” game?

4. Neck ‘n Neck (KY) – He’s arrived a little late, but Neck ‘n Neck is becoming a major player in the three-year old picture.  The Matt Winn Stakes was strong, and the locals have raving about his recent workout at Saratoga.  One thing that I find a little concerning: He’s never won a race outside of Churchill Downs.  Until he proves he can do it outside Kentucky, I’ll take a wait and see approach with then.

5. My Adonis (KY) – This is the only horse that I really can’t see winning.  My Adonis is a veteran of many big races, but he’s never made much noise in any of them.  His last race was a win in the Long Branch Stakes, but I think you have to question who he beat in that one.  None of he four he beat that day have done much.  I could see him hitting the board, but that might be the best he can do.

6. Teeth of the Dog (KY) – Teeth of the Dog has been nothing but consistent, and never has run what you’d call a bad race.  He’s hit the board six out of seven times, and he won the Grade 2 Dwyer Stakes last time out.  He’s defeated Fast Falcon two times in a row as well.  This would be his biggest win yet, and there really is no reason he can’t get the job done if he runs his best race.  Liaison is my top choice, but Teeth of the Dog is a close second.

7. Liaison (KY) – Once he got away from Santa Anita, Liaison has been a totally different horse.  He truly did hate that place!  In seven starts outside of Santa Anita, Liaison has hit the board in six of them, with the lone off the board finish coming in the Kentucky Derby where he finished a decent sixth.  In three starts at Santa Anita, he failed to even come close to hitting the board.  How he takes to the Saratoga surface will be a question mark, but if he does I think you might be looking at the winner.  The price should be pretty good, and in my opinion this is the classiest horse in the race.  His races have been steady, and I look for him to kick off a big weekend for Bob Baffert.

8. Prospective (KY) – You have to give Prospective’s connections credit for getting six wins out of him.  Don’t get me wrong he’s a very good horse, but they’ve spotted him to win races, not just run in the big ones to be seen.  They’ve taken two chances when running in the Breeders Cup Juvenile and Kentucky Derby, but neither of those went well at all.  He won’t be facing that kind of class here, but it will be better than what he’s beaten in his six wins.  He’s got a shot, but he may be a cut below the best in this race.