Racing Dudes Coast to Coast Saturday 1-21-12 Preview

The highlight of the weekend is the $75,000 Evening Attire Stakes for older males this Saturday.  I Want Revenge (KY)  will try to change his tough luck and finally get a much-needed victory. He’s been made the 7-5 favorite for the race, but that doesn’t mean this one will be easy for him.  Eighttofasttocatch (MD) is coming off a nice Handicap win at Laurel, and Redding Colliery (KY) is a horse that is coming off a tremendous 2011 other than his last dull effort at Penn National.  You might also want to take a look at Race’s 2 and 3, which are maiden special weights for 3-year-old colts.  This time of year those are always interesting to watch.  Race’s 5 and 7 are Allowances races for older males that are worth a look as well.

This Saturday’s Fair Grounds card is can’t miss!  SIX stakes races fill the card, with the feature being the Grade 3 $175,000 LeComte Stakes for 3-year-old colts.  Check back for a full preview of that race tomorrow, as it will be our feature race of the week.  The 2nd biggest stakes of the card is the Grade 3 Colonel E.R. Bradley Handicap.  This race features an ultra competitive field as seven of the eight horses in the field are within a range of 3-1 to 8-1 on the morning line.  The Silverbulletday Stakes for 3-year-old fillies has drawn Applauding (FL), an unbeaten filly that has shown incredible talent in her two starts.  She has to beat Believe You Can (KY), a talented filly trained by Larry Jones.  The other stakes on the card include:  The F.W. Gaudin Memorial Stakes where Joe Hollywood (FL) is favored, The Louisiana Handicap where Alma d’Oro (KY) is favored, and Pan Zareta Stakes where Wild About Marie (FL) is favored.

For Gulfstream standards, this weekend is a quiet one.  The Saturday card is anchored by the $100,000 Kitten’s Joy Stakes for 3-year-old colts on the turf.  This one looks extremely wide open on paper except for one standout, Lucky Chappy (IRE).  Lucky Chappy ran in the Grade 3 Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland as well as the Grade 1 Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf Classic, which easily makes him the class of the field.  Race’s 6 and 9 are maiden special weights for 3 year olds, which could easily produce a stakes caliber horse.

The Eclipse Award winning Champion Sprinter,  Amazombie (CA), is set to run in the Grade 2 Palos Verdes Stakes; the feature race this Saturday at Santa Anita.  He will be challenged by seven other rivals, including the very classy Euroears (KY).  Courtside (CA) will also be there to challenge, as he’s coming off a sprint win at Santa Anita in his last start.  Race 6 is a maiden special weight for 3 year olds featuring two entries by Bob Baffert.

The $75,000 Pippin Stakes for older fillies and mares is the feature race of the weekend at Oaklawn.  The field looks to be very competitive.   Tiz Miz Sue (KY) will most likely be favored, and usually is very consistent.  Le Mi Geaux (KY) is an interesting prospect in the race, and has responded well when switched over to the Steve Asmussen barn.  Absinthe Minded (KY) ran great at Oaklawn last year, and looms a dangerous speed threat in this one.  Also the $50,000 American Beauty Stakes is Sunday, and Azeri’s daughter, Arienza, is expected to run.  She has struggled badly of late, but is coming back to the track she loves to see if she can regroup.