Racing Dudes Divisional Rankings 10/18/16

Older Males

1. California Chrome – What this horse becoming is something SCARY!  He’s embarrassing really good horses with ease.  Breeders’ Cup Classic up next!

2. Flintshire – Clearly didn’t like the soggy Belmont turf course on Saturday so I’m giving him a mulligan for the average effort.

3. Frosted – Training forwardly as his connections ponder over the Breeders’ Cup Classic or Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. The Classic looks like where they are leaning.

4. Melatonin– Proved his worth for the third straight race as now I’m completely sold that he’s for real.  Can he match up with California Chrome in the Breeders’ Cup Classic…probably not.

5. Dortmund – Is choosing to stay away from California Chrome at the Breeders’ Cup as he will opt for the Dirt Mile instead of the Classic

Sleeper: Hoppertunity – Showed he’s better than most of the New York horses as he invaded to win in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park.

Older Females

1. Tepin – Tough loss in the First Lady at Keeneland, but still ran a solid second.  The winner got away with murder on the front end.

2. Stellar Wind – Now holds a 2-1 advantage over Beholder, and has done it with Beholder still running very strong races.  That’s saying a lot!

3. Beholder – She’s still running solid races, but there is a new boss in town out in California and her name his Stellar Wind.

4. Cavorting – Sadly was retired from racing so obviously we won’t see her at the Breeders’ Cup. She had a very strong career.

5. Forever Unbridled – Really impressive winner of the Beldame now moves into the rankings as she is having a great season.

Sleeper: I’m a Chatterbox – Super impressive effort in the Spinster earns her a free ride to an absolutely stacked Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

3 Year Old Males

1. Exaggerator– Retires as the leader of the division. It won’t take much to knock him out of this top spot though as he never proved himself on a fast track.

2. Nyquist – Just isn’t the same horse he once was as he got a fast track in the Pennsylvania Derby and still couldn’t get the job done. Is now pointing towards the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

3. Arrogate– If he wins the Breeders’ Cup Classic he is a LOCK to win the Eclipse Award for top 3 year old male.  Even if he hits the board in the Classic he’ll have a real shot.

4. Creator– Early retirement is sad…he’ll head to Japan with a lot of “what could have been” question marks.

5. Connect – Rebounded off a poor Travers effort to win the Pennsylvania Derby over an evenly matched field.

Sleeper: Gun Runner– I feel awful for this guy as he has run some huge races but just cannot find the winners circle against the big time fields.  Wide trip cost him the race at Parx in the Pennsylvania Derby.

3 Year Old Females

1. Songbird– 11 for 11 with another crushing win in the Cotillion Stakes over the best field she’s ever faced. Now must face older horses for the first time in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

2. Catch a Glimpse – Clearly not the same horse after a non-effort in the QE II Challenge Cup at Keeneland. Most likely will get a freshening in preparation for 2017.

3. Carina Mia – Solid filly, but just no match at all for the great Songbird.

4. Cathryn Sophia – Will be sold at the upcoming Keeneland sale, and her racing career is in jeopardy depending on who her new owners end up being.

5. Time and Motion – Becoming a top flight filly on the turf as she’s beaten Catch a Glimpse two races in a row.

Sleeper: Going for Broke – Just ran averagely in the Beldame Stakes…but basically that’s what she is at this point…average.

Sprinters

1. Lord Nelson – Romped at in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship as expected.  On to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint now.

2. A. P. Indian – Took home the Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland in dramatic fashion on his way to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

3. X Y Jet – He gets one mulligan as he was probably short for his first race back in six months.

4. Joking – Has won his last two races like a beast at Belmont Park…can he do it outside of New York?

5. Masochistic – Very solid effort even though it was only a three horse field in the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien.

Sleeper: Tom’s Ready – He very quietly has won some tough races this year, including a win over a decent field in the Ack Ack at Churchill Downs.

2 Year Old Males

1. Practical Joke – Incredible effort to catch Syndergaard in the Champagne Stakes after a terrible start.  Also won the Hopeful so his two Grade 1 wins makes him number one.

2. Classic Empire – Behaved himself this time out at Keeneland to win the Breeders Futurity after his Hopeful disaster at Saratoga.

3. Klimt – Left with too much to do in the Frontrunner Stakes after a bad start left him well behind.

4. Gormley – Big wire to wire win in the Frontrunner Stakes puts him in great position heading into the Breeders’ Cup.

5. Not This Time – Training up to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile after his crushing win in the Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Sleeper: Syndergaard – Fantastic effort in the Champagne Stakes, but I’m skeptical he can go longer than a mile.  Still a very talented horse.

2 Year Old Females

1. Sweet Loretta – Winner of the Schuylerville and Spinaway Stakes so far makes her the leader in the clubhouse, but it’s wide open.

2. Union Strike – Has a win over Noted and Quoted so you have to keep her ahead for now, however she’ll have some proving to do in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

3. Noted and Quoted – Eye opening win in the Chandelier Stakes over a very good group of fillies.  Looked like a different horse going around two turns.

4. Yellow Agate – Now two for two on her young career with a hard fought win in the Frizette Stakes at Belmont Park.

5. With Honors – Looks like she took to the dirt pretty well with a solid runner up effort in the Chandelier at Santa Anita.  Has several Breeders’ Cup options.

Sleeper: La Coronel – Could be a potential monster on the turf, and will sky rocket up the rankings with a win at Santa Anita in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.