Older Males
1. Palace Malice – Skipping the Woodward…is something up?
2. Wise Dan – Set to return this weekend at Saratoga. Amazingly he’s still very much in the hunt for divisional honors.
3. Moonshine Mullin – Haven’t heard from him in awhile…another that I’m worried about.
4. Moreno – Could continue to move up the list with a win in the Woodward this weekend.
5. Will Take Charge – Just doesn’t look quite the same as when he was at his peak last year. Still running respectable.
Sleeper: Lea – Getting set for a return to the races on September 6th. Could be a big time fall campaign.
Older Females
1. Close Hatches – May have cemented herself as the champion of this division.
2. Beholder – Working toward the Zenyatta Stakes and the Breeders Cup Distaff.
3. Iotapa – Back to back Grade 1 victories for this improving mare.
4. Princess of Sylmar – Clearly didn’t come back as good as her three year old season. Career in jeopardy.
5. Midnight Lucky – Freakish type sprinter may not be able to go two turns, but has ability.
Sleeper: On Fire Baby – Easy to forget about her, but she’s come as close as anyone to beating Close Hatches this year.
3 Year Old Males
1. California Chrome – Uh oh…things aren’t so clear in this division all the sudden. He leads on resume only now.
2. Shared Belief – Best horse in the country just needs a head to head victory over Chrome to pass him.
3. Wicked Strong – Blinkers have made him a very solid horse…should have won the Travers.
4. Tonalist – Two solid efforts at Saratoga, just couldn’t get into the winners circle.
5. V. E. Day – Travers victor just finds ways to win. Can he keep it up?
Sleeper: Tapiture – He was 10 lengths the best in the West Virginia Derby.
3 Year Old Females
1. Untapable – Lost to the boys, but she’s still better than all of these. Perhaps she is starting to lose a bit of form though.
2. Stopchargingmaria – Won a terribly slow running of the Alabama, but everyone is pretty slow in this group.
3. Artemis Agrotera – Freakish performance in the Ballerina!
4. Sweet Reason – Two Grade 1’s give her the edge over the others.
5. My Miss Sophia – Haven’t heard much of her since her dull Acorn effort…in a wait and see stage.
Sleeper: NOBODY – Slow bunch…time to move on.
Sprinters
1. Goldencents – Absolute super star when he gets the lead. Track record at Del Mar last time out!
2. Clearly Now – No idea whether he can reproduce that Belmont Sprint Championship effort again, but if he can….
3. Bayern – Keep him at one turn and he can run with anyone.
4. Fed Biz – Two great performances at Del Mar have me thinking he is improving greatly and middle distances will suit him well.
5. Secret Circle – Think he’s best of the bunch, but when will we ever see him again?
Sleeper: The Big Beast – Horse with a big time future I believe…showing versatility as well.
