Racing Dudes Divisional Rankings

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.