I Got It All faces distance test in Milwaukee Avenue
STICKNEY, Ill. – Only six horses were entered in Saturday’s $50,000 Milwaukee Avenue Handicap, a 1 1/16-mile dirt race for Illinois-breds, but the morning-line favorite, I Got It All, is no cinch to stay the distance, while the second choice, Luv Bandit, probably isn’t quite the horse he was when he won this race in 2013, and despite the limited number of entrants, bettors might yet extract value from the race.
The Milwaukee Avenue goes as race 6 and is co-featured on the program with its sister race, the Peach of It, run under the same conditions but restricted to fillies.
Weather could be a factor, with showers in the forecast.
There are no automatic throw-outs to be found in the Milwaukee Avenue, but Empirestrikesagain and My Borsalino both would need a career-best showing.
In terms of pace, the fractions should be fair. Valiant City prefers the front end in routes, and his owner-trainer combination, Bill Stiritz and Scott Becker, has the off-the-pace threat Luv Bandit. I Got It All has natural speed and has pressed a solid pace in his three two-turn starts.
Milwaukee Avenue Handicap
Key contenders
Lashad (Last 3 Beyers: 90-90-56)
* He is the race’s potential value, provided his price sticks near his 8-1 morning line. Lashad already was an improving horse last June, when he began racing without blinkers. That helped, and the move from Polytrack and turf to Hawthorne dirt provided a further boost, producing a sharp win in December and a good third-place finish April 8 while facing competition stronger than he meets Saturday.
* Ran last out like a horse short of his best while making his first start in four months. The race’s winner, Fordubai, is of Grade 3 class in dirt routes.
I Got It All (Last 3 Beyers: 79-97-96)
* Not as bad as his last race, where he was stuck on a dead rail at Keeneland in the Grade 3 Commonwealth.
* Something of a tweener: Standard six-furlong sprints are shorter than he prefers, but he also is not really a route horse.
* Has superior Beyer Speed Figures from his two-turn races at Oaklawn, but the longer Hawthorne homestretch will challenge his stamina.
Luv Bandit (Last 3 Beyers: 86-89-89)
* Won this race in 2013 and finished second in it last year, but his six starts since the 2014 edition, in which he earned a 95 Beyer, have yet to produce a Beyer better than 89.
* Got in a useful sprint prep race for this start and came back with a near-bullet half-mile drill earlier this month.
Peach of It Handicap
Key contenders
Compelling Case (Last 3 Beyers: 86-82-82)
* The key question: Can she transfer her good turf form at Fair Grounds to dirt at Hawthorne? Two sharp local dirt works say yes.
FORMULATOR FACT: Trainer Chris Block, over the last five years at Hawthorne going turf to dirt in route races, is 21-9-10 from 74 starters for a 28 percent strike rate and a $2.10 win ROI.
Sydneyrella (Last 3 Beyers: 69-71-88)
* Flat fifth April 11 in her first start since November but was second in this race last spring and should improve second out.
FORMULATOR FACT: Trainer Larry Rivelli, in the second start after layoff in dirt routes at Hawthorne over the last five years, is a solid 6-6-1 from 20 starts, with a $1.83 win ROI.