TimeformUS Speed Figure Report for week ending Oct. 1, 2017
Each week, TimeformUS Chief Figure Maker Craig Milkowski takes a look back at the weekend’s graded stakes and releases the TimeformUS Speed Figures for these races.
Santa Anita
Grade 1 Awesome Again
1/2 130
3/4 128
Fin 120
Top 3: Mubtaahij 120, Midnight Storm 121, Win the Space 118
Note: Well below par (128) for Grade 1 older males; first win in 11 starts for Mubtaahij since taking 2015 UAE Derby over two and a half years ago
Grade 1 Zenyatta
1/2 124
3/4 122
Fin 122
Top 3: Paradise Woods 122, Faithfully 115, Motown Lady 100
Note: First win since taking Santa Anita Oaks in April with 124 TimeformUS Speed Figure; two off-the-board finishes in interim
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Grade 1 FrontRunner
1/2 117
3/4 117
Fin 129
Top 3: Bolt d’Oro 125, Solomini 117, Take the One O One 116
Note: Race was nearly three seconds faster than Chandelier for 2-year-old fillies and 0.80 seconds faster than Paradise Woods ran in the Zenyatta; winner is undefeated in three tries with ascending speed figures in each race
Grade 1 Chandelier
1/2 127
3/4 114
Fin 102
Top 3: Moonshine Memories 105, Alluring Star 102, Piedi Bianchi 100
Note: Half-mile coded red in TimeformUS - fast pace; winner undefeated in three starts, previously won two sprints with 110 speed figures
Grade 1 Rodeo Drive
1/2 135
1m 129
Fin 119
Top 3: Avenge 121, Goldy Espony 120, Responsibleforlove 119
Note: Winner was third in BC Filly and Mare Turf last year, will need to step it up to contend in 2017; TimeformUS Speed Figure below par for the class on turf
Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship
1/2 104
1m 112
Fin 119
Top 3: Itsinthepost 124, Prime Attraction 121, Frank Conversation 117
Note: Pace was slow - all fractions blue in TimeformUS PPs; 1-2-3 finishers were 3-1-2 after the opening half-mile
Belmont
Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic
1/2 172
1m 138
Fin 126
Top 3: Beach Patrol 128, Fanciful Angel 118, Oscar Performance 118
Note: Huge effort - won by five lengths after chasing run-off leader; top two trained by Chad Brown, recurring theme this week
Grade 1 Vosburgh
1/4 140
1/2 141
Fin 127
Top 3: Takaful 132, El Deal 133, Stallwalkin’ Dude 124
Note: Career-best TimeformUS Speed Figure for winner, has improved number in every sprint start of career; first loss in four tries for El Deal, but last two wins were aided by speed-biased tracks, according to TimeformUS PPs
Grade 1 Beldame
1/2 139
3/4 126
Fin 120
Top 3: Elate 121, Money’soncharlotte 114, Eskenformoney 113
Note: Easy win for Elate against overmatched foes; did have some traffic trouble entering the stretch; first loss of 2017 for runner-up but career best TimeformUS Speed Figure
Grade 3 Pilgrim
1/2 104
3/4 103
Fin 100
Top 3: Seabhac 100, Voting Control 99, Maraud 99
Note: Winner was still a maiden entering the race - second and fourth two previous starts; tough trip for runner-up, was probably best
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Grade 3 Miss Grillo
1/2 98
3/4 93
Fin 100
Top 3: Significant Form 104, Best Performance 104, Orbolution 100
Note: Winner was still a maiden - finished first in previous start but was DQ’d to 7th; pace coded blue in TimeformUS PPs at ¾ mark - slow
Laurel
Grade 2 Baltimore/Washington International Turf Cup
1/2 148
3/4 136
Fin 126
Top 3: Projected 125, Catapult 124, Ring Weekend 123
Note: Pace set by run-off longshot Xmas Sky - led by 10 after half mile; top two finishers trained by Chad Brown
Grade 3 Commonwealth Derby
1/2 141
3/4 133
Fin 115
Top 3: Just Howard 117, Voodoo Song 117, Profiteer 113
Note: Fourth consecutive win for Just Howard, moving from maiden ranks to now graded stakes winner; Voodoo Song set fast pace as 3-5 favorite before tiring very late
Grade 3 Commonwealth Oaks
1/2 132
3/4 126
Fin 119
Top 3: Rymska 119, Taperge 118, I’m Betty G 119
Note: First race for winner since February; has won both starts in 2017; top two finishers again both trained by Chad Brown
Woodbine
Grade 3 Durham Cup
1/2 134
3/4 133
Fin 122
Top 3: Melmich 122, U S Marshall 117, Narrow Escape 114
Note: Winner improved to perfect 5 for 5 in 2017, all in synthetic-track routes at Woodbine; has won 16 of 32 career starts
Grade 3 Grey
1/2 106
3/4 104
Fin 94
Top 3: Archaggelos 95, Peppered 93, Tale of Vienna 88
Note: Winner at 9-1 was top TimeformUS Power Pick and had top late rating in field; first try on synthetic surfaces after two turf tries
Churchill
Grade 3 Lukas Classic
1/2 125
3/4 121
Fin 125
Top 3: Honorable Duty 124, Money Flows 119, Seeking the Soul 118
Note: Winner finished second behind Gun Runner last out in Foster over this track; has won four of last six with two seconds
Grade 3 Ack Ack
1/2 128
3/4 126
Fin 124
Top 3: Awesome Slew 124, The Player 124, Pinson 115
Note: Last two wins have come in Grade 3 races but is 0 for 7 when venturing above that level; career best for runner-up, improving rapidly