Weekend Warrior for Saturday, Jan. 2: Picks for Hutcheson, Jerome, Santa Ynez
The road to the 2016 Triple Crown continues with baby steps on this first Saturday of the year, with a couple of East Coast stakes designed as stepping-stones to more important events on the trail to the May 7 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
The $200,000 Jerome at Aqueduct and the $100,000 Hutcheson at Gulfstream Park are among an attractive roster of stakes Saturday. In the spirit of once again pursuing the ideal finally realized last year by American Pharoah, the Weekend Warrior is focusing on those two races, along with a West Coast race for 3-year-old fillies, the $200,000 Santa Ynez at Santa Anita.
Hutcheson Stakes
It so happens that this six-furlong race rematches Sheikh of Sheikhs and Noholdingback Bear, the top two finishers in the Juvenile Dirt Sprint, one of the undercard stakes on the Oct. 31 Breeders’ Cup program at Keeneland.
:: Gulfstream Park: Get PPs, watch Saturday’s card live
By virtue of his flashy victory as the 8-5 favorite that day, Sheikh of Sheikhs figures to be stoutly backed once again when facing six others. It’s somewhat curious that his three breezes since that last race have all come on grass at Palm Meadows, but who is anyone to question the methods of Wesley Ward? So, yes, Sheikh of Sheikhs figures to take some beating when favorably drawn on the outside and with Joel Rosario picking up the mount, but if he makes any mistakes, the most seasoned colt in the group, Full Salute, might well capitalize.
With three wins and three seconds from seven career starts, Full Salute seems to have already figured out what this game is about. His form isn’t all that glamorous, but with a couple of ungraded stakes triumphs from his last three races, he is a gritty performer with the running style and Beyer Speed Figures to make him a legitimate contender for a minor upset. Additionally in his favor, there’s plenty of pace signed on to facilitate his steady kick, with Awesome Banner likely to come out blazing off the bench and at least a couple of others giving hot pursuit.
Jerome Stakes
Chad Brown has such a deep stable that it’s never a surprise any longer when one of his horses is favored, regardless of the venue or circumstance. Brown currently has his best horses in Florida but left some good ones back home in New York, including Flexibility, whose overall credentials and willingness to rate should make him a solid favorite in a field with lots of speed.
Given that not many bettors are willing to accept anything in the even-money range, they’ll be looking for another Jerome horse to use underneath Flexibility in the verticals. King Kranz, though still a maiden, could fit that role, assuming he scratches from a Friday race at Aqueduct to await this. King Kranz has already shown that he’s class-worthy while demonstrating an ability to rate off a too-hot pace – and with Donegal Moon, Vorticity, Bird of Trey, and Condo King all having shown sprinter-type speed in prior starts, the tempo could get pretty quick here, setting the table for Flexibility and King Kranz down the stretch.
Santa Ynez Stakes
Bob Baffert has three of the eight fillies in this earliest of the Saturday stakes at Santa Anita, with Pretty N Cool sure to take more action than stablemates Treasuring and One Last Shot.
That’s understandable, considering that Pretty N Cool brings forth the best record of the entire field: She’s a two-time Grade 2 winner whose $362,000 bankroll nearly matches what the other seven fillies have earned collectively.
Still, what has she done for you lately? Pretty N Cool was last of five in an ungraded stakes at Del Mar in November before weakening in the Grade 1 Starlet, both times without an apparent excuse. At something a bit shy of 2-1, she seems beatable once again.
Forever Darling, well drawn in the outside post for the red-hot Richard Baltas and perennial leading jockey Rafael Bejarano, is a worthy upset candidate despite her lack of proven stakes prowess. Off three works over the Santa Anita surface, where she posted her lone victory, Forever Darling might be worth a shot at a decent price.