Paul Lally:
R1 3-2-5-4
R2 3-4-2-6
R3 8-3-7-6
R4 9-1-5-2
R5 3-8-5-11
R6 5-2-3-9
R7 8-3-1-11
R8 3-1-11-2
R9 2-6-8-1
Best Bet R8 N3 California Cible
Longshot R7 N8 Vantastic Choice
Play R6 QQP 2-3-5
Tom Wood:
R1: 2-3-4-10
R2: 2-4-1-3
R3: 8-3-1-9
R4: 1-9-5-12
R5: 9-3-11-4
R6: 8-3-12-5
R7: 3-1-8-6
R8: 1-3-2-9
R9 2-1-10-5
The undefeated colt Phantom Thief will face a class test in his graded stakes debut in Wednesday’s Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes for 2-year-olds at Nakayama Racecourse in Japan.
A winner of two starts, Phantom Thief should have no problem with the distance of 1 1/4 miles on turf. Phantom Thief won a race for first-time starters at a mile at Hanshin on June 18 and the Nojigiku Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Chukyo on Sept. 24. In both races, Phantom Thief stalked the pace and won by at least 1 1/4 lengths.
Mr Tabasco was in need of a start when he finished fourth by slightly more than a half-length in a five-furlong handicap at Coffs Harbour Racecourse in Australia on Dec. 1.
Mr Tabasco had not raced since mid-July, and closed from fifth in a field of 10. The recent start will serve Mr Tabasco well when he appears in another five-furlong handicap at Coffs Harbour on Wednesday evening across American time zones.
The filly with the best chance in the Group 3 Belle of the Turf Stakes at Gosford Racecourse in Australia may be stuck in the barns when the race is run on Tuesday evening across American time zones.
Ausbred Flirt was on the also-eligible list for the one-mile race as of Monday morning, needing one defection from the main body of 14 to earn a berth in the field.
Early betting on Monday indicated that Ausbred Flirt will be favored if she draws into the field. She was the 3-1 favorite over Elle Te Ama (5-1) and Nothinsweetaboutme (6-1).
Equinox finished second in his first two starts in Grade 1 races in Japan in the spring. Against older horses, Equinox has been unbeatable.
On Sunday at Nakayama Racecourse, Equinox ($4.90) won Japan’s richest race in the $6.5 million Arima Kinen at 1 9/16 miles. The win secured Equinox’s status as the champion 3-year-old male of 2022, and the likely title of Japan’s Horse of the Year.
Ridden by Christophe Lemaire, Equinox closed from ninth in a field of 16 to take the lead in early stretch.
Two weeks after he stormed clear to win his first start by five lengths, The Novelist will have his stakes debut in the Group 3 B.J. McLachlan Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 2-year-olds at Doomben Racecourse in Australia on Friday evening across American time zones.
The key to winning the six-furlong race for The Novelist is to hold off a threat from the equally promising Miss Coota, a filly unbeaten in two starts.
Doomben has a nine-race program that begins at 9:03 p.m. Eastern or 6:03 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.
Five races into his career, the 3-year-old colt Equinox is already a fan favorite in Japan.
Second in the Grade 1 Japanese Derby in May, Equinox won his first start against older horses in the Grade 1 autumn running of the Tenno Sho at 1 1/4 miles at Tokyo Racecourse on Oct. 30.
Those results left Equinox among the top selections in a fan ballot for Sunday’s Grade 1 Arima Kinen at Nakayama Racecourse. The field is partially determined by a poll with the rest determined by earnings. Run at 1 9/16 miles, the $6.5 million Arima Kinen will have a maximum field of 16.
For a fifth-place finisher, Freedom Square ran very well in a handicap at 7 1/2 furlongs at Canterbury Racecourse in Australia on Dec. 9. Freedom Square was five wide through the stretch and finished with interest to lose by only three-quarters of a length.
The relatively narrow loss could lead to a better performance in the Coonabarabran Cup at a mile at Coonabarabran Racecourse on Thursday evening.
A stalker, Freedom Square should have a pace to follow in a field of 12 and has been assigned minimum weight of 119 pounds, far less than topweight High Court at 136.6.
