Eddie Read Stakes (gr. I)
9 furlongs on the Del Mar turf course
Entries:
| PP | Horse | Jockey |
| 1 | Hog's Hollow | Rafael Bejarano |
| 2 | Interaction | Brice Blanc |
| 3 | Acclamation | Patrick Valenzuela |
| 4 | Casino Host | Joseph Talamo |
| 5 | Slim Shadey | Garrett Gomez |
The heavy favorite on the morning line is, of course, Acclamation, who brings a six-race winning streak into the Eddie Read. Trained by Donald Warren, the terrific six-year-old son of Unusual Heat began his streak last May when he won the Jim Murray Handicap (gr. II) at Hollywood Park. He then proceeded to rattle off victories in the Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap (gr. I), Eddie Read Stakes (gr. I), TVG Pacific Classic Stakes (gr. I), and Clement L. Hirsch Turf Championship Stakes (gr. II) before going to the sidelines with a minor injury. He returned on June 9th to win the Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap for a third consecutive year, and appears to be on track to win his second straight Eddie Read. Being the lone front-runner in this race, he should be able to get to the front without difficulty, set a slow pace, and hold off the closers with a brilliant burst of acceleration.
Slim Shadey, runner-up to Acclamation in the 2012 Charles Whittingham, will likely be the second choice despite the fact that he is entering the Eddie Read off of a fifth-place finish in the United Nations Stakes (gr. I) just two weeks ago. In that race, he found himself too far off of a slow pace, and when the leader closed his final eighth in a practically unheard of :11.27 seconds to win the race, there was no way that Slim Shadey could have made up any great amount of ground. So given the circumstances, I would expect Slim Shadey to perform much better today, although the distance of this race probably favors Acclamation slightly more than this colt.
Interaction will probably receive some wagering support as well, for the Ronald McAnally-trainee was a three-time group I winner in his native Argentina. He has only made three starts in the United States thus far, disappointing in a pair of graded stakes events last summer before returning from a long layoff to win a nine-furlong turf allowance race at Hollywood Park last month. He clearly possesses a remarkable turn of foot, but his late-running style may be compromised by the expected pace scenario of today's race. Nevertheless, he looks like a promising runner, and he could be a good one further down the road, regardless of how he performs today.
The longshots are Casino Host and Hog's Hollow. The latter colt required fifteen starts to break his maiden, but has been a decent competitor since then. However, he has been beaten by both Interaction and Slim Shadey this year, and may not be quite as good as some of the other runners in this race. As for Casino Host, he won the Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Handicap (gr. II) back in April at Fair Grounds -- defeating several quality horses in the process -- but was soundly beaten in his last two starts and may not be in his best form right now.
My selections are:
1 Acclamation
2 Interaction
3 Slim Shadey
4 Casino Host
5 Hog's Hollow
Other Races of Note
At Delaware Park . . .
Race 10: The $750,000 Delaware Handicap (gr. II) has drawn an impressive field of runners, and the race is shaping up to be almost as good as last year's epic Blind Luck/Havre de Grace battle. Royal Delta is the morning line favorite this year off of a dominating victory in the Fleur de Lis Handicap (gr. II), and last year's Eclipse champion three-year-old filly should relish the distance of today's race. Her main competition is likely to come from Awesome Maria, a super-talented Todd Pletcher-trainee that won six straight graded stakes races before finishing third last time out in the Odgen Phipps Handicap (gr. I). Seeing that she defeated Royal Delta by eight lengths in the Sabin Stakes (gr. II) this February -- their mutual 2012 debut -- it's clear that Awesome Maria has at least a decent chance at upsetting the favorite, although the distance is almost certainly in Royal Delta's favor. Other contenders are Pachattack, third in last year's Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (gr. I); Cash for Clunkers, who finished second in the above-mentioned Odgen Phipps Handicap; and Love and Pride, the impressive winner of the Obeah Stakes (gr. III), a local prep for this race.
At Colonial Downs . . .
Race 8: The $150,000 Virginia Oaks (gr. III) may not have drawn a field of proven stakes winners -- actually, none of the seven entrants have won so much as a restricted stakes -- but it should nevertheless be an interesting race to watch, and the possibility exists that a nice filly or two could emerge from this spot. The favorite will likely be Zultanite, who is coming off of a second-place effort in the Boiling Springs Stakes (gr. III) and a third in the Sands Point Stakes (gr. II), to very good fillies on both occasions. Although she has only won a single race from eight starts, she strikes me as a talented runner that should pick up a fair number of stakes races during the coming months. Volcat, gate-to-wire winner of a nine-furlong turf allowance race last month at Churchill Downs, probably has the best chance at pulling off an upset.
Race 9: Will Silver Max bring his winning streak to six? That is the biggest question regarding the $600,000 Virginia Derby (gr. II), which has drawn a simply terrific field of three-year-old turf stars. Silver Max is 4-5 on the morning line thanks to his impressive winning streak, and his terrific natural speed gives him a large tactical edge over his rivals. Perhaps the only thing that can get him beat today is the ten-furlong distance, which is a substantial three-sixteenths of a mile farther than he has ever run before. If he does find the distance a bit too long, then there are plenty of other talented horses that could pick up the pieces, including the talented Team Valor-owned colt Lucky Chappy, the consistent Easy Crossing, the tough-as-nails Optimizer, and Silver Max's own stablemate, Finnegans Wake.
At Saratoga . . .
Race 10: Three-year-old fillies are the stars of the Saturday card, with six of them scheduled to head to post for the 96th running of the $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (gr. I). My detailed analysis of the race can be read here: http://triplecrowncountdown.blogspot.com/2012/07/saratoga-stakes-analysis-july-21st-2012.html
-Keelerman
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