(Check back the afternoon of 10/2 for Oak Leaf Selections)
The Tempted Stakes used to be a mile event held at Aqueduct as was the Remsen. This year, the races were shifted around to provide preps for the inaugural running of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint. Previous heroines of the Tempted include Kentucky Derby winner Genuine Risk, Flawlessly, who would go on to become Champion Turf Mare and Agina, future Three Year Old Champion Filly.
This year’s edition of the Tempted holds a graded stakes winner and a stakes placed runner.
SELECT CAT (Tale of the Cat - Secret Patriot, by Secret Hello) was a one-paced third in the Sorority Stakes at Monmouth in her latest attempt. Her dam won once in three tries and is a half-sister to the dam of Canadian Champion Filly Ginger Brew and the multiple graded turf stakes winner Bourbon Bay. Select Cat switches to the barn of Eddie Kenneally, who gets 19% winners with new horses.
COLORMESAICHI (Fusaichi Pegasus - Colormein, by Mr. Greeley) also exits the Sorority, but was a lackluster fourth, finishing over five lengths behind Select Cat. Colormesaichi has a stalker’s style and the pedigree to stretch out. Although she won at 5 ½ furlongs, she may prefer longer distances as she matures. There’s no blacktype in her female family in two generations. Colormesaichi has recorded one average work for the Tempted.
PERENNIAL SONG (Songandaprayer - Yearly Copy, by Souvenir Copy) has won both of her starts by over five lengths and should be ready to step into stakes company. Her dam won twice in ten tries and is a half-sister to the good stakes mare Yearly Report, winner of the Santa Ynez (G-2), Black Eyed Susan (G-2), Delaware Oaks (G-2) etc. The second dam Fiscal Year won the Generous Portion Stakes sprinting. Perennial Song hasn’t worked since her victory over allowance runners, but the Tony Dutrow barn strikes with 33% of last-out winners.
GEORGIE'S ANGEL (Bellamy Road - Lalka, by Dynaformer) is the most accomplished filly in the field and owns a victory in the Schuylerville Stakes. She came back in the Spinaway, but weakened to a disappointing fourth as the favorite. None of Georgie’s Angel’s siblings have blacktype. Her dam Lalka went 0 for 11, but she is a half-sister to two stakes winners and the second dam Celmis is a stakes winner. The Pletcher trainee breezed a swift 4F :48 1/5 (5/65) over the deep Saratoga training track.
BELIEVE YOU CAN (Proud Citizen - El Fasto, by El Prado) has won two of three sprints and runners-up from both races came back to win next time out. Believe You Can is the first filly produced by her dam. She has three half-brothers. Two have raced, one has been successful twice in five starts. Their unraced dam is a half-sister to Schuylerville (G-2 and Debutante (G-3) heroine Classic Elegance. The Larry Jones trainee has been working forwardly, including a last out bullet 5F in 1:00 2/5.
SELECTIONS:
How the track is playing: There’s a definite speed bias in sprint races at Belmont. 58% of the races are won on near the lead with 34% of the winners going wire-to-wire.
Typical of sprint races, all except one filly has a pace setting or pressing style. BELIEVE YOU CAN is the only filly in the race whose late-pace speed figures have improved in every start. She hasn’t raced since August, but has been brought along nicely by Larry Jones. PERENNIAL SONG is undefeated and can sit a little off of the pace. GEORGIE'S ANGEL should be respected as the only graded stakes winner in the field. She shortens up in distance. COLORMESAICHI is the only stalker in the field. If they drag race up front, she could run down tired fillies to earn a minor award.
#5 BELIEVE YOU CAN
#3 PERENNIAL SONG
#4 GEORGIE'S ANGEL
#2 COLORMESAICHI – longshot
REMSEN STAKES
Like the Tempted Stakes, the Nashua was formerly run at a mile at Aqueduct and was a prep race for the 1 1/8 mile Remsen. Last year’s victor To Honor And Serve, recently set a new track record in the Pennsylvania Derby.
HANNIBAL LECTER (Harlan's Holiday - Decadent Designer, by Well Decorated) towered over maiden claimers at Saratoga, winning by over five lengths in racehorse time. He’s recorded a series of brisk works since the race and should progress. His dam was an allowance class mare who was in the money 13 of 28 starts. She’s a half sister to the old stakes veteran Bonapaw winner of the Vosburgh (G1), who is currently enjoying retirement at Old Friends.
SHE DIGS ME (Henny Hughes – Stage Stop, by Valid Expectations) is the most accomplished colt in the field with five starts under his girth. After capturing his maiden, She Digs Me took the Tyro and Sapling (G-3). She Digs Me has a speed-heavy pedigree up close, but there is some stamina received through his third damsire, Kentucky Derby winner Strike The Gold. She Digs Me’s dam won only twice in 16 starts, but she placed second or third in seven listed stakes between six furlongs and 1 1/16 miles. She Digs Me will likely have distance limitations beyond 1 1/6 miles, but may eventually become a useful sprinter.
The other half of the Asmussen entry, SEEKER (Hard Spun - Classic Olympio, by Olympio) won his second start by a widening 6 ¼ lengths over the Saratoga Slop. He’s a son of the hot new sire Hard Spun. Seeker is a half brother to the stakes winners Classify and Simplify. Their dam won the Moccasin Stakes as a two year old.
JAGATI (Yes It's True - Look for Good, by Unbridled's Song) came from off of the pace to finish in a dead heat for second behind She Digs Me in the Sapling. Jagrati’s three half-brothers haven’t done a whole lot, but his half-sister Mis Vizcaya is a multiple stakes placed sprinter. Jagati breezed a bullet 4F :48 ¾ (1/30) over the Saratoga training course in his second to last work.
CLIP THE COUPONS (Congrats - Cajun Dawn, by Awesome Again) was totally outclassed in the Hopeful (G-1) in his last start, winding up over 45 lengths behind the winner. He’s a half brother to the multiple stakes placed sprinter Peace At Dawn. His dam went 0-9 in her racing career, and is a half sister to a minor stakes winner. Clip the Coupons reunites with Castallano, who was aboard for a huge maiden score. Clip the Coupons is cross entered in the Garden State Stakes.
TRINNIBERG (Teuflesberg - Bella Dorato, by Goldminers Gold) made all the pace in the Hopeful but was overtaken by Currency Swap by ¾ a length. Trinniberg’s first crop sire was a hardy, hard trying runner who fell a neck short of winning the Sanford Stakes (G2) while still a maiden.. Trinniberg’s dam placed in a stakes as a juvenile. She’s a half to a stakes placed runner. Trinniberg recorded his last work at Calder. He’ll be shipping in to cooler weather and should appreciate the change.
VEXOR (Wildcat Heir - Real Clever Trick, by Yes It's True) was also outclassed in the Hopeful, finishing eighth. He has a sprint oriented pedigree. His unraced dam is a half to a listed stakes sprinter and a couple of stakes placed runners. Vexor has produced three increasingly faster works cumulating in a bullet 4F :47 3/5 (1/52) over the deep Saratoga training track.
ANGEL'S TUNE (High Cotton - Holiday Tune, by Concorde's Tune) won in his second start, holding on to win going a mile over the sloppy Delaware track. His first crop sire has seven winners from 22 starters, including the Hopeful winner Currency Swap. Angel’s Tune’s dam was unplaced in her sole start. She’s a half sister to Miss Preakness heroine R Holiday Mood. The second and third dams own stakes wins. Angel’s Tune represents the powerful Pletcher barn.
SELECTIONS:
How the track is playing: There’s a definite speed bias in sprint races at Belmont. 58% of the races are won on near the lead with 34% of the winners going wire-to-wire.
SHE DIGS ME is the class of the field, while most of the others still have to prove themselves. His stablemate SEEKER popped a triple digit speed figure while winning his maiden. His works are a little slower than before he won his maiden, so he could regress slightly. TRINNIBERG is a nice colt who backs up a furlong. JAGATI proved that he can stalk and win. He could run down the front runners.
#2 SHE DIGS ME
#3 SEEKER
#3 JAGATI
#4 TRINNIBERG – longshot
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