2009 Princess Rooney Handicap

I had been playing the DRF.com Race of the day for the last week and the result is surprisingly positive. I had hit the the Trifacta for both Sunday and Wednesday and I will try my luck at tomorrow's Princess Rooney Handicap.

PP Horse Jockey ML
1 Jessica is Back Lopez 12-1
2 Orinoquia Nunez 20-1
3 Indian Blessing Smith 5-2
4 B R's Girl Santiago 8-1
5 Pious Ashley Bridgmohan 12-1
6 Game Face Prado 3-1
7 Keep the Peace Cruz 6-1
8 Dubai Majesty Theriot 5-1
9 Marina Ballerina Lezcano 6-1

Nine horses entered for the 6F Princess Rooney but only eight will start tomorrow. The morning line favorite Indian Blessing is out and the race is wide open. I will pick 2 key horses for the top of my tri tickets and then find 5 horses to fill out the bottom. This is my favorite tri bet and I had done well over the years.

My 2 key horses are Dubai Majesty and Jessica is Back. Dubai Majesty won the Winning Colors at ChurchChill in her last start and she had ran four 90+ beyers in a row. Dubia Majesty love the 6f distance and she spotted a 4-3-0 record in 8 starts. At post 8, I don't see her getting the lead tomorrow, but she can be in a good stalking position. She had been pointing at this race since her last race back in May 25 and she had been training very well in the morning. She is my top choice.

My 2nd key horse Jessica is Back is a longshot in the field. She ran a career best 99 beyers in her last race while finished 2nd to Marina Ballerina. Marina Ballerina drew the outside post and put her in a major disadvantage. Jessica is Back was claimed 3 starts back for 50k and this will be a major class jump. Her trainier Wolfson has 3 horses in the field and her regular rider Bridgmohan choose to ride stablemate Pious Ashley worries me. But then again, you don't get 12-1 longshot if everything is prefect. I like Jessica is Back's record at Calder, 12-4-4-0. She also spots a 15-3-5-1 record at the distance.

The 2 horses that I will left off my tickets are Orinoquia and B R's Girl. Orinoquia is just too slow against this group and had never ran a 90+ beyers. B R's Girl will be closing from the back but 6f is just too short for her.

2009 United Nations Stakes

The $750,000 United Nations is one of the Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" event. The winner of the race will receive an automatic berth into the Nov 7 Breeders' Cup Turf. The 1 3/8 mile race drew a very evenly matched field of nine horses.

PP Horse Jockey ML
1 Banrock Bravo 6-1
2 Strike a Deal Lopez 8-1
3 Brass Hat Elliott 6-1
4 Spice Route Castro 4-1
5 Court Vision Gomez 3-1
6 Lauro Chavez 15-1
7 Presious Passion Trujillo 9-2
8 Wesley Migiore 10-1
9 Better Talk Now Rose 6-1

I am not a big fan of picking Woodbine horses in a US stakes race, but Spice Route is different. Spice Route had won 2 graded stakes races since coming to North America last June and both were in the state. He ran well in Woodbine last summer but he failed to win a stakes race in 3 tries. Spice Route is a closer and I am expecting a strong pace set by Lauro and Presious Passion. Trainer Roger Attifield had been targeting this race since his 2nd place in the Louisville Handicap back in May 23. The horse had been training well in the morning and I expect a big effort from Spice Route tomorrow at odds of 4-1.

Court Vision is my second choice in the race. Court Vision is one of the sucker horse that I seem to bet on every race but I never win a penny. I really like him in the Manhattan but he was no match to Gio Ponti and finished 4th. This is a much easier spot than the Manhattan and switching back to Gomez is a positive. Just like a few others in here, the distance is a big question mark. It will be the first time he travels beyond 1 1/4m and his best distance maybe at 1 1/8m.

Another closer Banrock is my third choice in the race. It is very unusual for a horse to ran a career beyers at age 6 but that what Banrock did in his last start. He had put together 2 good races and he will more up if the turf is a coming up soft.

My longshot of the race is Wesly. He finished a disappointed 8th in the Manhattan, I thought he would fair better. His beyers is low compare to the contenders and he had never won a race beyond 1 1/8m. Training Henning is very hot at Monmouth, hit the board at almost 50%. At odds of 10-1, I will take a chance on Wesly.