Stayers' Watch: Fort Harrod Stakes · 18.04.08

This Saturday sees the inaugural running of the $100,000 Fort Harrod Stakes. Another in the the new series of dirt/synthetic distance races leading up to the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Dirt “Marathon”, it is for 4-year-olds and older, and will be run on Keeneland’s Polytrack main course at 1 5/8m.

  1. Save Big Money
  2. Poison Pill
  3. Nolan’s Cat
  4. Rathor
  5. Successful Affair
  6. Twisting Road
  7. High Blues
  8. Jade’s Revenge

New York-bred Successful Affair is the most accomplished stayer in the field. He finished second in the Gallant Fox Handicap (1 5/8m) and Coyote Lake Stakes (1 1/2m) at Aqueduct in December, having won both those races the year before — he is, in fact, the only starter to win as a stayer. He has also won going shorter, including his last score at 1 1/8m in February, also at Aqueduct.

Of the others, Twisting Road has come closest to finding the winner’s circle going a distance, finishing a strong second going 1 7/8m at Woodbine in December. Nolan’s Cat was 20 lengths back in the Gallant Fox, then closed well to win going a flat mile at Turfway Park in February. Rathor showed little in the Tokyo City Handicap last month, and has been in decline since winning at 1 1/16m at Keeneland just over a year ago. None of the other entries show much promise at this distance.

My picks: Successful Affair / Nolan’s Cat

Update (21 April): Who?

Jade's Revenge    13.60    8.40    5.20
Save Big Money             6.60    4.40
High Blues                         3.60

A horse with no prior starts at stayers’ distances — who finished 7th and 4th in his last two races after a long layoff — starting from the outside post position — comes through. The linked article notes that Jade’s Revenge “reaffirmed a fondness for the Keeneland Polytrack”. One race out his previous ten — yeah, that’s some “angle”. I honestly didn’t think the other two had any business here, either, and my picks finished at the back of the pack — feh.

If you liked this you might like:

What do you think?

Textile Help