Weekend Stakes Races – $250,000 Up for Grabs

Race-time: Mr. Prospector at 4:07 pm EST and San Pasqual at 7:07 pm EST

Both Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita will showcase aspiring horses this Saturday in their top stakes races.

At Gulfstream Park both the exceptionally quick Custom For Carlos and the terrific Munnings return in the Grade III Mr. Prospector Stakes. Then, three hours later, BC Dirt Mile winner Furthest Land will take to the track in the Grade II San Pasqual Stakes.

Let’s take a look at both races right now.

Gulfstream Park – Race 7

Grade III Mr. Prospector Stakes

$100,000

For Four Year Olds and Upward

6 furlongs on dirt

The terrific Munnings most likely will go off the favorite, but he faces a tough test in running down Custom For Carlos. The Eddie Kenneally trained superstar in waiting has won two non-graded stakes races in a row and just appears to be the fastest of the speed horses in this. Switching to Eclipse nominated jockey Julien Leparoux will only help matters. There just isn’t another horse in this race that can challenge Custom For Carlos early. Starforaday is a late closing sprinter who is in good form and has been working well. The horse usually closes into soft fractions. If Starforaday gets a hot enough pace, the horse could challenge Custom For Carlos in the lane. Munnings is good enough to win this. The real knock is that this race is at 6 furlongs and Munnings is a 7 furlong specialist. He’ll run well in this but his style makes him a tough bet for the win. This is especially true since his odds are going to be so low.

1.Custom For Carlos
2.Starforaday
3.Munnings

Santa Anita – Race 8

Grade II San Pasqual Stakes

$150,000

For Four Year Olds and Upward

1 1/16th miles on Pro-Ride

Furthest Land has won two in a row, including a sterling victory in the BC Dirt Mile. There shouldn’t be any drop off with this pro who is 2 out of 2 at the distance, obviously loves the Pro-Ride surface, gets Garrett Gomez and has won 50% of his races. If that wasn’t enough, the horse will be coming into this off of some exceptional works. Furthest Land towers over this field. A lot of money will go to Nownownow in this race. The Patrick Biancone trainee won the Grade II San Fernando Stakes on this track in 2009. Nownownow is a former Breeders’ Cup winner as well, but winning off of a layoff is not his forte. Still, after Furthest Land, Nownownow is the likeliest winner of the San Pasqual. The John Shirreff’s trained Neko Bay finished 6th to Furthest Land in the BC Dirt Mile. Neko Bay’s record of 4-2 out of 7 races on the Pro-Ride means that the horse should make a move in this. Whether that move will be enough to beat Furthest Land is a question.

1.Furthest Land
2.Nownownow
3.Neko Bay

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