Southwestern Heat Alert

Now, that’s what I’m talking about! Southwestern Heat is entered in Saturday’s $60,000 Anderson Fowler Stakes at Monmouth—at 5-1/2 furlongs on turf. His chief rival is Cherokee Country who has beaten him twice (Rumson and Ohsay) at six furlongs; however, CC has never run on turf, which Southwestern Heat has (successfully), so I’m hoping my favorite speedball can be victorious this day. Interestingly, both horses are cross-nominated for Monday’s $80,000 Dance of Life Stakes at Saratoga.

Perusing the Travers nominations, I see Rags to Riches has been nominated for the race (along with Octave and Panty Raid). Now, I realize this is a stretch, but…do you think it possible that Pletcher will pull another “Belmont” and enter the chestnut filly at the last minute? With Street Sense as her only real competition, why not take him on now and solidify R2R’s Horse of the Year position?

Results from Saratoga on Friday: Al Basha ($3.00 win) caught Mad Bob Cat ($8.40 place) in race 1. And a Gentleman ran greenly and never challenged the leaders in race 2, which was won in nearly record-breaking time by first-timer Cave’s Valley ($14.40). He’s Solid Gold scratched. In race 3, the Finger Lakes interloper Horse Thief ($6.60) won easily, while early speedster Final Authority ($8.80) held place over He’s Tough ($5.60); Poker God finished fourth. I had the tri ($108) in race 4, with Prussian ($5.90) winning with command over Nor’easterner ($3.50) and Hidden Glance ($4.90). Bees ($3.80) rallied late to finish third behind Stormy West ($21.20) and Milk Town ($7.30) in race 5, while More Than a Feelin couldn't hold late, finishing sixth, and Mythical Echo had nothing. Subtitles ($6.60) took race 7, as expected, with Dragon Fi ($2.30) third. As an architectural historian, I should have taken Georgian ($7.70) who completed an $81.50 trifecta. In the G2 Lake Placid Stakes, highweight Sharp Susan ($7.30) defeated New Edition ($7.80) and Lady Attack ($2.80). Christmas Kid (who I feel is being completely mismanaged since her impressive win in the G1 Ashland against Octave, in early April) faded to fourth, followed by Communique. In the finale, Survived scratched, so Whateverwillbwillb ($5.00) edged out Jeux de Danse ($8.20).

Pretty decent results for my handicapping, with some of my longer shots coming in to pay nice place money (Mad Bob Cat, Final Authority, and Jeux de Danse). I’ll try some Saturday races later this evening.