Older Horse Stakes

By Navshin Chatur

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While most of the racing world will be focusing on the three-year-olds at Gulfstream, Santa Anita and Tampa, there are two important races going on for the older horse division. First is the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap at Gulfstream Park.
The one-turn, one-mile drew a field of only six, but it is a deep field. Of the six there are three graded stakes winners including a Grade 1 belonging to Jackson Bend, who is not even the favorite.

Instead, favoritism landed with Mucho Macho Man, who will be cutting back a furlong in distance after winning the Sunshine Millions classic in his last start. Prior to that, MMM won a mile race at Aqueduct.
As a three-year-old Mucho Macho Man was one of the top prospects in the country. He won the Grade 2 Risen Star at Fair Grounds then was third in the Kentucky Derby, sixth in the Preakness and seventh in the Belmont.

It will be interesting to see if jockey Ramon Dominguez hooks up with Tackleberry, who drew to his outside. Tackleberry was a beast at Gulfstream Park winning three of four including this race. He is likely to be on the front-end when the gates open for jockey Rajiv Maragh, who rode MMM in four starts before being taken off in the Belmont.

If there is a speed duel and it looks likely then Jackson Bend will run right on by. He is a one-turn horse and this mile distance suits him well. He won the Grade 3 Hal's Hope over this track and distance in his last start with lots left in the tank and has come back with bullets.
The other graded stakes race for older horses is the Grade 3 Razorback at Oaklawn Park.
Just like the GP Handicap, the Razorback drew only a field of six with five horses making their last start at the
Hot Springs track. It might be the other one; however, they should all fear.

Tapizar makes his Oaklawn debut after a dull fourth place finish as the 4-5 post-time favorite in the Grade 2 Strub in his last race. A front-runner, Tapizar was taken off the early pace of Ultimate Eagle and steadily made a retreat finishing just under 11 lengths behind the winner. Ultimate Eagle would go on to disappoint in the Big 'Cap, but Tapizar could make quick amends in the Razorback.
Alternation is a horse-for-course as is Win Willy and Shraded Edge. Alternation won the Essex Handicap in his last start by a widening margin and is the top choice to upset the favorite. Win Willy was third in this race to It Happened Again, who is back to make it happen again, but has been off since April 2001.

Shraded Edge has won four straight, including three at Oaklawn and is four for six over the track overall, but has yet to face this type of company. On the improve it appears the right time to tackle the stakes ranks.

Live horse racing for both the three-year-olds on the Derby trail and the older horses looking for bigger and better things down the road.

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