Saturday, August 16 Race 9 – The King’s Plate $20 bet: $20 win on #10 #1 Mansetti – After nearly being knocked down at the start in the Queenston, rebounded in the Marine where he held off Scorching, proving two turns is in his scope. After three six-furlong drills, a nice half mile on August 9 to keep him sharp; he will likely go from the rail and try to sustain his speed for 10 furlongs. #2 William T – Knocked on the door before breaking through with an impressive maiden win on July 13. He seems like he will keep getting better with added distance but is facing a serious acid test here and seems unlikely for more than a minor share. #3 Notorious Gangster – Had pace to run at when coming from last in the Plate Trial but was unable to run down Sedburys Ghost who had gotten the jump on him. He is one there is seemingly no doubt will handle the 10-furlong distance; with a good trip he is arguably the one to beat. #4 Scorching – Was gaining late on Mansetti when returning to the races in the Marine but was likely closer to the lead than he wants to be in the Plate Trial where he gave way to be third. This race looks almost guaranteed to have some speed for him to settle behind; rebound candidate. #5 Mythical Man – Made his stakes debut in the Manila at Saratoga where he raced wide and was uncompetitive. His speed figures don’t match up and he has no synthetic training; pass. #6 Faber – Has rallied to pick up checks in a couple of N2L allowances since returning from Turfway. His best Stakes attempt was a non-threatening fourth in the Coronation Futurity; similar to William T, a fringe player at best. #7 Runaway Again – Caught the eye of all who watched when dominating maidens on debut by 9 ¼ lengths on July 13. Has trained very well and appears to have the talent; just a matter of whether a horse with just one start under his belt is ready to put in the kind of run it takes to win this race. #8 Dewolf – Disappointed in the Plate Trial where he lacked much stretch kick after a bit of a shuffle at the ¼ pole. He has not been showing the same punch this year that he did at two; tough to see him getting back into peak form here. #9 Watsonville Red – Beaten 2 ½ lengths when last in the Marine then ran on to be fourth in the Plate Trial. He plods along and will get this distance, but I think there are more interesting fringe players for the bottom spots. #10 No Time – Sat mid-pack and surged clear to win the Woodbine Oaks, settling much better than she did in the Selene. Fillies have done very well in the Plate in recent years, and she should be able to work out a similar trip to the one she had in the Oaks; serious threat. #11 Tom’s Magic – Probably too good to be called a wild-card but feels like one nonetheless. A two-time stakes winner on turf south of the border, he has the speed figures to stack up and the early foot to be in good early position. Turf horses typically take to the synthetic, but his lack of training over a synthetic surface could be cause for concern; definitely one of the best horses in this field but maybe the short-priced runner to fade. #12 Sedbury’s Ghost – Got the jump on Notorious Gangster and won the Plate Trial in a mild upset. The 12-hole could prove tricky as his mid-pack running style could leave him parked wide for the majority of the trip; not impossible but it is going to take racing luck and a savvy ride. #13 Ashley’s Archer – Chased the speed, made the lead but could not hold off stablemate Special Session in an N2L July 13. Disqualified from a win in the Cup and Saucer before finishing third in the Coronation Futurity, he has the talent to stand up here. Probably forced to use his speed from the extreme outside gate to avoid being stuck too wide. Share This:Share
