Saturday's Hong Kong Mile should be highly competitive. Only one entrant
has failed to break a 100 speed figure and she is making her first
stakes appearance.
Three top ten turf horses at this distance are in the race. In addition,
the number 11 horse is as well.
Most of the starters are at long odds, possibly deserved. Six of the
starters have average earnings per start of $50,000 or more with twelve
showing earnings of $25,000 or less.
In each case, the number of speed figures over 100 and the highest
figure are for the last 8 races only. The best figures are a 117 for
Alex English with Culinary Cutie and Bistro at 116.
1) Best D Yet 4f 8 4-1-2 $122,825 30-1
Best D Yet has won her last three and her last two have been been at
speed figures of 100 or more. Her best is a 109. This is her first
stakes race. She has failed to place only once; she apparently doesn't
like dirt.
2) K's Nec Plus Ultra 4f 14 9-2-0 $766,130 17-1
Her poorest races were one on dirt and one at 10 furlongs. She has won a
G2 race. She's had 5 100+ speed figures; her best is a 108.
3) Forest Racin 4f 14 5-3-2 $140,779 20-1
Forest Racin was well back in her last race but is G3 placed. She has 4
100+ and her best is a 109.
4) Friday Harbor 5f 28 6-7-7 $676,435 34-1
She seems to have passed her peak because her last six races have all
been under 100. Her best has been a 104.
5) Moi Lolita 5f 27 9-3-5 $1,146,325 11-1
Rather surprising to see a horse with these earnings at 11-1 but she has
been unplaced quite a few times. Her last, a win, was an allowance race
and she has no recent graded stakes wins. She has 6 100+ starts and her
best is 110.
6) No Billy Bred 4f 12 4-3-3 $294,940 19-1
All 4 of her 100+ speed figures have been at today's distance with her
best at 107. She is G2 placed.
7) Alpine Frost 4f 14 4-3-3 $188,401 33-1
Her last race was far from her best effort. She is G3 placed with 4
100+, and her best is 107.
8) Culinary Cutie 6f 37 13-9-4 $3,232,895 6-1
Culinary Cutie is fourth in the turf rankings for the distance. She also
has the highest earnings and highest earning per start. Her last 8 races
have been graded stakes with a 2-3-1 record, including a recent G1. She
has 6 100+ runs with her best at 116.
9) Twelve Bens 4f 13 4-3-1 $125,530 27-1
She is stakes-placed but this is her first graded stakes. Her last 3
speed figures have exceeded 100 with her best at 107.
10) Bistro 4f 19 7-3-3 $965,055 9-1
Bistro has 6 100+ races with her last at 116. She has won a G1 race and
is ranked sixth on the turf.
11) Guineas Toast 5f 18 6-2-2 $1,058,744 20-1
While she has won a G1 race, her last race, on dirt, was only an 84. She
has two 100+ ratings at 112 and 111.
Her trainer comments: "Named her to be the toast of the guineas and pun
off of the great guiness toast (although I bred her a bit late for a
true shot at that). I knew this filly had talent from the beginning and
I pushed her hard from the get go. 3rd lifetime race got her into the
Irish 1000 Guineas (partly due to her name) and she ran a real
respectable 3rd. Ran in Equinics in her 4th lifetime start as a 3yr old
and was closing hard for a better then it looked 6th. Ran into bad form
for awhile but nearly won the G2 Cash Call with a massive run and she
made good on DPCD day for her signature win. I tried to prep her the
same as for her DPCD win and although its clear she doesn't really like
dirt Im hoping it propels her to a big run."
12) Kash Happy 4f 20 4-6-3 $169,555 40-1
She was unplaced in her only previous graded stakes. She has 3 100+,
best, 103.
Her trainer comments: "Well, I have one of the longshots in the race,
Kash Happy. I'm quite surprised how well she has done for me as one of
the first horses I've ever bred. Virtually all the horses I have bred
have the name "Kash" in it and it is based off of this horse.
"When I was a teen, I got into harness racing with the first bet I made
on a horse named Kash Happy, that rewarded me something like $3.40 for
the show. I followed this horse throughout its career, and only saw it
win once...not much in real life.
"Anyway, I now have a Sim horse by the same name, who has done much
better than the real trotter. I have to admit, my expectations of her
winning, or even hitting the board are very low. She shipped out to
Japan for her first graded race, and performed lousy. Her overseas
stint hasn't been great.
"I have her shipping to this big event and I believe the tgravel will
once again have a toll on her. The talent in this race is much better
and it would be a wonderful event if she finds a way to the winners
circle. She's overmatched, but we'll enjoy watching her. Maybe she'll
learn somethings from the better horses in the race."
13) Syler 6f 30 5-6-6 $146,474 60-1
Syler starts as the longest odds in this field and probably deservedly
so. Her best speed figure is 96 and this is her first stakes race. She
was recently claimed for $10,000.
14) Alex English 4f 14 8-2-3 $737,090 5-1
She is ninth in the turf rankings and is the favorite. Her last 8 races
have been 100+. At 117 she has the best speed figure in this race and is
a G1 winner. While Culinary Cutie's earnings per race are well above
those of Alex English, Alex English has been unplaced only once.
15) Primordal Soup 5f 20 8-7-3 $485,855 7-1
She has a G1 win and her last four races have been graded stakes. Her
only recent unplaced race was at 9 furlongs. She has 7 100+; her last
was a 114.
16) Five Dead 5f 14 7-3-2 $871,595 10-1
She has a G1 win and has won or placed in her last 7 races. She has 6
100+ and her best has been a 111.
Her trainer comments: "Five Dead has been prepped perfectly for the
Equinics. She was bred as a late 3yo, and I initially thought that she
would be better around 10f. but when I cut her back to a mile last fall,
she won two big races in a row. With the Equinics in mind, I gave her 10
weeks off and brought her back in a 9f allowance. This will be her
second race off the layoff, and hopefully she will run well."
17) Mrs. Claus's Eggnog 4f 16 4-3-2 $101,320 38-1
This is her first stakes. Her only 100+, a 102, was two races back.
18) The Paranormal 5f 27 7-7-4 $184,449 20-1
This is her first stakes race. She's run 100+ three times; her best is a
104.
19) Prospector's Tune 5f 32 13-10-2 $443,157 7-1
Her last 8 races have been 100+, the last three of which have been 109.
Her only graded race was a G3 in which she finished second.
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