Lock of the Week

There is a veritable plethora of stakes races occurring over the next three days, many of which could have a significant impact on top-class horses who are planning to compete for divisional championships towards the end of the year. 

Presious Passion (yes, that is spelled correctly) faces off against Court Vision, Better Talk Now, Brass Hat and five others in the Grade 1, $750,00 United Nations Handicap to be raced over 1 and 3/8 miles of Monmouth Park's turf course. Presious Passion is coming off a win in the Monmouth Stakes and, in my opinion, looms the one to beat with his brilliant combination of speed and stamina. He is a very stubborn horse to pass in the stretch, and that is only if you are able to catch up to him after he posts very strong fractions for a race of this distance. 

Arguably the nation's top male sprinter, Fabulous Strike will try and follow up his extraordinary win in the True North Handicap on the Belmont Stakes undercard with a victory in the Grade 2, $150,000 Tom Fool Handicap to be run at 7 furlongs on the Belmont Park dirt. Fabulous Strike's performance in the True North was the most impressive sprint performance of the year so far, which featured him running 6 furlongs in an outstanding 1:07.85. Add to that the fact that finishing second that day was last year's Eclipse award winner for top Male Sprinter, Benny the Bull, and the win was all the more amazing. His top competition will probably be in the form of Munnings, a 3-year old who also posted a victory on the Belmont undercard, his coming in the Woody Stephens Stakes. Fabulous Strike is definitely a better horse at the 6 furlong distance, as he tends to be a bit tired out for the final furlong when he stretches out to 7. However, his dangerous speed out of the gate and ability to run other speed horses into the ground make him the horse to beat, despite the presence of Munnings.

Asiatic Boy and It's a Bird will line up in the gate against eight others in the Grade 2, $400,000 Suburban Handicap, to be run at 1 and 1/4 miles on the Belmont Park dirt. Asiatic Boy finished just one length off of the lead last time out in the Stephen Foster Handicap despite encountering trouble through the stretch while trying to squeeze through the same opening as another horse. It's a Bird is coming off of a win the Lone Star Park Handicap and is currently on a two race win streak, both being graded stakes. These two will vie for favoritism in what should be an excellent race.

Informed Decision drops down to the Grade 3, $150,000 Arlington Handicap despite reeling off two consecutive victories in Grade 1 stakes. She simply towers over her five rivals on paper, and is undefeated at the races seven furlong distance. She has won on dirt at Churchill Downs and on the polytrack at Keeneland in her last two contests, so the artificial surface at Arlington should not prove to be an issue. These factors combine to make Informed Decision the choice for my "Lock of the Week".

Keep an eye out as well for stakes action across the country this weekend. Hollywood Park features the American Oaks, American Handicap and Triple Bend Handicap. Monmouth Park's Salvatore Mile precedes the aforementioned United Nations Handicap, and there will also be other graded stakes action present at Belmont and Churchill. Let's all root for Informed Decision, who will hopefully not go off at 1-20, a la my previous "Lock". My guess is somewhere in the range of 1-5 to 3-5. Bet the house again, ladies and gentlemen. She is a Lock.