June 7, 2015 Santa Anita, Race 3 (Grade 3 Affirmed Stakes)

2daysrace

Only five go in the Grade 3 Affirmed (the smallest field since 2007). Prospect Park was 2nd in the Grade 2 San Felipe and has been off since splitting the field in the Santa Anita Derby April 4. He’s arguably the class of the race off of those efforts. However, class can be fleeting in the soph ranks as the late-bloomers take hold. Cyrus Alexander has been a new horse with the addition of blinkers and he’s won twice on this surface. This is his first Stakes test, but he seems up to the task. Om is making comeback start #3 and he plots on top off of his May 10 turf route win. His two previous dirt races, both sprints in which he lacked recency, were not very good. Was it the surface, the distance, or the lack of recency? Hard to say, but he has the speed to be dangerous. Let’s make him the first alternative to the up-and-coming ‘Alexander.
CLOSERS: Fastest in the stretch in recent races at or near this distance have been: Prospect Park :31.6 – Om :31.7 – Cyrus Alexander :31.9