Eight Older Fillies and Mares Compete for a Passing Grade in the $100,000 ESR Electric Kool Aid Acid Test Stakes

The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test is a 1968 non-fiction book written by Tom Wolfe based on the experiences of Ken Kesey, author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and his followers called the Merry Pranksters. The book chronicles the Acid Test parties (parties in which LSD-laced Kool-Aid was used to obtain a communal trip) and the growing 1960s hippie counterculture movement.  Acid Tests combined drug use with musical performances by bands including the Grateful Dead and psychedelic effects such as fluorescent paint and black lights.

The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test is remembered as an accurate and “essential” book depicting the roots and growth of the hippie movement.

Eight Older Fillies and Mares will enter the Big Apple starting gate in the $100,000 ESR Electric Kool Aid Acid Test Stakes.  The race will be run at Seven Furlongs over the Dirt Course.

HANNAH CADET – making her first start off a brief layoff is the cadet trained 6 Year Old Bay Mare by Redoute’s Choice, out of the G2 winning, multi-graded stakes producing mare ACONITUM CADET (Makfi); the fields top rated mare enters the 2019 racing year off an outstanding 5yo season highlighted with a victory in the G2 Dancer Cap in August; dull efforts in her final two outings of the year could raise some red flags, but with rest and a switch back to the Dirt Course, the multi-graded stakes winner could feel rejuvenated and poised for a top effort here on Saturday…dangerous off best

MAJESTIC MINISTER – the kingab trained 6 Year Old Light Grey Mare by Medaglia D’Oro, out of the stakes winning, multi-graded stakes producing mare STUPIDLY BUILD (Mr. Prospector) shows no signs of wear and tear as she capped off her 2018 racing season with a victory in the Theda Barracuda Dirt Mare Dash in November; making her first start in over two months, the KY-bred has demonstrated in the past an ability to perform at optimum efficiency off a layoff as she makes her ninth consecutive stakes appearance…one to beat

DEATH IN THE EYE – it’s hard to gauge how the rigorous 2018 campaign will affect the spinround trained 5 Year Old Bay Mare by City Zip, out of stakes winning mare OPERATOR (Tiznow); winless in almost a year, the KY-bred gets a much-welcomed class break this week after making five graded starts during her previous eight race season; the second place finisher in the G3 Iodine Handicap makes her second start off a layoff, and could find her way back to the winner’s circle if she can shake off the demands of the 2018 season as she embarks on a new year of racing…chance off best

ROULETTE INFERNO – the casino trained 5 Year Old Bay Mare by Bernardini out of the multi-stakes producing mare SUSAGEP (Mr. Prospector) is no stranger to ESR Residency races, competing in six previous events, finishing ITM in all six, including two victories; the winner of the In The Spirit Dirt Mare Memorial in her final start of the 2018 season makes her first start off a two month layoff, but the Ky-bred runs well fresh and should be a major player in this field…dangerous

SADIE D – making her first stakes appearance in her lightly raced career is the bonk trained scratch-bred 5 Year Old Bay Mare by Quality Road out of a Wild Again x Summer Squall mare; the consistent running KY-bred enters the field off a career best 112 speed-figure earning her this stakes opportunity; the stubborn competitor races with an unwavering quality, having been passed in a race only three times in her 14 race career; expect this gal to dig in deep at crunch time as she vies for her first stakes victory…competitive

CREOLE FUNK BAND – the lbailey trained 5 Year Old Bay Mare by Monterey Jazz, out of the graded placed KINDLE (Lost Soldier), faces a tough task here on Saturday seeking her first stakes victory after going winless in almost a year; the NM-bred mare has been courageous outside the Local competition, finishing off her 2018 season with a second and fourth place finish in the Pal Corral Dirt Mare Sprint and Alberta T Dirt Mare Sprint respectively; what the hard-hitting mare gives up in class to this talented field, she makes up for with grit and poise as she pursues the next level of racing…happy with part

DEMONSTRATION TIME – the one time esrholding resident 5 Year Old Roan Mare by Super Saver, out of the stakes winning mare SWAMP (Forty Niner) has flourished under the tutelage of the kody racing stables, winning three times while finishing off the board only twice in her nine starts for her new connections; making her first start in a Stakes, the KY-bred has never been better as she enters the field off a career best 108-speed figure in an Allowance victory LTO; with a name that fits the theme of the race, look for this gal to rally to the cause here on Saturday…might surprise

BUCKOF THE NILE – the trotter1 trained 5 Year Old Bay Mare by Pioneerof the Nile out of stakes winning, multi-stakes producing mare BUCK THE GOLD (Medaglia D’Oro) recorded her last Stakes victory in the ESR Body Stakes narrowly defeating ROULETTE INFERNO; the winner of the G3 Chicago-DC Lassie also holds a victory over race rival ROULETTE INFERNO in the Irish Pub Formulation avenging a loss to that rival in the ESR Equinics Filly Dirt Prep; making her 26^th career start, the one-time Breeders Bowl representative may already be a victim of wear and tear having posted dull efforts in her last three starts…your call

Handicapping the Field

A field of older fillies and mares will be pushing the boundaries of their racing career as they enter into a new year of racing. Some will go to have long and successful breeding careers, while others will disappear into the claiming ranks to help pay barn fees.  Handicapping this particular kind of field is always difficult because you know they all have a date with Father Time and you just never know when wear and tear factors into the equation.

The primary candidates to fall victim to wear and tear in this field are the only Graded winners in this race HANNAH CADET, who although is making only her 22^nd career start, enters the field off of a pair of dull efforts, something she hasn’t done since her 5^th and 6^th start of her career, and one of those races was the G2 Lake Georgina and BUCKOF THE NILE who is making her 26^th career start.  Yes, both are more than capable of winning this race off their best effort, but if you are suspicious about wear and tear this is where you should start.

Although DEATH IN THE EYE has been lightly raced, it is hard to tell how much that 4yo campaign has taken out of her.  I suspect she will feel revitalized with the class break and will make a good account of herself in her second start off a layoff as she faces a crucial point in her racing career.

Defying Father Time, MAJESTIC MINISTER, who is also making her 26^th appearance, has shown no signs of wear and tear and has always been a dangerous foe off the layoff, as evidenced with her victory in the Zytown Dirt Mare Mile after six months of inactivity.

Unlike her long-time adversary BUCKOF THE NILE, the casino trained ROULETTE INFERNO is still racing in top form and is well-poised to turn the tables on her nemesis.  Another that runs well fresh and should be considered a main threat in the ESR feature.

SADIE D and DEMONSTRATION TIME are both making their first stakes appearance with SADIE D looking more like the one primed to meet that challenge.

CREOLE FUNK BAND makes for an interesting story, a New Mexico bred taking on open-bred rivals, and while I’m not fully convinced that she can pull off the upset, I am sure she will meet the task with full desire and determination.

The Picks

MAJESTIC MINISTER – she’s just better than these at this time

ROULETTE INFERNO – still racing in top form

DEATH IN THE EYE – gets another chance

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