This week we’re over in Deauville, France for the running of The Saint Cloud Grand Prix (G1) over a mile and a half on the turf. The Group I event is going off as the lucky thirteenth race on the card this Saturday, right before the running of the The Mallrat (G2). The Saint Cloud Grand Pix (G1) will be open to all horses, four-years-old and up. There will be some thunderstorms in the area of the track early in the week, but these will have all cleared away by the time post time comes around on Saturday. Last years’ running of The Saint Cloud Grand Prix (G1), which was the inaugural running of the race, brought forth the winner Oisans (JPN), owned and trained by zatopeck. Another horse will be etched into the history books this weekend. The prestigious race has attracted a total of nine horses to the race this weekend, lets take a look at the field for the second running in history of the Saint Cloud.

1. Victory Money (ENG) - (Authorized x Crafty Prospector x Danzig) - tips of Tips Stables - d R. Wilkinsonboro - 8/1

One colt that will need to rebound this weekend, the four-year-old is out of of the Group winning broodmare Artsinthealley. The only offspring of the broodmare, the brown colt has won eight times in his twenty career starts, however, the colt has bee struggling a bit lately. The English-bred colt has finished off the board in his two most recent starts, as well as put in speed figures off the three digit mark. His most recent start was The Dishpan (G2) in Paris. The colt broke stalking the front runners but faded as the nine furlong race went on. He would finish sixth, nine and three-quarter lengths off the pace, setting a speed figure of ninety-five. His most recent win was in February during a local bred allowance race, which he won easily by one and three-quarter lengths. Like many of the field this weekend, he will want to rate just behind a few pace setters at the start of the race, though he could even go out to the lead. However, with the number of horses that have these same running tendencies in the race this weekend, we have to wonder who will be able to adapt to running off the pace.

2. Jewelly (ENG) - (Hernando (FR) x Key To The Mint x King’s Bishop) - carbisdale of Carbisdale Stables - C. Williams - 5/1

A late entry into the race this weekend, the six-year-old English veteran will be making his thirtieth career start this weekend in the Saint Cloud Grand Prix (G1). The chestnut horse has won a total of sixteen races so far in his career. He will be making his first graded start since 2008. The most recent start for the horse came over twelve furlongs in the listed stakes race, The Rain God Challenge. The hose began his race just off the pace of a few front runners out of the gate. He gained ground steadily as the race progressed, until at the wire he would cross the wire two and a half lengths in front with a speed figure of one hundred eleven, which is a lifetime best for the horse. The most recent graded start for the six-year-old was in the 2008 Reading Is Fundamental Restricted (G1) over thirteen furlongs where he finished fourteenth. This was the horses’ only graded start in his career. The horse will likely be running towards the middle of the field at the break on Saturday, well off the crazy pace of the scramble for the front

3. Consecutive - (Giant’s Causeway (IRE) x Danehill x Sassafras (FR)) - mrenforcer of Pedro’s Racing Empire - W. Moss - 6/1

Out of the group placed broodmare Princess Gretchen, the four-year-old colt will be making his twenty-second career start this weekend. The chestnut colt has won five races in his career, all of his victories coming over the turf. The colt, bred in Kentucky, made his most recent start right here in Deauville during The Grand Prix (G2) last month. The colt was held back at the start of the race towards the middle of the pack, but at the midway point of the race he was urged forward to start to pick off other horse. At the wire the colt would finish two and a half lengths off the pace in second, setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred nine. The colt saw his last victory earlier this year in India during a twelve furlong allowance race, where the colt was held a little closer to the pace at the beginning of the race, and went on to win impressively by three and three-quarter lengths. The colt has had a single graded win in his career, coming in last years’ The Dutch St. Leger (G3) in Germany. The colt will probably be forwardly placed this weekend, but will be just off the pace of a few front runners at the break.

4. Tex Gold (IRE) - (Sadler’s Wells x Alydar x Bold Ruler) - texasace00 of Livestrong Racing - R. Truitt - 8/1

Getting in this weekend with this race as the second choice after the colt didn’t draw into his connections’ favored race, the four-year-old colt will be making his second graded start this year. The brown Irish-bred is lightly raced with just seventeen lifetime starts, though he has brought home an impressive $3,149,940 in career earnings. The most recent race for the horse was an eleven furlong allowance race overseas in the United States. The colt broke right out on the lead out of the gate of this race and never lost his position as he skated to an easy three and three-quarter length victory. He set a speed figure of ninety-seven for his effort. His most recent graded stakes haven’t been the most glamorous however. Most recently he finished a well-beaten fifteenth in The Dual Hemisphere Restricted (G1) at ten furlongs when he finished sixteen and a quarter lengths off the pace this past February. His most recent graded win was late last year during The Great Volt (G2), where he again went wire to wire. The colts most famous victory came in The Japanese Derby (G1) last year when he held on to win by the barest of noses at the wire. This colt is a definite speed demon and will be right out in contention for the lead of the race out of the gates this weekend.

5. Matisyahu - (Tiznow x Le Fabuleux x Bold Bidder) - gtest of Gtest Stables - J. Stivers - 3/1

One of the most accomplished horses in this weekend’s field, the six-year-old veteran has made forty-seven lifetime starts. The Kentucky-bred has also earned a total of $2,223,700 in career lifetime earnings. The brown horse is coming off two consecutive wins recently, the most recent of which was The Slugger Handicap (G3) over twelve furlongs overseas in Kentucky. The horse broke out of the gate behind a few front runners where he stalked the front pace of the race. By the time the field came into the stretch, the horse had taken control of the race to win by two and three-quarter lengths, setting a speed figure of one hundred ten. Prior to this the horse also won the CEO Classic (G3), also at twelve furlongs. Again this weekend, the horse will probably be rated back behind a few front-runners at the start, where he will bide his time until attempting to take over the race sometime near the stretch.

6. Fantastic Mix (FR) - (Linamix (FR) x Fantastic Light x Affirmed) - spaderacin of Worldwide - L. Woodard - 10/1

Nearing thirty career races, the brown native French-bred five-year-old has earned just over half a million in career earnings, winning eleven times in his career. The impressive brown horse is coming off two recent consecutive wins, both allowance races, once of which was held in nearby Paris, France. The mot recent of the two, coming over ten furlongs in Ireland, had the colt break out of the starting gate in third but quickly take over command of the field. He would lead the rest of the way in the race, winning impressively by three and a quarter lengths, setting a speed figure of one hundred eight. The horse has made several listed and group stakes starts, of which he has won two. Last year the horse won the ten furlong Kakarazuka Tinen Cup (G2) and back in 2008 he won the All Your Base Are Belong To Us Cup (G1) in Australia. Now the horse will be running to win another in 2010. This horse can either sit off the pace behind a few front runners out of the gate, as is his preference, or he can go right out on the lead with success in his races. The pace on Saturday, no doubt, will play a role in where we see him start out of the gate this weekend.

7. The Beast Enters (ENG) - (Green Desert x Diesis (GB) x Kingmambo) - qwikvett1 of Qwikvett Stables - P. Rodman - 7/1

With $1,659,330 in lifetime career earnings, the four-year-old English-bred colt has won only five times in his racing career. The colt has won in the prestigious New Zealand Derby (G1) last year as well as finishing second in the Breeders’ Bowl Juvenile Turf (G1) in 2008. In more recent times, however, the colt has just come off a fifth place finish in The Slugger Handicap (G3) over twelve furlongs. The colt started out this race well, tucked in behind at second, but he would fade badly in the stretch, to cross the wire eight and a quarter lengths off the pace. He set a speed figure of one hundred three. His most recent victory was in The Royal Roo Stakes, a listed stakes race over twelve furlongs overseas in Kentucky. He would win the race after leading gate to wire, concluding the race with a winning margin of two and three-quarter lengths. He will probably be our pacesetter this week out of the gate, and if not you can be sure he will probably be very close to it.

8. Seattle In Awe - (Awesome Again x Seattle Slew x Alydar) - ks00003 of Ks00003 Stables - R. Stevenson - 5/1

Returning to the turf for the first time since late 2009, the four-year-old is lightly raced with just fourteen career starts. The brown colt has won four times in his career, with three of these wins coming over the dirt, not the turf. His most recent start was over the dirt during The TV Stakes (G3) at twelve furlongs. With a running style that could be advantageous this weekend with the number of speed horse in this race, the colt tends to run off the pace as a closer near the middle or back of the field. The colt ran towards the middle of the pack in this race and started to gain ground towards the tail end of the race. He would still come up short though, as he set a speed figure of one hundred ten, a lifetime best, but still finished fourth, six and a quarter lengths off the pace. This race, in combination with two others in which the colt has finished off the board, has led to the colt’s return to turf. His most recent turf start was last October in a thirteen furlong allowance race. The colt, again held off towards the middle of the field, rallied late to finish second. The colt has never made a stakes start over the turf. With all the speed in the field this weekend, we’ll likely see the colt play the role as a closer, held more towards the rear of the field, rather than the middle.

9. Future Dream - (A.P. Indy x Sadler’s Wells x Nijinsky II) - kevoman2 of Kevoman Stables - J. Francis - 5/1

Lightly raced with just ten lifetime starts, the four-year-old colt is out of the Group I winning broodmare True Dream. The brown colt, bred in Kentucky, has won six races in his career and has only finished off the board once so far in his racing career. The colt’s most recent start was late last month in The Coronation Pilsner (G1) in Surrey, England. The colt broke out of the gate behind in second, just off the pace of the front-runner. As the race wore on though, the colt would fade in the stretch to finish fourth, eight and a quarter lengths off the pace, setting a speed figure of one hundred five. This was the first, and so far only, race in which the colt has ever finished off the board. There has been some speculation that perhaps the colt bounced in this last race, as his prior start was a three and three-quarter length victory, with a lifetime best one hundred eleven speed figure, in The Honey Do (G3). The colt will be making his third graded stakes start this weekend in The Saint Cloud Prix (G1). The colt could either be right out on the pace this weekend or he could be set back just slightly off of it, behind a few front runners.

Flrancho’s Picks
Win: Matisyahu
Place: Future Dream
Show: Consecutive