The final graded race of the day this coming Saturday in Newmarket will be The Suffix (G1) over a mile over the grass. The feature race of the day, the fourteenth on the card, will be open to three-year-olds and up and is sure to attract some of the top turf runners of the area. Last year’s winner of the race was the now retired Hoegaarden, owned and trained by simsters6. The son of Gone West won’t be here to defend his title, so we’ll have a new horse in the winner’s circle this weekend. It will be mostly cloudy for the majority of the week here. The thunderstorms that were forecasted to be in the area at race-time Saturday have dissipated. Though the track will be listed as firm on Saturday, the threat of bad weather may have scared some of the contenders away so we’ll be having a total of seven line up at the gate this weekend, Let’s take a look at the runners.

1. Slewkeptallvows - (Broken Vow x Seattle Slew x Seeking The Gold) - romeshome of Willyam13 Stables - T. Cooper - 7/2

Coming off a win to get here in this race, the five-year-old is gunning for his seventh career win in his twenty-one lifetime starts. Bred in Kentucky, the horse made his last start in the United States during The Hold ‘Em Handicap (G3) over a mile in New York. The brown horse took the mile long turf race in wire to wire fashion, holding on to win by a still impressive margin of four lengths, while setting an impressive speed figure of one hundred ten. This horse too ran in last years’ Sussex Handicap, finishing second in a photo finish with last years winner. He’s seeking some redemption this year and the connections are hoping that this time the horse can take home the win. The son of Broken Vow is a definite speedster who will probably be out of the first thing on Saturday, and will likely to be the pace out of the gate for the other horses to follow.

2. Lammle (IRE) - (Montjeu (IRE) x Kingmambo x Blushing Groom (FR)) - smailholm of Smailholme Stables - A. Williams - 7/2

A late addition to The Suffix (G1) field, the four-year-old Irish-bred is lightly raced with seventeen lifetime starts, wining a total of nine times in his career. The brown colt made his most recent start in The Nexis Champion Stakes, a listed stakes race over eight and a half furlongs in Italy. Breaking towards the rear of the field, the brown colt was urged to move forward towards the latter part of the race and did so, crossing the wire first to win in a photo finish by a head at the wire. He set a speed figure of one hundred seven. Prior to this the colt had won by one and a half lengths, with a speed figure of one hundred fifteen in The Hollywood Halo Stakes, another eight and a half furlong listed stakes race. This weekend will be the colts first start against Group competition, so he will have to adjust to a change in class for this start. He will likely be mid-pack or far off the pace at the start of the race on Saturday, where will depend on how the pace is at the break.

3. Stormin Blues - (Bernardini x Storm Cat x Forty Niner) - desperado2 of Desperado Stables - A. Craig - 5/2

With ten lifetime wins and brining home more than two million in career earnings, the five-year-old horse is out of the broodmare Hold On Loosely. The brown horse made his most recent start in Berkshire, England during The Queen Sam (G1) over a mile. The horse broke out of the gate in this start just behind a few front runners, but ended up fading as the race wore on, finishing sixth at the wire. The horse set a speed figure of one hundred four for the race. Prior to this the horse had won a photo finish in The Locksmith, clinching the win by just a nose. The horse ran in last years Suffix (G1) and came home finishing fifth in that years’ running. Most often the horse will run towards the middle of the pack in his races, making a move around the midway point of the race. He is fairly versatile though, and has also run closer to the pace with success.

4. The Executioner - (Cryptoclearance x Runaway Groom x Tom Rolfe) - sonofsham of Sonofsham Stables - B. Bentley - 20/1

Running under a new trainer now after being claimed for $75,000, the striking roan five-year-old is out of the graded placed broodmare Justen G. The Kentucky-bred horse has made thirty-three lifetime starts, winning nine times in his career. This weekend will mark the second Group start for the horse under his new trainer. The most recent start for the horse was in The Messaround a listed stakes race over a mile in France. Going straight out to the lead out of the gate, the horse faded later on in the race to cross the wire fifteen and three-quarter lengths back in seventh place. His most recent stakes start was The Marcy’s Fort (G3) over eight and a half furlongs across the pond in the United States. Again the horse would come out fast but fade in the latter part of the race, coming in at the wire ten lengths off the pace. He won his previous race however, a starter allowance over seven and a half furlongs, by three lengths. The horse will probably try to go up to the lead this weekend along with the other speed horses; he may be forced to rate though if he’s going to make the mile distance.

5. Strike Machine - (Smart Strike x Seattle Slew x Nijinsky II) - checkmate1 of Checkmate1 Stables - A. Tuscha - 5/1

With five lifetime victories, the four-year-old colt, one of the younger starters in this weekends race, he has brought home just $169,282. The Kentucky-bred colt made his most recent start in Italy in The Nexis Champion Stakes, a listed stakes race over eight and a half furlongs. Breaking from the far back portion of the field, the colt began picking off other contenders right away from the start. He would finish just a head behind the winner in second place, setting a speed figure of one hundred seven. His most recent win was the first weekend in May during an eight and a half furlong allowance race, in which he won in wire to wire fashion by two and a quarter lengths. The brown colt has only made two group starts, the most recent of which was The Diolated Stakes (G3) in which the colt finished third. The colt is a versatile runner, though most often he prefers to be sent towards the middle of the pack, most often being made to make his move later on as the field comes down close to the stretch.

6. Hannah’s Muse - (Limehouse x Sadler’s Wells x A.P. Indy) - tokoroa of Rharfo4 Stables - K. Mitchell - 10/1

Making the second Group start of this racing season, the four-year-old colt has won eight races to date, making a total of twenty lifetime starts in his career. The chestnut homebred colt made his most recent start overseas in the United States during The Sky Mixing Memorial, a listed stakes race over a mile on the turf. The chestnut Kentucky-bred broke out of the gate and went straight to the lead in the race. However, as the field made their way into the stretch, the colt faded and finished back in fifth place, setting a speed figure of ninety-eight. His most recent Group start was in The Bourbon Mile (G2), also in the United States over a mile, in which the colt came home seventh across the wire. His most recent win was in wire to wire fashion in nearby Surrey, England during The R.I.P. Saddie (AUS) Stakes at nine furlongs. The colt is a speedier type and will probably try to fight for the lead out of the gate along with Slewkeptallvows. The colt could be rated just off him, or try to battle it out in an early speed dual.

7. Kalamunda - (El Prado (IRE) x Danehill x El Gran Senor) - phllpy of Bigkev and Bjbandit Farms - J Bradley - 3/1

Coming across the pond for The Sussex (G1) this weekend, the light gray horse will be making his twenty-ninth start this weekend. The five-year-old horse has won nine lifetime races. His most recent start came in the United States during The Sparkler Handicap (G2) at a mile. Breaking towards the middle of the pack in the mile long turf start, the horse was urged forward to move in the stretch. Though he made up a good deal of ground, he would finish third at the wire, setting a speed figure of one hundred six. His most recent win was in April, overseas in Japan during The Milers Cup (G3). He won this race very impressively by one and three-quarter lengths, after coming from far off the pace. The light gray horse is quite versatile and could run anyway out of the gate on Saturday from the very front of the pack, to the very back.

Flrancho’s Picks
Win: Stormin Blues
Place: Lammle (IRE)
Show: Slewkeptallvows