Hawthorne Gold Cup

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

A field of 11 will vie over 1 1/4 miles in the $500,000 Hawthorne Gold Cup H. (G2)
on Saturday. We could pick almost any horse in the field and feel like we had a
decent chance to win, so we’ll look for a price.

ALCOMO (Brz) (Rainbow Corner [GB]) upset the Greenwood Cup two back at 12
furlongs prior to checking in third at Remington last out, but a step forward is
expected against these. The talented bay has given a good impression of himself
since arriving in the United States and has every chance to challenge for a victory with
his best. Willie Martinez will be in the irons.

Multiple stakes star STONEHOUSE (Chester House) has finished first or second
in five of seven lifetime starts at Hawthorne and responded to a brief layoff
with a nifty stakes score at Prairie Meadows most recently. The bay
Illinois-bred has learned to run from off the pace this year, with good results,
and the 10-furlong trip in here seems to be well within his capabilities. We
consider him usable in all gimmicks.

Multiple Grade 1-placed AWESOME GEM (Awesome Again) was an even seventh in
the Pacific Classic S. (G1) last out and will trek in from the West Coast for
conditioner Craig Dollase. The gelding should be well back early before putting
in his consistent late run, and he could get a swift tempo at which to run on
this day. David Flores will fly in for the mount, so he’s another with a chance at the win.

JONESBORO (Sefapiano) seems to be getting better with age, as the
seven-year-old has finished first or second in nine of his last 10 tries, which
includes four stakes triumphs. A stylish winner of the Cornhusker H. (G2) two
prior, the chestnut could be the one to catch turning for home. NITE LIGHT (Thunder Gulch) comes off a 5
3/4-length romp in the Turfway Park
Fall Championship S. (G3) for Todd Pletcher and is sure to take a lot of action
in this field. The well-bred bay can run forever and has the positional speed to
be placed wherever he needs to be throughout the race. We consider the
five-year-old a win threat, but we are concerned that he could be out-moved at
this trip.

YOU AND I FOREVER (A.P. Indy) flashed lots of ability last campaign but has
yet to build on that this year while running respectably for Marty Wolfson. A
distant second in the Philip H. Iselin S. (G3) last out, the four-year-old has
indicated that this type of distance could be to his liking and he could surely
improve in his fourth off the shelf, so we can envision this one being in the
conversation late under Jesus Castanon.

SHADOWBDANCING (Montbrook) reeled off an impressive string of BRIS Speed
figures earlier in the year for trainer Terrell Gore — 105, 103, 105 and 113 —
and finished second in the Cornhusker. The dark bay sports a solid 7-3-3-1 mark
over this oval and could be the speed of the speed in here, so he’s yet another
to consider for the top prize. Mineshaft H. (G3) third BROTHERS NICOLAS (Smart Strike), fourth against
similar competition in this race last season, drew the rail for Louis Roussel
III. The gelded five-year-old broke his maiden by 12 1/2 commanding lengths in
2007 and has run relatively well against company of this kind, so we’ll include
this one in the exotics from the rail.

GOING BALLISTIC (Lite the Fuse) had the misfortune of drawing widest in here
and doesn’t have the right running style to flourish in this race for Donnie Von
Hemel. The gray five-year-old would only be a win threat if the early tempo is
suicidal, but we can’t envision that. Brooklyn H. (G2) upsetter ELDAAFER (A.P. Indy) didn’t draw well and might be
a one-hit wonder, so we’ll take a stand against the vastly improved dark bay. LOWTHER STREET (Street Cry [Ire]) just defeated first-level allowance foes at
Saratoga in his last, and while we acknowledge that he has the pedigree to run
all day, we simply don’t think he’s as talented as many of these.