Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes: Who Could Be This Year's Animal Kingdom?

The Grade III Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes will be run today as the 10th race at Turfway Park. Twelve 3-year-old colts will be running for the big prize on the $500,000 purse and a spot in the Kentucky Derby.

Last year, Animal Kingdom used this race as a springboard to his eventual win in the Kentucky Derby. He came into the race as a promising colt, winner of one race in three starts. 

But not many had him on the radar as a possible winner of the Kentucky Derby after winning the Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes. Maybe because this is a Grade III race and most of the top contenders pick the big Grade I races in the next few weekends to get their final prep for the first Saturday in May.

The race's purse was increased and in 1988 was elevated to a Grade II race and top contenders started to view it as a feasible prep race to the Kentucky Derby. Then during the early '90s the winners of this race provided went on to win of some of the Triple Crown races—including the Kentucky Derby. 

Summer Squall won it in 1990. He went on to finish second in the Kentucky Derby and won the Preakness. He did not run in the Belmont since he needed Lasix to run and it was banned in New York.

Hansel won it in 1991 and set the track record (1:46.60), and went on to finish 10th in the Kentucky Derby, but won the Preakness and Belmont Stakes that year.

In 1992, Lil E. Tee won the race and went on to win the Kentucky Derby. And in 1993, Prairie Bayou won here and finished second in the Kentucky Derby, won the Preakness and in the Belmont he unfortunately broke down and had to be euthanized.

And then last year, we all know what Animal Kingdom did. Kentucky Derby winner, second in the Preakness and had the incident at the start at the Belmont.

There is also Hard Spun in 2007 who was a top contender in all three Triple Crown races. Will there be another top contender coming out of this year's edition?

The three favorites are Heavy Breathing, Went the Day Well and Handsome Mike.  

Heavy Breathing is trained by Todd Pletcher and owned by Starlight Racing. The son of Giant's Causeway has won both of his starts by a combined 12 lengths. 

Impressive might seem an understatement when you see how easy he won those races. It can be argued that he has not faced true competition yet, but he overmatched the lesser opposition just like any top horse would do.

The only possible drawbacks would be how he handles the synthetic surface and the fact that he has recorded only a 79 as his best Beyer figure. He has a decent workout at four furlongs (:48 1/5) for this race and is justified as a favorite.

Went the Day Well calls for attention mostly because is by the same connections as Animal Kingdom. That is trainer Graham Motion, jockey John Velazquez and owners Team Valor International.

Deja Vu? Not exactly.

The son of Proud Citizen started his career overseas in Great Britain. He rallied to finish a close second on both starts there on the turf. This year both of his races have been on dirt and was fourth on his first start and won edging away on his last.

He seems to be able to run all day and learning on every start. This race is on synthetic, which should suit him better, and even though Javier Castellano chose to run Heavy Breathing, he gets John Velazquez aboard. No drop there.

Handsome Mike is owned by J Paul Reddam and trained by Doug O'Neill. The son of Scat Daddy has the best Beyer figures in the race by far, but his pace setting style might not serve him well in this race, unless he shows an ability to rate. 

That may be the very reason why he should be considered here. Trainer O'Neill gets Joel Rosario cross country to ride a horse that he has never ride and is one-for-six lifetime? I have to get him on my exotics.

Rosario is a very patient rider, who likes to run off the pace. That style might work for Handsome Mike, who will start from post No. 12, outside of everyone today.

From the rest of the horses, Mr. Prankster catches my attention. The son of Cremedelacremer was improving on every race and was expected to have a big race on the John Battaglia Memorial. He was forced five wide and failed to fire on that race.

He has a record of two wins and one second place in four starts on synthetic. His only blemish was that last race. I am willing to scratch that race, today he gets Rosie Napravnik aboard and that in itself is a reason for consideration.

If you want some more value for your bet, take a look a Tizanexpense. Like Mr Prankster, he had won two in a row before disappearing on the Risen Star. 

But he had an excuse there, he started from post 11 and was bumped about seven wide on the first turn. Jockey Miguel Mena was struggling with controlling the horse through that turn and that took him out of the race. Beware of him here, he can win.

On paper it doesn't look like there is a runner that would catch your eye as a possible Kentucky Derby threat. But then again that is what most said last year, and we all saw what Animal Kingdom did.

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