Las Vegas, NV - The Grade 1 Eddie Read Stakes comes our way this Saturday, July 21 st from Del Mar Race Course. Horses three years old and upward will race 1 1/8 miles on Del Mar's turf track with a $300,000 purse on the line.
The Eddie Read has attracted a strong but small field of five for race 3 on Del Mar's Saturday card. Post time is 3:00 PM. Here is a look at the five entries and the recent performances that brought them to this Grade 1 event.
2012 Eddie Read Stakes Race Favorites
Acclamation - will be looking to repeat in this race. The reigning Eclipse Award winner for older males makes his 2012 debut with a win on June 9th in the Grade 1 Charles Whittingham Memorial in wire-to-wire fashion and has now won six straight stakes races including the Clement L. Hirsch Turf Championship Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park (Turf), TVG Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) at Del Mar (Synthetic), Eddie Read Stakes (G1) at Del Mar (Turf), and Jim Murray Handicap (G2) at Hollywood Park last year. Acclamation was superb on turf last year winning four consecutive graded stakes on that surface and he has won his only start on that surface this year. Acclamation is obviously the class of the field on Saturday!
Slim Shadey - has looked good as of late except for last time out - a fifth as favorite in the Grade 1 United Nations Stakes at Monmouth Park on July 7th. Before that three straight second place finishes - the Grade 1 Charles Whittingham to Acclamation, in the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic at Churchill Downs and the Grade 1 San Luis Stakes on March 25th to follow two straight wins - an Allowance Optional Claiming on January 12 th and the Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes on February 11th at Santa Anita. Slim Shadey is in decent form and could certainly be a threat in this race.
Eddie Read Stakes 2012 | Remaining Field Entries
Casino Host - Former Chad Brown colt Casino Host will be making his first start under new trainer Ron Ellis after two straight disappointing results - a seventh last time out in the Colonial Turf Cup Stakes and a fourth in the Grade 2 Dixie. Before that he looked good in posting two straight wins in 2012 - the Grade 2 Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Memorial Handicap at Fair Grounds on April 1st and Allowance score at Gulfstream on February 4th. Casino Host has been good in the past but certainly isn't in the best of form heading into the Eddie Read.
Eddie Read Stakes betting at OffTrackBetting.com
Interaction - Former Argentinean Horse of the Year Interaction is coming off a win in an Allowance Optional Claiming last time out at Hollywood Park on June 16 th to follow some disappointing results to end 2011 - a ninth in the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch Handicap, an eighth in the Grade 3 Arlington Handicap and a seventh in the Grade 2 Dubai City of Gold. Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally took over Interaction before his last start and seems to have turned things around just a bit.
Hog`s Hollow - had a decent third in the Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes behind Bourbon Bay in March but has struggled since - a fifth last time out in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Hollywood Park was followed by another fifth in the Grade 2 San Juan Capistrano Handicap at Santa Anita in March.
