This year’s field features a number of interesting contenders, including a promising favorite in Deep Flame, a proven dirt performer in Obliteration, and Chief Wallabee, a horse with experience against some of the best three-year-olds in the country.
After reviewing the field and the Today’s Racing Digest past performances, I’m looking for a horse who can take advantage of a potentially contested pace.
Let’s meet the field and examine the key speed figures for the Perryville Stakes.
Perryville Stakes Field Analysis
1. Solitude Dude (6-1)
Solitude Dude makes his first start for trainer Joe Sharp, with Jose Ortiz taking the mount. He has four wins, a second, and a third from eight career starts and has won twice at seven furlongs.
His most recent outing was a disappointing fourth-place finish, beaten more than eight lengths as the favorite in a stakes race at Charles Town. Not every horse handles that bullring oval, so I’m willing to give him a mulligan.
He should show speed from the inside post, but his recent form has been inconsistent. His best numbers fit with this field, although the combination of his rail draw and other early-speed contenders makes him difficult to trust on top.
2. Trouble Calling (20-1)
Greg Foley trains Trouble Calling, who will have Luis Saez aboard. He has four wins and eight top-three finishes from 10 starts.
He has run well in both of his Keeneland appearances and is one-for-one at seven furlongs. He exits a wire-to-wire victory in a turf sprint over yielding ground.
The challenge here is returning to the main track and racing without Lasix. His last three final-time ratings were 135, 134, and 131, suggesting he needs to improve to win this race. He should be forwardly placed, but the faster pace could make his task more difficult.
3. Chief Wallabee (8-1)
Trained by Bill Mott, Chief Wallabee has one win, three seconds, and a third from seven starts. He is one-for-one at seven furlongs, having won his career debut at that distance at Gulfstream Park while tracking the pace and defeating The Puma.
He subsequently stepped up to longer distances and competed on the Triple Crown trail, finishing second in the Fountain of Youth Stakes and third in the Florida Derby. He then finished fourth in the Kentucky Derby after adding blinkers.
The distances became a concern in the Belmont Stakes, where he weakened to fourth after hitting the front early in the stretch. He later finished second behind the runaway winner Sea Strike in the Curlin Stakes, then returned to a one-turn mile against older horses and finished second again.
Now he gets another opportunity at the seven-furlong distance where he began his career successfully.
His earlier Digest ratings of 140 and 149 demonstrate that he has the ability to compete with this group.
I particularly like his position from post three. With several horses likely to show early speed, Chief Wallabee could settle just behind the leaders and save ground. If a gap opens in the stretch, he could have the opportunity to deliver a decisive late run.
At a morning-line price of 8-1, he offers an appealing alternative to the favorite.
Read more at Today's Racing Digest
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