By Paul Lambrakis

 

This 7 1/2 furlong distance is one of the most grueling on horses. It is the longest of the sprint distances and requires both speed and stamina. Horses that have proven themselves at this distance or at 7f have an advantage. 

 

The obvious choice in here is Liberian Freighter. He was given some time off following a game win at this distance and still looks to still be very sharp as evidenced by the series of slow maintenance workouts leading up to this race. Another horse to consider is Noble Court. This one is lightly raced and is always well spotted. He is proven at 7f and looks to be fit with a breezing 4f workout on 6/2.

 

Star Nicholas, who is probably a cut below the top two, fits well here as he loves this distance and this track but has trouble finding the winner’s circle. Sierra Sunset was highly regarded as a three-year-old but has been on the shelf for over a year. He makes his 2009 debut here, but this is a very tough distance for a horse that has been away so long.

 

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