Jaipur Stakes 2021 Picks: Sombeyay sprints home on the grass
6F (Turf) Jaipur Stakes (G1), $400k, 3+
It is time for the Jaipur S. to takes its place among the elite Grade I sprints on the grass in North America. Steadily, over the years it has gained favor, and the purses have risen, along with the class status. This year’s edition includes a capacity field, and because of that, it partly has the feel of a Breeders’ Cup race.
As far as the entrants go, clearly the class of the field is Wesley Ward’s Bound for Nowhere #6. It is interesting … this salty runner out of The Factor has only run in a pair of races over the past year and that was the Shakertown (G2) at Keeneland. The veteran won one of those contests, and now he is coming into the Jaipur with high hopes. Joel Rosario is going to be donning the “WW” for his conditioner, which signifies the fact that Ward also owns this able-bodied sprinter. He could certainly be in a position to score in the end.
I cannot say I like the short price … so, looking elsewhere is requisite. My alternative to Ward’s ace is to back Peter Miller’s Sombeyay #12. Aboard is Rosario’s old grass sprinting foe from SoCal, Flavien Prat. This grass mower has some excellent class to him, and I like the effort last time in the Turf Sprint (G2) back at Churchill on the Oaks undercard. Prat is as hot as ever in the saddle, and I expect him to vie for an enormous day at “Big Sandy.”
The rest of these sprinters that are drawn in here seem like a hash of “class clowns,” “also rans,” and “seniors” who are past their prime. I like both Oleksandra #9 and Got Stormy #11 because I am reminded of some of their celebrated races. Who could forget them! However, I think they are a bit long in the tooth, and maybe past their prime. Taking a shot against Fast Boat #4, a horse I just have never cared for, seems like the right thing to do. Stick to the plan … don’t deviate … If I am wrong, then I am wrong … Say that with me …
The bet to make is an ice-cold Exacta, and that is the way I am going to play this one.
Wagering Recommendation: $2 Exacta Cold, 12 w 6