Union Jack is a great horse. He's just not a superstar.
It pains me to withhold him from races like this weekends Diamond Stakes with it's $1.35M purse. But I've come to the conclusion that as good as UJ is, he's just not quite at that pinnacle of talent necessary to compete with horses like A Bus, Lazy Loper, and Perfect Bell.
And, since our current entry and travel rules allow horses to globe-hop to an unrealistic degree, there is no possibility of avoiding those superstars at every big-purse race. So, horses like Union Jack will have forgo the really lucrative races and must be satisfied occupying the second rung of the ladder.
That is my rationale for entering UJ in the Gr2 12 furlong Sunset Handicap. He's up against a good field, but he has a much better shot at a victory, or even hitting the board, in this race.
Another entry that made me pause was Big Slick in the Illawara Mercury 2yo Classic on turf.
BS is definitely superior in dirt, but after facing fields of 20, 19, and 20 in his first three races, I decided that a change of surface might be advisable. He is at least adequate on turf, so hopefully that won't hinder him. The idea is to try to avoid another massive field. That strategy appears to have paid off as there are currently 9 horses scheduled to participate.
Interestingly, Big Slick will face off against his half-brother, Elegant Tower from Gorforwand in this race. Currently, both horses sport identical records of 3-0-1-1.
Kid Flash, Sitio Estrategico, and newcomer Stowaway are also scheduled to run this weekend.
By the way, see anything familiar about that picture of Union Jack?
It is the profile used in the Otsego Farms logo.
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