King of Pop may steal the show with an off-the-pace move in Saturday’s Group 3 Black Opal Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 2-year-olds at Canberra Racecourse in Australia.
The $125,900 Black Opal Stakes, run at six furlongs, drew a field of 14, including a few prospects with sufficient speed to aid a closer such as King of Pop.
Trained by Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, King of Pop won his debut in a maiden race at 5 1/2 furlongs at Warwick Farm Racecourse in Sydney on Feb. 10, closing from fourth of 10.
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King of Pop is one of four winners in the Black Opal field and may go favored in an open race. As of Friday morning, King of Pop was the 9-2 co-favorite in early betting with Farcited, who won his debut in an allowance race at five furlongs at Canberra on Feb. 21 by racing as a stalker.
Aleppo Pine, a maiden race winner in December, is well-regarded despite fading from the front to finish fifth in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude Stakes for colts and geldings at 5 1/2 furlongs at Caulfield Racecourse on Feb. 8 in his second and most recent start.
The Black Opal Stakes is the most prestigious race on a 10-race program at Canberra that begins at 7:36 p.m. Eastern or 4:36 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.
In the following race, Alalcance will be favored to end a two-race losing streak since September in the $125,900 Canberra Cup at 1 1/4 miles. Alalcance last won a handicap at 1 5/16 miles at Warwick Farm and has been second by less than a length in a handicap at 1 1/4 miles at Kembla Grange on Nov. 23 and a handicap at 1 1/2 miles at Royal Randwick on Dec. 14.
Alalcance tends to run near the front and could be joined in a forward position by the talented Redstone Well, who was fifth by slightly more than 1 3/4 lengths in the Group 3 Parramatta Cup at 1 3/16 miles at Rosehill Gardens on Feb. 22 after setting the pace.
Last October, Redstone Well closed from third to win the Port Macquarie Cup at 1 1/4 miles for his first career win in three starts at the distance.
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