M One Rifle to try turf this year, starting with a Grade 2 Arcadia Stakes
Dwelling in dirt and poly tracks oriented races throughout his 18 career starts, M One Rifle, will greet the New Year with a run on turf in the Grade 2 Arcadia Stakes, something he has never done before, and it is high time that trainer Bruce Headley switches him to grass after just winning 5 starts in his 18 career starts.
The Grade 2 Arcadia Stakes will be run over a distance of 1 mile on turf at Santa Anita Park on 4 February, 2012, against 4-year-old and above males, where he might meet the dangerous, Mr. Commons, who might spoil his chances of a successful turf debut.
“All of the races his sire (One Man Army) won were on the grass,” said trainer Bruce Headley, explaining his decision.
“Plus, his body’s lengthened out now, and that’s why he’s lost his speed. The way he’s acting, how he looks and because of his pedigree are reasons we decided to try the Arcadia.”
It’s been a long time coming, but considering his pedigree, it seems to be a sensible decision and hopefully a right one for the 6-year-old gelding.
The California bred son of One Man Army, out of mare Leanessa by Bertrando, M One Rifle is owned and bred by Ed Bernstein, Bryan Greenspun and trainer, Bruce Headley.
He won a grade 1 for his connections back in 2009, when he landed the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at about seven furlong.
Ridden by Mike Smith, M One Rifle downed the likes of Misremembered in second, and Papa Clem in third, while completing the distance in 1 minute and 21.05 seconds.
After a four race losing streak, where he was placed third in an allowance race, and consecutively finished 4th in the next three, he snapped the losing streak with a win in the Cool Frenchy Stakes over Hollywood Park’s cushion track at about five furlongs on 7 May, 2011.
He then finished second to Camp Victory immediately after the Cool Frency win, also at Hollywood Park’s cushion track at about six furlongs.
Hopefully for M One Rifle, grass will be a welcome change, but the lineup, the Grade 2 Arcadia is attracting could turn out to be the difference, and having said that, he has much experience under his belt to outrun the best of the best.
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