Money Miser, Divine Force to share Vestia Trophy

BREAKING from the inside post in division one of Saturday’s Vestia Trophy, MONEY MISER has avoided the foreigners in division two, instead facing the likes of NORBLAR and SUPER ALEX, who he had outclassed by three lengths at nine furlongs and 25 yards on November 18.

MONEY MISER and United States-bred DIVINE FORCE should be rewarded for commendable efforts in recent races when they face-off with rivals in their respective divisions at seven furlongs.

MONEY MISER’s seventh-place run in the Mouttet Mile was actually an eye-catching one, closing on all but the winner after turning for home 12th of 15 runners. At the end, MONEY MISER finished five lengths behind runner-up ABILITY, a length off sixth-place MAHOGANY, who was within touching distance, a quarter-length, of PERFECT BREW in fifth.

Considering PERFECT BREW returned two weeks later to waltz past open-allowance company, MONEY MISER should have no problem brushing aside non-winners of four races at an ideal distance with no holding speed to run him off his legs.

In division two, speedsters JOY IS GOLDEN and ESSENTIAL QUALITY will ensure an honest pace, taking GEOLITHIC out of her comfort zone, setting up DIVINE FORCE to outfinish them all in the stretch run.

DIVINE FORCE and GEOLITHIC should have things their way against the local-breds. GEOLITHIC impressively won her last two starts both at a mile with a combined margin of 20 lengths.

Chasing BURLAP’s early fractions on September 16, GEOLITHIC renewed her challenge in the stretch run for a seven-length win. However, GEOLITHIC has never faced holding pace in her two victories. BURLAP had essentially quit after going too fast down the backstretch. In her previous race, GEOLITHIC used her pace to get away from NORBLAR and FROM SHEER TO BEN on August 20.

Since fitted with the figure-eight for his last three races, DIVINE FORCE appears to have improved, chasing home RHYTHM BUZZ in the slop at a mile on December 17.

Though he placed fifth in back-to-back races prior, DIVINE FORCE was unlucky, running seven-wide into the lane behind CAPTAIN CALICO on Mouttet Mile Day and had encountered traffic problems in the stretch run behind upset winner SENSATIONAL MOVE on November 11.