Japanese 1000 Guineas Has Small History But Big Purse
The Grade One Japanese 1000 Guineas kicks off the Classic season. Run for a two million dollar purse at one mile over a firm turf course the race has attracted a field of nine, most of whom are stakes or graded winners. This is only the fourth year the race has been run. Both the 2010 winner Whipped and the 2011 winner Weary Kind went on to successful three year old seasons. Whipped put together an impressive win streak taking the Japanese 1000 Guineas, the English 1000 Guineas and the Irish 1000 Guineas. Last year’s winner Weary Kind added the Grade One Motherly Love later in the season against older mares. Let’s take a look at the fillies vying for this year’s honors.
#1 Formlee is a daughter of Unbridled’s Song out of the b-grade Cat Thief x Northern Dancer mare Sender Burglar. Formlee is her second foal, the first is stakes placed. A grade one winning millionaire, Sender Burglar is perhaps best remembered for her valiant second versus males in the Sand Castle Fee Duty in 2004. Even though Sender Burglar was best on the grass, Formlee made her first four starts on the dirt, winning once. She became a different horse when switched to the grass, compiling a 6-5-0-0 record on the grass. Her victories include two listed stakes races at one mile and a mile and one sixteenth. She has a career best speed number of 94.
#2 Sea the Suns is a scratch-bred daughter of Sea the Stars x Storm Cat x Fappiano. She has an enviable 9-5-4-0 record with all of her starts coming on the grass. She’s currently on a three race win streak. Her last two starts have been listed stakes races at a mile and one sixteenth and she earned identical 97sps in those races. Last season she was second in the Grade Three Palms Outwards Stakes, her only previous graded appearance.
#3 Smoochable is a scratch-bred daughter of Dynaformer x Distorted Humor x Storm Cat. She has won six times in nine starts with two third place finishes. She too is riding a three race win streak, all in stakes. These include the Grade Two Dancing Blade at one mile and the Grade Three Triangular Star at a mile and one sixteenth. She earned her best speed number in her most recent start, a 103 while winning the Rebel Yell N Turf Filly Mile.
#4 Monster of Nature is a daughter of Lope De Vega out of the g-grade Gone West x Forty Niner mare Rumbling Storm. Rumbling Storm has produced four foals, including a stakes winner and stakes placed runner but Monster of Nature is her best so far. Monster of Nature won two stakes races last season including the Grade Two Rockefeller at seven furlongs. She has not done as well since stretching to one mile. She ran an inexplicably poor race in the Grade One Juvenile Filly before returning and finishing second in the Grade Three Ice Cream Gold. In her last start she was fourth behind Smoochable in the Rebel Yell N Turf Filly Mile, although she did earn her highest sp to date of 100.
#5 Songsational is a daughter of Unbridled’s Song based on the g-grade A.P. Indy x Deputy Minster horse A.P. Minister. Songsational started her career on the dirt but has really blossomed since switching to the grass where she has a 6-3-3-0 record. She concluded her juvenile season with a win in the seven and one half furlong Wondergirl Echo Turf Juvenile Fillies. She returned running in her first route race going a mile and three sixteenths in another listed stakes with a career best sp of 96. Most recently she was a facile winner of the one mile Laguardia Turf Filly Mile with a 93sp.
#6 Meteoric Buda is a daughter of Northern Meteor out of the b-grade Rock Hard Ten x Storm Cat mare Rock the Buda. Rock the Buda earned her grade one win going a mile on the turf. This is her second foal. Meteoric Buda has won four of her last five starts including three graded wins. She matched her dam’s feat in her last start winning the Grade One Vermont is 4 Lovers with a 96sp. In her only race at one mile she won the Grade Three Ice Cream Gold where she also ran a 96sp (her career best is one point higher).
#7 Surrealistic is a daughter of Distorted Humor based on the e-grade Dynaformer x Deputy Minister horse Kirby’s Deputy. Kirby’s Deputy earned his only stakes win going a mile and three sixteenths on the grass. Surrealistic ended her two year old season with a victory in an owner restricted stakes race going one mile with a 100sp. She won her first open stakes in her most recent start, taking the mile and one sixteenth Miss Renee Turf Filly Route by an easy six lengths with an 81sp.
#8 Tom and Pap is a scratch-bred daughter of Falbrav x Green Dancer x Habitat. Tom and Pap ended last season with two graded victories at one mile. In October she took the Grade Three Winter Gin Special and in November she took the Grade Two Silver Spoon Juvenile. She was rested until March 10th when she returned in the Favorite Storm Turf Filly mile where she closed like a freight train to finish second with a 98sp.
#9 Go Pound Sand is a daughter of Montjeu out of the c-grade Gone West x Danzig mare Pound For Pound. Pound For Pound was a stakes winner on both dirt and turf. Last year Go Pound Sand won her first two starts, a maiden and an allowance race. She returned to the races this season with a second in a one mile allowance with a 94sp. She made her stakes debut in her last start running seventh in the Sunshine Hollandia Turf Filly Memorial at a mile and one eighth with an 84sp.
Good luck to all!