Seventeen Duel In The Turf Paradise
Seventeen Duel In The Turf Paradise
In 1954 Phoenix businessman Walter Cluer purchased 1400 acres of barren desert land with a vision of a first class racetrack he would build in Phoenix. His dream became a reality in January of 1956 when Turf Paradise opened its doors. The Turf Paradise race this Saturday will be held in Vermont as part of the 2012 Equinics. It is a six furlong dash for three year-old colts and carries a purse of $1,000,000. There are 17 horses entered, representing 17 Sim Residencies with the slight favorite being Shipping Cost representing the GR Simsters. Here is a look at the field.
Host Residency Vermont will be represented by Solomon Sea (7/1) a husky bay colt by Sea The Stars out of the Storm Cat mare Clout. Clout is the dam of four to race and they are all winners, with three of them taking stakes at the graded level. Trained by Eclipse winning trainer Lasthope (better known as Dixiedotco) Solomon Sea has nine wins from thirteen starts and will be going for his sixth win in a row. He has improving speed figures culminating in a 105 earned last time out in the Grade III Dirty Shore. With his closing style and the training ability of his connections, this is a horse to be reckoned with. Solomon Sea will break from post 6 with jockey Willie Desantis in the irons.
Dr. Kirkpatrick (13/1) is trained by Poolshoota and represents The East West Connection. The gray son of Admire Moon, is out of the Waquoit mare Ms. Waquoit who is the dam of six to race, all winners. The Dr. has won at distances of five furlongs to a mile and has five wins from 11 starts. This relatively lightly raced colt won The Silver Sal Stakes last time out with a 106 speed figure at a distance of six and a half furlongs. Breaking from post 4, he is another that will be closing strongly under the urging of top rider, Anthony Jolly.
Empire State Racing has entered Midnight Monster (21/1), a 3 YO brown colt by Midnight Lute and out of the Hard Spun mare Web Of Deceit dam of two to race. Another lightly raced colt, Midnight Monster has done very little wrong, winning three of four and finishing second in the other. This will be his first stake race but he has a top speed figure of 102, set two back and is trained by Maryfran, a 19 % win trainer. He will be running late under Nate Linville and he will break from post 3.
Bettylou01 will saddle Hail To Shaft (10/1) representing Comedy Central. A stunning copper chestnut, he is by Mineshaft out of a Lyphard mare. He has won three of his nine starts and been in the money seven times. HTS looks like he might prefer longer but he was a winner last time out and has improving numbers. He’s a closer and he tries every time. He will break from post lucky13 and will have Jane Snowlynin the saddle.
Shipping Cost (6/1) will represent the highly regarded GR Simsters Residency as the race favorite. The dark bay colt is by Tiz Now and out of the A.P. Indy mare, No Shipping Cost. She has produced two graded stakes winners from her three foals to race. This talented colt has won seven of his 13 starts and earned almost $500,000.00 in his career. Ably trained by Steller1, a 20% trainer, Shipping Cost has won three of his last four races and all of them were stakes, two were graded. He won the Grade II Stephan Woody two back with his best speed figure of 109 and he did it the way he has run all of his best races – wire to wire. Ray Whisper will be in the irons and Shipping Cost will break from post number 12.
Minnesota Downs will be represented by Yeah I Said It (22/1) a splashy bay colt by Dansili out of a Tale Of The Cat mare. He is equally talented on both surfaces, having raced as a 2 YO strictly on grass and as a 3 YO only on the main track. YISI is a winner of three of his last five races, all stakes, and does have a graded victory under his belt when he won The Grade III Railaway as a 2YO. Trainer Biggredd will leg up Mary Staples and they will break from post10. Expect this nice colt to be mid pack before he starts his run.
Carrying the hopes of The City-Race Rhein Main Turf Club will be Shagya’s Bali Adventure (18/1) a rangy brown colt by Bluegrass Cat and out of a Pientre Celebre mare. He has only won two of his 16 starts but he is one of the most experienced colts in the field. He was the winner of the Jennah’s King Dirt Stake four back and was a closing third in the Grade III Jacob Hirsch at six furlongs. George D Mate will be in the irons and Bali Adventure will break from post16.
Sand Erosion BG (19/1) is a well-built dark bay colt by Roses in May out of the Cozzene mare Yonkers BG, dam of three to race, two of which are winners. Sandy is a win machine with 11 wins from 15 starts and in the money all but once. He won all nine starts as a 2 YO and his first two as a 3 YO before his streak came to an end when tried stretching out. He has since been returned to shorter distances and is rounding back in to form, finishing second last time out in The Bengal Rat Dirt Sprint. Trained by Lvbob, this closer will be ridden by Oscar Osbourne and break from post 8. He will be carrying the hopes of The Kentucky Horsemen Residency.
Saltire will be represented by Sahara West (42/1) a good looking bay colt by Desert Party out of the Gone West mare Western Belle, dam of three to race, all winners. SW has only two wins on his dance card but has been in the money eight of his 13 starts. He was second two back in The Tigre Del Norte Sprint and is a winner at six furlongs. Trained by the inventor of Coker’s Viewer, Mrcoker, don’t turn your back on this one. He will break from post14 and will be ridden by Sal Isreal
Parrothead sends out Tunza Gunja (13/1) for the Midas Residency and he is an improving colt that has been in the money seven of his ten starts with two wins. The big brown colt with twin white socks finished second last time out in The Admiral Stolen at longer but he has tactical speed and the shorter distance should not be a problem for him. He is by Broken Vow out of the Mineshaft mare Dreamsicle. She is the dam of three foals to race with only the 2 YO having yet to win a race. Parrothead opted for a local rider in the talented Willie McClendon and will break from post number 11.
DelPen never sends out a bad one and representing them this year is Hezafastcat (11/1) who is owned and trained by Texasace, the Jamie Ness of the Sim, with an astonishing 28% win rate. Trimmed in white, the chestnut colt Hezafastcat, is the second entrant that is by Dansili and out of a Storm Cat mare. He has been in the money in five of his seven starts and has won three of his last four, all at six furlongs. He has the top speed figure of this group with a 115 earned last time out and if he doesn’t bounce off of that race he will be a force to reckon with. Fred Gossett will be along for the ride and he breaks from post 9.
Rozelle Spirit (19/1) is a blood bay colt by Invincible Spirit out of the Storm Cat mare Lightning Ridge. She is a prolific sort and has had seven foals, all of them winners. Spirit is trained by Bjbandit04 and will represent the residency of Queensland. A three time winner he has been in the money in eight of his 11 starts. He led to the stretch last time out in the Grade III Dirty Shore and gets brave with a big lead. Jockey Dan Givens will certainly try to get a good break for this colt from post 5.
The young Testbarn Residency will send out Foggy Surf (12/1) a trainee of 28% trainer Kroth3. Foggy Surf is by Surf Cat and out of the Vision And Verse mare Foggy Vision. She is the dam of three to race, all winners. The dark bay colt won The Cheap Wine Route five back and more recently finished a closing 5th in The Grade III Affirmative at a mile and a sixteenth. Rich Lilbitfarm will need to wake this guy up early to get a good run from post number 1.
K’s Basic Edition (18/1) will represent Hispano Parlante and the bright bay colt is owned and trained by one of the Sim’s best conditioners, Xledwith2. The son of Dynaformer is out of a Forty Niner mare and has won six of his 11 starts. Breaking from post 17 he will be trying for his third victory in a row and is another with improving speed figures. He should be found mid-pack under the guidance of local rider Bobby Langhorne. The connections of this colt have a proven track record of bringing a horse to his peak at the right time so don’t ignore this one.
The speedy Second Burst (8/1) is a bay colt by Munnings and out of the War Chant mare Frankie N Johnny, dam of two to race. Trained by Mtk76hold and representing the Blazing Saddles Residency, he will be looking for his fourth win. What is impressive about this colt is that he has never been worse than third in his 13 starts except for his very first, when he raced greenly. He went wire to wire in The Grade III South Bronx Stakes three back and will probably try a repeat of that performance on Saturday under the strong hands of Anne Rollings. He will start from post 15.
NWRC will send out Sure Enough (10/1) a pretty gray colt by Fastnet Rock out of an El Prado mare. Trained by Magpies01he is three for five on the dirt and scored three in a row before leading and fading last time out in the 7 ½ furlong Biagi Desert last time out. He will appreciate the turn back in distance and looks to have a bright future. David Fendlay Jr. will be aboard in post 15.
Expected to medal high in the 2012 Equinics, Universal Racing Club will be represented by The Silence (8/1). He is a son of Giant’s Causeway and out of the Tapit mare Royal Run. This is her first colt and he is a nice one. He has been in the money in nine of his ten starts and has four wins notched in his belt. Trainer Pogwillck will leg jockey Otto A. Haack aboard. The Silence has won two of his last three and showed determination in gritting out a front running win last time out in The Bocastle at 71/2 furlongs. He should appreciate the cutback in distance and will break from post 2.
This is a well matched field and because it is The Equinics anything can happen. I am not smart enough to give you a winner but I expect good things from Sand Erosion, K’s Basic Edition, Second Burst, Solomon Sea, and Shipping Cost. If push came to shove, I would play #6 Solomon Sea over the other four.
Good Luck to all the horses and their connections.