G1 Thumb Route
The Thumb Route is a Grade I race which has a scheduled race time of about 3:00 this Saturday in New York. The race is at the longest distance of any, a two-mile marathon which will be held on the dirt surface. Fillies and mares age of four and older are eligible to compete in the event, in pursuit of the $500,000 purse.
1. Nuricean 8/1
Nuricean is sired by Medicean and expectations were that she would be a strong turf runner. While results were good but not fabulous which lead to moving her to the dirt this past April. It took a while, but by August she achieved getting her first dirt win and breaking through the 100-speed level for the first time. A month later, in the G1, 14f Great Dane she finished second with a fantastic triple digit speed of 111.
Two races later, a grade level win came Nuricean’s way in the G2 Radiant (14f) where she charted a 101 speed. Twelve ranked in the long route distance class, she has been in top form and this mid-field runner could launch a late race challenge.
2. Shadowgod 9/2
Shadowgod is the daughter of Medaglia D’Oro and is currently ranked second in the long route dirt category for fillies. She has won an impressive 10 races thus far with a mere 18 starts. Even more impressive is the streak of six consecutive wins she brings into this event. The last four wins came with the graded company starting with the G2 Rocky Top Oaks (16f) and a speed of 108. Following this was her sole G1 win in the Saturday Night Girl (16f) and 104 speed rating. This past January brought her career best speed of 110 in the G2 Pittsburgh Stayer (16f) with the most recent win coming in the G3 Miss Bourbon Street at 14f and a cruising speed of 104.
Shadowgod likes to tuck in just off the lead and come powering to the lead, usually with a half mile remaining in the race. She’s in her best racing form and this five year old must be considered seriously.
3. Radically Awesome 3/1
The fourteenth ranked filly in the long route class has not finished off the board in her last ten starts. Radically Awesome, a daughter from Awesome Again, comes into this event after picking up her first grade level win in February which was in the G2 Old Lady (14f) and a breezing speed of 110. Speed numbers have been top notch over the last eight starts, averaging about 108.
Radically Awesome has won three of her last four outings. Her dirt record has been impressive with seven wins and being on the board 14 out of 18 starts. She fits well in this race and she tests the two mile route for the first time. Don’t be foolish by underestimating her ability.
4. Monyaar 11/1
Monyaar is a horse that has proven she can be competitive on both the dirt as well as the grass. She has won four times on the grass and with three coming on the dirt. This girl out of Cape Cross has nailed speeds in the 100-range on both surfaces.
While a graded win has alluded her thus far, she does have a stake victory in the non-grade Rage More Piper Turf Filly Stayer which came last fall on the turf at 12 furlongs. Her most recent win came on the dirt at 15 furlongs in an allowance race with her best dirt speed of 102. Ranked 59th in her class, Monyaar is expected to be near the lead and perhaps even set the pace in this race but will need to keep an eye on the horses just over her shoulder.
5. Bobbi Baccala 39/1
Bobbi Baccala’s only grade win came last June in the G3 Queens’s Flower Pot where she came from 14 strides off the lead at the half to win by 4 with a speed of 93 at the 16 furlong distance. Her last start came on the dirt and the 55 speed looks horrible but the speed needs to be ignored. She was the chalk choice at 1-10 and walked around the track in the allowance event to win by 12 strides going 15 furlongs.
The prior race was a non-grade stake race in January where she finished third on a good track, some 26 lengths behind and I think Bobbi Baccala proved she disliked the wet track. But the conditional allowance race in early January showed promise with a speed of 98 and a win for this hard closing daughter of Smarty Jones. Very lightly raced on the dirt, the last race shows promise and the steep odds could be very rewarding for those who support this 40th ranked gal.
6. True Class Act 6/1
A late running horse, True Class Act finished second behind Shadowgod in the Miss Bpurbon Street (G3, 14f) in her last start with a 101 charted speed. This was only the third time this six year old ran in a graded event and it ended a six race win streak.
Sired by Bluegrass Cat, True Class Act has won an amazing 21 times in 39 starts and sits 42nd in the long dirt route class for females. She is a late runner and has a knack for winning and some may find it surprisingly that she is going the 2 mile distance for the first time. She may also surprise by winning this race as she sure knows how to do so.
7. Kiss The Moon 9/2
Last season Kiss the Moon had decent races on the dirt coming in the money with good frequency then tested the waters on the grass in late summer. She broke the 100-threshold for the first time racing on the grass and by the end of September, was back on the dirt where she sizzled with an allowance win and 101 speed.
She quickly won the next three races, all low-end stakes and hitting a career best speed of 112 in January running 12f in the Seatlle Nijinsky Dirt Mare Stayer. Kiss the Moon followed this streak of wins by competing in the G2 Old Lady, her first grade race running at 14 furlongs. A very competitive speed of 106 was recorded as she finished third. Currently ranked 30th and the daughter of Admire Moon, this lady is on the verge of something good.
8. Pokertell 7/1
Pokertell is an interesting entry as she has won three of her last four starts (all non-grade stake level) by a minimum of three lengths and a maximum of seven. In fact, she was 16 strides back midway when she won by seven a 23-stride swing. Speeds have averaged about 102 in the races she won. The one race where she finished third is the one that opened my eyes for this gal out of Hussonet.
In December, the Eds Valentine Lc Dirt Filly Special she finished third, only three back after trailing by 20 and a strong speed of 112. If she won so easily in the other races and put up a 112 in a losing effort, what does that translate to when facing even tougher? Pokertell is ranked 39th with her peers and we’ll soon find out as she makes her first grade level appearance and also goes the extreme route of 16 furlongs for the first time.
9. Maria De Haack 7/1
This seven year old lady became a G1 winner last April when she walked off the track as the victor in the 14 furlong Desert Lady Stayer. Since this start, Maria De Haack has had her struggles. In the six starts she made since obtaining the G1 trophy, she has finished third twice and gained a win. The win came at the allowance level and was against a field of poorly rated CPU horses.
Maria De Haack is sired by Sadler’s Wells and will be making her first start at 2-miles since 2010. Despite winning 10 races in 32 starts, she has only one grade level win in ten top level starts. Ranked ninth in long dirt routes, Maria can surely can present a challenge but will need to bring her best set of running horse shoes to this event.
10. Anemia De Besos 19/1
Anemia De Besos brings into this race an incredible ten race win streak, the last eight coming at 2-miles. She will be starring in her first grade level race which comes on the heels of her first non-grade stake race, the Seeking Perfection Dirt Mare Stayer. In this race, she wired the field at odds of 8-1, the highest of her career and with a speed of 106, smashing through the 100-level for the first time.
This mare out of Smart Strike is ranked 89th in the long route female class. Anemia De Besos will make a bid for the lead and could potential get it without contention. She has the ability to open up quite a bit of daylight but there are strong late runners in this field that could catch her. She will make this a very intriguing race.
Radically Awesome gets the top pick as she has solid speed numbers and will keep an honest pace on the front end.
Anemia De Besos may be better than the betters think. First shot in a stake race and she proved herself worthy. Could do so again moving into graded company.
Shadowgod has been perfect over a number of races, streak could continue.