Easter Sunday Feature Wide Open
I’m thrilled to have the Black Type Bugler back in business! Hip Hip Hoooooray!!!!!!!!!!
Full disclosure time. Before I realized how many old and new reporters would grab races this week, I called out The Hardcourt to cover because I have a starter. I prefer to read about my horses from sources other than myself. So I’d like to thank fellow BTB scribes Itch and Roxyken for doing a great job on two of my horses racing this weekend. Thank you very much, men!
Ok, let’s get down to business. Featured on this Easter Sunday in Paris is the Grade II Hardcourt Stake. A field of nine older turf routers will be greeted by starter Pierre Lepeu. Let’s meet the contestants in post position order.
Breaking from the hedge will be erstwhile claimer, Thrill Of Dylan. Trainer mtk has certainly gotten a lot of production from his former plater. Since haltering him for $15,000 a year ago last month, the son of Dylan Thomas has won four races including a listed stake three back. He arrives off a third place finish in a listed stake in Queensland. Likes to race on or near the pace. Needs to take a step forward in order to challenge this tough bunch.
The wise guy horse is Davarto’s precocious Joysis. The drop dead gorgeous daughter of Kitten’s Joy has improved her speed rating in each of six lifetime starts. Since faltering in her debut, the four year old filly has sliced through her conditions like a hot knife through butter. The Joysis express rolls into Gay Paree riding a five race win streak. She is seeking graded glory following a dominant listed stake victory where she posted a dazzling 113 speed figure. Can she put the boys in their place? I wouldn’t bet against it.
Padrebri sends out veteran router Mineozig for The Hardcourt. The six year old son of Mineshaft and Proven Success (Danzig) has been winless since annexing a listed event in Kentucky last May. He has been knocking at the door recently and last time out posted a 109 speed figure while finishing third in an open allowance behind the well intended Juggling Bombs. Closing in on half a million in career earnings and needs not improve a whole lot to factor close. Keep an eye on the Padrebri.
My own Question Of Time seeks his first graded win. I felt the Tapit five year old earned another shot at a graded badge by virtue of his spectacular recent form. I have been very happy with the son of my Seeking The Gold x Nureyev broodmare, Puppy Ciao. The big guy prepped in a manner similar to many of his rivals with a powerful victory over open allowance company. Three back he stopped the timer in 2:00.02 (116 SP) winning a listed stake. Admittedly his previous graded starts have been iffy at best. I’m frankly shocked he’s the post time favorite. No idea what to expect.
My old friend Randy Logan trains High N Ready. Randy and I go back a dozen years, to ASR, GSR and the original Minny residence. I even had the pleasure of his company in real life once on a dark and stormy night at Maywood Park racetrack. His five year old More Than Ready chestnut has tested grade waters three times previously without success. But he did manage to grab a check in two of those events and finished ahead of four graded winners in last October’s G-1 Eclipse Stakes. Difficult assignment but not impossible.
And Now It Begins is a perfect example of my theory that pedigree trumps racing performance when it comes to broodmares. His dam, L Is For Linzi (Medaglia D’ Oro X Kingmambo), concluded her thirty race career by finishing way up the track in a NW2L $2,000 claimer. But her first foal, by Dynaformer, is a Grade I winner and a multimillionaire. Veteran trainer Willyam gave his slumping star a break from November until February. Comeback start was unimpressive. Should go better with one under his belt. Has been training lights out. Drilled a half over the Paris turf in :47.16 Wednesday and looked well within himself.
Skunk will be represented by his impeccably bred four year old, Cryin Again (Street Cry x Giant’s Causeway x Kingmambo). The flashy chestnut is a dual graded winner and, unlike several rivals, arrives in splendid form. Following a brief spell, Cryin Again shipped to Texas to prep for The Hardcourt. He crushed a very good open allowance field by three widening lengths. Among the vanquished were multiple TOTY Wayne’s Grade I winning millionaire, Fairway To Heaven and Grade II winner Doctor Jones who won The Hardcourt last year. Appears to be sitting on a big one for top notch connections.
Turf master Balata sends out his multiple graded winner Fakmi for this test. The big Makfi colt is best remembered as the hero of The Arlington Park (G-1) last summer. Fakmi will be coming off a two month spell which may be just what the doctor ordered. I asked his conditioner about the time off. “It was simply time for a break. He acted as if he had pretty much lost interest in racing those last two starts, so I turned him out for a month before training him up for the Hardcourt. He has been working well and acts like a fresh horse. I expect a big effort on Sunday.”
What would a graded stake be without a Lenny entrant? New Vegas is chump change short of a million in career earnings so any money finish will push him over that mark. Showed no signs of rust posting an easy score in a conditioned allowance following a five month vacation. The sleek steel gray son of Medaglia D’ Oro has done most of his running in longer routes and marathons. But his win last time out at this distance was extremely impressive and came at the expense of graded winning millionaires Lambaste and Consumed By Chaos. Locked, cocked and ready to rock.