Thirteen Fly for $250,000 Speed Rating Stakes

Welcome to the biggest day in Minnesota Racing! Approximately fifteen active trainers are represented today (give or take a few). Everyone has brought out their top guns, especially in this race the Speed Rating Classic. The Speed Rating Classic is not only restricted to Minnesota residents, but to those who won a weekly contest of nominating the highest speed figure runner of the week. Each trainer is only represented once, and the ones who won more than once raffled off their extra spots to those regulars who always missed winning the weekly competition. A total of twenty horses were eligible to run, but only thirteen made it to the entry box in time. The race will be contested over a mile on the good dirt track, and is worth $250,000 for three year olds and up. The entrants range from claiming level all the way to allowance level, no stakes horses here, that’s one of the restrictions to try to keep the competition on a level playing field for those that don’t have stakes caliber horses. Let’s head to the paddock and see the fastest non-stakes horses of Minnesota.

            Breaking from the rail, which is the spot most of us dread on an off track, is Brandos Run from the tazenshag stable. Brandos is fiery red chestnut five year old son of Crafty Prospector, with five wins, seven places and six shows in thirty five starts. Since this is a speed rating contest, we need to talk speed, a 101 is his recent best, and he’ll usually lay off the pace just a few lengths and close in at the end. He’s made one appearance on an off track and placed third so all hope is not lost. At 7/1 his speed figures fluctuate a little too much, I don’t think today is his day.

            Probably the most consistent horse in the race is Firm N’Deed of the tothetop stable, a muscular dark bay five year old son of Shadeed. This powerhouse has eight wins, eleven places and five shows in forty one starts. Firm will be pressing or making the pace and has shown triple digit speed figures in his last six starts, with a 104 being his best. He’s run a on an off course once and placed which is a good sign. Coming off of two wins with his last wiring a field at eight and a half furlongs with a 103 this 9/2 shot is one of my favorites in the race.

            Named for a line in a country song, Wishyouwerehere from the nowhere stable is a small four year old son of Lord Carson who has been well rested for this race, and has kicked up a heel or two in the paddock. In thirty starts he has nine wins and six places, with no shows. He has shown a liking for coming off the pace by just a few or even several lengths, so who knows what he may do. A 102 tops his best speed figure in his last five starts, in his last start he finished a poor sixth, but has been given a few weeks to rest up to hopefully give it his best today. At 10/1 he likes the distance, but is he sharp enough for some of the others in this field? In his two starts on an off track he’s also shown he’s not a fan, he’ll have to overcome that as well.

            Citation stables sends out Desert Delight, hoping that the strapping three year old chestnut Green Desert colt brings delight to his stable. Desert Delight is the winner of two winners, and two shows in thirteen starts. This looks to be his debut against the older generation.  Delight has been running numbers in the nineties, but falling to find the winner’s circle. At 21/1 he’ll need to step up big time to compete in this field.

            Theodore1 stables, the one who sponsors this weekly competition won his way in with Dawnofmon through the raffle. Dawnofmon is the five year old son of Maria’s Mon. The stocky light grey horse is the winner of nine, with three places and four shows in forty starts, but only one of those wins is of NMCOS caliber. He has been running solid figures at this distance, but in low level starter races, typically coming a half of a dozen lengths off the pace. At 35/1 I know some starter allowances are tougher than allowances, but I think this one may be in over his head. He’s won on an off-track once in five starts, but doesn’t seem to favor it too much.

            Scoobi Boots comes from the stable of  lilscoobi. The light chestnut three year old son of Weekend Cruise is full of surprises today, as he nibbles on his groom while they walk around the paddock. Boots has three wins, three places and a show in eleven starts and comes into this race looking like a champ. With two wins in a row and the last one ranking a 100 speed figure, the only fault I see is he’s facing older competition for the first time. At 17/1 watch for him to press the pace closely and try to take over around the third call. The off going should be okay with one place in one start over it.

            Stonybrook Colors is the next three year old of the field, and he comes from the stable of 69mets. The smallish chocolate colored son of Charismatic has two wins, three places and three shows in fourteen starts. Running in the low to mid nineties he hasn’t seen the winner’s circle in about nine months. When he’s at his best form he goes to the lead and sets the pace. Sorry to say this 25/1 isn’t going to get away with a slow pace, one thing in his favor is the off track; he’s won and shown on it in both outings.

            Unknown Christmas is one of our two female racers in this race. The light bay five year old mare by Festival comes from the jimj2 stables. In twenty nine starts she has eight wins, five places and three shows, six of them being on NMCOS caliber. In the past six months she ran for a tag of $50,000, but has been on a roll winning open allowances against her gender, three in a row to be precise. Coming from off the pace, she’s won at this distance with a 103 and most recently a 98. She also loves the off track, with a win, place and show in four tries. At 9/1 the only thing that bothers me with her is if she can compete with the boys, only time will tell.

            Applefarms sends out the next heavy hitter, Quarters. Quarters is built like a quarter horse, and is a nice silvery grey four year old son of Silver Hawk. In twenty eight starts he has eight wins, seven places and six shows. He should be another pace presser or maker in the race. Last time out he took the lead too soon and got passed at the wire, but earned himself a 108 speed figure, the best recent speed figure of the field. He has run over an off course once and finished third, just losing the photo by a head. At 9/1 if the jockey can pace him well enough, he’s a key contender.

            Estreet’s The Rulebreaker will attempt to break all the “rules” and make it a one horse race wire to wire. Okay so it’s not against the rules to do that, but it sounded good with the name. Back to Rulebreaker, he is a striking light grey four year old son of Awesome Again with four wins, five places and four shows in twenty seven trips to the gate. He loves the off going, winning two of three starts over it; most recently he wired a field at this distance, on a track rated as good with a 101. He may not be the fastest in the field, but he certainly can handle the speed. At 9/1 he’ll have to hold off the other wannabe pacesetters, and then the closers.

            The other female runner of this race is Badge of Honour, from the wnerscircle stable. The dainty light gray filly by Silver Ghost has nine wins, nine places and two shows in thirty one starts, five of those wins have been of NMCOS caliber. Within the last six months she has been available for a tag of $35,000, but has been running in allowances or high level starters. She’s very versatile in that she can press the pace or lay a few lengths off and still get it done. She’s won or placed in her last five starts and has run a 100 or better in her last four starts. At 6/1 this filly is not just a claimer, and she has run with the boys, placing second four back with a 103.

            Speedzone1, who is won of our managers here at Minnesota has Super D breaking from the twelfth hole. The dark red six year old son of Editor’s Note has eight wins, eight places and seven shows in sixty starts. He isn’t the oldest horse of the field, but has the most experience. He’s one for three over an off track, but most notably is the lack of wins in over a year, and less than speedy speed figures. At 17/1 this come from the backer will have to wake up and smell the coffee if he’s going to be competitive today.

            Finally breaking from the outside post is the oldest horse in the field Bad Saint, owned and trained by desperado3. The muscular seven year old son of Saint Ballado has fourteen wins, eleven shows and five starts in fifty three starts. He used to be a claimer, because only nine of those wins are of NMCOS caliber, which is a long ways behind him now. He’s been posting respectable speed figures in the nineties, until last time out busting a 102 only running third. He comes from way off the pace and will need to get his final kick going early enough to catch the hot pace. He also has four wins and two places in eleven starts over the off track. At 6/1 I’d like this one more if the race was a bit longer.

            Well that’s the field; it should throw a nice speed figure since these are our top horses, minus our stakes competitors of course. My picks are Firm N’ Deed, Quarters, Badge of Honour, and Bad Saint. Good luck to all may your horses run their fastest and return to the stable safely.