Who Are You Calling Cheap??

Nine fillies and mares will run in today’s Bargain Bred Series Vimes Turf Distaff. The ladies will be going 9.5f for a purse of $125,000. This is the final event in this series of races for horses who would cost less than 100 breeding points to create at the end of the week and were bred from scratch. So, you think you can’t get anything good without spending a lot? Think again. Let’s take a look at the entrants in post position order, and you will be surprised at what they can accomplish.

In post one at 9/2 is Sir Degore, currently owned by mssbeagle. A 4yo, she has hit the board in 16 of 31 starts…better than 50%. She is by Dushyantor, a son of the incomparable Sadler’s Wells, with King’s Ride(IRE) and Electric(GB) on her dam’s side. Dushyantor, a handsome bay with white socks in back, hit the board in 10 of 15 starts, winning four, including a pair of G2 in Great Britain and the G3 Golden Gate Handicap here in the US. He also ran third in the Breeder’s Cup Turf. Not a bad racehorse at all! Sir Degore definitely inherited his stamina, as she won at two miles recently. She hasn’t shown much in her three turf starts, but she did win the last one easily, and is certainly a nice filly on dirt.

In post two at 6/1 is Moltov Cocktail, still with her original breeder whatsup99. She is just 3yo, and has hit the board in 8 of 13 starts. She is by Brief Truce, a son of Irish River(FR), with Mertzon and Distant View, both sons of Mr. Prospector, on her dam’s side. Brief Truce is a stocky bright bay, who never finished off the board in ten career starts, and was the top rated European 3yo colt at 7-9f. His four wins include a G1 and a G2, and he was third in the Breeder’s Cup Mile. Between this and the Mr. P sons in her female family, it seems that she would be best suited for a mile, and this is what we see in her past performances. Whatsup99 has placed her in exactly the races she was bred for. She did try 10f once and her speed figure dropped, but she may hang in there at 9.5f. Either way, she is certainly no slouch at her best distances.

In post three at 99/1 is Cowboy Coolaide(GB), bred and owned by tbgifted5. A 3yo, she has one start, where she placed second. If you know anything about tbgifted, you know that he breeds horses to run very long distances. This one is by Opera House(GB), a son of Sadler’s Wells, with White Muzzle(GB) and Wheaton on the dam’s side. Opera House(GB) is a classy looking bay who won 8 races in 18 starts. He won four G1, including the Coronation Cup and the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes. He was also third in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Nuff said on that, he was a top-class racer. Knowing that tbgifted loves to discuss his marathoners, I asked him about his entry. He replied, “I couldn’t miss out on being part of such a great idea. She is absolutely no threat. This is just a fun run!” I beg to differ, as one run is not enough to tell just what this filly is made of. She certainly has a nice sire, and may be better than he thinks.

In post four at 15/1 is Ankapit, bred and owned by taylormade. This striking chestnut 3yo has two wins and a second in three starts, and ran a 91 in her last race at 9f. She is by Anziyan, a son of Danzig, and has Kahyasi(IRE) and Pitcairn(IRE) on her dam’s side. Anziyan, a bay with four white socks, wasn’t the runner that the other sires we’ve covered so far were. He did run third in a couple of G3 races in France. He has had some success in the breeding shed, though, with his best-known offspring most likely being Anziyan Royalty, who ran second in this year’s G2 Californian Stakes. Ankapit has gotten better with each start, increasing in distance by .5 each time out. If that pattern holds true, she should run in the mid-90’s, and likely will move out of the claiming ranks from here on out.

In post five is our favourite at 6/5, the aptly named Not A Moo Cow, currently owned by markan. You will never see this one in a claimer again. She is coming off an excellent victory in the G3 Panhandle Oaks, in which she ran a beautiful 102 over the 9f. She is by Luhuk, a son of Forty Niner, and has High Kicker and Avenue of Flags, one of my favorite Seattle Slew sons, on her dam’s side. Luhuk is a chestnut who won 6 of 18 lifetime starts, including a couple of listed stakes in England. Maybe not the greatest racer, but his son Avanzado(ARG) was a multiple-graded winner and now stands at stud here in the US, so he has had success as a sire. This filly showed little until she was stretched out to a mile, but she has only finished off the board once since then, winning five of seven routes. Look for her to continue her winning ways.

In post six at 14/1 is Peking Wind, owned and bred by dundey6. She is by Parker’s Storm Cat and has Hard Charger and Fast Play, another of my favorite Seattle Slew sons, on her dam’s side. As you might have guessed, Parker’s Storm Cat is by Storm Cat. He only ran four times, winning once, with a high speed figure of 86 on turf. His first foals were just born this year, but with his Storm Cat x Mr. Prospector pedigree, you can expect some natural talent to be passed on at some point. If you’d like to see one of his babies, look up Jovie Cat on pedigreequery.com…she looks like a runner already. Peking Wind ran her best two races at 9f on turf, with 89 speed figures both times. She tried 10f, but it was a bit too much, so maybe 9.5f will be more to her liking. She will be a nice filly once her best distance is nailed down.

In post seven at 8/1 is Il Nomad, a 4yo currently owned by fwcltd. She is by Northward Bound, a son of Kris S., with Danzig Dancer and Crusader Sword on her dam’s side. Northward Bound was unraced, and although born in 1998, only has two foals listed at pedigree query, both yearlings. In the sim he has sired one 2yo and two 3yos, all winners, and 16 4yos, 7 of which are winners. Not bad at all, even though it is only a small sample. Il Nomad IS his best horse to date. She has won over 90K, and was stakes-placed as a 2yo, having run 83 twice in dirt sprints. Her top speed was a 97 she ran as a 3yo, which seems to have been her best season. She has only tried turf once, and didn’t do so well, but there is plenty of turf influence in her pedigree. She may possibly be past her peak, and the distance and surface may be a question, but she has had a nice career and may just find something new to be good at here.

In post eight at 7/2 is Over Highland, currently owned by me, er, reems11. She is a 4yo by Northern Passage, a son of Northern Dancer, with Andover Man and Highland Ruckus on her dam’s side. Northern Passage won his only career start, and has a dosage index of 4.43, so how this filly can run 2 miles is beyond me. He has a number of offspring IRL, but none of their records are listed at pedigree query, so we will turn to the sim records, of which there are very little. He has exactly three offspring, all winners. One, an 8yo, ran 68 times and won only 3 times. Of the two 4yos, one ran 10 times, winning once, and the other, of course, is Over Highland, his only active runner, who has won 9 of 29 and earned 160K. She has run a 97 twice, once at 9f and once at 12f, so if she puts forth her best effort, she will be a factor in this race.

Rounding out the field at 19/1 is Filly Buster(IRE), owned and trained by dundey. She is a 4yo by Almaarad(IRE), a son of Ela-Mana-Mou(IRE), with Executive Crown and Groom Dancer on her dam’s side. Almaarad(IRE) won the Cox Plate in 1989, along with a G1 in West Germany and a pair of G2 races each in England and France, but that is all the info we can get on him. He has sired 21 horses in the sim, 11 of which are winners. Filly Buster(IRE)’s best races have been recent ones on dirt, particularly at this distance, but most of her races have been on turf. She has placed in her last two races, and still has plenty of life in her after only 16 career starts.

That is our field. As you can see, there is plenty of value to be had out there for a handful of breeding points. Don’t be afraid to experiment, you may come out with a graded winner! I know I have found some sires just in this race alone that I would like to try. Good luck to all the runners, and may they all come back sound.