CALL OF THE WILD II HIGHLIGHTS THE GI MOVIELAND SHINY CUP
Look back over the history of the Movieland Shiny Cup, and you start to understand what kind of an impact this race has. The big guns converge on California in mid-July each year, and the world stops to pay attention: the best older horses in the SIM line up for their crack at one of the most prestigious races run over 1 ¼ miles on dirt, but more often than not, the big names have their hearts broken and a longshot ends the day with his name in lights. With this context in mind, 12 horses have gathered for a share of the $1,000,000 pot, and the field is, as always, deep.
Trainer tnilsson trains the aptly named ESTROGEN, who will break from post 1. As you may guess from the name, Estrogen is a filly, and the only filly in the race, but she missed the memo informing the world that fillies rarely compete at this level with the boys. She’s coming off of a solid third in the GI Out Of The City Handicap over this trip two weeks ago, and presaged that performance with a victory here in
AVOCADO BILL, in post position 2, is counting on that hot pace that Estrogen figures to be a part of to set up his closing kick. His victory last time out in the Brooke Lynn Stakes (GII) was visually impressive, as he turned a 5 ½ length deficit at the third call into a handy 2-length victory at the wire, and he looks to repeat that sort of a run today for trainer ruok, but trainers are scratching their head with the jockey assignment. R Hoffman is on board today, and he sports only one win this year from 41 starts. The field is too closely matched for Avocado Bill to cruise on talent alone, so a poor jock may be his undoing, and he is a 6/1 underlay in this spot.
SILVER CANUCK, in post position 3, comprises one half of the most interesting storyline that this race has to offer. This stalker is once again on the top of his game after suffering through a dry spell last fall, and he’s out for blood while looking to improve on his #5 divisional ranking. Following his narrow victory in the California Handicap (GI) over this trip and track this spring, he shipped to
Trainer burnin has SEEKING THE BRAVE coming into this race looking for nothing but a little respect: the 5/1 co-favorite has been knocking on the door in top company, but hasn’t quite managed to get the job done as of late. He comes in off of a 2nd place finish to competitor Search and Conquer in the New Hampshire Handicap (GI) with a stellar 114 speed figure, but he’s also a speedster who figures to get caught up in the hot pace. Seeking The Brave has been best when he can clear the field early, and he probably can’t do it today.
WOODY’S SMURFS is a 10/1 shot for trainer galaxystar, and if this were just “any other race,” he’d be a throwout horse on the basis of sub par recent form. That said, his last effort was a strong 4th in the New Hampshire Handicap, and that race stacks up as one of the fastest speed-number races run in this division in the recent past. As the 23rd ranked horse in his division, he obviously has too much backclass to completely toss.
NOTHINGBUTEASY, on the other hand, can be completely tossed. He makes his first try in graded stakes company here, and I don’t care how much potential he may have, he’d be hard pressed to outrun these seasoned campaigners while taking such a huge leap in class. Trainer jayhawkhhh can’t be faulted for taking a shot, but 4 races ago this colt couldn’t manage to run to victory in an $8,700 allowance race.
And then we get to the big horse. CALL OF THE WILD II has managed, in only 14 lifetime starts, to secure the #1 ranking in the dirt classic division for trainer gipper8, and comes in off of back-to-back wins in the Sand Castle Classic and GI Maryland Special Handicap. His only loss in his last four starts was to (you guessed it) Silver Canuk in the GI California Handicap. After turning the tables on him in
LENO’S CHIN suffers from the same fault as Nothingbuteasy: a lot of talent but not a lot of experience at this level. Further, consider that this star of the sunline stable has been first at the first call in all but one of his 11 most recent starts, and you know how he’s going to try and run this race. He’s a good horse, but he’s going to run into more talented speedsters capable of running him into the ground who won’t hesitate to take it to him on the chin. How long before they land the knockout blow is the only question.
Next in line we find a horse that seems to be popping up all over the place recently: SEARCH AND CONQUOR has been climbing the rankings in recent weeks thanks in large part to a 2nd to Call of the Wild II in the Maryland Special and a win over several of today’s other live horses in the New Hampshire Handicap. His 115 speed figure in the
KISSING COUSIN II is trained by Sherwood, and he’s a talented colt, especially in ungraded competition. He was solidly beaten in the California Handicap, and then a closing but non-threatening third in a GIII race last time out. Needs to step up in a big way to have a shot, but its not completely out of the question.
Cjt continues his ambitious scheduling with 12/1 shot LEAVE THE REEF, who, despite a resurgence last time out in the Jerzey City Handicap (GIII), seems like a tired horse. He wasn’t just beaten in the Maryland Special and New Hampshire Handicaps, he was thrashed, and a poor jock doesn’t help him here. If he somehow manages to pull his a-game out of the bag, he’s dangerous, but that’s an unlikely scenario.
Hulk Spa, at 31/1, is trained by patb, and is, to put it nicely, ambitiously placed. In his last graded stakes try, he improved over his penultimate try against that company: instead of trailing home last, he at least beat one horse. Last time out, however, he was seen in northern