Hey, It’s Restricted

DPCD Juvenile Sprint

2-year-olds, 6 furlongs on fast dirt, $75,000

When there’s a restricted stakes race, it’s worth taking a shot against what you hope is easier competition, especially when the horse in question is a lightly raced two year old.  That seems to be the case for most of the starters in the DPCD Juvenile Sprint.  It’s still a decent group of babies.  Running them down by post position:

1.      Italian Ice (IRE) from the nathndtroi stable, at 7/1, has run the best speed figure of any of the entries, winning a MSW in his last out with a very nice 88 spf.  A son of Street Cry (IRE) out of the multiple stakes-winning Seeking the Gold mare Sherbet, he’s her second foal to race; a daughter by Summer Squall recently broke her maiden in her 4^th start.  This boy seems to  have the speed – the question is, does he have the experience?

2.      The logical favorite today at 3/1 is sallygee’s Last Empire, the only foal out of the very well bred Sal Is My Dad, by Storm Cat.  He’s a son of Cape Town, and he has a (5) 3-1-1 record, with the top money earnings in the field.  You’ve got to like a horse who’s never been out of the money.  He won his first two starts, was stakes-placed in the next two, and in his last race won a stakes at this distance, with an 87 spf.  With his credentials, he looks hard to beat.

3.      At 7/2, zewango’s expensively bred In A Simple Rhyme (Forty Niner x Mr. Prospector x Secretariat) has done well in his brief career, with a win and a second in his two starts.  He broke his maiden last out at 6 ½ furlongs with an 82 speed figure.  While his high inbreeding quotient (by a son of Mr. Prospector out of a daughter of Mr. Prospector) doesn’t bode well for his intelligence, it could work well for his speed.

4.      C.J.’s Inthepulpit, by Pulpit out of My Christine, by Unbridled, owned, unsurprisingly, by cjwalker, with a top speed figure of 76 – in a second-place effort – may be in over his head.  With his pedigree (Affirmed as dam’s damsire), you’d think he’d like distance and turf, though so far, he doesn’t appear to like either of them.  12/1

5.      Knightbred has entered Drop Down, a son of Commemorate x Dixieland Band x Mr. Prospector.  He’s made 4 starts, with a win and a third in much less competitive venues; DelPenn could be a bit of a shock to him.  However, he did break his maiden 3 back with a respectable 79 spf, and 10/1 seems like reasonable odds. 

6.      Impeached Dissent, one of three sons of Impeachment in this race, represents the simjunkie stable.  His dam, Mother, by Dernier Empereur, won an impressive 14 races from 36 starts – none of them stakes, and 13 of the 14 at distances over a mile.  With a record of (6) 2-1-1, he’s the most experienced runner in the field, and achieved a stakes placing in his last out, matching his previous high spf of 82.  At 11/1, he could be a key factor in exotic bets.

7.      The nicely bred Dixie Cat Reunion, by Dixie Union x Storm Cat x Seattle Slew, from the genesis stable, has improved in each of his 3 starts, breaking his maiden last out with a 78 spf.  This looks like a tough spot for him, however, at this early point in his career.

8.      Missed Trial, the second son of Impeachment in the race, has a (4) 2-2-0 record, which certainly isn’t bad.  He’s inbred to Raise A Native, with a Miswaki mare as his dam, and Alydar (a son of Raise A Native) as his dam’s damsire.  Wolfspond’s nice colt was second in his first two starts, and has won his last two, with a lifetime-to-date high spf of 78.  At 8/1, he could improve.

9.      Another baby who looks like he should try a distance at some point, Tensile Defense (Impeachment x Storm Bird x Gone West), from the iamsaved barn, broke his maiden last out with a 79 spf.  Still, my guess would be that he’s in here today more in support of his residency than with any real expectation of winning.  At 15/1, he’s the longest shot on the board.

10.  Breaking from the outside, Hanzo Steel has won 2 of his 4 starts, and finished third in another, and he’s run an 82 speed figure.  His only previous stakes attempt was a dismal 12^th of 14 in a Grade II.  That was obviously much tougher competition, and he could do better today.  The son of Mineshaft x Machiavellian x Alydar will carry the colors of super21, and at 5/1 is the third choice in today’s race. 

Do I have picks, you ask?  Believe me, you don’t want my picks – I’m notoriously clueless when it comes to betting.  Everyone in here is lightly raced, and they’re all reaching the age where a quantum leap in ability could kick in.  Watch and enjoy!

– Novanora