Cinematic Looking For Green Carpet Glory On DelPenn Champions Day

Giantputz2 sends out a filly who is coming off her maiden win. Her best speed was a 74 three races back over 7 furlongs so it’s clear why the giant putz thought she could handle a mile. This unranked filly is one of the longshots of the field at 33/1 and probably deservedly so at this stage of her career. She could go all rabitty and wear out super13’s front runner easily but I rather doubt she will since this is her first stakes outing.

PP3: COUNTERFEIT GOD (Aljabr x Carson City x Wild Again)

With 3 races under her belt, this filly is already becoming well seasoned, as is her owner zewango4. Of course, he’s being seasoned by all the owner banter. The filly broke her maiden at first asking and went on to a pair of stakes races where she finished 5th at 6 furlongs and 3rd at 7 with a 78 SP. It’s that 7 furlong race that gives the clue as to why this filly is 14/1 and not longer. With speeds approaching what’s needed to get the job done in this race, Counterfeit God only needs to improve on that performance to be in the hunt. Her pace stalking style is well suited to her post position in a field this size so keep your eye on this one!

PP4: BUDAS MISSILE (Golden Missile x Event of the Year x Nureyev)

Trainer norm’s filly has been strictly an allowance girl since breaking her maiden, her only win to date. She’s turned in some consistent 78 SPs at 7 and 7.5 furlongs which is what contributed to her odds being 12/1. No stranger to DelPenn/GR Simsters rivalry, she’s looking to avenge her place finish in the Smack Down but against this field it doesn’t look like it will happen.

PP5: MORVE DE DEMON (War Chant x Fappiano x Never Bend)

Ranked 95 for classic turf distances, this filly has 2 wins in 6 starts for owner nathndtroi. With a stakes place finish at a mile three races back, Morve De Demon took on the Grade I GSR Diamond to her detriment which, in turn, led to her lackluster performance in an allowance last time out. She’s had some recovery time so she should put in a better performance. With a bit of an improve and some steering clear of traffic, she could well be challenging the favorites in the stretch.

PP6: STORM THE SEAS (Gulch x Seattle Slew x Mr. Prospector)

A bit of consultation in the barn area led me to the notion that the reason this filly is the co-favorite at 6/1 is due not just to her stellar breeding but, more importantly, to the 90 SP she ran 4 races back when she finished second in a 7 furlong dirt allowance race. She also finished a few places ahead of Morve De Demon in the GSR Diamond and is coming off a turf sprint allowance win. With all due respect to her turf lovin’ mama Jennifer’s Seas, it just doesn’t seem to me that this filly has proven herself a true turfer yet. Owner gradetwo probably disagrees with me (since this is a DelPenn event I’d say it’s safe to say that) but is probably sure that blood will run true and Storm The Seas will show mama’s abilities this time out. Certainly this is one filly I’ll be watching.

PP7: GONE TO THE WELL (Gone West x Nijinsky II x Raise A Native)

Of all the fillies in this race, this one has the pedigree that makes me drool. (‘Scuse me while I wipe off the keyboard. !~*$^@*($^2~) I think I see the fine hand of Fats in there with Raise A Native… Super23 has not only bred a very nice filly here but at 8/1 she’s the value bettors are looking for in a race like this. Gone To The Well started her career nicely with a pair of excellent rides from that fabulous jockey BF Abman. She then broke her maiden in KY in a romp at 7 furlongs on the grass where she ran a 79 SP. Her follow up was a 5th place stakes finish over a mile on the turf. If jockey Feese keeps her closer to the pace than she was last time out I’d say this one will be dangerous in the stretch.

PP8: DESTINED (Rahy x Danzig x Event of the Year)

Speaking of Fats, this one is clearly labeled as his breeding work from the fatattack stable for owner super24. Out of famous game mare Baylee’s Dreamer, this filly is ranked 70 for classic turf distance. She already shows her mama’s preference for the grass in her 6 starts with back to back wins breaking her maiden and with a follow up stakes win right after. Her last two races were off performances which could have led to her odds of 11/1 in this race. She’s yet another filly who’s reeled off 79 SPs in the past and is looking to better that this time out. Coming from the middle of the field and trying to find a good stalking position may be difficult for her but jockey Miller has a good reputation. If he steers clear of all the pre-race parties he should be able to steer the filly into a good position on Saturday to bring her mama more glory!

PP9: CINEMATIC (Seeking The Gold x Sadler’s Wells x Secretariat)

Topicount sends in a very well bred filly from her topicountc stable. With only two races to her credit this filly seems to have been born running. She broke her maiden first time out in a stakes race with a 75 SP. She followed that up with a place finish in a stakes race with a 77 SP. It’s no wonder that the oddsmakers love this filly! It’s true that they could have done better by her but she has yet to prove herself at anything more than 6 furlongs. However, her mama Time Byrd not only liked the turf, she liked routes so daughter Cinematic is sure to have inherited some of that. She truly appears to be the horse to beat on Saturday.

PP10: SIGNORINETTA (Spinning World x Mr. Prospector x Rising Market)

Delpendude thinks he has something special here. The morning line isn’t telling him he’s 100% bonkers in his line of thought. Any number of simsters will prolly tell him in scathing terms that he’s pretty far out there to think that a horse with only a single start at 6.5 furlongs on the turf could win this thing. But delpendude has indeed entered this offpsring of game mare April For First in a stakes race with only a single start and a 3rd place finish with an SP of 76 to her credit. Mama is a Grade H without a single win but she produced brother Sad Sal, a multiple graded dirt route winner. Hmmm…dirt routes…At 9/1 that’s what everyone is thinking about Signorinetta. Hmmmm.

PP11: BLEEKER PLAYGROUND (Cozzene x Summer Squall x Miswaki)

Like Don Quixote, owner rocinante’s Bleeker Playground is tilting at windmills if you believe the morning line odds. At 26/1 this dirt sprint winner has nothing to recommend her against this field. She has 4 races to her credit, a single win in her first start, no turf experience, no stakes experience, and very low SPs. Yet still, if Don Quixote can do it, perhaps Bleeker Playground too could produce the upset of the year. To dream the impossible dream…

PP12: DONKEY KONG (Congaree x Easy Goer x Nashua)

Owner allvindy must either be into vintage video games or an old timer like myself who played the game in it’s heyday. Donkey Kong is nicely bred and is coming off her maiden win. After knocking at the door for 7 races on the dirt, a switch in surface brought about the win. This filly does like the distance and her turf win was at 7 furlongs so she’s nicely poised to surprise if she improves on her last race. At 11/1 the oddsmakers are doubtful she’ll pull off the win but she could figure in well in those exotic bets.

PP13: GUINESS PENGUIN(IRE) (Sinndar(IRE) x Rahy x Woodman)

Well, I would have wished that Guinness was spelled right in this name but it’s hard to be that nitpicky with a pedigree that looks like this one. I guess I won’t “quibble” over the error! Owner thquibbler has bred a lovely filly with very turfy lines. She has a pair of wins in 8 outings, both over sprint distances. More to the point for this race, however, she has a stakes place finish 7.5 furlongs with a 75 SP. Her last two races were rather humdrum which combined with her average SPs led to her odds of 28/1. She’ll need to step up from that performance 3 races back to get in a paycheck here.

PP14: EMBARGO(IRE) (Fasliyev(IRE) x Silver Hawk x Alydar)

At 10/1 this is another filly who has done well at the allowance level but fallen a bit short in the stakes division. Owner super14 has bred a good turf sprinter who hasn’t yet performed at stakes level or at this distance. The pedigree would tend to suggest that she’d be better suited to dirt routes if you look at her mama Miss Seventy Six but everyone knows mom can contribute only a random amount of up to 50% of the offspring’s ability. It seems the oddsmakers are being generous with her odds but maybe they’re figuring that this filly’s already proven liking for turf will mix well with her mother’s love of routes, making her one to watch at this distance.

PP15: MAKE A LITTLE LOVE (Red Ransom x Northern Dancer x Secretariat)

If it weren’t for the fact that this filly’s bloodlines demand respect, I’d suspect that the oddsmakers wanted to give her longer odds than 20/1. Well, maybe owner jmb’s fist might have had something to do with it too. Make A Little Love broke her maiden at 7 furlongs on the turf but her SPs have not been at the level of most of these fillies and this is her first stakes outing. She may improve this time out but against these other ladies it may not be enough to “get down tonight”.

PP16: SUPER SHARP (Seeking The Gold x Nijinsky II x Halo)

Owner gradetwo’s second entry is a nicely bred filly with two wins in seven starts. She goes off at 19/1 in part because she just hasn’t had the SPs to warrant better odds. She has an allowance win at this distance but her race was a stakes at a mile where she finished 5th. She had better live up to her name because she’ll need to be Super Sharp and show some improvement to hang in with this crowd.

Good luck to all the entrants! Please be sure to pass through the metal detectors on your way through the track entrance. Make sure to save all your energy for hoot’n and holler’n in the grandstands by refraining from fistcuffs in the paddock. And keep an extra shirt in the barn in case of possible champagne showers in the Winner’s Circle!