Super filly Red Tejas set to take on some of the world’s best colts!
A talented field of 14 horses is set to run in the first annual Smackdown Turf Sprint, for all horses 4 years old and up, going 7 furlongs on the firm turf.
This race could prove to be the most competitive Smackdown race of the day. Our two contesting residencies, the GR Simsters and Delpenn, have thrown everything but the kitchen sink at this race in an effort to bring the glory back to their respective residencies.
The big question on everybody’s mind is – Can the filly tackle the boys? This isn’t an ordinary group of boys either. She will be facing some of the very best turf horses in the world on Saturday.
Let’s take a look at the field, in post position order:
1) Ziklag 5/1 RVD – J Piotrowski
Ziklag is the horse to beat today. This 5 year old son of Chester house has amassed over 2.7 million dollars in earnings in 38 starts. In his last race, he stalked the pace and got just up to win the G1 Golden Jamboree by a head. To make matters worse for the other 13 horses, Ziklag has secured the services of the track’s dominating jockey, J Piotrowski. A worth favorite – watch out!
2) Stormborn 13/1 Stormborn – R Johnston
It’s interesting that the owner and trainer, Stormborn, named this horse after himself. My what an ego this man must have! For those of you that have followed the Irish racing circuit, you are surely aware of the recent suspicions that trainer Stormborn has been administering milkshakes to his horses. I highly suspect that is the case with this horse, because the inconsistent record points to that. Some tracks you can get away with it – others you can not. In looking at his recent races, it’s obvious Japan is one of those tracks where you can do it. This horse is a big threat at a big price. He is a stakes winner at this distance of 7 furlongs. He seems to fire every other race, and if that pattern holds up the other horses better watch out!
3) Touch Too Much 14/1 Miraloma – A Osborn
I suspect the annual Delpenn gatherings at Monmouth was the inspiration for this horse’s name. Here we have another interesting long shot. Touch Too Much (Red Ransom x Majestic Light) ran very well in his last race, which happened to be at this very track. He loses the services of the track’s top jockey, but his affinity for the track can not be ignored. Has a chance…
4) My True Love 15/1 Fatattack – C Evers
A very nice horse, who’s chances I would like an awful lot more if Fats hadn’t forgot to select jockeys! My True Love has won 3 of his last 4 turf sprint attempts, so anyone who takes this horse lightly is a fool! This writer initially thought fats might of named this horse after AFC, but it appears to be an auction purchase. And a fine one at that. Perhaps he had AFC in mind when he bought the horse?
4) Storming Sal 12/1 Lacostra – L Salisbury
I’m going to guess this one is owned by Sal? hehe This regally bred horse is an Equinics winner from last year! I hope the Delpenn boys enjoyed it, because this writer predicts the Delpenners will put up a big goose egg in the upcoming winter Equinics. Now back to the horse at hand. As i said, he’s an Equinics winner and he has several other big stakes wins in his career including a G2 score back in week 1901. He’s an inconsistent horse, as most Delpenn horses seem to be, but if he fires he can run with each and every horse in this field. He’s not my pick, but i won’t be shocked if he wins.
6) Red Tejas 6/1 Texasace – Q Miller
This is the filly we will all be watching. Red Tejas is the #3 ranked turf filly sprinter in the world. Her stall happens to be right next to a horse a few of you may of heard of named Horseshoe Bay. Yes she is stables next to the great one! How does fats manage two monsters in one stable like this??? She has not raced against the boys since two unsuccessful attempts to end her 3 year old campaign last year. But don’t be fooled. In her last 3 races she has a G1 win and 2 G1 placings. It doesn’t get much better than that. She can win this race without a doubt.
7) Echoes 9/1 Gallorette – D Hinnant
Echoes is my horse. He won 2 consecutive G1 mile races earlier in the season, but has since fallen out of form. Props goes out to Tisjuliet who bred Echoes, and later gave me the stable. No chance.
8) Chester Copperpot 16/1 Peeps4 A Jeffires
Chester has 3 wins from 15 starts thus far in his career. He looks like one of those fun horses to own and train. He can handle both surfaces, anywhere from sprints to 9 furlongs. Chester is taking a huge step up in class. It will take a career effort, or similar to win this race. But you know what…every horse has a career race at some point, right? lol He is capable, if not likely to hit the board. Strange name too…
9) Odds on Sal 13/1 Juju T Sterling
It appears that we have ourselves another entry from Sal. A son of With Approval, Odds on Sal has had a long and distinguished career. No his accomplishments don’t match up with the best in this race. But he’s always been a hard trier, and 2 starts back he was less than 3 lengths from winning a Grade 1 race. He has a chance – it’s just not a very good chance 🙂
10) Last Groom T 11/1 Eastecho99 N Bedford
Last Groom T won a G3 mile in his last race by a comfortable 2 lengths. He won his only turf sprint try, and like Echoes, you figure if the horse excels at a mile, he probably will be fine at 7 furlongs. Last Groom T has an impressive 6 wins from only 12 career starts. it looks like the best has yet to come from this royally bred colt, who happens to have the exact same breeding as the #1 ranked 2YO dirt filly in the sim, also owned by Ted. Very good chance.
11) Goemon 14/1 Bigrama B Morris
Yet another oddly named horse. This Grand Slam son is definitely a late bloomer. He has a lot of talent, but this writer has a hard time deciding how he might do, because he has not run in a turf sprint since his career debut, 35 starts ago. If he can recapture the form he had 4 and 5 starts ago, he’s a player here.
12) Tequila With Lime 9/1 Zwylde I Pollara
Like this name! The horse isn’t so bad himself. Tequila With Lime has hit the board in both graded sprints he has contested within his last 4 starts. The horse may not win a lot, but he usually hits the board, as evidenced by his 12 ITM’s from 16 starts. You see folks, this is a prime example of the difference between the GR Simsters and Delpends. GR horses tend to compete well each and every time out. Where Delpenn horses generally are run in to the ground before too long, and then they resort to dropping the talented horse in to claiming races. The Delpenn trainers then use their now ruined horse in claiming races, to win their training title and try to pass it all off as an accomplishment. This writer can not be fooled!
13) Digging the Grave 9/1 Zewango2 S Camp
This is the speed of the race, and to be honest with you, I don’t think any of them will catch him. Digging the Grave is a son of Silver Ghost, and I think when he’s through with this field, the faces of all the Delpenn trainers will be ghost white. Digging the Grave has won 7 of 11 career starts, and enters the gate on Saturday with a 5 race winning streak on the line. What more can I say? He’s a monster, and the one to beat in my opinion.
14) Stormy Jack 8/1 Juju U Douglass
Ahh it looks like we have ourselves a third Sal entry in to the race. you know this horse is old because he has storm Cat as his sire and isn’t a homebred. You don’t see that happen anymore! I’d like to know who Sal is paying off to get a horse to run a 105 speed figure and win the race in the 54th start of his career! Well nice work! Since this horse seems to be immune from the great skill decline most others run in to, I’m going to have to say he has a chance here. His race LTO was as good as just about any other horse in here. Can he do it again?
Picks:
1) Digging the Grace – A *super* chance to wire the field!
2) Red Tejas – I’ll puke if a filly finishes ahead of Echoes! Nah I’m joking! She looks great. She would of been my pick if it weren’t for Zewando’s freak.
3) Ziklag – one of the best turf sprinters in the sim over the past several years. Great chance!
Good luck to all trainers and owners involved in this race!