Theater of the bizarre in West Virginia
By ITCH Purchase of a $1 million insurance policy for Old Waterford jockeys prompted several incidents this week involving Top 5 rider Jocko Maloney that shocked even the most veteran of railbirds here at the Spa of the Appalachians. In an apparent misguided attempt to collect on the policy, Maloney threw himself off of three horses during morning workouts and both of his RODOTS mounts this week. Bruised and bloodied from head to foot, Maloney went to track owner Edson Tarneault to collect. Dismayed, Tarneault told the Irish immigrant jockey that the policy was only for accidental injuries. “Agh?” Maloney asked. “No, I am not going to write you a check,” Tarneault said. To cheer himself up, Maloney went to the barn of two-time West Virginia Stakes Competition champion Wassie and bent his head down behind WASSIE’S RAINBOW G and pulled hard on her tail. She kicked him right in the head, just like he planned, knocking him unconscious. In a panic, Wassie called 911, but then noticed a smile on the old bugger’s face as he slept. Indeed, there is nothing like a staggering blow to the head to cheer up the old prizefighter, who is riding here only because the Irish Boxing Authority revoked his license after he lost 90 straight bouts. That and a good stiff drink, of which Jocko enjoyed 2 or 12 this week with Mr. Nextbonus, with whom he negotiated to ride BIG TIME STAR in the six-furlong, $50,000 QUICKY ONE STAKES, out of Nextbonus’ Canismajor barn, who is rated 8-1 by Drunken Morning Line Oddsmaker Charlie Hoops. But we’ll get to that one later. We always give our rundowns more or less in order of qualifying points. That means Sarava02’s FAPPABURST gets top billing, with a whopping total of 152 stakes points, far outstripping this field in terms of accomplishment. This is a late-running son of Coronado’s Quest out of a Fappiano mare who holds several advantages in this field. First is his class. He’s been second twice already in Grade I races. You also have leading jock S. Tate in the irons, and Sarava02 is a very capable Simmer, having won 21 races in 2005 at a solid strike rate of 16 percent plus. He’ll seek to rebound here off a disappoint race last out on DelPenn Champions Day, when he never fired in the Grade I Blue Ant Handicap and trailed a field of 14. Drunken Morning Line Oddsmaker Charlie Hoops apparently is misplacing a lot of stock in that race, as Fappaburt is not even favored in this race, at 5-1. HIs class advantage here is such that he should be able to recover from that tough race last out on the class drop. One question will be whether he can get going early enough to finish in front, as he’s been a deep closer at 7f and shortens to 6f here. Favored at 7-2 in here by Charlie is the second qualifier, FUSAICHI FLYER out of the Super18 barn. This blueblood outfit clipped them at 23 percent in 2005, but only one of the 17 wins were at stakes level, which is not what the Maktoum Al Maktoums of the Sim world are looking for. Fusaichi Flyer looks to put the Super18 stakes total back toward where it’s designed to be here Saturday, and will have to make somewhat of a form reversal to do so. He’s been fifth, fifth and seventh in his last three, regressing somewhat off a Grade 3 win five back. A speedy sort, he hasn’t been able to make the lead in any of those races, and let’s check through the field to see if he has a better chance of hitting the Bill Daly in here. One big thing in his favor is that he finished nine places in front of FAPPABURST last out in that DPCD race. The third qualifier is our first contest horse in the rankings, that being HERE’S INDY BG for Bob123g out of his Bobg7 barn. Draw a line through this son of Dehere’s two tries at 7f and 7.5f, and you have an ultra-consistent sprinter here who never has been out of the exacta at any distance that wasn’t a little too far for him. He has very good tactical speed from the gate, pressing and closing in most of his career races until last out, when he blasted right to the front of a 5.5f stake in Michigan and cruising all alone to the wire. It will be interesting where he is in relation to the Super colt in the early stages of this race Saturday. Bmorris’ CRAFTY DIXIECRAT is the fourth qualifier. This is a colt by one of our favorite sires, Dixieland Band. This writer is well familiar with this horse, as he won the only race our four-for-five colt MAOL DHOMNAIGH has lost so far, the Secret Boomer Stake three back right here at Old Waterford. That race was at 7.5 furlongs, and Crafty Dixiecrat has not fared so well in his last two when he shortened up to races at 5.5 and 6 furlongs. He’s running at 6f again Saturday, which does not appear on the face of it to help his chances any. That being said, he did clear his N2L condition at this distance, and has proven himself over the West Virginia strip. Mm11ranger’s VINDICATED PAIN checks in next as the fifth qualifer, but has been dismissed at 14-1 by Drunken Charlie. Even with speed figs running a little behind his opposition, and the fact that he’s still eligible for the N2L condition, this son of Vindication seems an overlay at that price being as he’s hit the board in four of his last five stakes starts. Like Fusaichi Flyer nad Here’s Indy BG, this is another speedy colt, and it’s starting to look like the front end might be a little hot on Saturday, which can only serve to aid the chances of the deep closer Fappaburst. Our sixth place qualifier is Charliefly’s FLY’S MOTIVATOR, a lightly raced son of Montjeu who appears to be loaded with potential. What is interesting about this colt at 8-1 is that his previous races at distances other than 6f seem to suggest that Saturday’s distance will be just perfect for him. He was a fast-closing second last out at a stake going 5.5 furlongs, earning a lifetime best speed fig of 92. Any kind of move forward off that race and he is very dangerous in this field. Now, we get to Jocko’s mount, the Nextbonus-trained BIG TIME STAR, a filly running against the boys here. She is cutting back in distance off four straight races at a mile or longer. Last out, she pressed the pace in the Grade I Mother Story Handicap on DPCD Day before tiring to finish fifth. Prior to that, she was very potent at this class, winning two straight non-graded stakes. Key to her chances on Saturday will be whether she can sit just off the pace and pass these speedy colts in the stretch. That may be easier said than done, as she’s yet to pass a horse in the stretch in her brief career. That being said, you can look at her impressive effort three back against the boys in the Grade I North Folk Stakes out in California for evidence that she can hold her own against the boys. At 8-1, we just know Nextbonus has put down his beer and Hillbilly Hamburger and made his way over to the betting windows. Hi-Jacked Ted checks in next with another contest-eligible horse, the 14-1 MARIO BROS T. By the little-known Storm Cat sire Marino Marini, who is available for 27 points late on a Thursday night, Mario Bros T. has been a well-beaten eighth and 14th in his last two stakes tries, and is going to have to step it up class and speed figure-wise to stay with this speedy bunch. He’ll probably be off the pace, which could work to his advantage if he can wind it up and pass horses in the lane. The ninth-place qualifier ZIP CAT comes from the improving Jakebarn, which posted a very respectable 15.8 percent strike rate in 2005 with 24 winners. This is one of those potent barns stocked with those fast Barb horses, of which we’ve seen so many finish in front of our runners. Zip Cat, son of the classy sprinter City Zip, takes the jump into stakes company here off very consistent form in allowance and maiden company. This colt never has been off the board in nine career starts, and Jakebarn will know he has a runner here if he is able to keep that streak alive in a tough stakes field that contains more than one runner proven in graded stakes company. Ts1442’s entry of DELIGENCE and RAISE A FORTY are the final two qualifiers in this 11-horse field. Deligence has been a well-beaten sixth in both of his stakes tries, but earns another shot here off a nice win in breaking his n2l condition. Raise a Forty has hit the board twice in stakes competition, but both of those races were on the turf. He’s yet to run much at all in two career starts on the dirt. In conclusion, one thing that is going to be interesting about this race is how these horses are going to handle the good going. Two horses in the race, Fappaburst and Here’s Indy BG, have won on the off going. As far as wagering, it would be hard to pass up the fat 5-1 on the top qualifier.