Political Patriot Heads Maryland Route

A field of seven will go postward Saturday in the ten furlong Maryland feature.  Here are the contestants in post position order.

 

Breaking from gate one will be Elprofit1’s One Last Dare.  The five year old Graeme Hall stallion was a stakes winner at two but has spent much of his career in claimers and starter allowances.  Great claim for $15,000 but these foes are well beyond his talent level. 

 

Favored Political Patriot ended a long losing streak last time out.  After capturing the Grade III Peach State Classic and finishing second to the phenomenal Wonderboy Cougar in the Grade I Out of the City, the handsome son of Machiavellian failed to finish higher than fourth in his next six starts.  Trainer Focusforce wisely dropped his charge into an easy spot in Tennessee to build up his confidence again.  Rider Bokie toyed with his rivals and told the trainer afterward that the colt was 100% again.  Clearly best if right.

 

Trainer Camotion sends out second choice Sadler’s Thorns.  Bounced last time but did score an impressive victory at Old Waterford in his previous outing.  The veteran Sadler’s Wells stallion is well suited to this distance and looms the main danger to Political Patriot.

 

Black Magic Cat was soundly beaten in his stakes bow last time out.  Trainer Shanx’ big Storm Cat colt will need a career best performance in order to reach the top pair.  Will he step forward?  Your call.

 

Blender Bev(ire) is a true rags to riches story.  This seven year old is one of the more obscurely bred stakes winner in history.  His sire, the now retired River of Kings(ire), stood for a fee of two hundred pesos at Rancho Juarez, a combination horse breeding farm and brothel in Mexico.  His dam was a plow horse who jumped the fence one night to meet River of Kings.  The unwanted offspring, Blender Bev, plowed the back forty and performed in a dog and pony show until age six when trainer Snappa won him in an all night card game. 

 

After training the horse for a few months, Snappa put him in a maiden special at Hippodrome Juarez.  Bev passed six tired horses to finish sixth at odds of 43-1 doing just enough to earn him another try.  The trainer shipped him to Yakidoc Downs, a half mile bullring in southeastern Colorado.  Bev liked the sharp turns, lethargic pace and longer distance cruising to an easy win in a slow but encouraging 2:07 for ten panels.

 

Acme Shipping had a “special” deal for any horses going to Connecticut so Snappa shipped there for next to nothing.  Problem was there weren’t any races for him.  So Snappa tossed him into a tough allowance race with a bunch of stakes horses.  Bev ran lights out finishing third and posting a 101 speed figure.  A star is born!

 

Fast forward to today.  Bev has over $200,000 in earnings and is a multiple stakes winner.  He blasted a good field in Missouri two back and last time out ran fourth in the Grade I Gold Cup finishing ahead of eight graded winners.  Big, big shot in here.

 

Woodstabl3’s West Coast Native is a very well bred (Gone West x Seattle Slew) four year old with a nice closing kick.  Has had no luck yet at this level and needs to step forward on Saturday.  Outside shot.

 

Here’s the sleeper.  Lightbringer has won two stakes at this exact distance in his last four starts.  Four back he popped a 107 at Old Waterford winning a listed stake in a quick 2:01.2.  Greenapples’ Touch Gold stallion didn’t fancy twelve furlongs last out but a cut back to ten looks like just what the doctor ordered.  Can do.