Six Compete In Asking For Trouble Challenge

Six fillies and mares are on hand for this week’s feature, The Asking For Trouble Challenge. It will be run at 13 furlongs on the dirt course for a purse of $70,000. Asking For Trouble was a dirt router by Storm Cat who won 20 of 38 career starts.

On the rail at 5/2 is Involvedd owned by uncfan23. She is a 5yo by Java Gold and is based on a horse by Rahy. She’s coming off a stakes victory in Sweden over 10 furlongs. She has won stakes up to 12 furlongs, and also won one over 5 furlongs on turf, so she’s pretty versatile. She has run in 14 furlong stakes three times and hit the board in all of them. M. Tippett is in the leathers.

In post two at 4/1 is Scolding Wind, who hails from the infamous Lennbrenner Empire. Being from an Empire and all, she is understandably quite well bred, by Summer Squall out of an Easy Goer mare. She been running mostly in allowances at 10 furlongs, but she did stretch out to 12 recently and ran second, so 13 shouldn’t be a problem for her. Her biggest problem is likely to be jockey Fred Durst, who is much better as a trainer.

In post three is the girl with the great name, Thexy Thong, at 7/1. She is owned by deadman and is a 4yo by Not For Love and is based on an A.P. Indy horse. She hasn’t won a stakes yet, but she’s run second in three of them. One of those was at 10.5 furlongs, the farthest distance she has been so far. She doesn’t win very often, actually only twice in her career, but she hits the board a lot. F. Dirks, who is enjoying a career year, is in the saddle.

The heavy favourite at 8/5 is Morales owned by rharzheim0. She is a 5yo by More Than Ready out of an Ack Ack mare. She is ranked in the top 100 of the dirt classic division, and recently won three stakes in a row. The only question for her here is the distance, as she has never been beyond 10 furlongs. A. Reed, perenially one of the top jockeys in Ireland, certainly solidifies her status as the favorite though.

In post five at 7/1 is Dividing Range(GB) owned by cjt3. She is a 4yo by Storming Home(GB) and is based on a horse by Opera House(GB). She recently won an allowance here in Ireland going 10 furlongs. She’s had some time off since then to freshen up, and this will be her 4yo debut. She also hasn’t gone beyond 10 furlongs though. P. Adams will be riding her.

Rounding out the field is the Irishbred Forty Quills(Ire) at 5/1. She is owned by mattress and is a 5yo by Rock of Gibraltar(Ire) out of a Riverman mare. She has won a stakes at 10.5 furlongs and has placed in a couple of others. She has gone 12 furlongs before, so distance shouldn’t be a problem for her here. Top jockey Z. Kentucky must like her chances, as he has chosen her for his mount today.

There you have it. It’s a fairly evenly matched field, and I suspect the outcome will be dependent on who likes the distance the most, as only the one horse has run this far before. Good luck to all the runners and may they all come home sound.