A “booty call” is…well, c’mon now. I don’t really need to tell you what a booty call is, do I? Besides, this is supposed to be a family publication, the BTB.
Still, it’s a good name for a horse. And it’s an opportunity to give three-year-old grass sprinters a chance to shine. This weekend, France hosts the sixth running of the $150,000 Booty Call Stakes, a Grade III sprint over six-and-a-half furlongs on firm turf. For those who think it’s just another grass sprint, look at last year’s running. General’s Chariot closed from off the pace to an authoritative four-length triumph, en route to an Eclipse award this week, for champion sprinter. This year’s edition only drew nine turf sprinters, but includes the #4 turf sprinter among three-year-old colts, Seven Lives, looking to redeem himself from his seasonal debut.
The assembled:
Sir Opal [Royal Academy-Opal Robe, by Luskin Star(AUS)] has the rail, and just a maiden win, but he’s been a steadily improving factor for the barn of woodlands. He likes to go out fast and hope his speed will carry him the full distance, but he hasn’t been able to repeat his debut maiden win from last April. His last start was an aberration, as he was sitting off the pace and never got into his own game, but his other starts have him leading alone for at least the opening half. His numbers have him as a decent competitor in this field, but he requires the lead, and has yet to find a proper way to rate effectively to stretch his early foot out. He has yet to earn black type, even as he’s never been worse than fourth in his career, and so to make a graded debut versus some very speedy sophomores is at first glance a bit of a tall order; there’s just an awful lot of speed here to try and outrun early.
Smart Money [Smarty Jones-Keryn Buda Again, by Red Ransom] has a pedigree that suggests this colt’s future might lie in longer distances for trainer 2totango. But the smart money says that he’s done alright for himself so far. He broke his maiden upon a surface switch to the grass, and won a NW2L in Vermont last out with some flair. He has no objection to stalking the early lead, but he’s not a patient sort; he will wait only a little while, and surge to the front if the pace isn’t to his tastes. To make a debut in graded company takes a pretty tough customer, and it remains to be seen if this colt has developed the requisite toughness in this spot. It should be noted that he did struggle a bit when going seven-and-a-half furlongs on dirt, going to the lead and fading late, but the sloppy track did him no favors that day, and going longer on the lawn might be more his style. He’s developing into a very solid contender, but the real test for class comes here, and his usual assertiveness alone might not be sufficient.
Remember Pandora [Gone West-Pandora Too, by Kingmambo]? She opened up a box she shouldn’t have, and let loose a whole lotta trouble. Trainer bellissimo might have opened a box just a tad when switching this colt to grass, and he has responded with three wins in a row. Does that spell trouble here? Well, each win has been just enough to get the job done, in an MSW and a pair of allowance sprints, alone on the lead and leaving just enough left in the tank to hold on to the win. Also, these middle-distance sprints have been her favorites, as she’s won from six to seven furlongs, all in the same style. He wants the lead, but isn’t demanding about it. Here, the lead will likely fall to the favored Seven Lives, who has a strong burst of gate speed, so the role of supplying the pressure could be his, should he want it. His speed figs are decent among these, but he needs to elevate himself a notch to figure in the ending.
Bad For Business [Mt. Livermore-Clawbone Scar, by Gone West] has only run three times, but trainer lenny27 was impressed enough with his last effort that he’s willing to roll the dice here. And why not? His sophomore coming-out party (at this distance) was very impressive indeed, as he stalked a solid pace, took over about three furlongs out, and won with conviction, earning a 90 for the performance. Though his maiden win came at a mile, it’s pretty clear sprinting is one of his favorite things. The 90 isn’t the best last-out fig, but it is strong, and if he’s up close to the front here early enough, he might have a great shot at pulling a surprise. His dam loved turf sprints, and his sire’s no slouch under a mile, either, and he gets France’s leading jockey for the ride, J Stivers, who seems to do pretty well for himself with horses that come more from off the lead. Among a fast bunch, he’s an unknown making his stakes debut here.
Vermont Victory [Two Punch-Two Mile Victory(IRE), by Theatrical(IRE)] is an interesting breeding combo for trainer wtas02, and I confess that the mix of the Maryland-based Two Punch and the classic turf influence Theatrical(IRE) inspired me enough to copy it for one of my juveniles. The combo has worked alright so far, judging from the past performances: he’s a stakes winner, and twice graded-placed, and seems to operate at his best coming from the back of the pack. In his ’06 bow, he closed very well to be beaten only a length in the Grade III Roasted Weenies, achieving the best last-out fig among these, a 94. That was seven furlongs, however; dropping back to six-and-a-half panels reduces the margin for error coming from the rear as he likes to do. His pedigree screams out for more ground, but this one’s clearly more in his element in the longer sprints, and there’s enough speed here to help generate a strong finishing kick; definitely consider him for your exotics wagers.
Lota Bull [Brahms-Round Bull, by Holy Bull] is up next for the barn of corka, and he’s another who has found new life going from the brown to the green. Since moving to his current stable, he has an allowance win (earned in his grass debut) in which he rallied from last to first to surprise the folks at Eastern Kentucky at 15-1. Subsequent efforts have lacked that initiative, with a seventh going long in the Grade III Phenom and a belated sixth in a mile allowance last out in his season debut. Here, he turns back to something closer to his best distance, but though his turf numbers do average out into the low-80s, they fall to the rear of these, and his late kick is going to have to be more sprightly than Vermont Victory will have in order to make a strong enough impact.
Luca Brasi [Dixieland Band-Queen Ack, by Sadler’s Wells] is an X factor, an unbeaten, 2-for-2 colt for trainer crazyjoe and a half to stakes winner Mama Gone Wild. He won his maiden and his NW2L, both in California, and now tries his graded and stakes debuts here. Not much is known about this one, otherwise. He ran a 71 in his debut and an 84 in his allowance win, and he likes to come from off the pace as well. He’s being tested for class in this spot, and his running style does fit well with the expected early crunch up front. This is ambitious placement for this unbeaten, unheralded colt, but this trainer isn’t being careless in this spot: he is the trainer of Grade I-placed four-year-old Careless, and so he knows what he’s doing, theoretically. He’ll have to show us more here.
Seven Lives [Tale Of The Cat-Seven Manta, by Danzig] is the projected early speed among these for trainer putitback, and he didn’t merely draw his #4 divisional ranking by random draw. He’s the only graded winner here, having captured the Grade I Duetoburst last fall at Newmarket over Vermont Victory, and that one he took them gate-to-wire, which is what he likes to do. Alas, it hasn’t paid off since then; breaking from the outside, he faded in the Grade I Epiphany Too going a mile-and-a-sixteenth two back, and in the Grade III Roasting Weenies he never got to his customary position on the lead, and faded to fifth. He’s 3-for-4 at this distance, and should be fastest from the gate, but will he have it at the end? His speed figures are now peaking in the low-90s, and that’s an advantage not a lot of his competitors have experienced yet. Plus, all his wins have been successful wire-to-wire ventures, and no one looks much like they’ll outrun him from the break. He has it on class; now, to work on that recent form just a bit…
Lunar Cleansing [Awesome Again-High Voltage(IRE), by Giant’s Causeway(IRE)] draws the outside for trainer studkenny2, and he started his career on an instant roll, going 2-for-2 including a stakes win in Ireland. His favorite pastime is to stalk the lead early on, which propelled him for the victories, and take over about halfway through. The streak abruptly stopped when he did in Denmark last out; he wasn’t his usual self from the gate, and never effectively got into that seven-and-a-half furlong race while fourth. A repeat of that effort simply won’t do; he needs to be alert from the break and up close early for his best effort. His numbers started off fair, then regressed last out. Was that last start the “something rotten” in the state of Denmark? We’re inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt, and anticipate he’ll be back to his old self to challenge for a check here.
My selections:
- Bad For Business
- Vermont Victory
- Seven Lives
- Luca Brasi
- Lunar Cleansing
Good luck, and happy racing.