Of Champions and Miracles
The Equinics are a time for camaraderie, of teamwork, of pulling together. And yet, it can also be a time for individual stardom, where one performance simply stands out above the rest, where memories are made and immortality achieved. It is, in sum, a special time. In light of this, it is only fitting that one of this year’s Equinics races is named for Bob Champion, who overcame improbable odds to beat cancer and found a horse capable of beating equally improbable odds, to win the Grand National. The man was champion by name, and champion in deed. Miracles do happen, and so do dates with destiny. Anything can happen on any given Saturday. This race sets up for an epic clash in a quest for the gold; some hoping to cap off an already storied career, others hoping to turn a good career into a great one. Dreams and nerves abound the night before the event.
An unexpected rainstorm blew through two days ago, turning the track into a quagmire, and adding a random element to the mix. All had their final preps over this wet surface, but several have never raced on this type of going before, while others have shown promise. However, no one knows how this will truly play out, creating a handicapper’s dilemma, but one with the promise of rich rewards. The going also adds uncertainty to what previously seemed to be a hot and heavy pace on the front end. There are enough frontrunners that the pace should still be quick, but those that don’t care for the going may drop out early, increasing the odds of an uncontested lead. Who will win? I don’t know, but what I do know is any one of these fillies and mares, on the right day, is capable of the win. I simply don’t know which one Lady Fate has selected for a date with destiny and a gleaming gold medal. And now, the BTB proudly presents the 19 competitors in the Bob Champion Stakes:
Representing the Great Plains Residency:
PP1: Prospector Villa, 5yo mare (Crafty Prospector x Pancho Villa x Cornish Prince)
The dark bay mare with the crooked white blaze was clearly gaining confidence over the sodden weeds in her final tune-up for the big dance. The orange and white silks with the blue trim stand out from the mist, as the pazfour trainee, looks to make amends for a disappointing last run, when she could only manage eighth down in Georgia. Prior to that, Prospector Villa had reeled off three straight stakes wins. Barring this latest setback, the Villa has been in the best form of her career, including a third in the G2 Milky Way Stakes. Tackles some big guns here, and the off-surface is a question mark, but she’s got the right credentials, including Loesch in the irons, to pull off the 16/1 upset.
Representing the Down Under Racing Residency:
PP2: Adagio Fragrance, 5yo mare (Cozzene x Caerleon x Kris S)
The dark, gunmetal grey mare is bred for the weeds, and has fared quite well on that surface in a 20 race career. Adagio hails from the notable cream establishment, and has been a consistent checkearner, although usually having to settle for the minor awards. That said, she was a sharp third in the G1 Yellow Submarine, run at the same distance, six starts back (100 SF). The compact miss has tried an off-surface three times, with a second and a third in minor stakes to show for it. Overall, though, she appears to be a tad better on a firm course. The distance suits, and R. Harzheim always manages to get the best out of his mounts.
Representing the Benelux Residency
PP3: Urko’s Hooligan, 4yo filly (Aldebaran x Peaks and Valleys x Warning)
The bright copper chestnut did her best to create a visual impression of Man o’War, her coat gleaming brilliantly in the dawn, her rider clad in silks of black and gold. From the stalchicho division of the champs barn, Hooligan’s hopes had to be dashed somewhat when the rains came pouring down – in four tries on an off-surface, she has managed one second, and that against starter allowance company. She’s been bursting with good health since returning from injury over good turf, which doesn’t ease her connections; concerns about the weather, she was third in her return, then reeled off two sharp allowance wins in solid time. Craig is hoping to let her roll early on the lead and pull off a wire to wire upset at 34/1, but that may be a tough assignment in a field filled with quality speed horses.
Representing the DelPenn Residency
PP4. Devil’s Slide, 4yo filly (Kingmambo x Seattle Slew x Nijinsky II)
The Mistress of Mayhem, is how this filly is called around the barn, and that’s about the only hint you need in order to figure out her personality. A graded winner on the dirt at two, the Devil made a belated turf debut in the spring of last year, and trainer afc has frequently, and publicly, regretted not making the surface switch sooner. The Mistress of Mayhem made up for lost time, and ended up on the nomination for turf filly, only to lose out to the amazing Elsinore. Now four, Devil’s Slide hopes to make up for that disappointment, and begin 2006 the same way she ended 2005 – with a smashing win at 10 furlongs against G1 competition. Unlike many of the other competitors, the surface ought not to make much of a difference. While the dark bay filly has never faced a yielding course, she is unbeaten in two starts over the good turf, including a runaway win against allowance competition, and an easy 2 ¾ length win in the G1 Go Deep Handicap. P Harzheim is aboard, wearing the familiar red and black silks, with a red “C” against the gold bull’s eye circle. That’s appropriate somehow, as Devil’s Slide is the one they’re all gunning for, and those 5/1 odds, making her the tepid favorite in a full field, look to be a gift. The eight week layoff and the yielding turf appear to be the only knocks against the Mistress of Mayhem. If she runs her race, you’ll hear the shout all the way from Vermont.
Representing the Alpine Turf Club Residency:
PP5: Thundering Devine, 6yo mare (Ecton Park x Thunder Gulch x Stage Door Johnny)
Versatile mare has run well on both turf and dirt, only recently transferring over to the lawn. She made her first start a winning one, earning a 99 SF for the 9 furlongs. The dark bay mare has run well in subsequent starts without quite living up to that debut effort, although she did finish third last time out in a restricted stakes. The teamstable homebred, a division of the divine stables, raced well over a good track in a 9 ½ furlong dirt allowance, but has yet to tackle a wet turf course. She seemed to take to it like a duck to water in her final workout, the rider standing tall in the irons, purple silks with gold trim clearly visible, to prevent her from going too quick. She returned, dancing in place, untroubled by the rain splattering her coat. She’ll get a class test here, but from the looks of the final prep, all signs are go.
Representing the EAAA Residency:
PP6: Hannah Example, 8yo mare (Urgent Request x Gaelic Answer x Rheingold)
Despite her age, this is no old grey mare; rather, Hannah Example is a lightly raced mare, delicately framed, which explains why it took her so long to make it to the races, and chocolate hued in color. With only 13 starts under her belt, she has been running well for willowisp, winning three and hitting the board in another six races. In 11 starts on turf, she has finished worse than third only twice. She takes a tremendous step up in class, having competed primarily in claimers, but she’s never tried an off-track, and perhaps that’s all the magic she’ll need to make this Equinics a very memorable one indeed. The great Irish jockey, Z Kentucky, is aboard.
Representing the Vermont Residency:
PP7: Neighborhood, 5yo mare (Wild Again x Nureyev x Native Dancer)
This pale grey mare floated like a ghost through her final morning preparations, Q Cassell getting familiar with his mount, the bright green and white silks of lilbitfarm providing a colorful contrast to the grey and wet. Based in his riverdance farm, Neighborhood is exactly the kind of neighbor you’d like to meet, friendly around the barn, but a tough competitor and teammate. She’s banked over a half million in a 33 race career, winning more than 30% of the time, but unfortunately, Neighborhood’s been tailing off in her last two. After winning three stakes in a row (two with 100+ SFs), and finishing second in the Clever Rahy Memorial with a 102 SF, the grey finished second again, in slower time, in a British Columbia Stakes before showing little in her final prep, finishing a distant fourth. Hopefully the cutback in distance will help, as it did the last time lilbitfarm tried this move (immediately before her three race win streak). Neighborhood has run twice over a yielding course, finishing second in a one mile stakes and fourth in a 10 furlong stakes. She seems a touch faster over a firm course, but it’s close. A return to the form of this fall puts her in medal contention.
Representing the Queensland Residency:
PP8: Be My Beau, 6yo mare (Beau Genius x Be My Guest x Beveled)
You can’t miss these silks – babyfarm’s are a swirl of brilliant pinks, oranges and purples, that demand the eye’s attention. Be My Beau is based in the moneybags division, and she has a dark, almost black coat that sets off to perfection the rioting colors above her. The mare has fallen on hard times of late, finishing off the board in six straight races before making a “take notice” closing move to go from tenth to second in the final quarter mile of a 10 furlong allowance. So, things may be turning around, and on her better days, she’s been a classy runner, and has been good enough to bankroll almost $400k to date. Also, the off going should help Beau’s chances. Beau was second over a good turf course in a 9 ½ furlong allowance (98 SF), and also placed in her only attempt over a yielding course. Still, she’ll have to revert to her younger days to really threaten here, but rain may be just the start of a series of events to give Beau a shot at the gold.
Representing the Epsom Downs Residency:
PP9: Not A Moo Cow, 4yo filly (Luhuk x High Kicker x Avenue of Flags)
Don’t be surprised if the alpine cowbells aren’t out in full force for this one. Love the name, and this filly relished the off-going in her lone try over a good course, beaten a head in an allowance at the end of her juvenile season, and put up the best SF of her 2yo season (or the first part of her 3yo season, for that matter) in the process. The plain brown filly has been a terrific claim for markan, who paid $35,000 for her seven starts back. After a second and a win in starter company, markan shot for the stars, and scored, as Not A Moo Cow won the G3 Panhandle Oaks, with a snazzy 102 SF for the 9 furlongs. In her seasonal debut, Not A Moo Cow led most of the way before getting beat at the wire, having to settle for second in a 9 furlong Georgia stakes (100 SF). A versatile sort, she has performed well from off the pace and on the lead. Lots to like about her, and bettors might want to take note of her as a possible dark horse (19/1). Very surprised that her connections couldn’t get a better jock than Thrasher, who is winless in 10 starts this year, but stranger things have happened. A medal here would certainly complete the rags to riches story.
Representing the Minnesota residency:
PP10: Cold Storage, 4yo filly (Victory Gallop x Unbridled’s Song x Danzig)
You can’t miss this whitewashed face, even in the dark and rain of a final morning workout, although the flashing white stockings are somewhat sullied by the muck. Still H Harzheim has his leggy charge well in hand, and Cold Storage looks comfortable skimming over the wet turf, the bright yellow and white silks mocking the reporters, who stand cold and wet along the rail. A charismatic blue roan, Cold Storage was bred to be a good one; her dam was a G3 winner on the dirt, but this miss took a promising career on the dirt and kicked it up another notch on the lawn. The millionairess has been no worse than fourth in her last eight starts, and picked up two G1 wins and a G2 along the way. From the springtime division of the bigrick stables, she’s been tough at 9 furlongs, but that extra furlong Cold Storage will have to go Saturday is a question mark. Still this race filly, once she has the lead, is a fierce competitor who is tough to pass. She was third to Devil’s Slide’s second in the G1 Cremation Cup back in June, but the two powerhouses have taken different paths since then – it will be interesting to see the rematch. While this four year old has never raced over an off-turf course, she looked pretty good in her lone try over a good dirt track, placing in an allowance race with a time comparable to her fast track efforts. Lots to like, and a deserving second choice at 6/1.
Representing the Ohio Thoroughbred Racing residency:
PP11: Achieving Delta, 4yo filly (Danzig x Nashwan x Roman Line)
This beautifully bred filly is one of the less-experienced horses in the group, and will be making only her 14th career start on Saturday. Back at the barn, you could see the dapples on this attractive miss, who has a crooked stripe down her nose reminiscent of her late, great sire. A handful in the stall, a well-used jollyball in evidence, she constantly is checking out the activity around her. The four year old hails from the tfortiger division of deltatiger. Achieving Delta has carried the contrasting dark and light purple silks to three wins from nine tries on the turf, and made her stakes debut last time out. Delta managed a respectable third in that effort, with a 99 SF. She’s never tried an off-surface, but the smallish filly seemed to handle it well in her morning gallops, and may be poised for a surprise at 36/1.
Representing the Northwest Racing Circuit residency:
PP12: Grand Caffreys, 5yo mare (Desert King x Grand Lodge x El Prado)
This lovely athlete has a long and accomplished career, and has the highest bankroll ($3 million and counting) of anyone in the field. Grand Caffreys is also a gold medallist, having won the Quest for Calgary Gold in Athens 18 months ago. That said, the mare is tempermental, and for every high caliber performance she tosses in, there will be two or three subpar efforts, just to make corka crazy. It’s been a while since the dark bay has carried the red and black striped silks into the winner’s circle, although she came close when taking the runner-up spot in the BB Turf Distaff four starts back. She’s raced against males in two of her three starts since that race, and should appreciate the relative drop down in class. Caffreys last saw the winners circle in the G1 Yolkshire Oaks, also run at 10 furlongs. The off-going shouldn’t present any problems – she is undefeated in one start over a yielding surface, back in her juvenile year. It may be time for Caffreys to decide to once more unveil what she is truly capable of, and add another medal to her tally.
Representing the GSR residency:
PP13: Dynahigh, 4yo filly (High Chaparral x Dynaformer x Thunder Gulch)
One of the best horses from High Chaparral’s first sim crop, this lovely dark chestnut looks to add to her impressive resume (over $500k in earnings, graded stakes winner) by bringing home the gold to the Equinics defending champs. Rcdlogan campaigns this filly in his burnin stable, and she’s certainly been burning it up on the track of late. Since finishing third against G1 competition, the muscular filly has powered her way to victory in the G2 I’m Lost Handicap (10 furlongs, 102 SF), and two ungraded stakes wins at 10 ½ panels. The cutback in distance should suit, as will the presence of Ted Small in the irons. Like several of the others, she likes to go to the front early, so look for those green and gold silks with the red trim and black cap to be prominent in the opening half mile, and she’s got the guts to take it all the way. The main concern is the off-going. While Dynahigh won a 1 1/16 mile turf stakes by a nose over a yielding course, she didn’t seem in love with it, and she finished off the board in two graded tries over a good course. Still, it may be that the yielding suits her better, and in any event, Dynahigh has the talent, the class and the connections to bring home the gold.
Representing the Ireland residency:
PP14: Bells for Michelle, 5yo mare (Rahy x Red Ransom x Alydar)
Any questions about this mare’s ability to handle a boggy course were answered in this mare’s final Equinics prep. The light brown mare strolled home an easy three length victress against allowance competition. While the final time wasn’t spectacular; it didn’t need to be. While the sting trainee is in the toughest race of her 24 race career, she has been well-handled, winning at a 42% clip for her connections, so don’t underestimate her. Rahy is known for throwing classy fillies, and this may be the latest one in a long line of runners. The capable M Day gets the mount.
Representing the GR Simsters residency:
PP15: Tess Carlisle, 4yo filly (Rainbow Quest x Northern Dancer x Nizami II)
The least experienced horse in the field, Tess will be facing the starter for the 13th time. Bred to be a turfer, Tess quickly rose in through the divisional ranks, finishing fourth in the classic Oaks de English-G1 in just her fourth lifetime start. More recently, she won the Slew in a Seattle Special to wrap up her sophomore campaign. While Tess hasn’t quite risen to the heights yet of Cold Storage or Devil’s Slide, she’s shown plenty of promise, and the one mile final prep may be exactly what the doctor ordered to sharpen her for the 10 furlong main event. From the rohan division of the Galileo stables, and bred by squirrel, Tess has never run over an off-track, but she handled it well here during her final prep, looking all the world like a riderless horse as she floated out of the mist, her bright white star gleaming under the track headlights, as the grey silks made Denmark’s Brian Schardein near-invisible. Having shown plenty of promise along the way, this weekend may be the day that Tess Carlisle finally puts everything together.
Representing the Nexis residency:
PP16: A Gold City, 5yo mare (Seeking the Gold x A.P. Indy x Slew City Slew)
Bred to be any kind, A Gold City has certainly lived up to her pedigree, having won 11 of 27 turf starts to date, and racking up more than $1.6 million in earnings for stevemunoz. The superb rider K Ledwith gets the start. If you’re looking for a horse with proven off-track form, it is hard to get past Goldie’s tour-de-force effort in the G1 Flounder Turf Classic. The dark bay led from start to finish, coasting home first by 2 ¾ lengths, and putting up a spectacular 107 SF for the 10 ½ furlongs. While good isn’t always the same as yielding, A Gold City sizzled through her final tune-up, putting up a bullet work in her three-furlong blowout, and acted like she could do it all over again. Seeking the Gold has a history of getting superior off-track runners, and A Gold City appears to be no exception. She’s pretty nifty over a firm course, too, having won the G1 Princess Di Cap. More recently, she led most of the way before having to settle for third in the G1 Penn Distaff behind Devil’s Slide. That said, there are two chinks in this mare’s armor: her need for speed in a field filled with talented frontrunners, and her lackluster 13th in her most recent outing. A Gold City is more than capable of making amends for that disappointing effort, and she’s an extremely dangerous competitor. Ignore her at your peril.
Representing the CR Racers residency:
PP17: Spooky Ballet, 5yo mare (Silver Ghost x Nureyev x Rainbow Quest)
The pale grey mare knows how to win, having found the winner’s circle 18 times already in a 30 race career. From johno’s apmccoy division, the familiar red silks with gold trim have been carried with distinction. Last season, Spooky Ballet won several stakes, placed third in the G1 Princess Di Cap behind A Gold City, and was third behind males in the G1 Eddie O anything else – off track. Despite the name, Spooky is calm and confident around the barn, a real favorite of the stablehands. She began 2006 with yet another win, a 2 ¼ length stroll in the Baby Lock Challenge, and with a quick early pace pretty much assured, she should be able to make the most of her late kick. To add to the appeal, her lone start over a yielding course was a winning one: a ½ length win in a 9 ½ furlong stakes with a 91 SF over a quality field, including graded stakes winner Isle des Farrons. Yet another serious medalist contender in a tough field.
Representing the Kentucky Horsement residency:
PP18: Stage Coach Slew, 4yo filly (Theatrical x Gone West x Seattle Slew)
This long striding filly has suffered a bit of seconditis to date in her career, garnering only three wins, but seven seconds, from 17 starts to date. Bred and campaigned by bulletwork’s kyclocker4 division, this dark bay filly with lots of chrome is a real beauty, although she likes to do things her way, and anything else results in a lot of tail-swishing and head-tossing. Still, she has class in spite of those antics, finishing second in the G1 Irish Oaks, and the G2 Girls of Summer Stakes. She might ultimately have been better suited to the 14 furlong event than the 10 furlong event, but the early speed duel that threatens should help alleviate those concerns. Slew was third in her only off-track try, beaten 3 ½ lengths by Devil’s Slide in the G1 Go Deep Handicap. The low percentage rider is a bit of a surprise. Stage Coach Slew will be hitting her best stride at the wire, the main question is whether she can get there in time.
Representing the Viking Racing residency:
PP19: Tete High Moon, 4yo filly (Moon Ballad x Cozzene x Danzig)
This near-white filly carries on an impressive Equinics legacy. Her dam, the great High Cozzene, who retired with 40 wins from 100 starts, brought home gold in the 2000 Equinics after winning the 10 furlong dirt Demeter Harvest Stakes. Two years later, High Cozzene returned to the Equinics, this time in the 10 furlong turf April Run, but could only manage seventh. Four years later, her daughter comes in hopes of earning a medal in her own right. Bearing the famed blue and black silks of Sabbath, Tete High Moon has shown plenty of ability in her brief career, winning six of 13 turf races. She looked super in Denmark in a G1 event, closing relentlessly through the stretch to narrow the winning margin from 6 ½ lengths to 1, and posting a 101 SF in the process. Stretched out to 14 furlongs last time out, that proved to be beyond her best range, and Moon faded badly in the final quarter mile. A return to 10 furlongs should set things right. In her long off-track effort, the charismatic filly was a closing third in the G3 Freiermuth Stakes (95 SF). She’s got the ability and the genes, and destiny just might be on her side. Like one or two of the others, the jockey is a bit of a surprise, as Rollins got the call over other, more accomplished jocks, but maybe they know something we don’t. If you believe in this family tradition, you’ll get a solid price at 20/1.
Good luck to all of the Equinic hopefuls!