Top Sprinters Come to Arizona

For the first time in three years, the Grade III $150,000 Arizona Silver Spoon Stakes will be run on a fast track. 

The six furlong sprint has attracted a stellar field with three of the top ten sprinters in the world facing nine others, few of whom would be a surprise.  With many accomplished closers, look for a very exciting finish.

Here is a look at the field:

1. Having exhausted his conditions and hitting a couple triple digit speed figures, Aggie’s Life (Agnes World x Forty Niner) steps up to try stakes for the first time.  At the time trainer Lenny271 (20%) nominated the four year old colt, there were no indications that the field would come up this tough.  Best hope is to try to sit just off the early leaders and be the first to make a run at them.

2. Sly Cat (Crafty Prospector x Storm Cat) qualified for last fall’s Breeders Bowl Sprint where he was prominent early, but faded.  Comes in off an allowance win, his first in five months.  The CoolK2 (19%) trainee is be coming into this with improving form.  There are only two early speed types in this race, so he may have a shot at stealing this.  The last two winners of this race have been grandsons of Storm Cat.  Slly Cat is one of three in here that meet that criterion.

3. If horses are supposed to slow down after 30 races, nobody told Vomarramov (Slew O’ Gold x Northern Prospect).  He has started his six year old season with a two stakes wins in his 50^th and 51^st starts.  The Rintintin (20%) trainee had three graded stakes wins early last year, but struggled in the 2^nd half.  His confidence may be back after the last two tries.

4. In the money in seven of ten dirt sprints, Smoking Jays (Point Given x Seeking the Gold) steps up in class for trainer VegasJef (18%).  His lone stakes try came two back where he ran a nice third in an ungraded stakes.  Probably has a nice future in stakes, but may be in too tough here.

5. After three straight Grade I victories, Navy Man (Septieme Ciel x Shirley Heights) took a 21 week rest and has yet to regain his form.  His last race was the Breeders Bowl Sprint where he went off as the favorite, finishing sixth.  Crazytown1 (22%) has given him another 18 week break leading up to this.  He still maintains his number two sprint ranking and gets the top jockey (off to a very good 2006), but his lack of recent activity makes him a vulnerable favorite.

6. Hard to Handle (Miswaki x Green Desert) shocked the Grade II Pablo Verces Handicap last time at 22-1.  He had been a Grade I winner before, but his form going into the last appeared poor.  Has Zwylde (15%) found the answer, or should we expect a sizable bounce?  Let’s credit the performance to an excellent training job, maturity at age four, and a favorable pace scenario and we can accept his 11-1 odds as generous.  He vaulted to a number seven ranking off the last win and has only Sly Cat to battle for early dominance here.

7. This will be Bermuda Pirate’s (Rahy x Theatrical) 40^th lifetime race.  The March2nd (10%) charge will be looking for his ninth lifetime and second stakes win.  He has tried graded stakes three times before and owns a fourth place finish.  Looks to be at a speed figure and class disadvantage here – this is a very tough placing for a horse that hasn’t won in nearly six months.

8. Witchy Woman (Saint Ballado x Mr. Prospector) returns to American soil for her fourteenth stakes try.  She is still looking for that first stakes win, and Babes (10%) hopes to find it against the boys.  Against boys in a graded stakes.  Against an unusually strong group of boys in a graded stakes.  Today’s try comes almost one year to the day of her last win. 

9. The second horse out of the professional Lenny conglomerate, Lenny16’s (17%) Roll Tide Roll (Carson City x Storm Cat) comes in on a roll of three straight triple digit speed figure allowance wins.  He tried a stakes once last year where he showed little, but current form says he has a good shot here.

10. In a race with only a couple early speed horses and many closers, P J Lord Nelson (Johannesburg x Forty Niner) should have no trouble getting into his favorite position.  All seven of his sprint wins (in 15 tries) have come sitting just off the pace.  FlyingFinn (12%) has him very sharp for this, and while his two recent graded efforts looked poor, he looks to have a very good shot here.

11. The Squirt (Squirtle Squirt x Louis Quatorze) finished ahead of P J Lord Nelson two back in the Kentucky Colonel and has run off five straight triple digit speed figures for the Gowand8 (8%) stable.  Jockey is off to a slow 1/26 2006.  Squirt is a very dependable late runner in a race with many of the same sort.  It should get fun in the stretch.

12. Stormfang (More Than Ready x Storm Cat) has a couple stakes wins, but lately his rallies have fallen short.  Top drawer trainer Stormborn (24%) tries going turf to dirt and hopes for improvement to come with maturity for the four year old.

Morning Line choice: 5-3-10-11

Timmn’s picks:  6-9-10-3