White flag waves in West Virginia

By ITCH

West Virginia Stakes Competition players are giving it their all this week, as half of this full field of 14 for the $35,000 Fat Free Denny Special going a mile and 3/16 are from contest barns.

It’s the penultimate week in this quarter of the competition, and as Jimmy Johnson knows, when that white flag waves, it’s time to get ‘er done.

Let’s see who can do it this week:

Qualifying in the pole position is SISSONHILL out of the anzstable, a 4yo son of Danzig who has risen all the way to No. 33 in the classic rankings in only 15 career starts. He’s been first or second in six straight stakes races, and the last two were both Grade 2. He won a California Grade 2 two back, and was second las out in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Power Stakes. It’s just tough luck for point-hungry competition trainers that anzstable decides to drop down here. He’s a frontrunner that does run second frequently, however, bringing up at least the possibility that the heretofore hex on faves at Old Waterford could continue. Somebody is going to run an awful good race to beat this consistent horse, though.

The next four qualifiers are all from contest barns, revealing the strong hand the locals have in the Fat Free Denny. They’ve been banging heads with each other all winter here at the Mountain.

Second is Ts1442’s DIAMOND HEAD, out of his south40 stable, earned two points in the stakes competition two back when he was third in the L’Rod Bull Special. He was two lengths back of Wassie’s Rainbow G that day, who is the next qualifier here. Since then, Diamond Head shipped out for a poor race in Wisconsin. Kind of a tough call for contest trainers of older horses like these, what with six weeks between races here.

Wassie decided to do the same thing, shipping out to New Jersey for a dull effort with WASSIE’S RAINBOW G. The big horse is showing a definite good-race, bad-race pattern of late, and he’s sitting on a good race here. We know he likes the Appalachian Spa, that’s for sure. A win here, and you can congratulate Wassie for a threepeat.

The fourth qualifier is INDISPENSABLE for stretch. After missing the board in the L’Rod and the Flywaki Bonanza here, Indispensable shared a van ride with the Rainbow to New Jersey, and beat him, finishing third. I know Stretch would rather see his horse in the board here at Old Waterford, and that decent race last out at this exact distance could be a good sign.

Ts1442 has a pretty strong entry, what with two of the top 5 qualifiers. Fifth is ROYAL FORTY INDY out of his julie barn. This horse would be first in the rankings if this were a longer race, as he’s ranked No. xx in the long division. He’s been racing at marathon distances, and 9.5 furlongs are probably not enough for him, but we’ll have to see. He’s got the class and he can run all day.

Jackelfly’s FIRMFLY’S SIXER qualifies, appropriately, sixth. This 4yo son of Saratoga Six won a stake and placed in two others when he was younger, then spent the rest of his 3yo campaign in stakes company. Now that he’s four, and finished off 2005 with two nice impressive wins in allowance company with triple digit speed figs, Jackelfly has returned his charge to stakes competition. Maybe a bounce last out when eighth off a respectable fourth two back in the Grade 2 that the favorite won. One question will be whether the horse can handle the distance. He’s run good at 8.5 furlongs, but notice that clunker five back going 9.5. He has run well at this distance in the past, however.

Seventh is BEARING GIFTS out of the albarace1 stable. First glance at this one’s career record tends to indicate he’s no great shakes at the stakes level, with $146,000 in career earnings in 39 career starts. Then again, only 11 of those starts have been for albarace, under whose care this horse has really moved forward. Claimed for $35,000 back in 2594, Albarace experimented a little bit, learning the horse would not run on the turf. He’s really started to blossom as a 5yo, exploding in two of his last three races for big come-from-behind scores with triple-digit speed figs. He won his first career stake two back in New South Wales, then shipped stateside for the Grade 3 Razorback last out. He wasn’t quite up to that class, but he’s back at the non-graded level now and we’ll see if he can reproduce that winning effort from two back. A definite success story for albarace no matter the result on Saturday.

CONGORAN out of the argo7591 stable is eighth qualifier. This lightly raced 4yo son of Red Ransom makes only his 14th career start here. Having hit the exacta in 10 of his 13 races so far, that tells us one thing: good horse. This guy is a little bit like Firmfly’s Sixer, in that he competed successfully in stakes as a juvenile, then dropped back to easier spots in allowance company. With four straight triple-digit speed figs, and just about out of allowance conditions, it’s time to jump back in the stakes pool.

BRINGBACKTHEMAGIC out of the parrothead stable is ninth. Now, it’s hard for a Dead Head like me to hold his tongue about a Parrot Head, but what the heck. I got a Parrot Head right across the street from me, and he’s a nice guy. I’m softening that stance as I get older. Plus, Parrothead is a Sim vet of some 795 races, so maybe I have more in common with him than I think. I sure know I’d like to have this 4yo son of Deerhound in my stable. He’s just starting to get good. This is another one that’s consistently first or second, always a good sign, and he’s razor sharp here for his first-ever stakes try. Two in a row now, and you draw a line through that 7-furlong sprint three back and this one is looking very solid. Whether or not he hits the board on Saturday, this one is looking like an up and coming stakes runner.

STORMY qualifies 10th and is the second half of an entry for Stretch. This 7yo son of Pulpit makes his 61st career start here. It’s been a heck of a good career. At one point, this was a Grade 1 runner, finishing second in two straight races in the Sim stratosphere back in 2004. By now, it would be a surprise for him to contend here, and has been dismissed as the second-longest shot in the field. Heck of a horse, though.

HISNAMIS MR ED G is the second half of Wassie’s entry out of his zz stable. This is the longest shot in the field at 35-1. He’s competed decently in restricted allowance company but has been up the track in two career stake tries.

KATIE’S GHOST out of the headbob stable is 12th qualifier. This one is getting major respect from Charlie, the Drunken Morning Line Oddsmaker, at 7-1 despite qualifying behind a 35-1 shot. What gives? I don’t know. Maybe Charlie and Headbob know something we don’t. Headbob claimed this horse for $35,000 back in 2004 and has made some nice hay with him in allowance company, but he only started six times in 2005, and made his first start in 2727 after going unraced since 2608. He made a nice comeback race, second in an open allowance with a 101 speed fig, but 7-1 in a stakes debut? He might run, but he’s a lot more likely to bounce and 7-1 is a serious underlay.

Hi-Jacked Ted is taking a shot here with the 13th qualifier, PRECIOUS JEWEL out of his highc barn. This 6yo son of Silver Deputy makes his 50th career start here. He’s been off the board in 14 straight stake races. Have to pass on this one, I’m afraid.

Finally, we have LIL MANOLETE out of the bronco4 barn. This one is pretty classy to be in the final qualifying spot, having been a very respectable fourth two back in the Grade I Delaware Handicap, beaten only four lengths by the great TOWER STORM, earner of $3.5 million and a Simulated Legend Horse. Don’t let that fool you into a big bet, though. This one has missed the board in four straight non-graded stakes like this.

In conclusion, we have a lot of stone closers in this race, which should set up so nicely for the favorite, who likes to run on the front end. A class and pace advantage both is gonna be tough to beat. Then again, we all know how favorites have been fairing at the Mountain Oval.

GOOD LUCK EVERYBODY!!!!