Hot Track On Track for Three In A Row

Hot Track On Track for Three In A Row

Arizona – Thanks to time zones, fast planes and the fact that Arizona doesn’t do daylight savings, I made it back from Sweden in time to catch the morning workouts in Arizona.  I arrived at dawn and went straight to the track as I am covering the Grade III Sprinklers Are Broke Again Stakes. Someday I will tell you where that name came from.  Anyway, this is a 7 1/2 furlong race over the hard turf course for a purse of $125,000 for two-year olds.  Seven colts and one filly will face the starter on Saturday, most off only a maiden win.  Sometimes it pays to be aggressive with the young ones, especially since their lives aren’t too long anyhow.

First to come out was Unamazingness (  ), a 2YO son of Unbridled’s Song.  The dark grey was hard to see in the early morning light and that may have been trainer Mardigras intention as the colt looked like a monster as he galloped by under a snug hold by his exercise rider.  He is undefeated, having won his only start at shorter.

Topicount2‘s common-headed colt Hot Track came by at a nice clip pulling hard and looking awesome.  The dark brown, almost black son of Java Gold is undefeated on the turf and is one of the few in this race with a stakes win.   The powerfully built colt won last time out in the Atlanta Needle, right here in Arizona. Antonio Stepnoski rides him back on Saturday and punters will get a great price.

Northern Well’s( ) went by high-blowing and trying to buck with owner/trainer Jockeymax in the irons.  The red son of War Chant looked good and with his four white socks flashing he made a pretty picture.  Pretty is as pretty does and although this colt has never been out of the money it took four starts to break his maiden and this trainer doesn’t keep them long if they don’t meet expectations.

Boob Tube (7/2) came by at a long trot going the wrong way of the track on a loose rein.  The pretty bay daughter of Spinning World has a lovely top line that the hunter/jumper people would die for and her head tied into her shoulder perfectly.   Owner/trainer Whistler has been trying to put some stamina in her as she went wire to wire last time out, but was shortening her stride at the wire.

Off The Block (4/1) bucked and played as he came by with the pony.  The roan colt by Highest Honor is trained by Pattips and has only been out of the money once.  With five starts he is one of the most experienced horses in the field.  His only win came on the dirt and you have to wonder what they know that he is shipping in from Ireland for this race, which will also be his first try on the grass.   The heat and the long distance may be a factor.

Sharp Bend (5/1) also came by with the pony and he didn’t look as though he liked it much.  A compact yellow-chestnut by Refuse To Bend, he was acting like he wanted to eat the pony for lunch.  The Bodgit trainee is still a maiden, although he lost his last by a very short nose in a photo finish that kept the stewards busy for a long time.  He is another that is coming in from overseas.

The last two came by together in a strong gallop.  Down on the rail was Equimatic (7/1) a son of Equality, and the only other horse that has more than one win as well as a stakes win.  The dark bay colt is trained by Grumpy0428 and is ranked #25 in the turf colt division.  He won the Bright Buster and then came back to be a closing third last time out in the Grade III Feeling Bad stakes.  Although you could smell the Numotiazine (sp?) under his red wraps he certainly was hitting the ground well.

To his outside was a plain brown colt by Flying Spur, Flying Foxes (4/1).  Owned and trained by Sportnwood, the big brown is 3/5 in the money and has a maiden win.  This is his second try on the grass and his first wasn’t very auspicious.  He does have stakes experience although that wasn’t very auspicious either.  But you can’t win them if you don’t enter.

Two-year old races are fun and it will be interesting to see who steps up to the plate on Saturday.  Good Luck to everyone.