The Billy And Jimmy Draws Less Than Stellar Field

The Billy And Jimmy Draws Less Than Stellar Field

New York – I was quite excited to find myself headed to New York to cover the Grade I Billy and Jimmy, a seven furlong dash for older horses, carrying a nice purse of $350,000.  On my arrival I made the cab driver stop so I could get a BTB Form before making my way to the track.  Fourteen horses, including one filly will go postward in the fourteenth race of the afternoon and it should be fun to see some of the Sim elite.  So let’s look at the field by post.

Breaking from the inside will be Hawkbone (11/1), a 5 YO chestnut horse by Miswaki.  Ranked # 41, he is owned and trained by Ksparrow22 and has won 10 of 44 starts.  Hmmm…. That’s less than 1/4 of his races – where the heck did that top 50 ranking come from?  Well, let’s see…. His last win was in – an allowance race, can that be right?, – six races ago at seven furlongs.  He was moved back up in class off of that effort but couldn’t get the job done in five stake tries and now he’s entered in a Grade I.  Makes perfect sense to me.

Red Hot Cat (10/1) is another 5 YO and is a dark bay son of Silver Deputy.  Trained by Mirasol he has won eight of 26 starts…well, that’s a bit better percentage.  He did finish 3^rd twice in Grade I’s – the Sterile Mile and the Gotta Fix The Sprinklers and lost by a nose in the Grade II Middle Gourand Mile but his best finish in his last eight starts was winning an allowance race two back.  He does seem to have some early speed so maybe he can handle the shorter distance and at least he should keep up with the company.

Waremblem1 will send out Royal Sovereign (15/1) and the bright bay 4 YO colt by Touch Gold has won five of 14 starts – hey that’s better than 1/3 of his races -we’re moving up.  He won his last start, the Brother Country at 7 1/2 furlongs coming from dead last to win by a length and a quarter.  His only graded try in his last eight was a big flop but at least he shows a stake win.  The best so far.

Post four will hold In The Army Now (13/1) a cleverly named light bay 4 YO colt by Polish Navy.  Trained by Super9, this former claimer -WHAT – claimer??? – has won three of his last eight – all allowance or starters.  He managed to beat one in the Grade II San Valenzuala Breeders Bowl and was a closing second last time out in the Crown George.  Oh yeah, he definitely belongs here.

Cat Of The Tail (12/1) is a chestnut son of Tale Of The Cat.  He is owned and trained by Graywolf3 and has won five of 29 start.  He does have two wins in his last eight starts and… you guessed it… they were both allowance races.  He did make the lead last time out in the Grade III Winchester at a mile, so a Grade I at shorter, is definitely where he should be entered next. 

Strike The Gold will be represented by his 4 YO son, Great King Rat (10/1).  HA!  This one at least has some recent wins – like four of his last five.  He is lightly raced with only 10 starts and he has won half of them, but damn – they are all – say it with me – “allowance wins”.  He does have improving speed figures and the Zewango4 trainee is ready for a step up but maybe not all the way to the top of the stairs.  But then…this is a pretty sorry bunch for a grade I event.

Ontarget has dropped the name of Easy Ballad (11/1), a 6 YO roan horse by Saint Ballado.  Oh my, here’s another former claimer who did win three starters and an allowance, all in a row.    His trainer than jumped him into a regular overnite stakes but he could only beat one, so yes, definitely Grade I material!

Ranked # 22 is Wonderboy DJ a 4 YO red colt by Carson City, trained by Wonder2.  Top rider Nancy Lawton, who had her pick of the field, chose this one and I can see why.  Finally, we have a graded winner.  He has been in the money in 11/18 starts and has won six of them, including the Grade II Bluegrass Sprint and the seven furlong Grade III Tobaggan.  This could be his race to lose.

Post nine will hold Bethebestyoucanbe (19/1) a 5YO bay son of Bestyoucanbe.  Trained by Willyam13 he has won four of 25 and comes in off a 3^rd place finish in the Old Jed after leading by as much as three lengths.  He has also won two of his last four races but…you guessed it – they were allowance wins.  Darn, this is so depressing! 

Snowchief entered Civil Defense (9/1) a dark bay son of Golden Missile and then forgot to hang around the racing office to secure a decent jockey, and was assigned Mike Turner who is looking for his FIRST win of the year!  I bet he is a happy camper – probably the best horse he has ever been on.  With six wins from 21 starts, he comes in off a win last time out in the Carson Bingo….. after two earlier – yes, allowance wins.

Gate Keeper (5/1) is ranked in the top 100 and has six wins from 17 starts for trainer Gorgeous.  By Danehill, this 5 YO also has two allowance wins but, finished a closing third in the Grade III Kentucky Colonel three back and then won (yes, WON) the Grade III Pablo Cruz last time out at seven furlongs.  He did that with a 113 speed figure, which is the best of this bunch.  So now, we have two who defiantly belong here.  Are there any more?

Post 12 will contain Pequin Cat (12/1) a 4 YO bay colt by Tabasco Cat and will be saddled by Quietly.  He has won five of 22 starts and yes, this is getting old, he has an allowance win at Saturday’s distance, showing.  What a surprise!  He backed up that  with a win at slightly longer in the Atlanta Twilight six back.  Recently, he finished third in the Grade II Pablo Verces at six furlongs, but then threw in a real clunker last time out in the Pablo Cruz behind Gate Keeper.  In fact, other than that third, he has finished seventh or worse in four of his last five.

Give Wells A Turn (13/1) is rolling along looking for his fifth win in a row.  Trained by Sos, he is a chestnut, 4 YO son of Point Given and you can probably guess the rest of his breeding.  With five wins from 10 starts he seems to be an all or nothing colt who picked up the second worse rider in the race.  After two allowance (there’s that word again) he beat five in the Aaron Rat and followed that with a nice win in the Old Jed last time out earning a speed figure of 112.  This is a big class jump but at least this horse deserves a try if only his rider doesn’t try to ride and just sits there.

The only filly in the race drew the far outside which could hurt her if all races weren’t run Dubai-like down a straightaway.  Kacymygirl (7/1) is a dark grey daughter of MaCabe and is trained by Nj50.  She is the highest ranked horse in the race coming in at # 8 on the filly and mare side.  She has won almost half of her races, 10/22 and has been in the money in 17 of those 22.  She is trying males for the first time but enters this race with some nice credentials.  She is the winner of the Senorita Roan, the Dynabanna, and earned a 112 in winning the Distaff Breeder’s Bowl, a Grade III last time out.  Yes, she does have an allowance win showing, can’t seem to get away from that word, but if she fires, she will be tough to beat.

I don’t know whether these trainers deserve a medal for finding such a soft Grade I event or whether they got their trainer’s license out of a Cracker Jack box, or whether there are just too many graded events in the Sim.  Most of these horses are solid allowance horses and would probably do just fine in some of the overnite stakes.  Certainly very few of them belong in a Grade I.  Okay, sorry everyone, I will stop editorializing, after all there will be a winner and that alone will make this race worth watching.