Horseshoe Bay And Rain God – What A Race

Horseshoe Bay And Rain God – What A Race

California – I left the rain of Texas behind and with a short flight I was in sunny California to cover the Grade I, San Francisco Capitan.  With the top ranked Horseshoe Bay among the entries, it is no wonder that many trainers opted to look elsewhere for their charges.  Although the field is only eight strong, I am sure the $400,000 purse and a mile and a half of grass, helped to bring together a field guaranteed to make a champion earn the victory.  Let’s look at the field by post position.

Drawing the inside is the current reigning champion, Horseshoe Bay (5/2) a 4 YO bay son of Red Ransom.  Ranked # 1, there isn’t much left to say about this colt that hasn’t already been said.  Trained by one of the best, Texasace, he has won 14 of 23 starts and has almost five million in the bank and hasn’t even tried the main track.  Four of his last eight starts have been Grade I wins, including the Prix du Jockey Club, the Breeder’s Bowl Turf, the Couldn’t Train A Frog To Jump, and the John Scott Appreciation Day, all at 12 furlongs.  His closing style always puts him at risk but he looked fit and healthy during the photo op on Friday morning although one could smell the Furicin sweat a long way away.

Post two will hold War City (6/1) a 4 YO, yellow chestnut son of War Chant.  Trained by Daunte6 he is relatively lightly raced with only 13 starts and five of those are wins.  He has won at distances ranging from 6 1/2  to 9 1/2 furlongs including the Grade II Cherry Limb, and the B. Orphan, both at this very track.  He certainly has some nice credentials, appeared to be sound but the Carson City influence in his pedigree may hold him back in his quest to be considered a true marathoner.

Longshot Lill Veduten (54/1) is a 6 YO chestnut horse by Imperial Flag and may be here only to ensure an honest pace up front.  Owned and trained by Chokito he has four wins from 27 starts and has not seen the winner’s circle in over a year.  He will certainly have his hands (hooves?) full trying to keep up with the other speed horse, Confederacy.

Demons Be Driven (18/1) is a good looking 5 YO dark grey son of Fantastic Light.  Trained by Soulbleed he has won six of 24 and is quite confortable at the distance.  His last win was four back in a Delaware allowance and he has not been worse than third in his last four races.  However, his speed figures are far below what will be needed in this race and he will need his best to hit the board on Saturday.

Puppet Regime (4/1) is trained by Wrecks2 and the 4YO son of Kingmambo is ranked # 16.  He has an awesome win percentage, winning 9 of his 12 races and has banked more than a million dollars.  Five of his wins have come in his last eight races and include the Silky Sullivan Turf, the Taylor’s Wolves, the Poison Bill and best of all, the Grade I Sand Castle Golden Turf where he surprised many in this field.  He seems to be on a roll, winning three of his last four and the only question mark might be – will the 22 point jump in his last speed figure cause him to bounce this time around or is he just a good horse getting better? 

The afore mentioned Confederacy (6/1) should be the speed in the race and the big bay colt is entirely capabale of taking the field gate to wire.  A 4 YO  son of High Chaparral he is conditioned by Dawgpound and is ranked #30 in the turf long division.  With seven wins from 17 starts he had a streak of five going before finishing second two back in the Grade I, Lester Piggott,  He was third last time out in the Grade I, Sand Castle Golden Turf behind Puppet Regime but he gives his very best every time and has carried his speed to a win at this distance. 

Dan Colony (11/1) is conditioned by Loubrown and is ranked # 20 in the long turf division.  A 5 YO brown horse by Danzig Connection he has only been off the board once in his last eight starts with wins in the Bubba’s Raise, the Whipped Boot and last time out in the Away From Ant.  Although this is a step up, he should be just off the leaders and should get part.

On the outside is Rain God (9/5) who will be led to the paddock by trainer Kevoman3.  The slight favorite is a 5 YO son of Rainbow Quest and has won almost half of races.  He has been in the money 25/27 and has won over six million in his career.  His last win was three back in the Grade III, Mean Joe Green.  This is another horse that there isn’t much left to say about him – he’s been there and done that.  Like Horseshoe Bay he has never started over the main track and maybe he never will although he seems vulnerable to me this year.  While he has been first or second in six of his last eight starts he finished third two back in the Grade II Pan Americana and faded to fifth last time out in the Sand Castle Golden Turf.  Maybe a change of surface might perk the old boy up or maybe now that it is spring, he will wake up and smell the flowers.

Good Luck to everyone.