Top Three Year Old Sprinters Line Up in Texas
This week in
Previous results of The Dallas BB Stakes were:
2000 – Sugar Burden – luffe – 1.22.8 – SR 101
2001 – Marc Till Que – princessme – 1.22.2 – 109
2002 – Wonder Improve – moonbeam – 1.22.2 – 109
2003 – Afleeting Glance – kingcobra – 1.21.8 – 112
2004 – Xander – oilspill – 1.21.8 – 112
2005 –
As can be seen from the history books, it is very likely that this week’s winner will need to cover the distance in around 1.22, and will need to be able to record a very healthy speed figure. We see a well balanced, even field of runners here, with the price range about as tight as last week’s Bluegrass Derby. There’s not a runner without a genuine chance, as indicated by the early markets, which have the favorite at 6/1 and the rank outsider at just 16/1.
We’ll work through the field in racebook order:
From the inside gate will emerge Senior Year. theoc2 bred this one from scratch using Lion Heart / Mr. Greeley / Chief’s Crown. He began repaying his connections right from the start, winning on debut, and going on to provide plenty of thrills as he, like so many others, embarked on the Derby trail. He remained in some sort of contention for the classic, but was relying on a win in his most recent start, the Bluegrass Trail Stakes – G3 to move up the entry order. Sadly he could manage only seventh in that, and as a result, the stable have decided to revisit the sprinting ranks, where his first two races resulted in a maiden win and an allowance second. As a proven sprinter, and a dual stakes winner over the mile, the seven furlongs should prove ideal. The inside gate should allow him to settle in a handy position. He’s unlikely to want the lead, but should in a good spot to issue a serious challenge at the business end.
Lining up in stall number 2 will be Red Vise, quoted at 8/1 in the early markets. A winner of six from fourteen, his two year old season was most exciting, and 2006 is shaping to look even better. Red Vise is the second foal of Black Vise, a daughter of High Yield / Summer Squall, who was victorious on nine of her 29 trips to the races. Sent by owner / trainer econ to Victory Gallop for this mating, Red Vise currently sits at # 2 on his sire’s three year old earners list, and will be looking to improve that position this weekend. He was given a solid year at two, racing ten times, and thrived on the work, producing five wins, including one at black type level. This year began with his biggest challenge, a trip to the equinics, where he ran a strong third in a field of twenty in the Ron Turcotte – G1. Dropped back to allowance level for a confidence boosting win, then back to graded and ungraded racing for a pair of seconds leading into this. Capable jockey J. Chapman is sure to have him within striking distance, and he’ll be looking to add to his recent record, in which his last five starts have all produced podium finishes.
Barrier 3 is the starting position for Lemonade Stand. An incredibly unlucky colt, he had racked up four seconds, three of them at stakes level, in consecutive races before finding the opposition too hot in the Sand Castle Derby – G2. Scratchbred by tiramasu42, using Afleet / Nureyev / Prove Out, he won his maiden impressively on debut, then put in two good runs in stakes races before his run of seconds. He’s facing a quality field here, but definitely has the ability to be in the mix. He’s well overdue for a change in fortune and smart jockey P.Henderson will be looking to take a handy sit, without giving the leaders too much of a head start. At 14/1 Lemonade Stand is one of the longer priced starters, but this is such an evenly matched field that those odds could well prove to be quite generous.
Nighthawk Quest will jump from gate 4. A most versatile three year old with wins on both surfaces, and the ability to perform over a range of distances, he returns to sprinting despite winning three stakes races over longer trips from his last four visits to the track. A son of
Melek Ha Cavode jumps from 5. Bred from scratch and carrying the blood of Touch Gold / Royal Danzig / Fast Play, this lightly raced three year old colt continues to develop strongly under the training of genesis66. Like most good horses his age, he has been tested over a bit more ground in the lead-up races to the triple crown. He didn’t quite make the grade there, and returns to the sprinting ranks, where he holds a perfect record of two from two, in his quest to regain winning form. Melek Ha Cavode was the impressive winner of his first three races, a maiden sprint, an allowance mile and a sprint stakes, before finishing down the track in Florida’s Fountain of Ute – G2. A strong third in a
Stall 6 is the starting position for Versus and given the fact that this lightly raced three year old has yet to finish worse than third in nine career starts, it would be most unwise to underestimate his chances here this week. Versus was bred as a result of the mating of El Prado with One Groove, a stakes winning daughter of Gone West / Sharpen Up. Owner / trainer myjuliet chose to begin his racing on the grass, where he ran two creditable thirds at his first two starts. Switched to dirt, his career went ahead in leaps and bounds. A strong second of fourteen preceded his maiden victory at his fourth run. A couple more allowance runs to round out 2005 resulted in a third and a second. Following his birthday he improved another step, winning consecutive allowances before a closing third three weeks ago in the Bay Horse Stakes – G3 in
Indian Cat T will emerge from barrier 7. Capable but inconsistent is the description which immediately springs to mind, and as a result we’ll see him carrying the longest odds of any runner. He can run very impressive races against graded company, but his rare visits to the winners circle (2 from 14) have come only at allowance level. Raced by his breeder, pup, Indian Cat T is a son of bargain sire Indian Territory from the three times winning mare She’ Like a Cat (Tabasco Cat / Sovereign Dancer). He won his debut at allowance level before being twice stakes placed at two years of age. His form for 2006 reads 6-5-4-7-1-11, with losing margins varying from four to twenty lengths. It would not be surprising to see him run a very forward race, but to see him cross the line first could come be unexpected by many. Just an aside, but it seems strange that he’s never been tried on the grass, given that his dam’s three victories were all on that surface.
From stall 8 comes Big Poppa Pump, a smart young sprinter with four wins from twelve and more than $216,000 in the bank. A stakes winner at both two and three, he comes into this with the best sort of last start form, a black type win over this distance and a triple digit speed rating to go along with it. Always a threat in this type of event, he has returned a check at all bar two of his previous starts. The two where he finished down the track were firstly against Grade 1 company, and the other occasion was his only attempt at the route distance. stonecold has had remarkable success with the progeny of Stormy Night (Storm Cat / Mr. Prospector), herself a winner of six from 39 and a producer of four winners. Big Poppa Pump is a result of that mare’s visit to Point Given and he still has a lot to live up to as he sets out to chase the nearly 800k earned by his still stakes performing half-sister Alcatraz (Arazi). He’s blessed with both plenty of ability, and a patient, loyal trainer, so he’ll be given every opportunity to contribute to the family history. This week I’d expect jockey R.White to slide in behind the likely leader Nighthawk Quest, before issuing a serious challenge in the run home.
Astronomical Unit occupies stall 9. This most consistent young sprinter is as honest as the day is long. After an inauspicious debut on the grass, breeder / trainer rockrace shifted to the dirt and has been rewarded with a pay check on each of eleven subsequent visits to the races. Three stakes wins as a two year old were followed up by Graded second and third placings to start his three year old campaign, then coming a stakes second and, at his most recent outing, fifth in a full field in New York’s South Bronx Stakes – G3, five weeks ago. Astronomical Unit was the result of a mating of quality sire High Yield, with the cheaply bred (Chromite / Baby Slewy), moderately performed mare, Speed O’Lite, a winner of 6 from 56 in allowance and claiming classes. rockrace certainly chose well in High Yeild, as the resultant progeny continues to provide a healthy return in very classy events. Astronomical Unit is likely to take a sit mid-field, before motoring home.
Although Moneygrowsontrees has a very impressive strike rate of four wins from ten starts, the form looks even better when only the sprinting results are taken into account. No doubt, like all talented three year olds, he was sent over a bit more ground early in his career to test the triple crown waters. It was not to be with this fellow, despite a promising second in the Grade 3 Upper State Juvenile Stakes late in his two year old season. Two route attempts at three years of age resulted in sixth and ninth place finishes, while two graded sprints sandwiched between them both produced convincing victories. Moneygrowsontrees came into being when Miss Carby, a poorly performed daughter of Mr. Prospector / I am the Game, was retired to stud and sent to Forestry. Racing from the outset in the cheadle colors, the resultant two year old lost no time striking top form, winning his maiden at his second start, before taking on, and defeating a stakes field at his third start. He’s raced in graded company ever since and looks set to develop into one of the top three year old sprinters this year. His sprinting record reads four wins and a second from six, with the only failure being against Grade 1 company on Del Penn Day. The odds makers have obviously taken this on board as they’ve installed him as the top pick at 6/1, while premier jockey C. Shoemaker has chosen to ride this talented colt.
Gate 11 will be occupied by Beau’s Pegasus. Carrying on the family tradition for mortician, he’s the third member of the Beau’s Countries family tree, and the third with black type form. Beau’s Countries, the Deputy Minister / Private Account dam of Beau’s Pegasus, was herself a stakes winner, while his older half sister, Country of Origin, by Woodman has finished ITM four times in black type events. Beau’s Pegasus is a son of Fusaichi Pegasus, and prior to this race has two stakes wins, four black type seconds and a third at that level on his CV. As all three horses are mortician ‘exclusives’ the breeder / trainer looks like setting up a very profitable dynasty emanating from Beau’s Countries. Back to the horse in question. He’s a proven stakes performer and looks more than capable of producing yet another top level performance against this slightly higher class of opposition. The 15/1 on offer represents great value and underlines the overall quality of this marvelous race.
Kisaran, from gate 12, drops back to sprint racing, after looking a genuine triple crown contender just three starts ago. Bred by sending Bedazzle, an underperforming daughter of
Gate 13 finds Fly’s Motivator, another talented colt who could do with a change of luck. His two wins from ten would have him, on face value, struggling against this high quality opposition, but when we take into account his unlucky four times second in black type events from his most recent seven trips to the track, his underlying ability starts to hit home. Fly’s Motivator is a scratchbred son of Montjeu / Gone West / Sharpen Up, raced by his breeder charliefly. As his breeding would obviously demand, his first two starts were on the grass, and although not shabby, they were not up to the standard charliefly was expecting. Switched to dirt, the tide turned with an immediate, impressive maiden victory which signaled a future at stakes level, where he’s been given plenty of time to acclimatize. 2006 has seen a win and two seconds from four and his most recent, eye-catching finish in
From the outside will emerge Asheron’s Call. A scratchbred son of Maria’s Mon / King’s Bishop / Majestic Prince, this three year old has always shown talent, and his most recent form indicates that his immediate future is secure in the Graded class. After winning stylishly on debut, the jump to black type racing was immediate, if perhaps a tad early. A stakes fourth and a Grade 3 ninth convinced breeder / trainer capsized to drop to allowance racing to regain confidence. Allowance second and first at his final two runs at two had him prepared for a successful year as a three year old. Beginning with an easy allowance win, it was back to the black type for a second of four, and a seventh of eight. Yet another comprehensive allowance win encouraged the trainer to try again at Graded level, and Asheron’s Call answered the call this time in the best possible way. A last start win in the Bay Horse Stakes – G3 has the colt firmly established at this level, as he sets out to make it three wins in a row this weekend. The 15/1 on offer looks most generous for a colt in such good current form.
The Odds Makers opinion:
6/1 – Moneygrowsontrees
7/1 – Astronomical Unit
8/1 – Red Vise, Fly’s Motivator
9/1 – Senior Year
The Computer opinion:
Moneygrowsontrees – 12
Astronomical Unit – 21
Red Vise – 25
Big Poppa Pump – 59
Kisaran – 67