A Time For Redemption
The thirteenth race on today’s crowded Maryland card is race filled with horses looking to redeem themselves. Of the ten three-year-old and up colts making the start, more than half are coming off of recent poor performances. They are looking to bounce back (while a stubborn minority would prefer they didn’t) in the Grade III MD Breeders Bowl. This one is run over six furlongs on the dirt course, with a pair of three-year-olds who want to measure themselves against the older boys. All ten are looking for good finishes, but a good finish may mean more to the ones who have a reputation to rebuild. And this weekend in Maryland is an excellent time and place to do it, as many horses have arrived looking for second chances against a few who are on well-timed hot streaks.
On the rail is aaafarms’ King Of The Cats. This son of Cat Thief is coming back from a 14th place finish in the KY Horsemen Elixir Sprint where he ran an 88 speed figure. Until then, King Of The Cats was never out of the money in eight starts, all at six furlongs. This five-year-old has already met a few others in this field, finishing ahead of The Tool Man in the Sand Castle Golden Sprint and Heat Seeking in Grade III JFK Street. At 5/1, he hopes to come back to previous form in this start.
Next door in post two is six-year-old The Tool Man. Chips22’s entry is the 26th ranked dirt sprinter, but the son of Hangem High has no recent finishes higher than third. His last start was his only run in awhile with a speed figure below 100, but his connections are aware that he is capable of better. This race represents a chance to rebound to a performance closer to when he finished third in the Breeder’s Bowl Sprint. At 4/1, many think he is still capable.
The third slot hold Twelve Year Old, a son of Fantastic Light who is actually only seven. He is yet another horse coming back from a less than stellar run, this one a ninth in the Grade III Ferris Bueller Stakes (won by Heat Seeking). Tenpin3’s entry has won stakes at 7.5 furlongs and may prefer slightly more distance than this. He is the co-favorite with The Tool Man at 4/1.
In post four is one of two three-year-olds making their first starts against older horses. Lost Empire, by Cape Town, is the 13th ranked three-year-old dirt sprinter. In thirteen starts, all dirt sprints, he has never finished worse than third. His speeds have been improving, culminating in a 104 to finish second in the Grade II Tubby Smith Special. He will have to improve more to do well here, but there nothing to suggest that he can’t do it. Lost Empire is 13/1, but don’t let that fool you as he seems more than ready for this step in his career.
Heat Seeking, in post five, is making a major rebound from a pair of bad runs. The five-year-old son of Seeking The Gold came off of tenth and eighteenth place finishes to run third in a stakes and win the Grade III Ferris Bueller Stakes. He seems to be returning to form, and trainer bigmax3 sends him to the track this week hoping for further improvement. Heat Seeking goes off at 6/1
Breaking sixth is wonder2’s Wonderboy DJ. The four-year-old Carson City colt’s search for a rebound comes after finishing sixth and eighth in a pair of Grade I starts. The step down in class may help the 23rd ranked dirt sprinter, as he has been struggling at that level. He did run one of the highest speed figures in the field: a 111 in the Grade III Toboggan Handicap, which may have helped earn him odds of 5/1.
Number seven is highclaim’s Mountain Ted (IRE). The four-year-old has had a string of bad starts and is looking to bounce back this time out. The son of Monashee Mountain (IRE) needs to step up his speed figures if he is going to come back against this field; he usually runs in the low 90’s while most of these horses have won over 100. At 14/1, not too many have confidence in him.
In the eighth slot is four-year-old Bag O Tricks. Trotnirish sends this son of Devil’s Bag after a sixth place finish in the Grade II Bluegrass Sprint. Before that, Bag O Tricks won the Grade II Kentucky Breeders Bowl Sprint with a 111 speed figure. A repeat performance in this race could take him far, and it is with hopes of seeing exactly that that the handicappers have put him at 5/1.
In slot nine is the second three-year-old making a start, bmorris’ Crafty Dixiecrat. The son of Dixieland Band is the long shot of the race, largely caused by the 32 he ran in his last start in the Lord Jeremy Memorial. This is a big leap in class for this colt coming eight weeks after a distant finish. Crafty Dixiecrat has yet to run over 100, but did win a Grade II 9.5 furlong race. His best sprint finishes came at 7.5 furlongs, so this colt may prefer the distance. 79/1 makes him the extreme long shot in this race.
On the outside is prufrockja’s four-year-old colt Logans Ransom. The Forty Niner colt is lightly races, with only nine starts, and has only run at 7 or 7.5 furlongs. With speed figures like 112 and coming off a second in the Hard Nijinsky Memorial, there seems no need for Logans Ransom to change tactics now. With no little speed in this race, this colt is the likeliest candidate to go to the lead. If he chooses to do so, he will probably encounter no competition from the nine closers he is starting against. This is Logans Ransom’s first start in a graded race, leading to a cautious 6/1.
This seems to be a day to step out on a limb, and Lost Empire looks like a good way to do it. Although the three-year-old still has much to prove, there is every possibility that he can pull of an upset win. Should he find himself unable to handle the older competition, Heat Seeking will be right there to take his place. Look for big runs as well from Bag O Tricks and The Tool Man.