Eleven to run in Dogtown’s Tommy Wayne Johnson Memorial G2
Ideally the Grade 2 Dogtown’s Tommy Wayne Johnson Memorial could be seen as a stepping stone to the New Yorker, but to be honest these aren’t horses you would generally see in a graded race. Some of these entrants are on an upswing and are at least stakes winners, where as others are allowance or claimers. A field eleven has been entered into the mile and three eighths race which is run on the fast dirt course with a purse of $250,000. Any way you put it there is still going to be a horse race so lets take a look at the contenders as they prepare to head to the track.
Funster’s Hussled was hustled into the paddock and directly into the saddling stall. As far as I could tell he was a medium build chocolate bay with a snip of white on his nose. The son of Hussonet out of an unknown Unbridled mare has two wins and fours shows in eleven starts. Most recently he fifth in a stakes race going nine and a half furlongs. Hussled is a stakes placed runner looking for his first win in over three months. He is a true born closer which may make this distance ideal for him. At 8/1 low 90s may be enough to hit the board, but there are a few others who have a shot at beating him.
Romeshome’s Tell Me When To Go has been on his toes since he stepped into the paddock, but in more of a “look at me” type energy not that he is actually nervous. The tall light grey son by Medaglia D’Oro out of an unknown Two Punch mare has been stunning in his short career with two wins and three places in five starts. He’s an interesting horse to watch because he does well whether he’s on the lead, or coming off the pace. At 6/1 he comes off of a win, and steadily improving speed figures, he’s one to watch.
Kneeboot’s Tricky Nate has been playful in the paddock, trying to nip his handlers as they walk-in circles waiting for the valet to bring the saddle. The small sunset red chestnut is the son of Tiznow out of Oh Boy Linda, a Regal Classic mare who in her day won a stakes race. Nate is the first offspring from the mare and is graded placed with two wins, a place and a show in six starts. He comes from way off the pace so hopefully the added distance will help him, ironically though his wins have been sprint wins. At 7/1 he’s been showing improvement and is one of the few that has a shot.
Dixiedotco’s In Perfect Stride has seemed a little jittery in the paddock and has been placed in a saddling stall to calm his nerves. The solidly built bay son of Pleasantly Perfect out of Heaven’s Gate a Seeking the Gold mare, a grade 2 winner in her time has three wins, a place and two shows in ten starts. He is the second of three offspring by the mare who has produced a stakes placed horse as well as this one a graded placed horse. He’s another horse who likes to close and finally put it all together with an allowance win last time out. At 5/1 he’s on an upward swing.
Mig’s Victory Rubies has been bucking ever since he got into the paddock, nothing his handlers do seems to calm him down. The skittish light grey colt is the son of Victory Gallop out of an unknown Rubiano mare. With four wins, one place and tow shows in twelve starts you could have bought this one for $5,000 back on February 21st. He has one NMCOS win which he earned last time out closing in a restricted allowance at this distance. At 15/1 he’s much too slow to compete here.
Super10 sends out Bourbon St. Blues(IRE) who seems a bit sluggish in the paddock. The stout bay son of Galileo is out of an unknown Blushing Groom mare, and has three wins, and a show in seven starts. He stepped up to tough competition last time out getting knocked down a peg, although today is a graded race again the competition may not be as stiff. At 10/1 definitely not my favorite.
Pigeon3’s Secret Uncovered just revealed how much he hates the girth being tightened as he’s kicked and reared in the process of being saddled. The lanky chestnut son of Green Desert out of an unknown Forty Niner mare has five wins, two places and two shows in twelve starts and could have been purchased for $50,000 back on December 3rd, and recently went through the auction to change owners for another time. The new owner changed his running style to on the lead and switched him back to dirt to get his one and only NMCOS win. At 19/1 one allowance win does not make him graded competition ready.
Albarace0 sends out Wave Goodbye who’s tactics is to swish her tail in the boys’ faces and distract them to let her win. The petite beet red daughter of Goodbye Doeny is out of an unknown mare De Braak with three wins, three places and a show in sixteen starts. The lone filly has a stakes win in the past six months, but since then has struggled in graded competition. She usually will stay close to the pace, but a few lengths back. At 12/1 she’s too off form to compete with the colts.
Coda sends out the favorite Getty Up Go, who has been nothing but professional in the paddock during his graded debut so far. The muscular fiery red son of Awesome Again is out of Style Project, a Dubai Millennium mare who only won a race in her career. He is the second of two foals and is the only one to win. Getty Up has four wins and two places in nine starts, with one being a stakes win. He shouldn’t be too far off the pace, especially with this being a fairly paceless race. But he has also come from the back before, making this 9/2 shot an easy goer and fairly easy pick.
Crown sends out Atlantis Found off of a seven week break. Atlantis has been confined to a stall since his arrival in the paddock and has just emerged with his jock aboard ready to run. The tall light bay son of Dixieland Band is out of Smart Chase an Unbridled mare who was stakes placed in her career. He is the second of two foals with the other being a claimer before retiring. He has three wins and a show in eight starts. We finally have a horse to pressure the pace, or maybe even create it with his last win giving him the lead most of the race. In his last start over in Dubai he was in the mix early and tired, the field was too much for him to handle. With the long break between races maybe he came out of that effort in a less than good health. At 6/1 I think he’ll give the others something to run at.
Adamson sends out E Nipissing who has just left the paddock to warm up on the track for the race. The small bay son of E Dubai is out of Nipawin a Rahy mare who was graded placed in her racing career. E has three wins, two places and a show in eleven starts. This come from behinder is looking for his first win in over nine months. Last time out he got close placing with a 100. At 7/1 he’s slowly improving, but is it enough.
That is the field, maybe they’ll be some diamonds in the rough that I’m just not seeing. My picks are Getty Up Go, Tell Me When To Go, and Tricky Nate. As always good luck to all, may your horses run their best and return safely to their stables.