Double the fun in West Virginia

By ITCH

Is this a great contest, or what?

Not only do the trainers in the West Virginia Stakes Compeition regularly fill the stakes fields here at Old Waterford with quality entrants, they also are providing financial backing for the Sim.

Sponsoring a stakes race is not cheap, but that’s what Buzzfarms has done for us here in West Virginia this week.

The Indiana Special, a mile and three-sixteenths test for older horses, carries a purse of $75,000, a notch or two above the normal stakes purse here at the Spa of the Appalachians.

That race will go as the 16th and the definite feature of the 2867 West Virginia card. Many of the other races are sponsored by some knuckleheaded trainer named Itch, who doesn’t look like he could win anything with those nags of his.

The pre-feature is the $35,000 More for Brush Challenge, for older fillies and mare going a flat mile.

But first, let’s get to the Indiana Special.

More specifically, let’s get to Buzzfarms’ horse, as you better believe that sponsoring a stakes race gets you some special treatment in this column.

It’s HUSTLIN HOOSIER out of his kk1039 barn, , who is on the verge of half a million dollars in career earnings. Charlie the Durnken Morning Line Oddsmaker has dissed this horse at 10-1. He must be taking that last race into too much considertion. Don’t do it. That was the Cad for Cards Memorial, run at 8.5 furlongs. Wrong distance for the horse. Draw a line right through that race, just like you can draw a line through is dull effort five back in the Whirlaway Cap, also at 8.5. Hustlin Hoosier is a late runner at longer distances, and a mile and a sixteenth just isn’t enough ground for him. That victory two back in the Tennessee stake was more indicative of his ability and was a big one for Hustlin Hoosier, the firest stakes victory of his solid career. He had been second in stakes company more than once, but tht was his breakthrough race. He runs back at the same distance Saturday.

If not for the billing due the race sponsor, surely Binzaman’s SQUAL ME HALO would rate headline status. After all, this horse is ranked in the Top 10 in the classic division for older horses. At No. 9, he has a whopping 296 stakes points, more than twice as many as the next-best qualifier. All of that in only 26 career starts for this 4yo son of Summer Squall, of which he’s won nine. Among those vitories, the highlight has to be his triumph last summer in the Grade I Eddie Haskell Stakes. Terrific management of this thoroughly talented horse by Binzaman, as he’s won stakes at age 2, 3 and 4. A lot of times, you’ll see a 2yo stake winner drop off as a 3yo in the Sim, but not this guy. Old Waterford railbirds may remember his race here six back, when he led every step but the last few, nailed for the money by I COME TO PLAY. Since then, Squal Me Halo shipped to Dubai for the Grade I Sand Castle Classic, in which he faded to ninth. He’s been trying to recover from that since,but has come up wanting in the lane twice. Could be a pivotal race ehre for one of the Sim’s best horses in 2005.

Be1stfarms’ PARKER qualifies second with 132 points. This 5yo son of Sadler’s Wells is ranked No. 32 in the classic division, having banked nearly $1.4 million in 30 career starts. He won Grade I’s in both his 3yo and 4yo seasons, but something may have gone wrong wth this guy toward the nnd of his 4yo campaign. He’s only started four times since winning a Maine stake in 2657, and run poorly all four times. That being said, he gets a needed class drop out of draded company here, and a cutback in distance, which may serve to wake him up. After all, his latest Grade I victory was in the Gotta Fix the Sprinklers Classic at this exact distance. Be1stfarms is a longtime rock-solid Simmer, having won 113 races at a healthy 16 percent career strike rate.

WISDOM TOOTH(IRE) out of hte Ultimate stable qualifeis next with 120 points. It looks like the sky is the limit for the 4yo son of Theatrical, who has reisen to No. 37 in th eclassic rankings in only 12 career starts. He’s eight-for-12 so foar,and eight-for-10 on dirt. Wisdom Tooth sustained a rare defeat last out in the Grade 2 The Pennsylvania Power Stakes, finsinbing sixth to one of hte greatest current Sim horses, Macho Niner. Beofore that defeat, the horse had won eight in a row, never missing since beaking his maiden,and winning four striagh stakes in the proecess. It’s back to non-graded company this time, and it will be very interesting to see if he can get back on the winning. track. It’s isn’t like he’s catching the softest field, though. It’s a full field of 14 with serious opposition.

The next qualifer is a very familiar face to West Virginia railbirds. It’s DIAMOND HEAD for conest player Ts1442. This 4yo son of Diamon has made four of his last five starts here in stakes competition,and once again is partnered with ROYAL FORTY INDY, who whom he ran 1-2 in the Fat Free Denny Sepcial to earn Tom his first-ever W.Va. Sstakes title in the first quarter of 06. They were togther last time in the Ad for Cards, race, but htat was at 8.5 fu8rlong, which seems a little short for Diamond Head. It’s hard to believ ethat a horse of this quality is still eligbile for the N3X condition, but Tom has been going after stakes points wtih this horse,a nd hitt the board,but leaving this good horsew itht only three areeer wins. This is a tough field, bu there’s no reason to think Diamond Head can’t be right in the middle of things.

Next we have good, old WASSIE’S RAINBOW G for two-time contest champ Wassie, who surged back into the lead last week when his 2yo fillies scored first and third in a short field. The Rainbow is going to have to change his colors to add to that lead here, as the late runner has failed to fire in his last four. Jocko Maloney is back in the irons this time, and he was aboard the last tim the Rainbow fired, five back. Personally, with all of our bid races this week, we’re hoping the old boy isn’t going for his first win of the day by the time the 16th rolls around.

Next is ROYAL FORTY INDY, who has become something of a local here at the Mountain Oval. Certainly he must be considered as perhaps the best horse in the history of the WV Stakes Competition, as he’s scored a win and two second sin this last three contest races for a whopping 11 points. He was still ringing the cash register last out in the Gulch Walaki, when he was second. What a talented, versatile horse this is. He has been in the exacta in four straight stakes races now, all at different distances: 13 furlongs, 8.5, 11 and 9.5. Amazing. Such consistency is rarely found in racehorses, Simulated or otherwise.

TWIST OF LEMON is next for theaxell. This 4yo son of Lemon Drop Kid has a similar career record as the favored Sqaul Me Halo, having won nine of 25 starts, but the class is told in the career earnings. This horse has only $194,000, while Squal Me Halo has almost $2 million with the same number of wins. Theaxell, wise old Sim vet with 127 career wins that he is, has carefully managed this horse, hitting the board with him twice in stakes company,and winning eight times in the allowance ranks. He’s having a very good year so far, hitting the board in four of five starts in 2006, and finishing third last out in a Grade 3. A downtown closer, he has to be respected off that last race. Once concern is that the only time he’s missed the baord this year, it was at this exact distance.

Seppy’s NEW YORK THUNDER qualifies next. Simply put, this horse is a winner. He’s crossed the finish line first in no fewer than 17 of his career 40 races, an envious mark that would be a serious boost to the strike rate of any Sim trainer. Six of those wins have been in stakes company. He’s in tremendous current form, having won six of his last seven races. It speaks to the quality of this field that a win machine like this qualifies way down in ninth. Terrific horse and terrific old-timey Sim trainer.

Montalcino’s CHASING DREAMS is the 10th qualifier. This 4yo son of Deputy Minister, brilliantly bred with Mr. P as the DS and Nijinsky II as the DDS, makes only his 12th career start here. This guy has gotten his fanny kicked in his last two, but those were both in graded company. He’s back with the non-graded crowd here today, but as we said, this is not your typical non-graded field. It seems a little tougher than that. His last two tries in non-graded class, he’s won, so we’ll see if the drop down will wake him up. Montalcino certainly knows his way around the Sim, having won 83 career races.

Cbizkit has the next horse, RULING EMPIRE, a 4yo son of Empire Maker who is bred to the gills for a wet track, with Spectacular Bid as the DS and Seattle Slew as the DDS. It’s a fast track here today, though, so he’ll have to launch his late rally without benefit of the slop. This is one of those enigmatic types who closes strongly at a mile, but fails to fire at longer distances. We’ll have to take a stand against this one today. Now watch him go.

Wassie’s PEGASUS SWORD G is the second half of his entry. This horse has been knocking right around it in his last two, close up fourths both times here in stakes competition. Can he break through today? Tough field to do it in. This guy won the first stake he ever ran in, as a 2yo, and has now missed the board in nine straight stake tries.

Shank’s BLACK MAGIC CAT is the next-to-last qualifier. This 4yo son of Storm Cat is in spotty form so far in 2006, having missed the board now in six straight. He had a decent year in 2005 in allowance company, but has not quite been up to stakes company yet.

CHARLIE MURPHY for pointe is the last horse to get in. This 4yo chestnut son of Point Given took a while to graduate through his allowance conditions, and wasn’t quite up to it last out in his first foray into stakes competition. He looks to be in a tough spot today.

OK, good luck to everybody in here and let’s take a peek at the pre-feature.

The More for Brush has come up pretty soft, with only two legit stakes horses entered, and the rest with eight stakes points or fewer. As a matter of fact, this race was looking so soft on Tuesday that some knucklehead named Itch decided to take a shot with LOVE LOCKS, an allowance mudder with no real shot even in this weak field.

Sjmeola2’s FIRST FLIGHT OUT is the top qualifier with 54 stakes point, more than the bottom 10 combined. This is not your typical daughter of AP Indy. Seems like a lot of those are your stayers, your come-from-behind types. Not this gal. She is a proven speed horse and a proven winner at this class and distance. She should be a good 15 lengths (at least) in front of our nag halfway through. Nice mare.

BUBBLEGUM ROCK is a new shooter here at the Appy Spa for Tom out of his highpoint stable. She takes a big class drop here out of graded competition, and this is not a very strong non-graded race, so it would be a fair shock if this one did not hit the board. She’s a Grade 3 winner and has been competing with some success against much, much tougher. Great chance here for Tom.

The grand, old mare DESERT DISH(IRE) is next for Stretch, out of his aa3ik stable. She is cutting way, way back in distance, racing half as far as she’s used to. She hasn’t been in a race this short since she was eligible for her N2L condition. It will be very interesting to see how her marathon speed translates to this shorter race. She has the class, but the distance? We’ll see.

SADLER’S SQUIRT is next for the stallion outfit. This daughter of Squirtle Squirt has been in contention in several stakes races but has not yet broken through. She was in the lead at the head of the stretch in a stake going nine furlongs three back before fading to fourth. The cutback in distance to a mile may fit, as should the soft stakes field.

STANDING AROUND is next, the second part of an entry for Stretch out of his smartjones barn. You know, I think maybe the lack of stakes points may be a little deceptive in leading us to think this was a soft field. This is a very legit filly, a sprint speedster who seems certain to lead this mile race on the stretchout. Get it? Stretch for stretch? She’ll be in front, let’s see if she has the scope to last.

Wassie’s GOLDULEUX G could very well be there to pick up the pieces if Standing Around can’t make it that far. This 4yo daughter of Java Gold showed a little bit of stakes chops at this distance last out, closing to be third. Not impossible, if the front end comes back to her.

JUSTA WILD GIRL is next for the 553stable. This one woke up last time, finally firing to win a restricted allowance after several races in poor form. The jump into stakes company seems a little steep.

She’s not as badly placed as LOVE LOCKS, though, who was entered by some knucklehead looking for a seat in the owner’s box. This gal is a wet track specialist who needs to get a race into her. I just entered for the heck of it, and I do not think she has any chance in here.

Ts1442 has a couple more in here, not nearly the quality as Bubblegum Rock. TOM’S SILENT STORM has slower speed figs than these and has been trounced her last two stakes tries. TOM’S COOL COMANCHE(IRE) has been running decently in restricted allowance company, albeit with speed figs that do not look competitive with this bunch.

LAKE HOPEFUL is cheap speed for the kingman outfit. This one was racing for a $2,500 tag only a few races ago.

Finally, we having GIVING(IRE), who is a lot more legitimate than her one stakes point would indicate. She’s a multiple stakes winner on the grass, and closed stoutly to win in her last try on the dirt. She’s got a chance, especially if Standing Around runs out of gas.

Whew. Let’s post this sucker.