Breeders’ Bowl Mile

The Breeder’s Bowl Mile is set to go this weekend as many of the runners are looking to earn points in pursuit of being the top horse in their class for 2014.  The Breeders’ Bowl Mile comes with a rich $2,000,000 purse and roughly half the field have not yet earned a million thus far.   The race will be held on the turf track and is open to all horses age three and up.  The best of the best are in this field and excitement leading into this weekend has been growing with each passing day.  A huge racecard in California with the top horses in the sim-world all appearing at one track for a great weekend of racing…how could life get any better?   Perhaps by winning the Bowl Mile!   Here’s the field of contenders:

 

1.  STALKING    8/1

RANKING:  18TH

LIFETIME TURF RECORD   16   6-4-0

EARNINGS:  $540,000

TRAINER:  Barnbrook

Started 2014 off with 4 races in 67 days which started with a second in the listed Charisma Dancer Turf Mile which was followed two weeks later with a win in an allowance HOT race.  Another two weeks lead to the Equinics Eclipse Winners where Stalking rallied from 13th to fourth with 112 speed.  This speed would be duplicated in the listed Spare T Turf Route, and this time a win was earned.

The Frisco Mile would become two wins in a row which he won with ease and 111 speed, his only grade level win this year.  A second in the Cobbler Mile (G1) brought his fastest speed of the year at 117.  He followed that with a trio of G1 races in the Eddie O Cap (10th and 103 speed, slowest of season), second in Maudling Cup and most recently seventh in the Queen Liz Stakes.

 

2.  NEW STREET   5/1

RANKING:   3RD

LIFETIME TURF RECORD  14   7-5-0

EARNINGS   $2.6 million

TRAINER:  Newburyred

New Street kicked off the 2014 racing campaign with an exciting win competing in the winter Equinics Eclipse Winners and scoring a 117 speed as the fifth choice with betters.   This was followed by a second in the listed Georges X Con Turf Mile and another second in the Sydney Mile, both with 110+ speeds.  After finishing 6th in the Queen Sam, which was at a seasonal low speed of 105, New Street started prepping for the Breeders’ with an allowance mile race in August finishing second with 111 speed and perhaps not going fully at it.  The Canada Mile he was super sharp and outran a few others in this field as favorite and winning with a career best of 120.

 

3.  EVILSEEKER   27/1

RANKING:  8TH

LIFETIME TURF RECORD  11    6-2-1

EARNINGS   $940,000

TRAINER:  Lenny18

Evilseeker won four of his first five starts during 2014 which began with a win in an allowance event.  He then tried the listed stakes running in the 9f Eddards Revenge, finishing second and tagging a 100 speed for first time.  A pair of allowance wins followed going 9f and 9.5f, with the latter posting a career best 110 speed.   In the G1 Jockey Club (10f), Evilseeker snagged his first grade level victory, just holding on at the wire.

A pair of 109 speeds followed, on coming in the Colonial Derby, finishing 2nd, and the other another G1 win this time in the Big Red Stakes, both at 10f.   The horse last ran in the September running of the 10f Champion Stakes with the worst results of the season finishing an off the board eighth.

 

4.  SEPOY CRY  15/1

RANKING:   1ST

LIFETIME TURF RECORD  11   5-2-0

EARNINGS   $699,000

TRAINER:  Bbaffert16

The top ranked 3-year old route turf runner has entered this event and has raced listed and graded stakes all season.  2014 began with three listed events in the first three months where this busy guy  picked up his first win this year in the Voss Hollandia Turf Dash (7.5f) recording his first 100+ speed of 104.   He advanced to the Dracula Stakes, his first grade level start and made a fine showing with a second and just missing at the wire.  In May, a win in the G1 the 2000 Guineas was picked up as the second betting choice and a career best 113 speed.

He was a bit spent as he looked for a repeat performance three weeks later in the Irish 2000 Guineas only to finish a disappointing 10th.  A little longer break brought home a win for this strong late closer in the Jean Brat in July, equaling his career best with 113 speed.    Last two starts were pair of fourths in the Hall of Fame and Homelick Challenger.

 

5.   MEGAPIXAL   28/1

RANKING:  5th

TURF RECORD:  10   6-1-05th

EARNINGS:  $1.0 million

TRAINER:  Sender3

A pair of graded wins came Megapixal’s way to start the 2014 racing season picking up a residency win in the G2 Race Series for GRRacers followed by a G1 victory in the Equinics- Behind the Scenes.  This late runner made it three in a row in March with a listed win in the Barbs Java Again Turf Sprint (7.5f).   Things petered out when returning to G1 racing failing to get the late run going in the 2000 Guineas, Megapixal finished 10th, his worse finish of the season.  Speeds  hit a high of 108 in the next pair of races, the Jean Brat (5th, mile) and MGD Special (2nd, 6.5f).   The slowest speed of the year came in last start in September which was 94 in the Sprint Cup (6f) but had excuse as the track was wet.

 

6.  ROXY EPOXY   7/1

RANKING:  7TH

TURF RECORD:  13   7-2-1

EARNINGS  $820,000

TRAINER:  Skunkman2

First, I have to divulge my bias towards this horse.  Back in 2011 I wrote an article about how you can breed a winning horse by duplicating letters in the name.  The article was in jest for April Fools however, Skunkman put it to the test and found some truth with it, hence I have a vested interest in this runner that contains part of my writer’s name.

Roxy Epoxy made a sound start to 2014 with a compounding victory in the Strange Brew Turf Handicap and a career best speeed at 122 running 9 furlongs.  A fifth place finish followed in the longer 10f Victoria Cup where the front runner tired.  A return trip was made while earning a G1 win in the Woody Ford equaling career best 122 speed, again at 9f.   Was beat at wire in Queen Sam by Sun Dynasty in June and finished second in Eddie O Cap in July.  Couldn’t get to the front in the Canada Mile and finished third behind winning New Street in last outing.

 

7.  WILDCAT WALTZ   12/1

RANKING:  23RD

TURF RECORD:   15   6-2-0

EARNINGS:   $1.1 millions

TRAINER:  Sirivor

Best speed for the year came in first race back in March in the listed River Swell Turf Mile which was charted at 113 and resulted in a win.  The second best speed was in October where a 110 was earned in the G2 Daniel Wild winning the event by two strides.   This speed was also earned when Wildcat Waltz finished second in the May running of the Champions Mile.

The rest of the season has been challenging with a 9th coming in only dirt appearance in the Sand Castle Golddolphin Mile.  This late runner also found tough times in the Queen Sam (8th) the Sunny Mile (6th) as well as a 6h in the Hackwood.

 

8.   SUN DYNASTY  8/1

RANKING:  4TH

TURF RECORD:  18   11-4-0

EARNINGS  $3.0 million

TRAINER:  Masterm04

Ran eighth in 2014 debut in the Equinics Eclipse Winner finishing behind winner New Street who is also in this field.  Got back to winning ways with allowance group in May sparking 109 speed in process.  Made it two in a row by taking the Queen Sam, winning by neck over Roxy Epoxy and putting away New Street this time with 109 speed.  Pair of off the board finishes followed in Eddie O Cap and the Rennen Mile followed this win.  Last start was in October preparing for the Breeders’ by competing in allowance group with 2nd place finish.   Speeds all year have been in narrow 106 to 109 range.

 

9.  EXCAPE  8/1

RANKING:   8TH

LIFETIME TURF RECORD  17   9-1-3

EARNINGS   $709,000

TRAINER:  Blankpoin9

Excape started 2014 off in fine fashion with a 4-race win streak.  The first came in the listed Charisma Dancer Turf Mile in January followed by an Allowance win.  It was on to graded with a win in the Arcade Handicap  topped by a career best speed of 120 in the Cobbler Mile.   The front runner had some win knocked out of him as he finished near the rear of the field in the 9f Eddie O Cap and struggling through the 9 furlong distance and a season low-end speed of 98.

Recovery came quick as Excape found footing and entering the winner’s circle in the Dell Web Mile wrestling out an improved 116.   But a repeat would not come in the Canada Mile as he struggled on the front end and finished 7th competing with several others in this field.

 

10.  K’S UP FOR GRABS   15/1

RANKING:  20TH

LIFETIME TURF RECORD  15  10-1-1

EARNINGS   $660,000

TRAINER:  Pygmalion2

Only entrant in this field that is undefeated during 2014.  Concluding the 2013 campaign with a pair of wins, six more were added this season to make the current streak set at 8 in a row.  Races this year have been at distances of 8 to 8.5 furlongs which started with a pair of allowance HOT races against very soft CPU owned runners.   In June, things became serious as K’s Up for Grabs took on a legitimate field of allowance runners and showed he had talent by winning at 11/1 with a strong 113 speed, his best of the year.

The win advanced him to the listed Home and Country Turf route which he led all the way to win by a stride at 11/1.  Moving up the ranks, he tried his luck in the G2 Celebration which he again wired.  In both these races the speed was posted at 112.   His last appearance was in the G1 Queen Liz Stakes where he matched his career best 113 speed and won by just under a stride.

 

11.  SEA JENNAH SEA  10/1

RANKING:   11TH

LIFETIME TURF RECORD  20   10-5-0

EARNINGS   $3.8 million

TRAINER:  Jennahs

Was not impressive in the Equinics Eclipse Winners in February where he challenged early by seized up to finish tenth.  But Sea Hennah Sea recovered in G3 Blank Eddie charging home in 115 speed with first of two wins for 2014.   The second win came in the next race in April n the Sydney Mile where he just caught front runner New Street at the wire with a lifetime best speed of 119.   The luck would end there as he would fall victim to Excape in the Cobbler Mile, finishing fifth.  A better outcome in the G2 Sunny Mile would be found with a second making up nearly 5 strides in last quarter mile.   A fair effort with a fourth in the Dell Web Mile followed in August before Sea Jennah Sea would stretch out to 10f in his last outing in October, the Osmonds Memorial, finishing 10th and a season low speed of 82, largely disliking the distance.

 

12. EL GRAN HAACK   11/1

RANKING:   7TH

LIFETIME TURF RECORD  10   5-3-1

EARNINGS   $1.0 million

TRAINER:  Oahaack

Lightly raced this season with five starts, the first came in the Equinics Pedigree Guru at 9.5 furlongs and had a 9th place finish, the most forgettable of the season.   A pair of allowance races got El Gran Haack back into form where he finished second with 103 speed at a mile and stepped into the winner’s circle in June with win with 92 speed in small 4 horse field, half filled with CPU slow pokes.

August brought this colt to the listed Big Thunder Turf Mile where he showed that he was back in form winning with a solid 118 speed.  He moved up to the G1 Canada Mile where he last raced and ran out of ground to miss by a half stride and a better 119 speed.

 

13.  ENDLESS GLORY   8/1

RANKING:  10TH

LIFETIME TURF RECORD  18  9-3-3

EARNINGS   $1.0 million

TRAINER:  Whobegotu

A very good 2014 season for Endless Glory which started with a second in the 9f Road Rush missing by a stride and nice 112 SP.   A three race win streak followed this with a career best 116 in the Intercontinental Trophy.  A G1 win came in the Champions Mile where he held off late closing Wildcat Waltz.  The third win came in the listed Enough Already Turf Route breezing home with three length victory.

The last two starts were back with G1 company, finishing third in the Suffix (110 speed) and a lackluster fifth in the Maudlin Cup (108 SP_).

 

14.  TEARING DOWN WALLS   10/1

RANKING:   15TH

LIFETIME TURF RECORD  9    6-1-1

EARNINGS   $650,000

TRAINER:  Agk04

Tearing Down Walls has finished in top three in five of six starts during 2014 which started with an allowance win and a first time speed over 100 which was a burning 109.   The hot speed earned a spot in his first grade level event, the G3Black Eddie where he boosted the speed up to 111 while finishing third at 32/1.  He then elevated a notch to the G2 Ted Nugent Classic tiring after being pushed to the front to finish fifth.

The Nordic Chemical (G3) would be the place that this colt would gain his first grade level win and burnt out a 116 SP number in the process, a career best.   The Suffix (G1) would follow in August where Tearing Down Walls would make up ground late to take second.  His last start was in the Maudlin Cup (G1) and he would equal his career best as well as making it to the winner’s circle for his second grade level victory of the year.

 

Always tough to pick the winners in the Breeders’ Bowl races.  El Gran Haack nearly stole the Canada Mile and may steal this one, top pick.   New Street has beaten several of these before and just beat my top choice here in the Canada Mile and should be tough, second choice.   My biased choice for third is Roxy Epoxy, I’d be a fool not to be selfish and include this one in the top three selections.  My other third choice is for Tearing Down Walls who has 110+ speeds in last three outings.  Longshot choice to K’s Up For Grabs who I think may be able to extend the win streak.