Head of the Class to be Decided in Henny Hughes – G1

In Texas this week the major drawcard is the Henny Hughes Special-G1. A sponsored Grade 1 open to all three year olds, it is named after Henny Hughes, the sponsor’s current favorite real life horse. After finishing second in last years Breeders Cup Juvenile, and third in the voting for the eclipse award, he was purchased by Darley and shipped overseas, where he did not start. He’s returned home now and is back in training.

Build it and they will come…and come they have. Following the impressive victory by Moneygrowsontrees in the Dallas BB Stakes-G3 here in Texas six weeks ago, well known trainer desperado was left with a serious dilemma. His cheadle trained three year old colt had nowhere to go. Having been elevated to # 8 in his divisional ranking, the stable was keen to prove the horse was the equal, or better than those ranked around him. The answer; buy a race. Not just any race to build up the ranking, but a Grade 1 race aimed to draw the best runners. Not only was the race purchased, but the stable went about heavily promoting it via the message board with invitations (challenges?) issued to the cream of his peers. The resultant event could easily be re-named the Sophomore Summer Sprinting Championship, such is the quality of the field assembled. A quick overview of the field shows we have colts ranked at one, two, five, six, seven and nine in the division. Ten of the runners are ranked in the top twenty. Five horses share the top line of betting at a very open quote of 7/1, while the outsider in the full field of fourteen will go around at just 24/1. This is a race for the best, and the winner should have plenty of justification for claiming that mantle.

Drawn the inside we find Mr AP Cat BG, backing up after running a solid third a fortnight ago behind Remember Morgadio and Crypto Flow in Mexico’s Great Fishing Hole Stakes-G3. He was working home strongly in the closing stages of that race, missing second only after the judge called for the photo. On that occasion he drew the middle of the track and had to do a bit of work early to secure a prominent position in the run. The better draw may well work in his favor here, as he is equally capable of leading or of taking up a spot just off the pace. There is a bit of early speed drawn wider drawn wider, so jockey J. Frame has the option of trying for the lead or he may be content to sit back on the fence and rate his own race. Mr AP Cat BG is a scratch homebred carrying the blood of Mountain Cat / A.P. Indy / Mr. Prospector, bred by current owner trainer rgrg. He’d been racing primarily in ungraded stakes until last start, but after a boost of confidence with a strong allowance victory prior to that most recent effort connections have every reason to expect that he’s back to the form which saw him collect four stakes victories as a two year old. A winner of eight from seventeen, victory here would restore his 50% win ratio. The Great Fishing Hole Stakes will prove one of the major influences on the outcome here, as indicated by the bookmakers, who were sufficiently impressed with his most recent form to install him on the top line of betting.

Barrier 2 is the starting position for Super Coverup, a versatile three year old with black type victories on both surfaces, and in both sprinting and route races on the main track. Bred by owner trainer taleofthecat9, he’s a son of Squirtle Squirt, from Senorita Milk (Forestry / Avatar), herself a taleofthecat9 ‘exclusive’, a lightly raced winner of two from eleven, and dam of two older but poorly performed progeny. Super Coverup lost no time in justifying the breeder’s faith in continuing to use quality sires, winning his maiden at his second start, before tasting victory at allowance and stakes level at his next two. He won four from eight in 2005 and continues to race with distinction this year. Starting the year with a nine furlong ungraded stakes win, his Bluegrass Derby path saw him in the mix, but a couple of frustrating close-ups in the final preps saw him fall a tad short. Racing instead in the sprint on Derby Day, he went on to record the performance which has most impressed the pre-race assessors here. Racing over this trip in the Tubby Smith Special-G2, he ran home the winner, leaving this week’s highly fancied Crypto Flow in his wake. His most recent race will be forgiven, sixth over the mile in New York’s Cosmopolitan Handicap-G1 and the only concern the stable should have is their inability to line up a currently in-form jockey. Position in running should have little bearing on the chances of this equal favorite, as his versatility also extends as far as his running style, leading throughout, or coming from the rear.

Big Stud lines up in gate 3. With more race experience than any of his opposition, Big Stud is taking a huge leap here, jumping up to the top for his first ever tilt at Graded competition, following an impressive stakes win in Finland at his most recent start. His pre-race market quote of 21/1 indicates both the jump in class, and the strength of the opposition he will face this weekend. A son of Pulpit, he’s the third of four progeny to date of the Grade 2 winning mare Unbridled Ridge (Alzao / Riva Ridge), a mistymorn ‘exclusive’. His earlier siblings (by Housebuster and Sendawar) have both been relegated to the claiming ranks, but Big Stud has taken the necessary steps to live up to the expectations of his talented dam. As a two year old Big Stud raced nine times, winning his maiden at his second start, before progressing to allowance and stakes racing, finishing the year a four times winner, including one black type. 2006 has seen him mix allowance and stakes racing and he’s won three and been thereabouts in all but two of his other six, one of which was on the grass. He’s facing a huge task here, but winning form is good form, and if his task were completely hopeless, he’d be at a much more generous quote.

Stall 4 is reserved for Wonderboy Eamon. Frankly, I’m amazed at the generosity of the bookmakers here, offering 12/1 for the current leader of his class rankings, and a recent dual Grade 1 sprint winner. Any horse rated number one in his class has arrived there only through extraordinary efforts against the top quality opposition. In the case of Wonderboy Eamon, those efforts came in Grade one victories at his final two year old appearance, and again at his debut run as a three year old. His most recent form is not quite as impressive as that of a couple of his opponents, but as a dual Grade 1 winner, he boasts a career as yet unmatched by any of his peers. His three year old season has thus far been restricted to just four runs, and he’s been first home on two of those occasions. Throughout his entire career of twelve starts, he’s never been beaten on two consecutive occasions, so although he can be known to put in the odd sub-par effort, he’s invariably bounced back at his next start. His opponents will be aware of that statistic this week, and their tactics are certain to include measures to attempt to counter this top rated runner. Wonderboy Eamon is a son of Desert King, from Parthenon (Pentelicus / Pine Bluff), a less than impressive racehorse (1 from 29), but a far more successful broodmare. Her first issue, Wonderboy Dandy (by Rahy) is stakes placed and also housed in the breeder stalfrank’s stable, while two year old Nykoping (by Dayjur) has yet to live up to the family reputation. In this event, Wonderboy Eamon is unlikely to fly the gates, and the close in barrier stall should enable J. Webb to save ground back on the rail while setting for a strong run home. From a betting perspective, he could be about the best value in the race.

Fly’s Motivator has drawn barrier 5. A Winner of just two races, he has also registered a frustrating five seconds from his twelve start career.  Trainer charliefly had given his colt a solid grounding of seven consecutive starts in ungraded stakes events, before his most recent two runs, where he has indicated that he is more than capable of mixing it on the more elite graded stage. Bred from scratch by charliefly, Fly’s Motivator carries the blood of Montjeu / Gone West / Sharpen Up. Understandably his first couple of races were on the grass, but after returning moderate results he switched to the main track. The maiden win was immediate, to be followed by the stakes progression. A two year old season of six starts saw one win and two black type seconds. Four starts into 2006 and the stakes record for the year read one win and two seconds. Confident that Fly’s Motivator was up to the class, his next race provide perhaps the pinnacle of his career thus far, second here in the DallasBB Stakes-G3, behind Moneygrowsontrees, where he held on gamely after being involved in an early charge for the lead. He lost no fans at his most recent outing when fifth, beaten just two lengths, in the Pea Shooters Handicap-G2, another race which contained several of the opposition he lines up against here. An adaptable racehorse, jockey K.Smith will have plenty of options at barrier rise, and the bookmakers are taking no risks, keeping him firm in the market at 10/1.

Jumping from gate 6 will be Wylde Cat. No stranger to racing at the elite level, Wylde Cat is lining up for his fourth Grade 1 appearance this weekend, having recorded two seconds and a fourth at his earlier runs against the cream of his peers. Based on the dual stakes winner Franco Prospector (Wild Again / Mr. Prospector), Wylde Cat is a son of Storm Cat and despite having recorded just two victories from his twelve trips to the track, he’s rarely far away and always looms as a serious threat. He returns to sprinting this weekend, after performing creditably in a triple crown preparation. To properly gauge his chances in this event, it’s perhaps best to revisit his two year old form, where his training was aimed at securing success in the shorter events. 2005 saw him start half a dozen times, where he never went home without a check and was victorious at ungraded level before rounding out the year with a strong second behind Privileged in the Blue Ant Handicap-G1 on DelPenn day. He was closing over seven furlongs in that race, and as breeder/trainer zewango3 has given him a six week break to prepare for his re-entry into the sprints, it’s fair to assume he’s ready to give this a real shake. The tactics of zewango3 and jockey P. Henderson will be interesting, as he’s shown a liking for racing on the pace, and the jockey is sure to quickly size up the best options.

Toxicsuperfreakout jumps from gate 7 and is determined to reverse his recent form slump. Returning to sprinting at his most recent outing, he failed to flatter in Mexico’s Great Fishing Hole Stakes-G3, where those who finished ahead of him included Remember Morgadio, Crypto Flow, Mr AP Cat BG and Northern Blast, all lining up against him again this week. On a positive note, the six furlongs of that event may have been a tad short, and his proven ability over longer suggests he’ll more than appreciate the extra furlong. Toxicsuperfreakout was bred by the current owner’s neighbor, darylcal2, by using Orientate over his part-owned mare Gulchess, (Thunder Gulch / Sword Dance), a winner of seven from forty seven. Sprinting early in his career, he was consistent at black type level, with his first two runs over the distance he faces this week producing an ungraded stakes win and a second in Washington’s Big Hill Stakes-G2. His Barnstorming start to the year proves he lacks nothing in ability, as his first three runs of the year secured victories in The San Somebody Stakes-G3, Sunny’s Prospector Stakes-G2 and Louisianna Derby-G2. He hasn’t been well served in the jockey lottery and although clearly capable on his day, he’ll have to have the breaks go his way to out sprint all of these other classy runners

Moneygrowsontrees starts from stall 8. They say that fans of thoroughbred racing collectively have the world’s shortest memories, but everybody who was here in Texas six weeks ago is likely to remember for a long time the run they witnessed that day. Nothing gets the adrenalin flowing faster than cheering on a horse who appears to have left his run far too late, and watching him fly through the field on the way to recording a comprehensive victory. That heart pumping racing pattern has seen this colt come from seemingly hopeless positions at each of his last two outings, before he has eventually coasted to the line with comfortable margins. If we ignore his run three starts back when soundly beaten in the nine furlong Louisianna Derby, while making a last ditch Bluegrass Derby qualifying attempt, he’s been victorious in his last three Graded sprints, with his now trademark flying finish catapulting him upwards in the rankings. As an aside, after winning the Dallas BB Stakes-G3, he was elevated to number eight in the rankings. Despite not racing for six weeks, Moneygrowsontrees currently sits at number five. Clearly some of the early running two year olds of last season are now falling from the branches. Moneygrowsontrees is a desperado bred, cheadle trained son of Forestry, from Miss Carby (Mr. Prospector / I am the Game). The premier jockey C. Shoemaker retains the ride and he’s sure to have the fans preparing to abuse him yet again, as he appears to wait too long on the equal favorite, before unleashing that final dash.

Northern Blast will jump from gate 9. He brings a 50% win strike rate into the event, having won six from twelve, and is another whose most recent start was in Mexico’s Great Fishing Hole Stakes-G3. On that occasion he was far from disgraced, making good ground from mid-field to work into fourth position, just two lengths astern of the winner, Remember Morgadio, and on the heels of Crypto Flow and Mr AP Cat BG. From that race it seems clear that he’s another who will benefit from the extra furlong as he seeks to regain the standing he held earlier in his career. This will be just his fourth attempt at the seven furlong trip, his three previous resulting in a second in the Horsehead Juvenile-G1, a win in The Big Hill Stakes-G2 and a seventh, beaten just over three lengths in the Killer Monkey-G1. He ran around at 13/1 in the grade 3 last start, and his solid effort there has influenced the oddsmakers to reduce his quote slightly in this higher caliber event. A jockeymax6 bred and raced scratchbred, he carries the immaculate lines of Storm Cat / Seattle Slew / Buckpasser and the early pace in the race should allow M. Brown to settle him back in the field, close enough to strike at the business end.

Crypto Flow lines up in barrier number 10. This ultra consistent three year old is looking to regain the form which saw him victorious in the Masterab Trainer stats-G1, over this trip, as a two year old. Following that victory, the wheels fell off the great juvenile, but a solid start to 2006 has seen him edging ever closer to a return to those lofty heights. A son of Cryptoclearance, from stakeswinner Flow Futuristic (Carson City / Sunday Silence) he’s currently ranked number two dirt sprinter within his age group. An initial glance at the form page is a tad deceptive, as it does not really paint a true picture. His first run for the year, when fourth at the Equinics in the Ron Turcotte-G1, was against a field of twenty and he finished just two lengths from the winner. The next run against Grade 3 company was well below par, but his three since have seen him return triple digit speed ratings on each occasion, winning at ungraded level before a one length third behind Super Coverup in the Tubby Smith Special-G2. At his most recent run, he finished strongly to beat all but Remember Morgadio over the shorter six furlongs in the Great Fishing Hole Stakes-G3. The extra furlong will be to his advantage, he’ll have the services of quality hoop J. Chapman and the oddsmakers have not underestimated his recent good form, installing him on the top line of betting.

Astronomical Unit has drawn stall 11 and is another two year old topliner who has been unable to carry the promise of his juvenile year into 2006. He continues to race competitively, but without the authority which saw him in the winners circle on three occasions in black type races as a juvenile. Bred by Mating High Yield to Speed O’Lite, a dual stakes placed, inexpensive but capable daughter of Chromite / Baby Slewy, Astronomical Unit was quick to justify rockrace’s decision to outlay the significant cost of the sire, winning his maiden at his second start (first on the main track) and rapidly following up with stakes wins at his fourth, sixth and eighth and final appearance of 2005. Unable to post a win as yet this year, his seven runs have nonetheless resulted in two graded and two ungraded ITM’s. His last start second in Idaho a fortnight ago saw him just shy of a triple digit speed rating, while closing solidly nearing the end of the shorter six furlong journey. He has a capable rider in N.Kelly, his form is consistent and showing progression and the bookmakers are keeping him safe. He’s been out of the winners circle for more than six months now, but if the breaks were to go his way this Saturday, he could be in the mix without surprising.

Terrordega, the longest priced starter in the event, jumps from barrier 12. A winner of five from fourteen, and almost half a million in purses, he’s struggled to regain the form which saw him victorious at Grade 1 level as a juvenile. Bred owned and trained by daryluca3, he’s a son of Dixieland Band, based on Indy Niner (A.P.Indy / Forty Niner), a winner of four races and $75k. Successful from the outset, running a close second on debut, before winning his maiden and an ungraded stakes at his second and third starts, the highlight of his career thus far was to come at just his fifth start, when he beat a full field in the Horsehead Juvenile-G1. Sadly, he’s since been unable to reproduce that run and although he’s won twice as a three year old, those wins came in ungraded stakes, and more recently an ‘experimental’ win in a weak turf allowance. Three dirt graded runs this year have seen him finish no better than seventh. The Terrordega of a year ago would be a serious threat in anything, and he won’t lose anything in the saddle with R. White taking the mount, but it’s a very long way back to his previous heights.

Remember Morgadio has drawn 13 here and must be getting used to starting off the track, having drawn no better than 10 in his last four runs. Those racegoers present in Mexico a fortnight ago are sure to Remember Morgadio for a long time to come. Stepping up in class and taking on some of the smartest young sprinters in the game, he proved conclusively that, although lightly raced, he was on the verge of becoming a force to be reckoned with. His supporters will, once again, be confident that he can continue to uphold his somewhat unique record; that once he’s put his head in front in a race, he’s never been challenged. The three times when he wasn’t first home, were the three times when he failed to reach the lead in the early stages of his races, so he may face some tactical challenges this week at barrier rise, although there isn’t a lot of ‘pure speed’ to test him. He steps up in grade again here, but was so impressive in his victory in The Great Fishing Hole Stakes-G3 that few would doubt his ability to make the step successfully. A son of Storm Cat, he’s the first-born of the Grade 2 winning broodmare Morgadio (Galileo / Kingmambo) and although from not seen at the races until he turned three, Remember Morgadio has quickly established himself as the leading light in the stable of his breeder zeilissimo, as he goes from strength to strength. He has to find an extra furlong in this race, but that should pose no problem, as he’s won over seven previously and he has the services of top jockey K. Little. With only seven runs under his belt, he’s the most lightly raced of those facing the starter here, but the oddsmakers are well aware of his unlimited potential, having installed him equally on the top line in their early charts.

Depravity will start from the outside as he looks to continue his successful return to sprinting, following a distance program which saw him qualify for a run in the pinnacle for his age group, The Bluegrass Derby-G1. His early two year old sprinting form was sensational, winning three of his first five, culminating in victory in the Faber College Juvenile-G2. Stretched out soon after, his next two wins came at the mile, beginning with the Cryogenics Juvenile-G3 and an ungraded stakes in Dubai. 2006 saw him in the winners circle twice from his first three, including the Gary Asher Memorial Stkes-G3, before solid fourth and fifth placings at graded level earned him his well deserved spot in the Derby. Soundly beaten there, trainer funster decided to revisit the sprinting ranks. At his only run since the Derby he registered a blistering final sectional when third, beaten only a quarter of a length by Big Poppa Pump, and losing second in a tight photo to Wonderboy Eamon. The extra furlong will suit and the barrier will prove of little consequence as he is almost certain to drop out in the early stages. Depravity is a son of Red Bullet, and is the best performed of four progeny of Ministerial, a triple stakes placed daughter of Deputy Minister / Mr. Prospector. He has the services of a most capable jockey in J. Lucas, and may have flown under the bookies radar as they are willing offering 12/1.

Triple Digit Speed Figures: – Here are the triple digit speed ratings returned by runners from their past performances page (bold indicates a winning run)

Mr AP Cat BG – 101

Super Coverup – 105

Fly’s Motivator – 100

Toxicsuperfreakout – 100

Moneygrowsontrees – 103, 103, 100.

Crypto Flow – 100, 104, 103.

Remember Morgadio – 103.

Depravity – 101

The Class Factor: Where they had their last start

Racing Again at Grade 1 – Super Coverup, Wylde Cat.

Up from Grade 2 – Mr AP Cat BG, Wonderboy Eamon, Fly’s Motivator, Depravity.

Up from Grade 3 – Toxicsuperfreakout, Moneygrowsontrees, Northern Blast, Crypto Flow, Remember Morgadio.

Up from Ungraded Stakes – Big Stud, Astronomical Unit, Terrordega.

Winning Streaks:

Last start winners – Big Stud, Remember Morgadio

Winners of last two – Moneygrowsontrees.

The Odds Makers opinion:

7/1 – Mr AP Cat BG, Super Coverup, Moneygrowsontrees, Crypto Flow, Remember Morgadio

The Computer opinion:

Wonderboy Eamon – 1

Crypto Flow – 2

Moneygrowsontrees – 5           

Terrordega – 6

Northern Blast – 7