Blazing Saddles Showdown-The First 7

The 7^th annual Blazing Saddles Showdown is this Saturday! Here is a mini preview of the first 7 stakes races on Showdown day, featuring some of the best horses and trainers in the game.

Juvenile Sprint (1:10 PM EST): This race features a winner of an early season Blazing Saddles 2yo Stakes race in Winless For Wiggin, trained by psyduck. Duck has let me know this colt is named after the Philadelpha 76ers “tanking” tactics. While they may not have been able to get Andrew Wiggins, they have been pretty good at the winless thing, but this Winless For Wiggin is 3 for 5. Also in the field is the filly Hennywarrior out of the desperado barn. After finishing 2^nd in a G3 over the summer, she put in two competitive efforts in against G1 competition and will appreciate the class relief on Saturday.  Another who will get some class relief is Anzac Digger trained by magoo. After starting his career 3 for 3, he was a close 5^th in the most prestigious 2yo dirt sprint race in the world, the G1 Hopeless. Another early season Blazing Saddles 2yo stakes winner is Seeing the Town out of the mtk stable. He comes in off a solid 3^rd in allowance company.

Juvenile Filly Turf (1:20 PM EST): A Maryland bred daughter of Not For Love starts off the conversation in this one. Mtk trains Less Reluctant who is a ½ sister to the 2010 Irish 2000 Guineas winner, Navgiation System. She won her first stakes race in her most recent outing. Keep Driving comes in off an impressive allowance victory against males for trainer magoo. The daughter of Darci Brahma will be coming late with a powerful kick. Also in here is my Caught Drinkin’ who comes in off back to back runs in graded races. In her latest, she was 3^rd in a G3. We will see if she can handle the stretch out to a mile.

Juvenile Turf (1:30 PM EST): This race filled with royal pedigrees features two entrants from the talented turf string of trainer skunkbarn. Skunk starts off the long list of royal pedigrees in this field with Quit Your Cryin and Written Word. A son of Galileo, Quit Your Cryin is out of the he-mare Cryin Out Loud. Cryin Out Loud won 16 of 33 starts, 7 of those wins being G1’s and earned more than $10 million. While short on experience, Quit Your Cryin appears to be long on talent. With only 2 starts to date, I’m sure this skunk trained runner will go on to do big things, even if he doesn’t win this weekend. Not to be forgotten is skunks other entrant, Written Word. He is the son of 3 time G1 winning mare Stash Your Gold. Coming in off back to back impressive allowance victories, he looks primed to get his first stakes win. With only one race to date, Sea My Horn is the lightest raced of the bunch for magoo. The son of Sea the Stars has G1 winning he-mare Vuvuzela on the other side of his pedigree. We’ll see if he can handle the step up in class. The training combo of spinround and mjbfarms make up the powerful eminc stable, they send out Past Tense in here. Another with a magnificent pedigree, he is out of the mare Street Creds making him a sibling to three stakes winners including the G1 winner Another Heartbreak who we will see later on Saturday in the Showdown Turf. The son of Giant’s Causeway had a very impressive turf debut in July breaking his maiden. Past Tense comes into here after a 3 month break and looks ready to run huge running at a route for this first time.

Juvenile Fillies (1:40 PM EST): The rather heavy favorite in this event is a runner of mine, Sebastopol. After running 3^rd in a G1 back in October, she ran very well placing 4^th in the BB behind the best 2yo fillies in the game. The daughter of Union Rags figures to take them as far as she can. Redhill trains the well bred daughter of Smart Strike, Brains and Brawn. She won a mile allowance last time out with style. She will have to improve to win on Saturday, but I doubt the distance will be a problem. Duck trains Over Thinking who will make her route debut here. In her last, she prevailed in a 5.5 furlong listed event. But what makes her a contender here is her run two back in a 7.5 furlong G3. She put in an even effort with a solid 5^th. We’ll see if she can handle the stretch out on Saturday.

Juvenile (1:50 PM EST): Skunk brings in two talented sons of the Japanese stallion Symboli Kris S. Pattern of Lies is the more experienced of the two. Like many other quality horses, he started off his career in a Blazing Saddles 2yo race. He won that race and went on to win another Blazing Saddles 2yo race 2 months later, this time becoming a stakes winner. After starting his career 3 for 3, he wasn’t quite ready for graded competition in his next 2. In his last, he returned to form with a real good effort in allowance company. Although he didn’t win, he made a sustained stretch run to finish a close 2^nd. Not only do I feel you’ll hear from him this weekend, but you might be hearing from him next spring. The other skunk entrant is another promising late-running type of colt, A Sign of Madness. Another who started his career in a Blazing Saddles restricted 2yo race, he most recently won an allowance over a mile. Unleashing a powerful stretch kick, he was much the best with a big speed. He figures to be a major player. War Artist breaks from the rail for desperado. Out of G2 winner Takeover Artist, this son of hot sire War Front won an allowance in his second start on dirt last time. Also going for the first time at a route distance, he won with a serious late run demolishing the field with a 91 speed. We’ll see if he can put back to back big races together in his first time against stakes company. The Collaborator comes out of the eminc barn. He has been super consistent this year in 6 runs, 4 of those coming against graded company. Last time out in his first time at a route distance, he closed strongly to secure 3^rd in a G3. Coming in off a 3 month layoff, he figures to close out his 2yo campaign strongly. The favorite is the lightest raced of the 11 entries, mtk’s Overland Campaign. The son of Tapit has the mtk preferred type of running style, straight to the lead. After starting his career with an impressive debut in July, he has run 2^nd in back to back allowances. He’ll likely be on the lead, but he will experience a severe class test when the real running starts.

Sprint (2:00 PM EST): The classiest of the group and the race favorite is the 5yo son of Distorted Humor Feels Funny. Coming out of the desperado barn, he has raced in 7 consecutive graded stakes. This one has done most of his damage at the distances of 7 and 7.5 furlongs, but has been taking on the toughest sprinters in the game all year. The G2 winner has been a little off form in his last two. He failed to carry his speed over a mile in his last and got left at the gate and was never involved in a G1 two back. After finishing a solid 6^th in the Equinics earlier in the year, he ran three consecutive close 2nds in top class 7 furlong grades. We’ll see if he can get back into form with the cut back in distance. Another desperado entry, Jimmy the Weasel enters this event off two big listed stake runs. An auction buy earlier in the year, he has been very good for desperado so far. He has had 4 runs, with 2 wins and 2 seconds, and has never been under the 110 speed mark. It would seem he has a good chance this weekend to make it back to back wins. Tapsation is an up-and-coming 3yo son of Tapit who has won 9 of 13. He put in a huge performance over a sloppy track last time out for duck. Going gate to wire at 6.5 furlongs, he held off all challenges, beating older horses with a 114 speed. He has won impressively from 5 to 7.5 furlongs on dirt and he is 3 for 3 on turf. An impressive career so far, even if he doesn’t win this one, he’ll be fun to follow as he progresses.

F&M Sprint (2:10 PM EST): A G1 winner starts us off here. Fusionist won the Getaway as a 2yo and went to finish 4^th in the BB in her next start. She will be making her 6^th start for eminc after she was bought at the auction. In her most recent start, a 6.5 furlong listed, she came from last and passed them all for a 1 ½ length victory. The daughter of Speightstown is likely to come with her usual big run in this one. The favorite comes in from the desperado stable.  Party Never Ends has competed against the best filly and mare sprinters in the game throughout the year. She ran a strong 2^nd in a G1 at the beginning of the year, but it appears she has never been the same since that big run. Coming in off a turf allowance prep, this filly has the class, but we’ll see if she is ready to turn in a performance good enough to beat the field assembled here. Another desperado runner, Longshot Player is a regally bred 3yo daughter of Bernardini. Three back she won a G3 going wire to wire, but she has been a bit flat in her two efforts since that win, finishing 4^th and 5^th. Another who has the back form to be a player, and she might just be able to turn her recent luck around on Saturday.