Shimco Classic Draws Nine Good Ones

Shimco Classic Draws Nine Good Ones

Japan – It’s a long way from New South Wales to Japan but I made it in good time and arrived in plenty of time to get to the track and look over the horses running in the Grade II, Shimko Classic for a purse of $300,000.  Nine horses will go to the post for the mile and 7/16’s race over a turf course that will be officially classified as yielding.  Here’s a look at the field by post position.

Post one will hold Rafita’s, 3 YO son of Storm Cat, Campillo (11/1).    He will be stretching out and stepping up for the first time as well as taking on older, all warnings to pass on the bet, but this is a very astute trainer and if he believes in this colt, maybe I had better also.  He has won four of 19 starts and finished second in his last two stakes attempts, The Well Doc and The District.    Rafita is also paying a lot of money to ship this colt in, so ignore him at your own risk.

Woette’s Delight (4/1) is a 4 YO son of Falbrav and is owned and trained by Totje.   His last win was an allowance race six back but he comes running every time and the added distance could be just what the doctor ordered.  He earned a 101 speed figure last time out in the Grade I Turf Invaders and has won over an off track.

A.P. Indy will be represented by two in Saturday’s race and the first is a sharp looking 3 YO colt, Barb’s Rosebud (13/1).  Owned and trained by Wolverine, this colt is ranked # 99 in the long turf division and has won four of 11 races.  He has also won two of his last four races including The Cory Forest and The Colonel Ton.  He can handle the off track and while he is another that will be taking on older, he shows a lot of talent and should fare well.

Post four was assigned to Gerfly’s Deed (3/1), a 5 YO horse by Geri.  Ranked # 38, he is trained by Tomsfly and is part of the Fly conglomerate.  He has won 11 of 26 starts and although his last win was five races back, he has been competing in Grade I events and was a closing second in two of those.  The distance won’t be a problem for this guy and he can handle the off track.  The drop in grades and his top speed figures make this one, one to watch.

Artificial Crisis (7/1) is a good looking 4 YO colt by Machiavellian.  He is the least experienced in the field, with only seven races.  He is trained by Nowitsdark and is a winner over a yielding track.  His four wins and 6/7 in the money make this colt very interesting.  He is a stake winner (The Ready Whatson) and I am not sure if it was the 12 furlongs or the class jump but he fade to 4^th last time out in the Grade II, Dawn To Dusk.  Saturday might answer that question.

The second son of A.P. Indy is Papa’s Boogie (16/1) another 3 YO.    Trained by Handyman1 he has three wins from 14 starts and is a winner on an off track.  He has won an allowance race at 11 furlongs but faded to third last time out in The Golden Sky at 12.  He will need his best on Saturday but the only way to find out if he has the right stuff – is to enter him!

Osstable will send out Total Quest (6/1) a 5 YO mare By Elnadim.  The only mare in the field, she is ranked # 23 and she has won nine of 37 starts. Maybe more important is that she has finished second or third in her last five including a second in the King’s Cats at 12 furlongs.  She has competed with the best in graded, can handle a yielding course, and her consistency makes her dangerous all the time.

Greeley‘s Turn (12/1) will break from post eight and he is a 3 YO trained by Ufsldowns.  He is another that is lightly raced with only 10 starts and he has won four of those.  While his only wins have come at a mile or less, he was a closing 3^rd last time out in the Grade II Upper California Derby at 9 1/2 furlongs. He has some obstacles to overcome in this, but the son of Mr. Greeley is already out running his breeding.

On the outside and certainly not at any disadvantage in a race this long, is a 4 YO son of High Chaparral, Confederacy (5/2).  Ranked # 13 this well proportioned colt is trained by Dawgpound which is part of the Snowchief Group.  Confederacy has not been worse than 4^th in his last eight races and own’s the top speed figure in the race at 107.  He can handle the distance, has never ducked top company and he finished a good second in his only start on a yielding track.  Top jock, K. Ledwith, will need to keep this colt interested once he makes the lead.

That’s the field for the Shimko Classic.  Good Luck to all.