Brokeback Mountain Grade I

After two days of rain, the skies have finally cleared a bit in North Dakota but not enough to completely dry out the track for the first ever running of the Brokeback Mountain Stakes G-1. Some of the best milers have showed up to contest for the $500,000 purse along with some outside hopefuls. With some of the powerhouses of the division here and an off track, the drama and excitemet in the stands is hard to miss. Although it’s really anyone’s game, I’ll have to buck the first choice and go with the proven second and #5 ranked Gathering Momentum. Good luck with your choices.

PP 1

(ALDEBARAN x MEDAILLE D’OR x SHIRLEY HEIGHTS(GB))

Trainer: mrvoice

Off Track 0 0 0 0

Breaking from the inside gate, Call Of The Canyon is riding a two race win streak and seems to be coming on well as the season progresses. As a five time stakes winner, he’s certainly had some ups and downs. He finished off the year well last year but fell into a slump for the first half of 2006. This forced trainer mrvoice to drop him in class down to the allowance ranks until he got his footing back and it’s a move that seems to have paid off well for him. His last two wins looked very impressive in The NO RECEPTION SQ Cap-Stk and The SWEET COZZENE Stakes-Stk. He’ll try to fight for the early lead here in his graded debut but is untested on an off track. He has a lot going for him but he has just as many unanswered questions.

PP 2

(JAVA GOLD x BOUNDING BASQUE x SADLER’S WELLS)

Trainer: willowisp

Off Track 3 1 1 0

Good race followed by a great race equals graded attempt. At least that what trainer willowisp thinks. Picked up just late last year in a $50,000 claimer, he’s really turned up the heat after the claim. Although he showed the capacity to run the speeds that are needed, it’s hard to say how he’ll take on this caliber of runners. I would have liked to see at least a listed stake prep race. Perhaps it’s the fact that willowisp claimed him from Nextbonus Farms who owns Call Of The Canyon. Kind of a “In your face” challenge of sorts I guess. If he’s up to the task he might just win that challenge.

PP 3

(A.P. INDY x STORM CAT x SEEKING THE GOLD)

Trainer: isisbabe

Off Track 1 0 1 0

Our morning line favorite, Zygote, isn’t your usual four year old homebred. He’s 2/3 through his 3^rd season and he’s about to make start #14! He’s been nursed along nicely though by trainer issibabe. So far this year he has four listed stake wins in six starts and had a near miss last time in the Prims Memorial-G2. He show a great deal of consistency in speed as his last three start have netted him SR’s of 113, 112 and 113. Expect him to lay back off the pace saving ground for a stretch run. He’ll be a tough one to beat and did run well in his one and only start on an off track.

PP 4

(TALE OF THE CAT x DANEHILL x PROUD TRUTH)

Trainer: graywolf3

Off Track 1 0 0 0

Long on odds but not short on ability, Cat Of The Tail didn’t impress the track handicapper but certainly warrants better odds than 20/1. This Tale Of The Cat colt has scored one stake win early this year in The U. BULL Memorial-Stk but I think the odds have more to do with the very poor showing last time out in marilyn i love you anniversary day stakes-Stk. In a showing of kindness, graywolf3 entered his horse to pay homage to the loss of a loved on of a fellow player. The switch in surface did not play well and graywolf3 is hoping for some redemption today. However, fate may have dealt him a bad hand once again as his only attempt at an off track resulted in a disastrous performance. Even so he may also compete for a minor share of the purse.

PP 5

(DANEHILL x MR. PROSPECTOR x WILD AGAIN)

Trainer: ivanyamil

Off Track 0 0 0 0

Very lightly raced in his first two seasons, Soy De Ponce has certainly made up for it this year. With only two starts each in both the 2004 and 2005 season he’s ripped off nine start so far this year. He’s looked very well in those races, save for one, and made the highlight reels two races back with a win in the Lil’ Leprechaun Mile-G3. However, he’ll need to show more than he did in his last race in The Fast and Furious Stakes-G2 where he fell apart with a 99SR a 7^th place finish. Even though he’s untested on an off track I like the five weeks rest he’s coming off of and I’ll have him on my trifecta ticket for sure.

PP 7

(DEPUTY MINISTER x FORTY NINER x FIT TO FIGHT)

Trainer: pbcash

Off Track 2 0 1 0

Pbcash’s Uncle Rico may play the role of rabbit for the race. This allowance winning hopeful has a quick step out of the gate and will probably lead the pack for the first half. Even with a some impressive numbers in his last few races, including a 2^nd place finish in The SWEET COZZENE Stakes-Stk, I’m hard pressed to give him my vote of confidence. He has the looks of a sprinter more than a router, especially at this level and he didn’t fare well in his last race which was on an off track as well. I’ll give him a little credit as that race may have more to do with the fact that it was ran at 10 furlongs. However, without a stakes win and such tough competition to contend with, it would take a reverse of fortune to compete here.

PP 8

(LEAR FAN x KALDOUN(FR) x SECRETO)

Trainer: rbokie24

Off Track 4 0 0 0

Many may remember last year’s Dubai Sand Castle Day where Lear’s Secret stole the show in the Sand Castle Godolfin Mile-G3 at 22/1 odds. That race also marked the one and only stake win for this Lear Fan offspring. Although he’s run some decent races since he’s mainly been relegated to allowance races. Trainer rbokie24 may be hoping for just one more great run out of this horse before he says he through. Even at with all he’s got going against him, including an 0 for 4 record on an of track, you’ve got to tell yourself that if he can do it once, he can do it again. Clearly a sentimental favorite, I’ll have to pass as the mutual window doesn’t pay odds on sentimental favorites.

P 9

(BROAD BRUSH x ACK ACK x HOIST THE FLAG)

Trainer: rharfo1

Off Track 4 1 1 0

Trainer rharfo1 has to have a permanent bruise on his forehead from banging it against the wall due to his horse Poker In The Back. He came along with a vengeance last year and scored a graded win in the Bluegrass Cup Classic-G2 but has seen swings in speed ratings from race to race that’s enough to frustrate any trainer. However, he has proven a tough foe and if his every other race pattern holds true then he’s due for a big one. It’s hard to say how he’ll take to the surface as he won his maiden on an off track and has scored in the triple digits on good dirt but turned in a dismal outing in his last race on a sloppy course. However, don’t be surprised to find him in the winner’s circle if the pace sets up right.

PP 11

(STORM CAT x GONE WEST x CAERLEON)

Trainer: rascal

Off Track 2 0 0 0

Our second choice, out of the rascal barn, Gathering Momentum comes into this race with eight stake wins to his credit including a G-1 score earlier this year in the Gary Carter Handicap-G1. Even though he’s the #5 ranked horse in this division, he gets the snub just slightly from the track handicapper over #59 ranked Zygote. I wouldn’t read too much into it though. Even though Zygote has put up some monster numbers this year, this colt is perfectly capable of running neck and neck with him. The main difference may be in running styles as Gathering Momentum likes to try to take the race gate to wire as opposed to Zygote’s come from behind style. It should be an interesting finish as an off tracks seems to favor front runners even though he hasn’t scored in the slop in two tries.

PP 12

(ASOLO (GER) x BOLD FORBES x ROMAN)

Trainer: apenlared

Off Track 0 0 0 0

Our longest odds on the board is riding a five race win streak but Random ‘C’(GER) will have that streak broken today. He’s raced very recently for a $4,000 tag in claiming events and all of his wins have come in claiming, starter or restricted allowance races. I can’t really give him much hope as he is yet to break the 100 mark in speed ratings. A very noble try but I’ll have to pass.

PP 13

(OCTAGONAL(NZ) x FAPPIANO x NORTHERN DANCER)

Trainer: theshark

Off Track 3 3 0 0

As one of the great in the game, Go O Go continues to toil it out race after race. As our sole female runner, she’s racked up an envious record in her career with 14 stake wins including five graded wins. She attempts two turns for the first time in two years and against the boys for an opportunity to run on an off track where she’s undefeated in three races. Her last attempt on a rain soaked course was earlier this year in the Unthinkable Stakes-G2 where once again came charging from the back as usual and took down the field. It’s this ability that makes her a worthy challenger but I’m sure trainer theshark was hoping for the skies to really pour down make this a mud bath. It’s her last race where she may have come up injured that prevents me from predicting the upset. Still, she might just warrant a back end spot on a trifecta wheel.