Ten Starters Prepared to Tackle the Long Walk
With the promise of a firm track and good weather, the New Mexico Racing Club is preparing for a big crowd for the inaugural running of the Long Walk – GP1. Worth a combined prize pool of a half a million dollars the 14 furlongs on turf has attracted a field of ten runners. With the combination of the proven group one performers, promising up and comers, and wishful thinkers; the race is set to excite the local crowd.
PP1 Neon Swan db B.Byrne (26%) 7/2
Comes here with twelve starts under his belt for the season and is yet to prove himself at Group One level. This year collected three stakes wins including last starts victory in the Coronado’s Honors Special Stakes but has failed at two graded race appearances. Has not raced beyond 10 furlongs during his career and is facing distance for the first time. Last year as a three-year-old did salute at Group Two level when winning the Jockey Club Classic – GP2 over 8 furlongs. His sire, Festival of Light, has have had limited opportunity but is not a noted source of stayers. His dam, Nureyev Native, has produced a graded winner, stakes winer and a stakes placed from three attempts at stud. Has been screaming for this distance and his connections have certainly given him a difficult task at first attempt. Speed ratings have been in the low 100’s in his last three starts and if can handle the steep class rise may be the give his supporters a good sight.
PP2 Flaming Pegasus susie I.Drewrey (36%) 25/1
Is the only female in the race and comes in this with having faced the starter nine times this season for two wins at stakes level and twice placed at graded level. Best performance this year was when runner-up in the million dollar George Moore Stakes – GP1 over 16 furlongs. Enters this race after twice failing at Group One level before last start’s 4th in an owner restricted stakes race where she finished fourth. Has collected a total of six stakes races throughout her career but is yet to win at graded level. By the sire Fusaichi Pegasus, who is more renown for producing sprinters than stayers, out of a Cee’s Tizzy mare Shotdowninflames. Comes into this as the fifth best ranked female in the long turf category and will need to be at her best to win here.
PP3 Lil Dog E samsonfarm D.Klein (29%) 10/1
Has come into this after having had seven races for the season, is yet to win and best result has been a 3rd in stakes race over 11 furlongs on turf. Three runs back finished fourth of five in the Que Taylor Cup Stakes before again failing at allowance level over 10 furlongs on turf. Has rounded out his preparation for this race with a fading fifth in the Stormy Bill Memorial Stakes over 13 furlongs on dirt. Has only won five races in his career with one of them at stakes level, speed ratings are below par of what is needed to win here. Is sired by Sadler’s Wells out of a Awesome Again mare, Again the Amy who has produced four foals for a stakes winner and graded winner. Even with the impressive breeding, Lil Dog E will be found short against this field.
PP4 Surgeon Tubes bigrama L.Kerter (38%) 5/1
Ten starts this season has resulted in three wins with two of them at allowance level, three starts back won the owner restricted Smackdown II stakes over 12 furlongs on turf. Followed that with a poor performance in the Sword Swallower Stakes – GP1 when finished seventh of nine; followed that with a ninth of fourteen in the Obnoxious Neighbor Sprint – GP2 last start. Was twice Group Two placed earlier this year and last year run third at Group One level in first graded race appearance. By the Riverman sire Rousillon who’s sole stakes winner from 55 runners is Surgeon Tubes. Has shown promise in the past but on recent efforts looks to be struggling at this level.
PP5 Burgfly’s Westie ireagle V.Glasgow (16%) 13/1
Eleven starts this season has resulted in two wins at claiming level and a $40,000 Starter win. Has filled a place in the last three including 3rd in open allowance over 8.5 furlongs two starts back. Last start finished 2nd in the Bare Sky Stakes over 10.5 furlongs after having failed at five previous stakes attempt. Sole win in the turf long category was a lowly Claiming win over 16 furlongs. Homebred horse sired by Johannesburg who is yet to produce anything of note over long turf. Speeding ratings have been down on his rivals here and appears to only be making up the numbers.
PP6 Sadler’s Thorns camotion G.Pappel (32%) 2/1
Raced ten times this season with his best performance being a win in the Soupy Sails Classic – GP2 over 9 furlongs when recording a season best speed rating of 107. Comes into this off a win in the Gator Ali Challenge Stakes over 9.5 furlongs when lead all the way. Is untied beyond 11 furlongs and has only ever race once on turf which resulted in a 3rd at allowance level over 9 furlongs. Is another who is sired by the the great Sadler’s Wells who has produced many Group One winners; out of the dam Buster’s Thorns who was stakes placed over long turf distance. Has questions regarding his ability the handle the distance and surface, but has been racing well enough to be in this with a show.
PP7 F S Who kittycats M.Kozowski (22%) 28/1
Fifty-seven career starts have result in eleven wins at claiming and allowance level, this year has faced the starter fifteen times for two wins. Three starts back won first stakes race when he took out the Monkey Football Memorial Stakes over 12 furlongs on turf. Followed that with a third in the Duke Quiet Memorial stakes and last start finished second in the Prix Du Prix Stakes over 12 furlongs on turf. Is sired form the bargain Forty Niner horse J.P.Hamer who with very limited opportunities sole stakes winner is FS Who. Has been running poor speed ratings and has recently been competing against small fields; will find this a lot tougher than recent competition.
PP8 Christmas Day SS stompy007 MK.Capper (33%) 77/1
Sparingly raced colt having had only ten career starts with nine of then being this season. Has been graduating through the allowance ranks slowly and only two starts at stakes level which have resulted in him finishing last on both occasion. Won 14 furlongs allowance two starts back before failing in the Portugal Invitational Stakes when 23½ lengths off the winner. Speeding rating will need to improve on recent efforts with season best being a lowly 89 over eight furlongs. Is from the very good sire Awesome Again who has produced the noted stayers Extremely Awesome, Delta River and Brandy’s Dream all having recorded Stakes wins. Is making up the numbers here and looks to be totally outclassed against this field.
PP9 Confederacy (IRE) dawgpound B.Bennington (40%) 3/1
Comes into this with having faced the starter seven times during the current season, broke through for first win last start when winning the Shimko Classic – GP2 over 11.5 furlongs. Prior to that finished 3rd in the Royally Modest Cup – GP1 where he found the champions Sunnybank Memorial and Rain God to good. Has been racing against the very best all season but is still to salute at Group One level after being placed four times. Earlier this year he beat Sunnybank Memorial and Horseshoe Bay when finishing 2nd in the million dollar Lester Piggott – GP1 and proved that was no fluke when 3rd in the Sand Castle Golden Turf Stakes – GP1 where he finished ahead of Horseshoe Bay, Rain God and Bistrol Rovers to name a few. Confederacy is from the Sadler’s Wells horse, High Chaparral (IRE) who is proving to be good source of stayers and currently has the number one long turf ranked three-year-old and four time Group One winner Cortez (IRE) amongst his credits. From the great producing mare Con Unit, who in four years at stud has produced two Group winners and a Stakes winner, Confederacy has all the ingredients to be a superstar. Has been taken along quietly during his juvenile years and is starting to put it all together. Is the class horse of the field and form suggest he’ll be hard to beat and should add another big scalp, in Dante (GB), to his resume.
PP10 Dante (GB) 2ofus F.Duffy (58%) 15/1
Is the veteran of the field and comes here with a query over his current form and rumors that his best may be behind him. Has faced the starter seven time this year and has added an additional three stakes victories to his resume. Four starts back ran 3rd in the KY Horsemen Bourbon Cup – GP1 prior to being placed twice at stakes before last start winning the Auror Gulch Bonanza Stakes over 14 furlongs. Is a big time performer and has collected five Group One victories during his career; including twice winning the G.S.R Cup – GP1 and last years’ Phar Lap Stakes – GP1, he also has a second in the Breeders Bowl Turf – GP1 to his credits. Is getting on in years but last start win gave connections some hope that he may be regaining form.
With ten horses in the field it’s hard to know how the race will actually develop. Past racing patterns suggest that both Neon Swan and Sadler’s Thorns will go forward on jumping and will challenge each other for the early lead. Tucked in behind them will be Confederacy patiently waiting until the third call where he will release his finishing burst. Sitting in midfield will be field Dante, Flying Pegasus and Lil Dog E until they enter the straight where Dante will kick away from the fading Flying Pegasus and Lil Dog E. Christmas Day SS and Surgeon Tubes with drop back rearwards on release and struggle to maintain contact with the field to be well beaten at the end. Burgfly’s Westie and FS Who will drop to last and will be so far behind the winners that the race organizers will be contemplating sending out a search party to locate them.
On the line, Confederacy’s class will prevail as he powers over the leaders to claim his first ever Group One victory. Running on late will be the fast finishing Dante just ahead of the fading Sadler’s Thorns in third.
1st Confederacy 2nd Dante 3rd Sadler’s Thorns