Dolly Prummond Hosts Returning Champ

The most impressive winner in the history of the Grade III Dolly Prummond was last year’s winner.  Birds of Paradise is a multiple graded stakes winner of over a million dollars.  Officials of the Malaysia track are excited to see her return this year to defend her title.

Last year, as the second choice in the betting, she became the first winner to be rated in the top three betting choices.  In the early wagering she is the favorite by the slimmest of margins over Empire Gold.

Adding to the excitement is the recent rains in Malaysia have left a sloppy track for the runners.

Here is a look at the entire field:

1. Winner of eight out of eleven dirt sprints, South Dakota (Silver Ghost x A.P. Indy) tries older for the first time.  Beat the two highest rated three year old sprinters last time in an upset win of the G1 Remember Cupid Stakes and owns the highest last time out speed figure.  Survived an early speed duel in that race and faces an even tougher early runner in Benny.  (Yes, the Lenny30 (29%) trainee gets to face the number 3 rated three year old after dispatching one and two and five last time.)  In 2002 a three year old won this race.  It can be done.  8-1.

2. Grand Causeway (Giant’s Causeway x A.P. Indy) ran an even third last time against older.  That’s encouraging news for Super16 (19%), as in previous races she needed the lead to contend.  She’s not likely to get the lead here, and her speed figures don’t match the par for this race.   15-1.

3. Benny Being Benny (More Than Ready x Fusaichi Pegasus) was six for six in dirt sprints before her last two tries against boys, where she could not hold up after dueling early.  The EBryant (13%) trainee is the number 3 rated three year old and tries older for the first time.  The youngsters should be rolling early, and they may be joined by one or two more before the older gals get rolling.  This will be fun to watch.  Jockey won this race in 2003.  7-1.

4. All four three year olds are on the inside.  Punch Drunk T (Two Punch x Danehill) has three listed stakes wins, one this year, and comes here after a third against a modest field in a G3.  Most in here have never run on a wet track.  Punch has, and the news is not good for the XTChamps (9%) barn.  Her worst race ever came in a graded try on a sloppy track.  10-1.

5. Birds of Paradise (Seeking the Gold x Storm Bird) has three graded wins besides her win in this race last year.  The other five winners of this race have a total of two other graded wins.  Those other five have all retired to breeding, and except for 2004 winner The Assassin, their foals have not impressed.  Veteran trainer DixieDotCo (26%) just hit 1,000 starts.  Meanwhile, Birds has established a pattern in the last ten races of alternating good with very good, and it’s her turn to run a very good race.  Her stalking style looks to be rewarded, especially by the fillies to her inside.  She teams up once again with her jockey from last year, Flavio Foster, who has ridden the winner of the Dolly Prummond three of the past four years.  Biggest question for Birds is that in 38 races, she has never run on a wet track before.  9-2.

6. Bold trainer Miguel91 (19%) tries to make the most of his $50,000 claim as he makes his first start off the claim of Larrins Luckylady (Tsunami Slew x Herat) in a graded stakes.  The six year old mare is making her 46^th start today, and while she did run in a handful of stakes as a five year old, I would need longer odds than these to be tempted.  11-1.

7. Deputy Paunch (Deputy Minster x Secretariat) tried sprints in her first two races, but the six year old has been routing ever since.  Her last four graded tries have not been pretty, and Irehold (14%) tries to shake her up with a sprint.  Owns a G1 win in the Three Smokestacks last year, so lovers of back class may take note.  One sour note, however, is her worst race ever came last time, and that was on a wet track.  I have a feeling she either does well here, or she discovers the joys of motherhood.  6-1.

8. Best of the Best (Best of the Rest x Is It True) was a dominant two year old, winning six of her eight starts for the Trackfeats (18%) stable.  She picked up a few more wins along the way and has been a more than decent allowance runner as a four year old. Last time out, the early speedster tries a route and faded badly.  Back in sprints, she looks to have a hard time getting an early lead here, and eight of her ten wins have been from on the lead.  Class jump is less of an issue than running style.  13-1.

9. Empire Gold (Empire Maker x Theatrical) is a versatile runner out of the JWolfe607 (22%) stable, which hopes to pick up its 100^th win with this race.  Empire is a beaten favorite in a listed stakes at this distance last time.  This stalker can throw consistent triple digit speed figures at any distance from 6.5 to 9 furlongs.  Should be able to handle the slop and can rate, which looks to be the preferred style here.  9-2.

10. CowPasture (12%) recently picked up its 100^th win.  The barn enters the longest priced filly in the race, S R Created Oil (Sinjar x Key to the Kingdom).  Let’s give the good news. In her only stakes, she hit triple digits and showed an ability to rate.  Even better, she won her only start on sloppy dirt.  And best, you get rewarded if you think she can do it again.  Seriously, she looks like more of a threat than several others in here.  22-1.

11. Dixie Chic Whoops (Dixieland Band x Green Dancer) tried a graded stakes once before: four races ago in a tough Delta Tau Chi Stakes, where she ran an even and competitive sixth.  Ritchie (15%) has trained her to triple digits in four of her last five races.  She’s a late charger in a sprint with some serious speed to run at.  Biggest figure ever was earned on the slop.  5-1.

Morning Line: 5-9-11-7

Timmn’s picks: 5-1-11-3