1ST MISS MINNESOTA JUVENILE
This Saturday at Minnesota the Minnesota Down resident’s will be showing off the best of their 2 year old filly prospects in the $125,000 1ST MISS MINNESOTA JUVENILE. This restricted stakes race is a mile and one sixteenth and the forecast is for a very fast Minny dirt (i.e. permafrost) track. As with all the festival races the purse was fattened with 500 credits and a prize horse to go home with the winner.
There is loads of talent including several stakes winners and a breeders bowl veteran. Here is the field.
1 – HARD ROCK GOLD (Rock Hard Ten x Seeking the Gold x Nijinski II) jkj3 (JKJ) 7/1
She has 4 wins in 8 career starts. Her best races have been at 8f including a 3rd in the grade 2 Dutches of New York Stakes. With two stakes wins including her last, this filly knows how to win. JKJ has opted to help out Minny buddy D. Sanford (aka supertoy) with the mount. Could be a lot of pressure for the stuggling jockey. Still she is one of the favorites.
2 – THIEFER (Afleet Alex x Cat Thief x Affirmed) tabasconyc (CHUCKROCK) 44/1
She is still a maiden after 5 starts and this is clearly the strongest field than she has ever faced. Makes you wonder what Chuckrock is up to. I would not be surprised if Thiefer is sent to the front early to cause trouble for the speed horses while setting up Chuck’s other entry Tobasco Action for the big close. She is K Ritterspauch’s capable hands.
3 – DEVIL MADE ME (Stephen Got Even x Storm Cat x Icecapade) rharfo9 (RHARFO) 11/1
After a test on turf, this filly is back to her preferred surface and looking for that surface switch bounce. If she can settle down and show some of the form she had in her debut, she could be a factor in this race. S Merwitz will be riding.
4 – DAMNATION GAME (Johar x Menifee x Saint Ballado) ibanez (BIGRICK) 14/1
She is hot winning 3 out of 4 career starts. This horse loves the lead, staying out front wire to write in her three wins. She has only been beaten once but is moving up in class here. It will be interesting to see if she can get and hold that lead with this kind of pressure. She gets Minnesota’s top jock K Friar.
5 – FART NO MORE (Brahms x Pentelicus x Bold Ruler) dundey4 (DUNDEY) 7/1
She is another 3 out of 4 career horse. “Beano” as she being called around the press box has shown she can make the distance. The 87 SP# she put up her last time out is hard to argue with. She gets Minny’s #3 jockey O Stinson. Look for her just off the lead and a strong bet to take it all.
6 – WILD RANT (Forest Wildcat x Pulpit x Peintre Celebre (IRE)) rcdlogan (RANDY) 9/1
She was in the money 5 of her 7 career starts. Her last race added some distance to 8 furlongs and it was the best race of her short career. She likes to run in the back early. A fast early pace could put her in the driver seat in the stretch. B Craver, Minny’s #5 jockey gets the ride.
7 – SOLANA BEACH (Dixieland Band x Unbridled x Hail to Reason) cobleskill (SILVERNY99) 6/1
With a 2 for 2 career record this filly is off to a great start. Silver has been keeping her hidden with an 11-week layoff and at this point only she knows how well her filly is maturing. Both her starts were under 7 furlongs, so the extra distance will be a test for her. The odds makers feel she is prime and one of Minny’s top jockeys, P Green, also has faith in this horse and has agreed to the ride.
8 – VENGEFUL PRAYER (Hennessy x Hansel x Green Desert) pazprayer (PAZJAZZ) 9/1
Plenty of experience for a young horse, with 10 starts with most them stakes or graded stakes this filly knows what to expect. She is a grade 3 winner (the Sabrina Stakes) and has finished in the money in two other stakes races (the Meadow Becky Special and Arizona Shoot-Out Special). She has shown she can complete in the best fields, her only draw back could be the distance. She struggled in the 8.5 furlong Frickazee Stakes after leading most of the race. She likes being in the front early, we’ll see if jockey N Brim lets her go or holds her back a little for the stretch. Experience alone makes this filly one of the favorites.
9 – HOWDY MA’AM (War Chant x Gone West x Mill Reef) 7heaven (RICHGINS) 9/1
Something didn’t click last time out, but this filly has shown she can run on dirt and at this distance. The 88SP# over 8 furlongs puts her in the hunt for this race. She has had plenty of rest. So the question is can Rich and Minny cohort/jockey S Upertoy help her pull it together. Another front-runner, expect to see her fight for the early lead.
10 – ORATORY THUNDER (Oratory x Thunder Gulch x Capote) manapace (THE PICT) 38/1
Another maiden taking the stakes plunge early, this filly may be in for more than she bargained for. Her last race was a little off, but her previous run at 8.5 furlongs showed some promise. Again a front runner, it will be a big race for the first turn. Jockey G Hardinger will be along for the ride.
11 – INTO THE MAELSTROM (Spinning World x Kingmambo x Riverman) pegasus (CITATION) 8/1
What a great start this filly has had. She went 3 for 6 and placed twice. This earned her a trip to the 2006 Breeders Bowl Juvenile Turf. The Breeders Bowl was obviously not the experience her owner Citation expected, but she was still a quality horse in a field with the best the SIM has to offer. Several of the horses here have posted better times, but the veteran filly has not run on dirt for a while and maybe the switch back will bring out the best in her. Minny’s #2, K Bowen, try to put her back on track.
12 – THEO’S MESA (Sky Mesa x Tom Rolfe x Bold Reasoning) theodore1 (THEO) 8/1
Winning her last three in row running away (the last being an 8 furlong stakes event) this filly is really looking special. She has won from the back of the pack and stalking the lead. Theo (aka Mr. Caps Lock) can keep everyone guessing on where she will run early, either way look for her to earn a check. Theo is going with another Minny resident jockey ,J Ritorto (Johnno).
13 – TABASCO ACTION (Action This Day x Tabasco Cat x Alydar) chuckrock (CHUCKROCK) 16/1
The other half of Chuckrock’s team, this filly will be near the back of the pack looking to come up strong when other tire. Her last outing was impressive and she proved she can make 8 furlongs. If the pace wears out the speed horses, jockey J Hendrickson might be able to sneak in a win with her.
14 – BABY O’S (Boston Harbor x Devil His Due x Irish River(FR)) dundey6 (DUNDEY) 15/1
She has been in the money 7 out of 8 career starts and has plenty of experience in stakes events. She had some trouble with the distance last time out, but with almost 2 months layoff to get in shape she could be a surprise. J Johnson will be riding.
15 – THEO’S HUMOR (Distorted Humor x Lycius x Sadler’s Wells) theodore2 (THEO) 17/1
She has 2 wins from 7 career starts, but has improved greatly once she was able to increase distance and draw into a few 8-furlong races. Her best races have been when she is near the front early, but in this crowd that might be tough to do. I think Theo will be watching THEO’S MESA a lot more carefully than this one. Ca Moore will be the jockey.
That’s it for the large field of young fillies. With this kind of 2-year-old talent next year’s Oaks could be interesting for Minnesota Downs. Good luck to all.