Razorback Cap-G3
Razorback Cap Welcome all to this year’s running of the Razorback Cap! A full field of 14 runners has gathered here and the four year olds seem to rule the day. In fact, 10 of the 14 are precocious four year olds wanting to make their mark now against older peers. Leading the way is the A.P. colt Zygote who as one of the few five year old or older runners is out to show the young ‘uns who runs this show. The field is extremely classy this time around and there is talk of new track record being possibly set today in what is sure to be an exciting race down to the wire. So make you bets early so don’t get shut out and don’t forget to visit the concession stand. Hot Dogs only $1 today!!! PP 1 10/1 KING WORK (KINGMAMBO x SADLER’S WELLS x SIR TRISTRAM(IRE)) Trainer: perko6 Our first runner, King Work is making his second start in graded company today. He finished a very strong 3rd two races back to Vinsanity in the Big A Handicap-G3 and his trainer perko6 is hoping that this will be a break out race for him. He’s already shown with that race that he can step up in class and with an allowance prep race last time out; he may be game for a win here. His chances really lay with Zygote and how that horse runs today. If the pace is slow enough he may be in contention as he likes to set just off the hind quarter of the leader. That win is not out of the question as the 109 SP he ran last year in the Might Be Ready Who Knows-Stk proves he has a quick foot. PP 2 12/1 MAGPIE’S BAGGER (APTITUDE x DEVIL’S BAG x FORTY NINER) Trainer: punter69 Magpie’s Bagger looks to return to form in this race after a crushing blow last time out in the Glenn Handicap-G1 where he finished 13th. This came only one race after he won the San Valenzuala Breeders Bowl Stakes-G2 in what was his first ever stakes attempt at any level. However, this Aptitude colt had strung together a series of three strong races before that bounce and with that monster now out of the way I’d be willing to bet that he’ll back with the form that he showed before. Although he’s not getting much attention at the window, a wheel with him on the back end could equal a good pay day for the smart handicapper. PP 3 8/1 MUSICALITY (SADLER’S WELLS x EASY GOER x KEY TO THE MINT) Trainer: kevoman4 As a late developing horse, Musicality has momentum swinging his way. This Sadler’s Wells colt started to put the afterburners on the second half of last year as a three year old and except for couple of races, he’s been unstoppable. Trainer kevoman4 is hoping that his horse has finally matured enough to handle graded company as his two previous trips into this class have resulted with disappointing finishes. He started the year off with a win in The MANILLA MINT Cap-Stk and comes in here with a prep allowance 2nd place finish but both races looked just awesome. He likes to sit mid to back of the pack and as long as he doesn’t’ give up too much ground he should show well here today. PP 4 18/1 SHAMELESS MUSIC (VINDICATION x UNBRIDLED’S SONG x MINING) Trainer: weejunior Shamless Music leaves caution to the wind and enters in his third consecutive stakes race. This Vindication colt has looked exceptionally well versus allowance runners but hasn’t been able to put it together versus stronger horses. He’s lost his last two races by a combined 30 lengths and with the class of runners we have here it’s hard to really give any credit until he can prove he can run with the best. PP 5 8/1 VINSANITY (VINDICATION x MACHIAVELLIAN x GULCH) Trainer: peeps6 Vinssanity is riding high coming into this race after winning his first graded race last time out in the Big A Handicap-G3. As one of the few five year olds or older, he really sets the trend that so many of the younger horses are aspiring to. He also started to take off at the end of his three year old season and continued that trend all last year. His speeds were good enough to merit continued stake attempts and patience finally paid off in his last run. It just goes to show how competitive this division is unlike the turf marathon division where just a handful of horses dominate the rest. Look for him to stalk the early pace and wear down the leaders. PP 6 7/1 DEPRAVITY (RED BULLET x DEPUTY MINISTER x MR. PROSPECTOR) Trainer: funster Continuing with the trend of late developing three year olds, Depravity seems to have found that spark he had early on last year. His last graded win was exactly one year ago this week in the Gary Asher Memorial Stakes-G3 but since then has only managed to find the winner’s circle in three allowance races. This looks like enough to get the colt’s confidence back up as he’s been posting 100+ SP’s consistently lately and ran a very competitive 2nd three races back in the Orangeton Handicap-G2. He looks to have the right stuff at the right time. If the pace sets up right for him he might be the surprise of the race. PP 7 16/1 PEACENIK (PEACE RULES x BROAD BRUSH x BLACK TIE AFFAIR(IRE)) Trainer: oaklawn66 Peacenik is looking more and more like a horse that flashed early but is heading down. This Peace Rules colt took early mention in the Bluegrass watch last year after winning three graded events and has already past the $1.6 million mark in lifetime earnings. However, when he finally took on older horses the later part of last year he really couldn’t compete. His only win after the Wooden Indian-G2 was in a listed event but is coming off a very nice 106 SP run last time out in an Alw-14800NW2n prep. Will that prep race transition into a win here? I’m not completely ready to give up on this horse but he needs to show something for me first. PP 8 12/1 CREDIT GRANTED (FOREST WILDCAT x SADLER’S WELLS x MACHIAVELLIAN) Trainer: brentuk I know I’m starting to sound like a broken record here but once again…..”late developing three year old shows good after turning four”. Sheesh! Do they make these horses out of some precast mold or something? At any rate, Credit Granted’s game looks so much like many of the others you can’t really scratch him out. He’s fresh off a win in his last race, The SIR MANTA Memorial-Stk, where layed way off the lead before mounting a cavalry charge to take the win in the stretch. Not only did he post a career best 108 SP, he did it without the whip and basically just cruised home. Go ahead and put a check mark here as I’ll call this one MAVERICK’S LONG SHOT OF THE DAY! This won’t be the last time he makes headlines in the BTB. PP 9 24/1 BUCKEYE NATION (SADLER SLEW x WITH APPROVAL x SUNNY’S HALO) Trainer: dand Getting the honor of longest odds on the board, Buckeye Nation has been raced very very lightly the last couple of years. In fact, this is only his 9th start since January of 2005. His most competitive season came back in 2004 as a three year old where he won the Frio Frio Mile-G3 but was soon give plenty of stable time after turning four. Four of his last eight races have come in the last few months but it looks like his time to shine has come and gone and looks more like an allowance runner now to me. Nice try but I’ll have to pass. PP 10 4/1 ZYGOTE (A.P. INDY x STORM CAT x SEEKING THE GOLD) Trainer: isisbabe Our morning line favorite, Zygote, returns to two turns after giving it another go last time out in a sprint stakes race. I like this move not only because I think it’s a better fit but also that the extra half furlong in this race might do him some good. He really was on a tear last year at a mile with consistent speed rating at 110+. He ended the year with five stake wins including a graded win in the Breeder’s Bowl Prep-G2. The few races where he failed to win he finished strong but ran out of track. I not only like the slight added distance but I would really like to see this horse go 9-10 furlongs. If he can return to form he’ll be hard to beat here. PP 11 19/1 MATAIVA (WAR CHANT x HALO x CARO(IRE)) Trainer: bronco2 Mataiva may still have some green to knock off in this race. Very lightly raced with only eight lifetime starts, he did show some very quick promise in the summer. He was a winner of his first four starts including back to back listed stake wins with speed ratings as high as 105 but the move to graded races hasn’t produced the same results. He really does have the look of a true miler but without a lot of race history to go on, it’s hard to know what type of a race he’ll run. I still cant seem to take my eyes off the two 105 SP races and I just have a hunch that with a few more starts that he’ll start to respond consistently. PP 12 13/1 HALF A WORLD AWAY (BELONG TO ME x GONE WEST x VERBATIM) Trainer: foxvbullet Trying to mount a comeback and put that “early developing two year old” stigma behind him, Half A World Away may not be completely back to his two year old form but he certainly looks better than he has. After tearing up the divisions as a baby on way to winning the Eclipse Award for Dirt 2 YO’s, he really struggled as his peers started to match him in skill and speed. However, as the year progressed, foxvbullet saw some signs that his colt was now moving forward in maturity has not posted 100+ SP’s in three of his last four races. His race two back in the San Valenzuala Breeders Bowl Stakes-G2 shows that he may indeed be prepared to tackle older horses but the jury is still out at 13/1. PP 13 14/1 BURNING FLAG (FORTY NINER x BLUSHING GROOM(FR) x HOIST THE FLAG) Trainer: lenny3 Yeah!!! Mav get’s to change his write up!!! Early developing three year old colt who lost all form has now found new life and maturity at four. Burning Flag is actually one the rare multiple graded winners at four. He seemed to be tracking along nicely last year with wins in the Texas Derby-G2 and the Hoover Handicap-G3 but then kind of fell off board. However, with two nice listed stake races to start the year, he looks like a huge payoff at 14/1. Again, this is another horse I just can’t seem to scratch off. He’s already proven his worth at graded company and with back to back strong runs his odds seem more mouth watering the more I look at it. Still, I’ll need to see how he does here but a good showing in this race will probably mean a heavy bet by me in his next. PP 14 6/1 (THUNDER GULCH x Trainer: seppy The “Energizer Bunny” of the division, New York Thunder just celebrated his 50th start of his career last time out in the Whirlaway Cap-G3 with a 108 SP and a second place finish. That mark was only one point shy of his career best 109 as this horse just doesn’t seem to know when to retire. Unfortunately that’s been the case for his whole career as well. With several listed stake wins and a mountain of great graded showings, he’s yet to win his first graded race. In fact, he has finished 2nd, 2nd and 3rd in his last three races. Still, with consistent speeds over 100 SP’s you can never rule him out. He’s the sentimental favorite here and if John Elway can do it, so can he.
Grade III
A mile and one sixteenth
Fast Dirt
$125,000
All horses, 4 years old and up
