Do You Remember These? Equinics

The aeolipile, the Great Hedge of India, where you left your keys – Do You Remember These?  If not take a jaunt down to Brazil for the Equinics race for older females going a mile and one quarter on the turf.  You won’t find the answers but you will find a fascinating handicapping puzzle as eighteen fillies and mares take each other on for their Residency’s bragging rights and grade one glory.  Let’s take a look at the field.

#1 Montana’s Rocket                                     20/1

Montana’s Rocket is a four year old daughter of Sea the Stars x Montjeu x Dynaformer.  She enters off a very strong second in the Grade Two Hot Polly over the same distance as this spot.  In that race she was ninth early on before unleashing a powerful late run to make up over six lengths in the stretch.  She ran a 114 speed in that spot, a career best.  Prior to that she won a listed stakes race at a mile and one quarter with a 111 speed.  In that race she wasn’t as far back early on and won easily going away at the end.  If she stays closer to the pace in this spot she has a good chance to medal.

 

#2 Kris Rock                                                        10/1

Kris Rock is a five year old scratchbred daughter of Rock of Gibraltar x Kris S. x Montjeu.  Winner of last year’s Grade One Prix Opera over a mile and one quarter Kris Rock returned to the races this season with a bang, taking a listed at a mile and five sixteenths with a 110 speed.  She has not hit the board in three subsequent graded stakes races but in two of those spots she did finish fourth.

 

#3 Koger Damper                                             27/1

Koger Damper is a five year old daughter of Macho Uno out of the grade one winning Affirmed x Pleasant Colony mare Pleasant Damper.  Pleasant Damper did her best running at two miles on the turf but she was grade one placed going a mile and one quarter.  To date she has produced three stakes placed offspring from six foals to race.  Koger Damper will be making just her second start for her trainer wideonturns who claimed her for $60,000 two starts back.  She won that race at a mile on the grass with a 100 speed and returned to win a starter allowance at a mile and one eighth with a 102 speed.  Her story is quite like another former claimer, The Demon Road who transformed after being claimed into a multiple stakes winner.  The Demon Road even scored in the 2014 Equinics – fittingly in the race titled Best Horse I Ever Claimed at a mile on turf.  Can Koger Damper follow in her footsteps?

 

#4 Canford Slew                               10/1

Canford Slew is a five year old daughter of Canford Cliffs out of the stakes winning Fastnet Rock x Seattle Slew mare Fastnet Slew.  Fastnet Slew did her best running in turf sprints and this is her best offspring to date.  Canford Slew has two graded scores on the year, the Grade Three Tabitha Bewitched Stakes at a mile and one half and the Grade Two Sheepherder Beach Handicap at a mile and three eighths.  She most recently finished thirteenth in a grade two at a mile and one quarter, a rare hiccup in this fine mare’s career.  Whether she bounced off two great runs or didn’t care for the shorter distance is up to the punters to decide.

 

#5 Misery Chick                                21/1

Misery Chick is a four year old daughter of Mastercraftsman out of the Tanino Gimlet x Kingmambo mare Doldrums.  While Doldrums was ‘only’ an allowance winner, she was in the money in twenty four of thirty four races, mostly in turf middle distance contests.  This is her first foal.  Misery Chick is doing well following in Mama’s footsteps.  She’s been in the money in fifteen of sixteen races so far including four seconds and thirds in listed races.  Her only off the board finish came in her most recent race, a listed at a mile and seven sixteenths, a distance that looks out of her comfort zone.  She was only fourth in that race and the mile and one quarter distance of today’s event is right up her alley.

 

#6 Ease My Pain                               13/1

Ease My Pain is a four year old scratchbred daughter of Galileo x Danehill x Monsun.  She’s done remarkably well in a short career with five wins, two seconds and a third place finish from eight starts.  Most of her races have been further than a mile and one quarter and include a listed win at a mile and one half.  She does have three starts at today’s distance with two wins and a second place finish to her credit.  Typically a maiden race is just the beginning of a story but for Ease My Pain her maiden was so eye-popping it deserves a quick mention.  As a three year old filly facing males in a HOT race, Ease My Pain ran away from a field of seven while running a 105 speed, stamping herself as very special early on.  Her most recent start was also at a mile and one quarter and she finished second, beaten three parts of a length after being more than seventeen lengths behind early on while running a 111 speed.

 

#7 Gold Secret                                  11/1

Gold Secret is a four year old daughter of Tapit out of the stakes-placed Medaglia D’oro x Danehill mare No Secrets.  No Secrets comes from a very active female family and while she was only stakes placed she has produced two stakes winners from five foals so far.  From four starts this year, Gold Secret has won two listed stakes races and finished third in another.  She was also fifth in the Grade Two Epicenter at a mile and one quarter after closing solidly in the stretch while running a 109 speed.  This filly is very strong at this distance, her two listeds this year were run at a mile and one quarter and a mile and five sixteenths and she ran a 111 and 110 speed respectively in those races.

 

#8 It Is Very Unclear                       23/1

It Is Very Unclear is a four year old daughter of Distorted Humor out of the grade one winning Encosta de Lago x Kris S. mare Mylifedependsonit.  Mylifedependsonit was an Equinics winner in 2012.  She took the Ellerslie at a mile and one quarter on dirt against three year old fillies.  That race followed a strong win in the Grade One Japanese Oaks at a mile and one half on turf.  It Is Very Unclear is her first foal and currently her only stakes winner.  Much like her mother, It Is Very Unclear has shown talent on both surfaces.  She is a multiple graded stakes winner going long on the lawn and she was second in a grade three going two miles on the dirt.  Her most recent race was the Grade Three Far and Away on the lawn at a mile and three eighths and It Is Very Unclear ran away with the win.  Her previous graded victory on the turf came at a mile and one half.  She has never actually run the mile and one quarter distance in her career but off she does have some tactical speed which will suit her well shortening up.

 

#9 Meha Meztli                                12/1

Meha Meztli is a four year old daughter of King Kamehameha out of the Awesome Again x Invincible Spirit mare Awesome Ixtab.  This is the mare’s first and best foal so far.  Meha Meztli and Strong Hearted are tied for the highest last-out speed with a 117.  Meha Meztli earned hers while winning the Grade Two Corridor Stakes at a mile and five sixteenths, her first graded stakes win.  Meha Meztli has done much of her running at longer distances but she does have two allowance wins at a mile and one quarter and another allowance win at a mile and five sixteenths.  She’s got lots of speed and could be on the lead in this spot.

 

#10 Motoquera                                22/1

Motoquera is a four year old scratchbred daughter of King Kamehameha x Lyphard x Caerleon.  Motoquera enters off a strong listed stakes win going a mile and three eighths in June.  In that spot she stalked the early pace before drawing away to win by over two lengths with a 109 speed.  That was only her third start this year, her prior race was at the same distance in a listed where she was fifth and before that she won a listed at a mile and five sixteenths with a 113 speed.  She won that race wire to wire and could do that again in this spot.  She did win her only start at a mile and one quarter, an allowance race.

 

#11 Smart Impactor                        10/1

Smart Impactor is a four year old daughter of Deep Imact out of the stakes winning Montjeu x Street Cry mare Jilly.  Jilly was grade one placed going a mile and one quarter on the turf.  This is her first foal.  Smart Impactor’s biggest win came as a three year old against older mares last year in the Breeders’ Bowl F & M Turf.  She had some time off after the Breeders’ Bowl and won her first three starts this year, an allowance and two listed stakes races.  She was third in her only graded run this year, the mile and five sixteenths Grade Two Corridor Stakes where she ran a 107 speed but she came back to win a listed at the same distance in her most recent start.

 

#12 Patch Me Through                  10/1

Patch Me Through is a four year old scratchbred daughter of More Than Ready x Danehill x Caerleon.  Patch Me Through is trying the mile and one quarter distance for the first time.  She is a listed winner at seven furlongs, a mile and a mile and one sixteenth but has never been this far in her career.  She ran a career best speed of 112 three starts back when she won that one mile listed.  She returned to run a solid sixth in a one mile grade one with a 108 speed and then won an allowance very easily with a 104 speed.  She has a lot of speed and could surprise if she gets loose on the lead.

 

#13 Atlantic Liner                             29/1

Atlantic Liner is a six year old scratchbred daughter of Classic De Lago x Roaring Camp x Sadler’s Way.  She is a stakes winner at a mile and one half but two starts back she ran a strong second in an allowance at a mile and one quarter.  She ran a 102 speed in that spot and came back to finish fourth in a listed at a mile and three eighths where she ran a 108 speed.  Those last two speeds – a 102 and 108 – were the top two speeds Atlantic Liner has run in her career.  She could have turned a corner and be ready for a big run but this is a deep spot to test that theory in.

 

#14 Strong Hearted                         8/1

Strong Hearted is a four year old scratchbred daughter of Heart’s Cry x Nureyev x Roberto.  As mentioned earlier she has the co-highest last out speed of any horse in the race with a 117.  She earned that number by winning the Grade Two Hot Polly at this distance, her first graded stakes win.  Prior to that she was second in the Grade Two Corridor at a mile and five sixteenths with a 115 speed.  Strong Hearted is a lightly raced filly with only ten starts but she’s won six of them and seems to have found her sweet spot in terms of distance.  She’s a deserving favorite.

 

#15 Kame Kame Kameleon                          12/1

Kame Kame Kameleon is a four year old scratchbred daughter of King Kamehameha x Halo x Lyphard.  Besides having probably the best name in the Equinics this year, Kame Kame Kameleon is also a grade one winner and winner of seven of sixteen races.  She earned her grade one win at this distance and surface last November by winning the Best of Rome Stakes with a 109 speed.  This deep closer has only won one race from three starts this year, a listed stakes at a mile and one quarter with another 109 speed.  Most recently she was seventh in the Grade Two Hot Polly with a 102 speed.

 

#16 Baaad Kitty                                 9/1

Baaad Kitty is a five year old scratchbred daughter of Kitten’s Joy x Lyphard x Sharpen Up.  She’s won ten of eighteen starts with five additional placings.  She earned her grade one win going a mile and one half and finished second in last year’s Breeders’ Bowl F & M Turf at a mile and one eighth.  She starte4d this year off well with a victory in a grade three at a mile and three eighths where she ran a 115 speed.  She tried the boys twice, finishing second in a grade two against them before moving back against the fillies.  Most recently she was third in the Grade Two Landshark Oaks at a mile and one half with a 108 speed.  The last time this mare ran a mile and one quarter was in her maiden back in 2014.

 

#17 LV Intrepid                                 20/1

LV Intrepid is a four year old daughter of Silvano out of the Encosta de Lago x Irish River mare Intrepid Clipper.  Intrepid Clipper did her best running around one mile on the turf.  This is her first stakes winning offspring.  LV Intrepid scored an outstanding victory at a mile and one quarter last Halloween when she won a South Africa – Bred listed stakes race with a 114 speed.  She jumped straight into graded competition and finished seventh before getting time off to start the year.  This season she has run second in a listed at a mile and one quarter with a 112 speed, second again in a listed at a mile and five sixteenths with a 110 speed and most recently was well beaten in a grade three at a mile and three eighths.

 

#18 San Juan Amigo                                        10/1

San Juan Amigo is a four year old scratchbred daughter of Deep Impact x Encosta de Lago x Danehill.  She enters on a three race win streak dating back to February when she won an allowance at a mile and three sixteenths with a 110 speed.  She followed that up with her stakes debut at the same distance which was won with a 116 speed and most recently she won the Grade Three Mezzanotte by over two lengths with a 114 speed.  This is the hot filly in the field and it may just be her race to lose.