Big Race Preview Sand Castle Day
Eight huge G1 races this week as the third biggest racing day in the sim is upon us. It is
Race: 3168.5115
Track:
Restrictions: All horses, 4 years old and up
Distance: A mile and one quarter on the Dirt
Ermington Pegasus is the favorite and the way he is running I almost do not need to go on about this race. No offense to the rest of the field but this dude in on a whole other level. The last horse to beat him was Solar Song in the Breeder’s Bowl Classic and he is in this race. Call of the Wild II is here the Breeder’s Bowl Classic winner two years ago, the Breeder’s Bowl Distaff winner Armed With Money, Bluegrass winner Virtuoso, Middle Jewel winner New Found Cyclone and several other well accomplished runners. There are plenty of runners capable of winning and still Ermington Pegasus looks much the best.
What you have to really love about Ermington Pegasus is he only has sixteen career races to this point. His races have been well spaced, and he has only gotten better as a four year old. Pegasus is a stalker to middle closer type depending on the pace. If the pace is hot he could be ten lengths off the early pace. The one thing he has been doing consistently is closing well so it is very hard to picture a scenario that does not include him in the mix.
Sensatious is the second favorite here. His last two would indicate he should not be this highly valued but prior to that he ripped off four wins in a row including the G1 Jockey Guild Gold Cup by more than three lengths. He still needs to prove it against the best of the best and gets that chance here. He will be stalking close to the pace.
Solar Song had an awesome year last year. He won the two richest races in the sim taking this race last year and the Breeder’s Bowl Classic. He mixed in a couple of other G1 wins on his way to winning an eclipse award. He started this year off well with a strong G2 win but last time out at the listed level he was horrible finishing seventh eight lengths back. Maybe he got the clunker out of the way and he is ready to return to his top level. He is a deep closer and will have the company of several other deep closers, if he is on he is one who can beat the favorite.
Call of the Wild II had a tremendous 2005 season where he became the first sim horse ever to win the Sand Castle Classic and the Breeder’s Bowl Classic in the same year. He is still lightly raced with just twenty-seven career races as a six year old. Last year he never ran a regular schedule so never really got anything going although he finished third here last year. He is not exactly on a regular schedule, last time out in February was his first race of the year after a three month layoff. He is capable of running well his prep was very solid if he can build on that the old time can take down the new comer.
Armed With Money is the best older mare and she is now taking on the boys. She is on a five race win streak. Her speed figures may not be on the same level with the top boys but it is not like she has been pressed by the ladies. She falls way, way back and that could hurt her chances here. Her closing kick might be one of the best in the sim right now so keep an eye on her as the runners start to get serious.
Race: 3168.5113
Track:
Restrictions: All horses, 4 years old and up
Distance: A mile and one half on the Turf
Strong Belwas is the second favorite and a new comer of sorts to this distance and class level. He won last time out at ten and a half furlongs by over five lengths. He is a front runner and that is the type of runner that has been taking advantage of
Puppet Regime shocked them all last year taking this race. He never really backed that up through the year last year although he was a solid and consistent performed all year long. He finished third at the Japan Cup at the end of last year and prepped for this race with a nice listed stakes win at a longer distance. He could be ready to shock them again.
There is a long shot closer in here worth paying a little attention to. Kiss of Betrayl (IRE) beat the boys last year as a three year old filly including Puppet Regime. She went on to finish second in the Breeder’s Bowl Turf Distaff. She did not perform well in her two races to close out the year. She made her four year old debut last time out and ran a solid second in listed company. The reason I like her a bit here to run underneath is because there is a lot of pace horses here, she likes the distance and has proven she can run fast enough to beat most of the runners in this race.
Race: 3168.5114
Track:
Restrictions: All horses, 4 years old and up
Distance: A mile and one eighth on the Turf
The incredible Seeking Sal is the favorite in this race. He has been a master at these middle turf distances. He won the Breeder’s Bowl Mile last year along with nearly all the major races at this distance including this race last year. He has won both of his starts this year and with that stalking style of his he looks to be a tough favorite to beat.
Otto Oh No is one of the best mile and a quarter horses in the sim right now. He has been pretty darn good at this distance as well. He is perfect since switching to the turf five races ago putting up strong speed figures. He is a deep closer type usually falling more than ten lengths behind the early pace. With as strong as he has been recently it is hard to see him not do well here and he looks slightly better than the favorite on paper.
Mannart Tornado won the G3 Jennifer Connelly last time out the same race Seeking Sal used to prep for this last year. He is in a good groove right now running some of his best speed figures. He likes to run near the pace so should be close to the favorite in the early stages, but he will need a career effort here to win this.
Kepler Berzerk is a runner that appears to be in the best form of his career. He just missed last time out putting up a 107 speed figure in a listed stakes race. He has won four of his last six but this is a big step up in class for him. If he can run these nice speed figures he has a chance but his deep closing style may be hard to over come.
Race: 3168.5112
Track:
Restrictions: All horses, 4 years old and up
Distance: Six furlongs on the Dirt
Casterly Rock (IRE) is the favorite in this race and has rediscovered the form that made him a dominate three year old. He finished second here last year and had a good four year old season although not as dominate as he had been at three. Since August he has won five of six races including a repeat win in the Breeder’s Bowl Sprint. He is two for two this year and looks much the best on paper. His stalking style always keeps him in races so he will be very tough to beat.
Polish Reality has been a very good sprinter during his career. He is one of those speed horses that can run horses right off their feet. The pace will be tough here but that is nothing new for this guy. He will give his all so the only question will it be good enough.
Deligence has been running big speed figures recently. He has a couple of recent G2 wins and his speed has put him in the money in each of his last seven trips to the track. He can put up the big speed figure but will be part of an extremely hot pace. If he can handle that he could be tough.
The mare Otto History is an interesting horse here. She has proven to be very good at the one mile distance. She made her 2007 debut last time out on turf where she won but her preferred surface is the dirt. The question for her is can she sprint with the best males? She has shown a tremendous amount of talent and speed. That will all be challenged here against the best male sprinters and a ton of speed.