Top 3yo Turf Filly Goes in Grade 1 Dell Web Oaks
Well, I thought for awhile that I might not get to finish writing this article on this Sunday’s Grade 1 Dell Web Oaks due to some virus/adware/malware thing that had somehow slipped past my computer’s (I thought) robust defenses… However, after two days of trying to get my fancy brand new gaming-class computer to run smoothly without pop-ups and all the other “wonderful” little surprises the Internet had for me, I found that the best way to get my computer out of its miseries was the simplest:
System Restore.
I just restored my box to a few days before the strange stuff started happening… and BAM! Working perfectly! Oh, and I added a lot more to my computer’s protection systems in hopes things will stay nice and smooth… And I think I have a name for the next sim-horse I breed, one that will remind me to make things easy on myself if another piece of crapware hits my computer.
So what does this mean to you Bugler readers? Well, you get another one of my awesome articles, and I’ll try not to have it read with all the excitement of an electric shaver manual (as so many of my articles do)… Here goes…
Congratulations on your purchase of the fabulous new Binford 3000 electric shaver… No, wait. That’s not right at all. 🙂
Sunday’s Dell Web Oaks, to be contested on California’s firm turf course, will feature likely future Hall-Of-Famer QUEEN KAM facing a slightly light Grade 1-level field. While that one is clearly the most-accomplished runner in here, a couple of these have at least a puncher’s chance should the favorite not have her best day.
TIZATER tried 12 furlongs in Grade 1’s in her last pair, getting a win in the Japanese Oaks on Good turf and then bombing out on firm going last time out in the Irish Oaks. The Tiznow filly, trained by chloedawg1, is unproven on firm turf as yet, and her only triple-digit speed fig was earned on softer going. Talented filly, but will have to go some to get a win on firm turf in this group, and gets 10/1 odds.
INTERNET SENSATION is the most lightly-raced runner here with only seven career starts. Only one of those was on the turf, that being an impressive allowance win at this track. The Tapit filly is trained by gowans2011 and goes off at 5/1. If she can perform as well against graded-stakes company (and her solid 4th on dirt in the Grade 2 Los Angeles Oaks indicates she can), she has a shot to upset the apple cart.
SCATTY MUMMY goes off at 27/1 here in her stakes debut. The Scat Daddy filly is making her stakes debut and hasn’t broken 90 on the speed gun; the corza trainee will need a huge dose of improvement in order to have a shot vs. these.
INVINCIBLE RUKAS chased QUEEN KAM home last time out in the Grade 2 Pioneer Boulevard Cup, finishing 2nd That was only the Invincible Spirit filly’s 9th career start, and she gets an extra half-furlong in which to chase; with only a little improvement off that, this cadetdegen trainee who goes at 5/1 appears to have a solid shot.
CROC INVASION is a Pioneerof The Nile filly going off at 5/1 who has demonstrated plenty of talent but without having much in the way of trophies to show for it. Last time out, the mrxrayz22 trainee fired a nice 108 but missed by a little over a length in a minor stakes race. She does actually have a stakes win and a Grade 3 3rd, so this is not an impossibility.
QUEEN KAM has taken the sim world by storm in a hurry, already owning three Grade 1 trophies in just 13 career starts. Rated #1 in the division, the King Kamehameha filly is on the fast track for an Eclipse this year if she keeps winning at the rate she’s going. The elkstables6-trained star, coming off a spectacular Grade 2 win with a 111 speed rating in her most recent start, will be tough to beat here, as reflected in the 2/1 odds, a rather short price for a graded-stakes field.
KEVORKIAN TRIBUTE (7/1) sandwiched a Grade 2 Celine Stakes win with two out-of-the-money finishes in Grade 1’s, the last being an off day at 10 furlongs; she shortens up here. This Excelebration filly has won over $400k for trainer lenny7, but has only gotten her speed figures into three digits once and will need to top that by a good bit in order to have a shot at the top fillies in this one.
LAMBALLE improved quite a bit when switched back to turf racing three starts ago and goes off at 13/1 here. The sunshine34 trainee could benefit from today’s shorter distance, but hasn’t hit triple digits in the speed-figure department. Mixed signals; could be better than her record shows.
MAJOR APPROACH took a long rest after her Grade 1 win at the end of last year and hasn’t quite shown that form thus far this year. She finished 5th to QUEEN KAM’s win in the Grade 2 Pioneer Boulevard Cup last time out and goes off at 5/1 here. That was just her 3rd start of 2016 and trainer mitcho2 believes his New Approach filly can take advantage of that freshness and turn things around here.
Well, this one looks like the QUEEN KAM show; if she runs a representative race, she should be posing for pics in the winner’s circle after this one is over.
I’ll go with MAJOR APPROACH for 2nd, and if she fires her very best shot, who knows?
The wild-card in the field, the lightly-raced INTERNET SENSATION, is my pick for 3rd.
Good luck all!