THIS WEEK IN MINNESOTA—WEEK 3182
This week’s 10th race feature at Minnesota is The Ali’s Showers(IRE) Special to be run over 11/16th miles on the dirt course. Six 3 year olds have entered and will be chasing the lion’s share of the $40,000 race. This race is named after the horse Ali’s Showers (now a 13 year old) who had 18 wins in 59 lifetime starts including 9 stakes victories on route to $768,062 in lifetime earnings.
Let’s take a look at today’s field:
1)LIGHTENING DREAM(KY)—6/1—steelcard sends out this colt out of SMART STRIKE with a record of 7-1-1-2 and lifetime earnings of $27,400. This divisional unranked colt started his career on the turf where he won his debut MSW race at 2. Unfortunately that was his last win so far in his career. He switched to the dirt in his 3 year old season with some improved speed rating numbers. His lifetime best speed rating is an 87 which he posted in his 2006 finale in a restricted allowance race. This horse shows speed but tends to get caught in the late stretch which means that this one may need to be rated or to cut back in distance in his races. Sanford (0%) who is only riding part time at the track now is looking for his first win of the year aboard this colt today.
2)FARTHABEST WEST(MD)—7/2—vermacht3 sends out this colt out of DEPUTY STORM with a record of 11-1-3-0 and lifetime earnings of $24,944. This divisional unranked colt will be making his stakes debut with today’s race. His current connections picked him up for a 5K tag earlier this year. He posted his lifetime best 87 speed rating in his last start where he finished 2nd for the third time in a row in restricted allowance company. His only win to date was in a MSW race in his 6th try. He is a closer who should enjoy the extra half furlong today. Pannier (11.5%) hopes to have this one flying down the stretch late.
3)FREE REIGN(NJ)—6/1—altair sends out this colt out of UNBRDLED JET with a record of 9-1-1-4 and lifetime earnings of $20,480. This divisional unranked colt makes his lifetime stakes debut today after posting his lifetime best 87 speed rating in his only start in 2007 so far. He finished 2nd in that contest after leading the race for most of the way. He is a speed horse who seems to love the lead but has been consistantly been getting caught in the stretch in 8 furlong contests and one wonders whether the extra 1/2 furlong in this race today will be a tough challenge for this colt. His only career win cam in an 8 furlong MSW race last year in his 6th lifetime start. Sprague (10.7%) will try to carry his speed to the wire in today’s race.
4)SLAM OF THE YEAR(KY)—9/1—dogfarm sends out this colt out of GRAND SLAM with a record of 2-1-1-0 and lifetime earnings of $31,980. This divisional unranked colt was unraced at 2 and will be making his dirt debut in today’s race. He won his lifetime debut this year on the turf versus winners in a restricted allowance and then came back to finish 2nd in a turf overnite stake albeit against a minimum 4 horse field. When his speed rating lowered in his last start his connections decided to try the dirt today to see if their colt prefers this surface. This horse has shown speed in both of his lifetime starts and will be in the capable hands of one of the circuits top jockey Friar (20.9%).
5)GHOST TRACKER(KY)—8/5—slades sends out this colt out of GHOSTZHAPPER with a record of 4-2-2-0 and lifetime earnings of $59,405. This 373rd divisional ranked colt will be making his stakes debut today. He won a restricted allowance in his last race posting a lifetime best 96 speed rating over the same distance as today’s race. He has never finished worse than second in a race in his career to date. He is a closer who will have some speed to chase in today’s race. He has been made the early morning line favorite for this contest. Bowen (21.3%) will wait patiently for the exact moment to pounce on the speed and utilitze the closing abilitites of this colt. The pick.
6)TRUST THE RAIDER(KY)—5/2—glennwins sends out this colt out of MALIBU MOON with a record of 12-2-1-4 and lifetime earnings of $134,550. This 306th divisional ranked horse has a better ranking in the dirt sprint division. He had a busy schedule with 10 races at 2 years old in which he won his first 2 lifetime starts in restricted races. He has not won since albeit has several top 3 finishes in stakes races under his belt. One of his wins came in a stakes race where he has a 1/10 record. He is a closer who has finished well in the two 8 furlong races he has run so far and looks like he will benefit from the extra ground today. He is by far the most experienced when it comes to stakes races and Urhausen (3.7%) will try to use that experience for a victory today.
While today’s field is probably better suited for an allowance contest than a stakes race it will be interesting to see if it is experience in #6, or potential in #5 that will come out on top of this contest. I will go with the potential, and pick the morning line favorite #5 GHOST TRACKER(KY) for the win today.
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE MINNESOTA DOWNS RESIDENCE THIS WEEK
Last week marked the 7th game of the innaugural Minnesota Cup Contest and Cothill won that match and took the championship with a 4 game to 3 victory over Desperado. He won 1000 credits and had his name engraved on the Minnesota Cup that is proudly displayed at the entrance to the main grandstand. He will not have to much time to celebrate as the 2007 season of the Minnesota Cup Contest will begin next week.
Chuckrock won last weeks speed rating contest with Plastardly Cat who posted a 99 speed rating.
The 16th race today is the start of THE MINNESOTA SIRE SERIES 2 which has all of the horses competing sired by GULCH. 13 of the 15 eligilbe entries have entered the first of 20 restricted races en route to the sire series championship and the 5000 credit first prize.
GOOD LUCK AND GOOD RACING
THEO