$125,000 Plus A Handful Of Ladies Equals An A Plus Stakes
God mórgen and welcome to Sweden for the 2007 running of the A Plus Mile Grade III Stakes. This is a grueling eight furlongs of some of the most intense turf racing in the nation for mares three years and older. Today we are seeing partly cloudy skies with a mid afternoon high of 57 F, which should be about post time. Last night we saw some near freezing temperatures so the beautiful National Horse Park looks to be more of an ice park.
While some races are known for their tight competition or their fast pace, the A Plus Mile stakes is known for some thing else, its small field. Despite the pretty purse, last year there were only six entries so most of the horses that ran received some of the stakes earnings. One would think that big money and small fields means a jingly sound in your pocket that makes an owner smile, but the A Plus mile seems to defy even logic itself.
Here are the stats from the 2006 running:
Finished in: 1:35 flat
Top SP figure: 104
Low SP Figure: 86
2006 Winner: It’s for La Rossa owned by Kaif015 and bred in Australia
(TESTA ROSSA x KRIS x BLACK TIE AFFAIR)
Post —— Horse—————— ID ——– Jockey —- Odds
PP 1 – Tete of Gibraltar — #48891 –— M Jones (5/2)
PP 2 – Judas Is Rising —– #91892 –— M Mason (2/1)
PP 3 – Silvan Torch ——– #124133 –- S Jacobsson (40/1)
PP 4 – Angel Wings ——- #124123 –– J Jacobsson (5/1)
PP 5 – Hi C And Turkey – #87943 –— W Farthing (8/1)
PP 6 – Grand Entry ——– #102806 –- P Jones (3/2)
The bay mare Tete of Gibraltar by Rock of Gibraltar and out of Tete Grand End by Grand Lodge is a hefty lass bred in near Cork, Ireland. She enjoyed a leisurely life as a two year old and made her first start in April of 2006. She spent most of the year in the dirt, but around autumn she made her debut on the grass. On the track she race well, but nothing really spectacular. Wisbyzews then made the life alter change to the lawn and Tete made waves with a breath taking win. She has been on a roll since then and has a string of spectacular races while reaching triple digit speed figures. Her only draw back is that she has but one stakes win, but she hopes to remedy that this afternoon.
Judas Is Rising is a fiery little bay mare bred, owned, and trained by Sdmf2. She is by Seeking The Gold and holds the powerful Northern Dancer and Blushing Groom lines. She is a mare with experience in allowance races and only a handful of stakes race. She, like some of her competitors, started her career in the dirt and raced some decent races with a few wins and high figures. Her first go in the grass was a G-1 at ten furlongs where she came in second from last place. Her next trip on the turf ended in utter devastation and she barely crossed the finish line. She spent the following month battling to stay sound, and then made a stunning win with a return to the dirt. From then on she struggled with a few money earning finishes and no wins. It was then decided that they give the grass one last shot, one of which paid off with a valiant win and many place and show finishes in allowance races and stakes. She, like Tete of Gibraltar, has yet to add a stakes win to her list of achievements, but with the high speed figures she has been giving she is sure to, at the least, give them all a run for their money.
The youthful three year old, Silvan Torch, is a relatively inexperienced filly in comparison to her older competitors. Her debut in Norway resulted in a powerful win by a hefty two lengths. She was immediately entered into her first stakes race two months later in sweltering heat of South Africa. Her finish was a disappointing seventh place, but she made a huge rebound with a stakes win that same month with an even greater lead of two and a quarter lengths. Her career has been a rocky one since then, but her speed figures have only been getting larger with each passing race. She is capable of reaching her first triple digit figure today and she will need it if she hopes to achieve a victory. No doubt this race will reach the 100 to 105 figure so she will need to bring her “A” game along for the ride. Silvan Torch is by Silvano and owned by Dylbo.
The Summer Squall mare, Angel Wings, is by far the most experienced when it comes to stakes and graded races. She has seen them on both surfaces despite only having achieved a single stakes victory. Her two year old year saw dirt tracks with a single dirt in her three year old career, then she made the move to the turf the following month. Her figures immediately jumped and her finishes improved. The one great thing about this mare is that rain, sleet, or snow, she does not deter in the least. Firm or sloppy she is ready and willing to take on the world. She has only hit a triple digit speed figure only and will need to call on it again to stay up and eventually over take the pack. If she can manage that then she is fair game to nicking another notch in her stakes victory post. Angel Wings is owned and trained by Fuzzycat.
Hi C And Turkey is the baby of the pack, but not bay age. This High Chaparral filly has only one stakes under her belt with a total of nine starts. Granted she has eight of those nine in the top three, so she must be taken seriously. Her debut landed her two wins and two places while her single stakes race resulted in a fourth finishing. I almost want to say she may want some more room to finish at the top and she has yet to win at a mile. If her jockey, Farthing, can gather he up enough and get her to break loose a little earlier than she desires, they may surprise the field with a sneak attack from the outside, but the she will also need to bring some sprinting shoes with her. This race may end up being to fast paced for her now, but she has a number of cards still up her sleeve. Hi C And Turkey is owner and trained by Sam812218.
Grand Entry is a brilliant mare out of Storm Cat with Seeking The Gold and Blushing Groom blood running through her veins. She is a top competitor with numerous triple digit figures and close to a 50% winning average. She was given her two year old season off and made a third year debut on the dirt. She flashed her talent with two easy wins in two starts. Though never out of the money on dirt her trainer, Chilimac, decided to give her a go on the lawn and the result was awe inspiring. She romped home with nearly a four length lead and from the gate to the finish her competitors never got a close. Her second turf race was the Groom Dixie Special in which she placed. It took a couple of stakes for her to get a win, but she was almost always in the money. After that it became common practice. With her high figures and experience she is at her prime for a victory.
The race will be fast and finish spectacular. I want to say that Grand Entry will take this one home, but not before having to pry it from Judas Is Rising and/or Tete of Gibraltar. We shall see today at the 2007 A Plus Mile Grade III Stakes here in Sweden.
D.Sparrow