3 YEAR OLD FILLY SPRINT ONE OF TEN SMACKDOWN GRADE 1 RACES
The third annual Smackdown competition is the hilite of the sim racing world this weekend and while many will be watching the 21 race competition between the GR Simsters, DUR and NWRC one of the benefits of the competition is the 10 Grade I races sponsored by the competition executive. These races are open to all sim horses and make for one of the great weekends of racing. This Grade I race features 3 year old filly sprinters who will be going 6 furlongs on the turf and offers a purse of $500,000.
Let’s take a look at today’s field:
1)DENIZENS(IRE)—7/1—seedly2 sends this filly out of THEATRICAL(IRE) with a record of 14-5-0-2 and lifetime earnings of $129,220. This 84th divisional ranked filly has won 2 stakes races so far in her career but is still looking for her first Graded stakes win. She posted her lifetime best 94 speed rating while winning her second overnite stakes in a row in The Demon Shannon Challenge Stakes in Oklahoma earlier this year. In her last 4 starts she has tried Graded company in three of them but has also tried to extend her distance without much success and the return to a sprint distance today will most likely improve this filly’s results. She runs best with a closing style and should be charging hard down the stretch. Silk (15.8%) will be the rider today and he has been impressive so far in his first season in the saddle.
2)SEEKING RAINBOWS(IRE)—7/1—rfrankel sends this filly out of DUBAWI(IRE) with a record of 9-4-3-2 and lifetime earnings of $159,006. This 43rd divisional ranked filly is based in Vermont at the Pastures of Green. This filly has yet to miss the board in every one of her lifetime starts. She won her first stakes race two starts back in The Their Diggers Special Stakes in Wyoming. She posted her lifetime best 104 speed rating last time out while finishing 2nd in a Grade III stakes in New York. She is a speed filly who should be cutting all the fractions in today’s race. It will be up to BA Ryan (11.5%) to rate her on the lead so that she will have enough left over for the final yards of the race.
3)DIVOT II(KY)—13/1—mycaza sends this filly out of APTITUDE with a record of 16-3-3-2 and lifetime earnings of $134,640. She is out of the mare DIVOT who was 2/15 at the track and this is the only foal on record. This 264th divisional ranked filly runs for the Smokeglack stables based in Ireland. This filly is 0/11 in her stakes race career but has picked up many minor cheques in those races. Her lifetime best speed rating of 90 was posted 2 races back while finishing 2nd in an overnite stakes race in Europe. She tried the Grade II Niedemeyer Cup last time but was never a factor in the race ending up last. While she is a closer she is usually not to far from the pace but will need to pick up her game in order to compete in these stakes races. Dickerson (7.4%) is the rider today.
4)WOETTE’S MOTIVE—25/1—goldeneye2 sends this filly out of MOTIVATOR(GB) with a record of 10-3-1-0 and lifetime earnings of $38,890. She races out of the Royal Stables of Ostend based in Benelux. While she did try to stakes races in her 2 year old season without success this will be the stakes debut for this filly in her 3 year old campaign and she has chosen a tough place to do so as reflected in the morning line odds. She does come here off back to back allowance wins and did post her lifetime best 93 speed rating last time out in Upper New York. She has shown that she can be a closer or can stalk from a few lengths back. She will be ridden by apprentice jockey Munoz (10.7%).
5)MILLENIUM FLEET(IRE)—13/1—5moonfarms sends this filly out of DUBAWI(IRE) with a record of 8-3-2-1 and lifetime earnings of $72,450. This 154th divisional ranked filly runs for the LeeSnyder stables based in Vermont at the Patures of Green. She enters this Grade I race after winning her first stakes race last time out in The Free Walleye Stakes in DC where she posted her lifetime best 96 speed rating. She has displayed early speed in 3 of her 4 starts this year and should be out of the gate quickly with the other frontrunners today. Takahashi (13.6%), the japanese jock will be in the irons today.
6)REINA JADE(IRE)—5/1—2aussie sends this filly out of GIANT’S CAUSEWAY(IRE) with a record of 8-5-1-0 and lifetime earnings of $122,815. This 107th divisional ranked filly runs for the Minnesota Downs division of the powerfull Rafa stables who took home the Bluegrass Derby trophy this year. This filly is a two time stakes winner, both overnite stakes, earlier this year and even experimented on the dirt in an allowance race recently which was successfull although the speed numbers were below her turf results. She has posted back to back 97 speed ratings in her last 2 starts, an allowance win and her last race a dissappointing 6th place finish in a Grade II race in Sweden. She is a closer and hoped to rebound from that last race result here today. In that race she tried the 8 furlong distance for the first time and she will be returning to her more favored 6 furlong distance today. McNeil (12.5%) will be in the saddle with this filly today.
7)MIRARI’S WAKE(IRE)—7/2—sender sends this filly out of NORTH LIGHT(IRE) with a record of 12-8-2-1 and lifetime earnings of $478,660. This 7th divisional ranked filly runs for the Deadinthelane stables based out of the GR Simsters racing association. This 6 time stakes winning filly became a Graded stakes winner last time out while winning The Grade III Aint No Bugs On Me Stakes in New York. She posted her lifetime best 104 speed rating in that race and has won 4 of 5 starts so far this year. She should be out of the gate quickly today and while she has won wire to wire in the past, she has also proven able to press the pace and still have lots left for the real running in the final 16th of a mile. She was a 2nd place finisher in last year Smackdown competition but has opted to enter one of the Grade I non competition races this year. She will be ridden by top jockey Winter (21.9%).
8)LIGHTSEEKER(IRE)—6/1—lenny3 sends this filly out of NORTH LIGHT(IRE) with a record of 10-6-1-1 and lifetime earnings of $679,440. This 18th divisional ranked filly runs for The Evil Empire, one of the large outfits that comprises the GR Simsters racing association. This 4 time stakes winner, including 1 Graded stakes win also ran in last years Smackdown competition and was a winner in the 2 year old turf sprint event, but has opted to race in the Grade I side events for this years competition. She posted her lifetime best 96 speed rating earlier this year while winning The Fantastic Cat Stakes overseas. She runs best pressing the pace from just off the lead, and she will have a few to chase in this race today. McGriggs (12.9%) will be in the irons today.
9)NOTHIN’ TO LOSE(KY)—4/1—zewango3 sends this filly out of LEMON DROP KID with a record of 13-8-0-1 and lifetime earnings of $609,980. This 12th divisional ranked filly runs for The Black Label Stables based in the Del/Penn racing hotbed. This filly was a 4 time stakes winner in her 2 year old campaign and put together a 3 race stakes winning streak earlier this year. She posted her lifetime best 101 speed rating in the third win of that streak, The Grade III Haley’s Comet Stakes in Montana. In her last 2 starts, both Graded stakes races, she has appeared a little tired not being able to carry her speed throughout the race and this may be what justified her 6 weeks off leading up to this race. She is another front runner who will have company vying for the early lead today. High percentage jockey White (21.3%) will be riding this filly today.
10)EYE OF THE WORLD(IRE)—5/1—shamran7 sends this filly out of DUBAWI(IRE) with a record of 13-6-2-2 and lifetime earnings of $364,870. She is out of the mare SACK THE CASTLE who was 5/37 at the track and who has 2 foals on record with this filly being the only winner. This 15th divisional ranked filly runs for the Shamran stables from the EAAA racing association. This filly was a three time stakes winner in her 2 year old season including a Grade III win in her second lifetime start. She won back to back stakes races earlier this year including The Grade III Latonia Special Stakes in Montana where she posted her lifetime best 98 speed rating. She seems to have flattened out in her last 3 starts, failing to show that explosive late kick that she is know for but she is returning to the 6 furlong distance today where she is a perfect 2/2 lifetime and there is a whole bunch of speed to run at today. Bay (16.9%) will be in charge of timing her late move to have her catch the frontrunners in today’s race.
A talented group of fillies for today’s Grade I Smackdown festival race and I am going to take a shot at one of the closer’s due to the abundance of speed to run at here today with #6 REINA JADE.
GOOD LUCK AND GOOD RACING
THEO