Prepare For A Battle Of Wits In The Loaded Challenge
LDYSSECRET & MANO’S WAITING FOR EQUINICS CHALLENGE 6F good dirt, $250.000, F&M 3 yo & up |
Louisiana- Sim History Week is in full throttle for the 9th Anniversary of the creation of this great game. The sprinting ladies join us down on
By Odds…
In a race full of frontrunners a closer would like mighty appetizing especially at a lukewarm 5-1. Who would that be? Look no further than favorite Sought And Found. She’s very closely followed by 2nd choice Kacymygirl; the dark grey filly is a bit of tomboy with a ‘you-know-what to the walls’ front-end speed tactics. Coming in together at 7-1 are co-3rd choices Strong Prospect and Spined Runic. Strong Prospect is hauling in more and more victories each time she hits the track this season. Spined Runic looks like a fine wine that is getting better with time. Finishing out the single-digit odds are 8-1 Battlefield Earth and 9-1 Mail Order Bride, both 4yo fillies are ladies of the frontier whose preferred running styles may suit this race perfectly with all the front speed setting up perfect for them.
Now, least we forget, we still have 5 more fillies listed under 20-1… Seeking The Hawk is one tuff cookie on the lead and she’s very fresh having only 3 starts this season. She’s being sent off at 11-1 odds. At 13-1 you have 4yo Ray’s Causeway and 3yo Wakislam. Ray has ran some huge races this season paving the way to the a possible Breeder’s Bowl start against the colts in the fall. Underrated Wakislam is nearly unbeatable in sprints. Rounding out this bunch are 4yos Hey Hayley and Black Strike. Both are new invaders to the top racing divisions. Black Strike is 15-1 has been nearly unbeatable this season winning 4 of her 5 starts. Meanwhile, 16-1 Hey Hayley has made resounding triumphs over offtracks.
The field houses a duo of 3yos that may fill the shoes of the darkhorses. First one we meet at 20-1 is Cybertown. She has been improving all year, however, the catch is half of her starts this year have been on the turf… 3 of her last 4 starts were on the grass. Luckily, her most recent start was a great move in the G3 Love Muffins Stakes over dirt. Next in line is Reina Jade who has won 5 of her 9 lifetime starts, however, she’s only graced the dirt surface once. She won that race, but that was back in April. This may be a tuff spot for her, but her consistency is encouraging. If you like a risk her odds are 26-1.
Rounding out the field are 3 longshots. Four-year old Be A Smarty (27-1) and 3yo Barb’s Last Nerve (62-1) have not moved out of the allowance ranks. Four-year old Storied Past (35-1) has attempted graded company, however, was not good enough. If any of these three ladies break the top ten I would be shocked.
By Past Performances…
So how about an even closer look… here’s how the fillies line-up against one another over the past 8 months. As you can see there’s been a bit of bantering back and forth.
- 07/28: 7f-sly Exam (G1), 3yos only, 1:20.8
- 5th Wakislam
- 07/21: 6f Smackdown III (G1), 3yos only, 1:09.6
- 3rd Reina Jade (just missed)
- 07/21: 7f Love Muffins (G3), 3yos only 1:21.8
- 2nd Cybertown (closing fast)
- 07/14: 6f Scary Carrie The Blueberry (G2), 1:09.6
- 1st Seeking The Hawk (1 L, 102sp)
- 4th Spined Runic
- 8th Ray’s Causeway
- 06/16: 7f Lil’ Leprechaun Dash (G2), 1:21.4
- 1st Ray’s Causeway (3/4 L, 109sp)
- 4th Kacymygirl
- 14th Black Strike
- 06/09: 7f Inner City Sprint (G3), 1:21.4
- 4th Strong Prospect
- 06/09: 6.5f Thanks To An Exacta (G3), 3yos only, 1:15.6
- 1st Wakislam (1-1/2 L, 105sp)
- 06/02: 5f Flying Pig Special (G3), 0:57-
- 1st Seeking The Hawk (head, 103sp)
- 10th Battlefield Earth
- 05/26: 7.5f Trail Mix (G3), 1:28.2
- 2nd Sought And Found
- 05/21: 6f Real Danger Hcp (G2), 1:09.4
- 3rd Battlefield Earth
- 6th Mail Order Bride
- 05/19: 6f Ferry Dust Hcp (G3), 1:09.6
- 3rd Kacymygirl
- 9th Storied Past
- 03/24: 6f Sister Dumb (G2), 1:09.4
- 1st Battlefield Earth (1 L, 103sp)
- 3rd Mail Order Bride
- 4th Spined Runic
- 02/17: 7f Looney Bin (G1), 1:22.2
- 5th Sought And Found
- 02/10: 7f Manta Serria Hcp (G2), 1:22-
- 2nd Kacymygirl
- 4th Storied Past
- 10th Spined Runic
- 01/06: 6.5f-gd Dandelion Sprint (G2), 1:15.8
- 1st Storied Past (head, 102sp)
By Post Positions…
pp1: BATTLEFIELD EARTH(gb), 4yo by Diesis X Kingmambo X Storm Bird
B.E. is trained by mrbigb. The Sister Dumb (G2) winner recently posted an incredible 111 speed figure two back in the open stakes Agnew Galleries Special over 6.5f. She appears to have bounced last time out with a well-beaten 8th place finish in open company. Lucky for mrbigb his fily appears to have a pattern of running big after bouncing.
Offtrack Record: 2; 1-0-0
Running Style: off the pace
Rank: 5
pp2: BE A SMARTY, 4yo by Smarty Jones X
Smarty is trained by wish4win. The filly has been lightly race this season with only 6 starts to her credit. The downfall is that she has not won outside of restricted allowance company. She appears to be a rabbit. Look elsewhere for your winner.
Offtrack Record: 0; 0-0-0
Running Style: frontrunner
Rank: 557
pp3: WAKISLAM, 3yo by Grand Slam X Miswaki X
Wakislam is trained by chloedawg. The filly has shown amazing consistency in the variety of distances that she has ran; her sprinting record is 10 for 14 wins. She has shown she is a fighter that isn’t easily intimidated. Last time out was a huge run in the Exam Stakes (G1); Wakislam battled throughout only to lose by 3 ¾ lengths (5th) while posting a mouthwatering 109sp over the sloppy going.
Offtrack Record: 1; 0-0-0
Running Style: frontrunner
Rank: 6
pp4: STORIED PAST, 4yo by Red Ransom X Storm Cat X A.P. Indy
Storied Past has a juicy pedigree, but has been struggling this season with her lone win coming way back the first week of January in the 6.5f Dandelion Sprint (G2). That day the correction-trained filly flew through the rough going on a track listed ‘good.’ She’ll need to repeat that performance and then some to be in the top 3 finish Saturday.
Offtrack Record: 1; 1-0-0
Running Style: from behind
Rank: 16
pp5: CYBERTOWN, 3yo by Red Ransom X Storm Cat X A.P. Indy
Here’s a mystery horse for you. She has a nice sprinting record of 7 ITM finishes out of 10 starts; however, unless she repeats her race last time out, she looks to be a better filly on the green stuff. Last time out kyclocker4’s young filly closed rapidly to just miss in the 7f Love Muffins Stakes (G3) with a 104sp. Back in March (5 races ago) the filly had her sole run over a muddy track – the race isn’t much to go off of, though, since it was 5 months ago (maturation) & it was over 8.5f (she’s 0 for 4 in routes).
Offtrack Record: 1; 0-0-0
Running Style: from behind
Rank: 166
pp6: SEEKING THE HAWK, 4yo by
This is one of my favorites in the field. Yes, she prefers the frontend and in a race full of other speedsters that doesn’t exactly bode well, however if you reference her 2 recent starts (the G2 Scary Carrie The Blueberry and the G3 Flying Pig Sprint) she is a heck of a fighter. Dogfights don’t phase lotto’s filly in the slightest. She won both of those races against full fields. If one of the frontrunners decides to win this race Saturday I’m putting my money on her & at 11-1 odds how could you pass her up. The 2nd thing that I love about her is how lightly raced she is – she has made her way to the track only 3 times this year! Her 4yo debut came back in February. After that she took a 4 month hiatus. That hiatus appears to have done her good as she won both her June & July starts as mentioned above.
Offtrack Record: 1; 0-0-0
Running Style: frontrunner
Rank: 20
pp7: KACYMYGIRL, 5yo by Macabe X Silver Ghost X Deputy Minister
This mare is one of my personal favorites. She was once a contestant of the great GSR 2yo contest Cream of the Crop. In fact, that is where she started to really come to life winning the first 2 legs of the contest before moving on to “greener” pastures. I’m still haunted by what could have been if she had competed in the finale of that series. Oh well. Now three seasons later she is a millionairess and a sprinting sensation. Nj50 has tried to teach Kacy to rate, but the mare has never wanted any part of that – just give her her head and let her run then pray that she outlasts everyone else! J She’s consistently posted some of the fastest speed figures in this field. Let’s hope she still has the stamina in her old age; she’ll definitely have an edge in the offtrack.
Offtrack Record: 5; 2-0-1
Running Style: frontrunner
Rank: 30
pp8: MAIL ORDER BRIDE, 4yo by Gone West X Nijinsky II X Round Table
MOB will need to step up her game just a bit to make some waves Saturday, but I am definitely not crossing her off of my list. Her running preference ought to relish all the speed up in front of her as they turn for home Saturday. She is bred and trained by zapspride. MOB is another who will take delight in the ‘good’ surface. Keep an eye on her, she’s well rested, fast, and still yet to hit her best strides.
Offtrack Record: 4; 1-1-0
Running Style: off pace, from behind
Rank: 31
pp9: SOUGHT AND FOUND, 4yo by Seeking The Gold X Dixieland Band X Blushing Groom
How can you not love this filly!? Sought And Found, for starters, has an 8 for 9 ITM sprinting record & she’s 3 for 4 wins on the offtrack! Yes, she is listed as the favorite… but at 5-1 that really isn’t all that bad! She’s having a really good year with graded places and multiple open stakes wins. Three of her last four starts have provided a 108sp & two 110sp. Sought And Found has plenty of speed and endurance and she can rate off the pace. She’s my pick to win. Sought And Found is bred & trained by trainer jimj2.
Offtrack Record: 4; 3-0-1
Running Style: off pace, from behind
Rank: 50
pp10: STRONG PROSPECT, 4yo by Strong Hope X Mr. Prospector X Northern Dancer
Here’s another lightly raced filly with only 6 starts this year; she took some R&R early spring. When she returned to the track she was all business winning an open stakes, missing by a nose in another, and then finishing a game 4th in the G3 Inner City Sprint. The speed figures of those 3 races were 107, 110, & 101.
Trainer buttons was unavailable for questioning, but I did manage to catchup with the fillies exercise rider. He states that, ‘SP was allowed to romp out in the paddocks for about 3 weeks to allow her to mature and figure out what it’s like to just be a horse again. The next few weeks we had her back on the training oval and she was showing us a whole new side of her.”
Offtrack Record: 1; 1-0-0
Running Style: off pace
Rank: 45
pp11: RAY’S CAUSEWAY(ire), 4yo by
Again, only 6 starts under her girth this season – it must be a new trend… lightly raced 4yo fillies to keep ‘em fresh for the fall. The big strapping bay daughter of
Her best race this year was back in June in the G2 Lil’ Leprechaun Dash where she smoked thirteen others to win with a 109sp. So as you can see, when she’s good, she’s real good! Her achille’s heel may be the offtrack, however – she’s yet to have a go on anything but a fast track.
Offtrack Record: 0; 0-0-0
Running Style: frontrunner
Rank: 14
pp12: REINA JADE(ire), 3yo by Giant’s Causeway X
This daughter of
Like her older sibling, she is bred similarly with Northern Dancer line in the DS spot & Mr. Prospector line in the DDS spot. She, too, has not tried an off track, however, having Unbridled in her veins should bode well for her as he passes on a love for the mud.
The biggest question for 2aussie’s filly is how will she perform on the dirt with older weathered dirt-loving mares? This filly has a great record, but has a lone start on the dirt (a win) way back in April. She’s not shy in graded company, though, as she nearly pulled an upset in the 3yo-filly only G1 Smackdown III last time out.
Offtrack Record: 0; 0-0-0
Running Style: off pace, from behind
Rank: 392
pp13: SPINED RUNIC, 5yo by Danzig X
You’ve got to love that pedigree. Another one that loves a dogfight only giving in grudgingly. Six races this year with a little R&R between April and June. She returned to the track in open stakes company and battled to the wire for the win by ¼ length while managing a 107sp.
The illbred trainee has another positive – she is 2 for 3 wins on an offtrack. The downfall? She seems to hesitate in graded company lately.
Offtrack Record: 3; 2-0-1
Running Style: frontrunner
Rank: 28
pp14: BARB’S LAST NERVE, 3yo by Storm Cat X Mr. Prospector X Nureyev
Love the pedigree… not sure if the filly is ready for the highlife yet. She last raced June 30th in a bid-allowance race where she won with a 95sp. Other than that, though, joseph316’s green filly does not have much going for her. She’s 3 for 7 lifetime and has not raced outside of the allowance ranks. This will be a big jump for her and I’ll be surprised if she cracks the top 10 in this particular field.
Offtrack Record: 2; 1-0-0
Running Style: off pace
Rank: N/A
pp15: HEY HAYLEY, 4yo by
Rharfo has a nice filly developing here. She is new to stakes competition, but has not tested graded competition. A perk that I see is her race two back in May. It was the What’s Up Stakes over an offtrack; Hayley stalked the pacesetters and then fired big down the stretch to win by ½ length with a 106sp. A repeat of that could steal the show Saturday.
Offtrack Record: 2; 2-0-0
Running Style: off pace
Rank: 102
pp16: BLACK STRIKE, 4yo by Smart Strike X
Filly is 4 for 5 this season which is great; I’m sure she’s given trainer wiz2 a few ulcers with her close finishes (won by ¼ L, ½ L, & ¾ L). Those are real convincing wins, but they definitely get the job done. She has been seen frequently in the allowance ranks. Her last two starts, though, were an open stakes race (won) & the G2 Lil’ Leprechaun Dash (14th). That 14th finish was a head scratcher. I’m sure her handlers have gone back to the drawing board a few times to figure it out. The fast speed may be to her liking, but she’ll have to run real big to get the win.
Offtrack Record: 2; 0-0-0
Running Style: off pace
Rank: 170
GOOD LUCK TO ALL! ~Keely J