Twelve colts Here For the Party Risk Seeking the Call of The Wild (II) in Indiana
With several other big races around the world for the handicap division, the entrants in the G2 Insulin Cap on Indiana’s main track are taking advantage of the big classic horses’ absence. The Insulin has drawn some really nice horses, but few are currently on the radar of the best of the best. A big win here could change that for one of these horses. The stakes record time of 1:47 was set by Oliver Plus Pit on a track rated good in 2000.
The 5-1 cofavorites are So Slew Me and K’s Dolce Koncerto. So Slew Me’s last few races have been kind of rough, but the 4yo belong To Me colt is no stranger to the winner’s circle after big races. He’s won grades races three years running, and three of his eight wins have been at the 9f distance. The most recent win was in the 9f G2 Soupy Sails Classic. The 110SP Babyfarm’s trainee posted was among his best, nd makes him more than competitive in this group. This is his second race back after a short 6-week break; expect So Slew Me to be ready and willing to slay his foes.
K’s Dolce Inverne is one of the senior runners in the race at the grand old age of 6. The son of A.P. Indy comes into this race off two listed stakes wins, one each at a mile and 9f. Trained by Kuovadis, the horse has earned just over a half-million dollars and has 12 wins in 34 starts. This will be just his third graded start and first at the G2 level. He’s got a great front-running style but works very well from stalker position as well. I love him at this distance, and think that Inverne just might be our winner.
Boomtown Boy and Holdem Master are both in at 7-1. Boomtown Boy, trained by Leestroyer, is a millionaire at age 6. The son of Sadler’s Wells spent much of his 3 and 4yo campaigns in the graded ranks, but at 5 he stayed mostly in allowance company with good success. Now he’s making his second graded start of 2007 after a good but not good enough fourth in the G2 Abe Lincoln last time out. Two back the Boy scored a 2+ length win at 9 in a listed stake. The 110SP he earned nearly equaled his personal best. Boomtown Boy actually won the Insulin Cap back in 2005; if he can win again he’ll be the only two-time winner of this race. He’s a good mid-closer. keep an eye on this horse through the fall campaign.
Holdem Master, trained by Themaster, is a 5yo son of Miswaki. he’s been winning at an excellent 25% clip through 41 starts, but surprisingly is making just his second stakes start and debuting in graded company. Holdem has been running very well in allowances all year, finishing out of the top two just twice. In two lifetime starts at 9, he’s run first and second. This is a great spot to test him out at the higher level while still protecting Holdem from the best of the best. Holdem needs the lead to win, so watch for him to exit the gate in a rush.
Here for the Party and A.P. Precedent are both 8-1 on the morning line. Here For The Party may well be ready to turn the Insulin into Party Central. The 5yo Hansel son has never won at 9f, but he’s run second often enough to be worthy of serious consideration here. What stands out about Party is his extreme versatility. He can win from the lead. He can win from off the pace. When forced to, he can even perform well from midpack. The only thing this horse can’t do is close from the clouds. While he’s better win-wise at 9.5-10, 9 is still within his range and a nice listed win last time out sets Party up perfectly for this race. His odds are higher than they should be considering Party was injured four back; if you like him, bet him now as his price is dropping drastically next start. Party is trained by Babyfarm (no relation to babyfarms, the owner of So Slew Me).
A.P. Precedent is my own entry, trained out of the Squirrel3 stable. The 4yo A.P. Indy colt has been horribly mismanaged throughout his 21-race career. Despite running well at the 8.5-9.5 range, I kept putting him in longer races, and his win rate suffered. I finally tossed him in an 8.5f stake in April and he won very nicely. So I put him in the G3 Perfectionistic at 8.5, and he nearly equaled the stakes record. Then I got greedy and put him in three very tough races. He should be more comfortable in this race, and I’m hoping for win #7.
Reallycute enters Unnstoppable at 10-1. The 4yo Noactor colt has lived up to his name the last four starts, notching four wins including a listed stake at 9 last time out. Unnstoppable was claimed for just $7500 in December, and since then has won 7 of 10 starts and posted 6 SPs of 100 or better. Very smart claim indeed. The colt is most comfortable running from midpack, but is capable of running from the front if the race requires it. This is his second stakes start and first appearance in graded company.
The grand old veteran of the handicap division, Call of the Wild II, is also in at 10-1. Two years ago this weekend he was setting the CA Classic stakes record. This year he’s going for easier waters in search of his win #11. A win would push him over $9.5million in earning. The 6yo son of War Chant, owned by Gipper8, unarguably is at his best at 10f, but even at 9 he’s no pushover. The biggest challenge for COTW2 is wear and tear – he’s run in a lot of big races, and is slowing down. As recently as April he won a G2 at 9, but since then he’s finished out of the money four times. It would be great to see COTW2 win again, but I don’t expect it to happen here.
Like Unnstoppable, Risk Seeking was claimed back in December. Acote2 paid $20k for the 5yo son of Wild Again, and the horse has already earned it back and then some with a pair of allowance wins and a stakes placing. He’s making his graded debut this weekend . Some might say that the trainer is reaching, given the horse’s 10-length loss last time out in a 9f stake. On the other hand, his stakes placing two back earned the horse a 104SP for a ferocious closing effort at 9.5, so this entry does make sense. At 11-1, he’s an intriguing bet.
Super of course has an entry with Dark Princes. The 4yo Empire Maker colt was graded-placed a couple of times in 2006, but even now after 25 starts and almost $750k in earnings he still hasn’t won a listed stake (or even an owner-restricted stake) let alone a grade. However, after Princes closed from the clouds in the Del Penn-restricted Whitney last time out for a very close second and new high 108SP, the Super group had to be thinking they just might get this horse his grade. He’s a real good 9f horse, and if that last race was any sign, we might be seeing more of this Super27 trainee. Might be worth plunking some cash on his 12-1 nose.
Fusaichi Pegasus is represented by his 4yo son Wonderboy Epstein. The colt, trained by Wonder2, has one stakes win to his credit, but that was a 2yo win. Since then he’s been a multiple allowance winner and stakes placed once. His best SPs are a pair of 102s, which won’t be enough to win this race. Epstein likes to run on the lead, but he’s not fast enough to wrest the lead from Holdem Master. 16-1 odds.
The final entrant at 17-1 is Wii D’Inverne. He’s the baby of the field at just three years of age. Songstable’s Dubawi colt has five wins from 11 starts, including his lone stakes win two back. That happened to be his stakes debut; for the 9f race, Wii notched a 104SP. That encouraged his trainer enough to take a shot at the G3 Colorado Sophomore Classic last time out. Second by 2 1/2 lengths was good enough for a 107SP. This colt sure looks like he’s the real deal, but needs a bit more experience before taking on the big boys in graded company. Still, if he had to face elders, this isn’t a bad place to do it.
Sentiment calls for Call of the Wild II to take home the trophy. Sentiment would also be quite happy with Boomtown Boy winning his second Insulin Cap. The more likely winner, in my opinion, is K’s Dolce Inverne.