Francua Chronicles: Don’t Forget to Stretch!

Theme of this week was to stretch em out. That move worked out particularly well considering a good amount of wins came from that type of play. I think what was more encouraging was the big figures that came along with some of the victories. Like BLUEGRASS BLAME the week prior I had a couple of maidens get near his impressive 91 speed fig level this week which now has me hoping for big 3 year old seasons as they wind down their 2 year old campaigns.

 

Weekly Record: 45-10-1-6

Weekly Win = 22.2%

ITM % = 37.7%

 

Career Record = 967-117-120-117

Career Win % = 12%

Career ITM % = 36.6%

 

Last Weeks’ Watch List:

STRIKE PAY DIRT (BERNARDINI x SMART STRIKE x WILD AGAIN) – Faltered down the stretch in his first time trying 7 furlongs and came back this week to give it another go. He’d go on to wire the field of allowance  NW2L runners posting a 90 speed fig.

 

SNYPER (GENERAL A ROD x NUREYEV x PIONEEROF THE NILE) – I should have given him the stretch to two turns a few back but to my own detriment I never extended him. Despite my transgressions he gave two turns and turf a go in a local maiden race this week and looked to thoroughly enjoy the distance as he’d win going away.

 

GREEN MINESTER (MINESHAFT x KRIS S. x STORM BIRD) – Well that escalated quickly… He was given 8 furlongs in the debut and he ran admirably but ultimately finished 5^th, so I brought him back at 7 furlongs this week and like so many of my other 2 year olds he bounced from a 76 to a 64 finishing out of the money.

 

ZAPP DADDY (GHOSTZAPPER x SCAT DADDY x TAPIT) – He’s another who was given the stretch to 8 furlongs and he put in a fantastic performance posting a 91 speed fig to break his maiden. Looking forward to seeing just how far this guy wants to go.

 

WILD SAMURAI (WILDCAT RED x DEHERE x FIRST SAMURAI) – I gave her a little cut in distance but elected to keep her at the listed stakes level and she wasn’t even close finishing 12^th in the Ms. Wagwhat. She’ll move back to allowance in her next which should help her performance significantly.

 

NO SWEARING (MR SPEAKER x ROSES IN MAY x MR. GREELEY) – First time against winners and he was given the stretch to 6 furlongs on the dirt. In just his second start he ran very well and finished 2^nd to a much more seasoned colt posting an 82 speed fig.

 

HOLIDAY ROYALE (VERRAZANO x WILD AGAIN x SIR IVOR) – He relished the opportunity at routing in his last and went two turns on the dirt once again this week. However, this time didn’t go so well as he regressed a bit in his first time against winners.  His speed fig dropped to a 77 in a 9^thplace 8 length loss. On only 5 weeks rest I may have brought him back a little too early so he may be done till 2019.

 

Studs:

VIOLENT FRENZY (VIOLENCE x DANZIG x MR. PROSPECTOR) – Picked up victory #2 this week after wiring the 4 horse field. Speed fig wasn’t very impressive (69) and it wasn’t very encouraging that some of the horses chasing her where gaining ground late, but a win is a win.

 

PSALM OF WAR (WAR CHANT x PLEASANT COLONY x AFFIRMED) – Was given a mile for the 2^nd time in a row and made some drastic improvement scoring the decisive victory and rocking an 89 speed fig while doing so.

 

CURSED WORLD (IRONICUS x KITTEN’S JOY x GIANT’S CAUSEWAY) – Purchased for roughly 100K in the auction she owns the moniker of “Most Expensive” in my barn. After two less than stellar races, she started to show signs of life in her last with the second place finish and finally got over the hump this week with an easy 2.5 length victory on a yielding turf track that saw her post a 93 speed fig.

 

AFTERNOON APPROACH (DAWN APPROACH (IRE) x MEDICEAN (GB) x REDOUTE’S CHOICE) – Out OF Kody’s FIFTY STAIRWAY this 2 year old colt debuted in the ESR Aladar Turf King tournament where he finished 5^th on the turf. Given his momma’s history and of course the advice of his momma’s trainer I moved him over to dirt this week and saw a surge in his performance. He ran a fantastic 2^nd place going 8 furlongs on the dirt that saw him post an 85 speed fig.

 

MAMBOIZED (AUTHORIZED x KINGMAMBO x TAP SHOES) – Gave her two cracks at 7 furlongs once on dirt and once on turf that returned 10^th place finishes in which she was beat pretty soundly. She’d come back this week on a cut to 6 furlongs on the dirt and she ran much better finishing 2^nd by just a neck and posting a 77 speed fig.

 

GARGANTUAN GRAY (GRAYDAR x BIG BROWN x GIANT’S CAUSEWAY) – At 28-1 I wish I could have used this one as my tip horse for the week. She went on to run 1^st going 7 furlongs on the dirt against quite a few well-bred fillies to break the maiden. Speed fig hit 82 in just her second start so she’ll be running with allowance company in her next.

 

 

Duds:

UNCLE PEACHES (UNCLE MO x UNBRIDLED’S SONG x DEPUTY MINISTER) – Third try on dirt for this guy and he got a cut down to 5 furlongs. He did manage to run better but still finished 5^th by 3 lengths. I’ll be giving him a switch to turf in his next as my hope is he just doesn’t care for the dirt.

 

PURPLER (MICROMANAGE x UNBRILDELD’S SONG x SEATTLE SLEW) – Her ending up on the duds list this week is 100% on me as I didn’t pay attention and entered her against the boys. She did run decent, but she was never going to have the staying power when they hit the stretch and would finish 5^th by 7 lengths.

 

DABBIN (DABIRISIM x SADLER’S WELLS x SILVER DEPUTY) – Another who I thought was going to get better with the stretch in distance but apparently I was wrong. This week saw him run 7 furlongs to an 8^th place defeat.

 

LEANIDAS (LEA x FLATTER x AWESOME AGAIN) – She showed some talent on an off dirt track in her last which made me think she was starting to turn the corner. Apparently she pulled a fast one on me because while she made a little move between 2^nd and 3^rd call she ended up getting beaten easily in the stretch.

 

DECORATED CHIEF (PIONEEROF THE NILE x PULPIT x NUREYEV) – He’s a little speed ball that always shoots to the front. Unfortunately he hasn’t been able to sustain his speed for an entire race and has fallen out of the money in all four tries including this week’s try on turf for the first time. I may cut the distance to 4.5 furlongs or mess with the jockey settings to see if we can reserve some of his speed.

 

REALM GUARDIAN (MORE THAN READY x GONE WEST x WILD AGAIN) – He didn’t do much running this week as he sat no less than 5 lengths off the pace almost the entire race and as a result he finished 6^th. I think he wants to continue to run at two turns but I’ll switch up the surface to see if it helps wake him up in the stretch.

 

Watch List:

ESPIRI (IRONICUS x CHARM SPIRIT (IRE) x EXCELLENT ART) – Two for the 3 sprinting on the turf with his most recent coming in the form of a 5^th place finish in the Lirio Turf Juvenile. He comes back next week to try routing in the Hey Zeus Turf Juvenile.

 

NEW MEXICAN MORN (SLEEPLESS MORN x ARCH x AWESOME AGAIN) – My best claim up to this point is going to give stakes against open company a shot as he’ll run in the Cryptozot Dirt Mile.

 

UNION GONE WILD (UNION RAGS x WILD AGAIN x A.P. INDY) – Originally had him set up to go in the G3 Nashua but didn’t think he’d make the cut so I moved him over to the Fact of the Matter Dirt Juvenile.

 

FRANCUA’S ARCH (ARCH x CAPOTE x EL PRADO) – She ran very well against Allowance NW2x’s in her last finishing second leading to me placing her in this Allowance NW1x. There’s a couple of tough competitors in here but only one that I’m not positive she can beat.