Lake Bemidji Tipped in Lady’s Long Turf Sprint
The World Cup brings the turf fillies and mares to Ohio, and the second race of the superb program is race eleven, with the running of the World Cup Ladies Long Turf Sprint over seven furlongs on a firm surface. As in the preceding event, a field of twelve will fight it out for the half million dollar purse. Shaping as a most even event, the oddsmakers could not find an outright favorite, and seven of the dozen runners are at single figure prices in early markets.
We’ll work through the field in racebook order:
Trevianna exits from the coveted inside barrier as this three year old filly chases her seventh win at her seventeenth racetrack appearance. She began her racing career on the grass, winning a maiden and two stakes races as an early two year old. Her third in the G3-Booker T. Handicap at her next outing was to be a minor pinnacle as her form gradually dropped off. Switched to the dirt for five runs, she wired a couple of allowance fields, before returning to the grass where her solid form gives her an outside chance of featuring in this race. A daughter of Tale Of The Cat from bellissimo’s ‘exclusive’ stakes placed broodmare Sima Blanca LC (Dixieland Band / Mill Reef), she’s already far superior to the two prior offspring of the dam. Although she’s generally failed to live up to her earlier promise, she’s showing signs of returning to top form. A natural leader, she’ll be prominent for a good way, and if left to an easy run, may take some catching.
Stall 3 is the starting slot for Brabasong, a hugely talented three year old filly who has been stretched out in recent starts, despite boasting a sprint record of six wins and a second from seven runs. There’s certainly nothing too shabby in her recent route formguide, given that it includes one graded and two ungraded victories, plus a grade 2 second and a couple of ungraded ITM’s. But let’s look at her sprinting record. Granted, it is all two year old form, but two graded wins, two stakes wins and one minor blemish is impossible to fault. Brabasong is a daughter of Unbridled Song / Brabata (Sadler’s Well’s / Mill Reef). She’s the third, and clearly most talented, foal of brabant’s Grade 1 placed, eight time stakeswinning, exclusively owned mare. We’ll find out this week if sprinting is still her strong suit, but if it is, you’re not likely to be able to find this extremely generous price available again for a long time.
Drawn in barrier 4 is Pushover, the second and lower-ranked entry from the philpy yard. She’s a three year old worthy of a bit of consideration despite her lack of racing at anywhere near this level. Lightly raced with the just the nine starts under her belt, she won a stakes race at two, before doing the bulk of her three year old racing at allowance level, and until last start, exclusively on the dirt. It’s that most recent allowance run which indicates she may have snuck in under the bookmakers guard here, and may be a better chance than the 25/1 freely available in the market. It’s impossible to totally dismiss a horse with a 100% record on the surface, and although the time was modest, the opposition contained plenty of talent, with the first five home all having previous black type success. Pushover is a scratchbred daughter of Tale of the Cat / Deputy Minister / A.P. Indy. She may well defy her name, so not exclude her from your chances.
From gate 5 emerges Ranger Charlie, the veteran of the field at seven years, but with a modest total of just twenty eight races on her formguide. Her most recent successes have both been at this distance but on the dirt, and she’s a bit of unknown quantity here, as it’s only in her two most recent outings that she’s changed surfaces. Both of her grass races were in black type events, both returned triple digit speed ratings, and her run two starts back when third in the G3-Boon Turf Stakes would show that she’s worthy of serious consideration. The oddsmakers have shown her plenty of respect, offering only 6/1, and although this is her first tilt at Grade 1 racing, her current form shows that she’s earned the shot. She’s is a daughter of Forestry from Billy’s Slew a grade 2 placed daughter of Danzig / Lyphard. The mare is a billy ‘exclusive’ and Ranger Charlie is the best performed of her four progeny to date. She’s not without some sort of chance.
Mirari’s Wake has drawn 6 and takes on the older brigade here for the first time after establishing herself firmly among the elite of her peers. A winner of eight of her fourteen runs to date, she’s no stranger to black type opposition, having scored five ungraded victories prior to her career best so far, victory in the G3-Ain’t No Bugs On Me three starts back. Minor Question marks remain on a couple of points. Her only ‘off the podium’ finish of the year occurred in her only tilt at Grade 1 racing, the three year old G1-Smackdown III, but she was fourth there, just two lengths from the winner. sender has done a masterful job thus far with the scratchbred daughter of North Light / Carson City / Dynaformer guiding her bank account to more than half a million dollars. Mirari’s Wake may well tackle the pole marker for the early lead, so tactics will be interesting. Her last start, close up third in the G3-Blonde and Freckled Handicap should have her perfectly primed for this, and 9/1 looks enticing for a filly racing in great heart.
Druj’s Best draws 7. She’s a three year old daughter of Kings Best from Princess April (El Gran Senor / Mr. Prospector). Princess April was a lightly raced winner of three from nine. Her five progeny to date include To Mega Therion, a stakes placed son of With Approval, Informer, a stakes placed son of Dynaformer and Khlysti’s Best, an unraced son of King’s Best. Why so much about the family? Sadly, it’s difficult to become enthused about the chances of the filly in question this week. She’s a competent allowance quality runner who failed at her only previous sprint run, and has yet to record a triple digit speed rating. On the plus side, she has won three of her last six, but this is a huge jump in class. I think you may have slid one under the radar in the previous event, Jerry, but I don’t think I’m being overly harsh to suggest she’s just making up the numbers here. Now watch her make a fool of me :-).
Give Me Reasons lines up in barrier 8 as this highly experienced five year old returns to graded racing for the first time since her early two year old days. A Grade 3 winner at two, most of her successes came at allowance level until five starts back when she once again saluted in an ungraded stake. She’s still capable of turning in the odd triple digit performance, but doesn’t do so often enough to inspire great confidence against this quality of opposition. Now a veteran of forty starts, a dozen wins have seen her bank in excess of $430k. Give Me Reasons was bred by sending stakeswinning filly A.P. Czar (A.P. Indy / Czaravich) to Silver Deputy. mkracing2’s mare is the standout of her five issue to date, but sadly, I cannot give you too many reasons why Give Me Reasons should appear among the main chances. A good jockey and an impressive stakes win five starts back in
From 9 comes Firsttime, a three year old Grade 3 winner which has returned triple digit speed ratings at each of her last three. She may have bitten off a bit too much last start, when connections set her against the older mares in the G1-Sharon and Roys Gold Cup, and the fact that she’s faded in both starts against the older brigade is of some concern. Balancing that is the undeniable fact that her most recent run, the second in the open age division, was far superior to the first, she wasn’t all that far away and can only have benefited from the experience. Firsttime is a moderately bred daughter of Slew’s Pot of Gold / Crafty Prospector / Tabasco Cat and she’s already repaid her modest creation costs. With nearly $300k in the bank from just fourteen starts, owner / breeder lookout still has plenty to look forward to. She’s won six and finished on the podium in eleven of her fourteen starts. She’s generally racing in a consistent and high quality manner. She’s getting closer with experience at the top level, will be ridden by a master jockey and she’s certainly worth plenty of thought here.
Mode alights from gate 10 and since being switched to the grass two starts back she’s added lengths to her ability. Her first seven starts on the dirt were more than handy, earning over $100k, as she picked up 2 ungraded victories plus a couple more ITM’s. However, to assess the lightly raced three year old filly’s chances this week, our best guide comes no further back than her most recent outing. Four weeks ago she lined up against the open aged female brigade for the first time. Granted, it was an ungraded event, but she covered the seven and a half furlongs in 1.28.4, returning a 107 speed figure, a repetition of which will put her right in the mix here. A scratchbred daughter of of Smarty Jones / Danzig / Secretariat, Mode is set to give owner / breeder philpy a great sight this week. The 10/1 looks good value, she has the services of a quality rider and looks to have a very bright future.
Gate 11 is the starting position for Lost My America, a four year old winner of 10 from 25, a multiple stakeswinner who regularly returns triple digit speed figures. Prior to her last outing she appeared to struggle a tad when promoted to graded competition, but that last run may well have been a turning point, and will be the focus of the serious assessors as they contemplate this event. That run was clearly not lost on the oddsmakers, who have ranked her a 6/1 chance here. The G2-Pepperton Mile saw her finish third, less than three lengths from the winner, giving her best indication yet that she is genuine graded quality. A scratchbred daughter of Montjeu / Capote / Irish River, she faces her greatest challenge here this week. She likes to race on the pace, but has proven she can win by taking a sit, so expect her top-ranked rider to slot her in behind the leaders and settle for a final charge. Trainer / breeder eddie72 has every right to expect Lost My America to be right there at the business end.
The outside gate will be occupied by A.P. Geisha, a mare still racing in great heart as she lines up for the fortieth time here. Two starts back in
Summary: The top ranked horse in race qualification is