Rosenthal, Jumpin’ Java Head Powerful Team Americas Delegation
World Cup Turf Marathon
Grade I
A mile and one half
Firm Turf
$500,000
A mile and one half
Firm Turf
$500,000
PP Team Horse Owner Jockey Odds
1 Europe GALDOUNCAL(IRE) shamrandk P Wright 10/1
2 Americas SEVERE WARNING(IRE) fairhaven5 W McClendon 6/1
3 Americas ROSENTHAL(IRE) simsters8 V Waddle 3/1
4 AUS/NZ/Asia PRIVATE MISWAKI shagfarms6 C Meads 20/1
5 Europe LOVE BOAT CAPTAIN(IRE) shamran3 F Gossett 17/1
6 Europe FOZ DE LUMBIER(IRE) sansebas C Shoemaker 8/1
7 Europe NASUJABR(KY) sabbath2 R Gibson 23/1
8 Americas JUMPIN’ JAVA waradmiral K Ledwith 7/2
9 Americas DARKDOUN(IRE) peepsclaim J Stivers 7/1
10 AUS/NZ/Asia KOOL THING(IRE) eddieatc B F Abman 12/1
11 AUS/NZ/Asia RURAL LAW(IRE) vettori M Russell 8/1
SIM WORLD CUP I is almost upon us. The World Cup Turf Marathoners and their trainers are busy preparing for the big day. Let’s look at the eleven starters by group.
Team Down Under:
Heading the Aussie/Kiwi/Far East contingent is multiple Grade I winner, Rural Law(IRE). The handsome Law Society(IRE) three year old is chump change short of becoming the sport’s newest millionaire. Vettori’s homebred won both the Grade I Adelaide Derby and the Grade I Owner’s Stakes in a four race stretch this Spring and Summer. Also included in that string was a bang up second in the Grade I English Derby.
In his most recent start, Rural Law tackled his elders for the first time in the Grade II Shimko Classic. A combination of iron tough foes and short rest did him in as he staggered home some seventeen lengths behind the classy trio of Horseshoe Bay, Rosenthal(IRE), and Minesweeper.
Vettori has given his star a month’s rest since that debacle and the colt looks fantastic! I watched him breeze a grassy mile in 1:37.76 on Tuesday morning and he couldn’t blow out a candle following the move. Seems all set to get back on track.
Eddieatc is both proud of and concerned with his Kool Thing(IRE). He’s proud that the son of Black Sam Bellamy(IRE) and lightly raced Marilyn D (Septieme Ciel) won five races in a row late last year and earlier this year. Among those victories were consecutive Grade I scores in The Marathon Cup and the Asian Memorial Turf Classic. He’s concerned because his charge has failed to hit the board in his last five races. And he’s been beaten double digit lengths in his last four.
The rangy chestnut has been given a well deserved seven week rest coming into this event and has regained over a hundred pounds. He shows a series of solid works leading up to his return. On Monday he was full of energy during a long gallop and on Tuesday he breezed six panels in 1:13 and change. It will be interesting to see which Kool Thing shows up on Saturday. Your call.
Private Miswaki rounds out the shorthanded Down Under squad. Shag haltered the son of Miswaki out of a 2K maiden claimer in April of 2005. Private Miswaki responded positively to his new conditioner right off the bat by winning four of his next seven starts. And he hit the board in the other three. The hard hitting five year old has now earned over $250,000 in his career.
The bad news is that Private Miswaki has failed to finish better than third in eight career stakes races. Considering the quality of his opposition, that is not likely to change.
Team Europe:
Foz De Lumbier(IRE) proudly carries Team Europe’s banner into battle. Sansebas’ sophomore sensation arrives in Texas in peak form. The muscular Dubawi(IRE) colt sports a two race win streak having annexed consecutive listed stakes in Ontario and Nebraska, the latter against older foes. The stalker has improved his speed ratings steadily and posted big numbers (104 and 105) in his most recent scores.
This will be Foz De Lumbier’s first crack at graded foes and the enormity of the task is evident. But the spirited youngster appeared undaunted as he worked a lightning quick half in :45.32 on Monday. Chance to surprise for his world class rider Chucky “Cheese” Shoemaker.
Galdouncal(IRE) drew the hedge for trainer Shamrandk and jockey Phil Wright. The four year old homebred son of Galileo(IRE) has been a useful sort so far. After breaking his maiden in his second start, Galdouncal struggled mightily to clear the first level allowance hurdle. Since he did, his improvement has been steady.
He won his first stakes try very impressively three back at Epsom. Then came a dismal performance in the Grade II Dawn to Dusk Cup, also at Epsom. Most recently Galdouncal was a sharp second in a Longchamp marathon. Needs a big step forward to compete with this crowd.
California riding sensation Frank Gossett is excited about his mount, Love Boat Captain(IRE). “Shamran called my agent and asked if I’d ride his colt Love Boat Captain. My agent didn’t commit right away so Shamran expressed a tape of the horse. We watched it and were quite impressed. He’s a big, strong colt who’s been first or second in his last five starts.”
“I like that he has won both on the engine and coming from behind. It gives me more options. I rode him in a workout Tuesday morning and we got along great. He’s a very responsive colt. I like our chances a lot!”
If you like the Century City(IRE) colt as much as his rider, you’ll be handsomely rewarded if correct.
Veteran world class conditioner Sabbath sends out Nasujabr(KY) for the Europeans. The three year old son of Aljabr and the Sadler’s Wells broodmare, Theli, is graded placed in both of his most recent outings. Two back he was a solid second behind stablemate Nasu In The Sand in The Grade II Seventh King Eddie Stakes. And last time out he closed from sixteen lengths back to miss by only two diminishing lengths versus the talented F Speed in the Grade III Danish Derby.
This will be Nasujabr’s first start against older foes and he looks a bit overmatched on paper. But the talented sophomore does own a big late kick and he has a shot get close at a price if he fires.
Team Americas:
Team Americas is loaded. They send out all four of the lowest odds horses including favored Rosenthal(IRE). The Rock of Gibraltar(IRE) four year old posted a monster 112 speed number last time out splitting multiple graded winners Horseshoe Bay and Minesweeper in the Grade II Shimko. That runner up effort is just one of five graded placed races for the Simsters star.
Rosenthal worked five eighths over the main course in :59.33 on Tuesday. He pulled up great and looked wonderful. If his foes want some hope, it must be noted that Rosenthal has yet to win a graded race. In fact, he’s won only one race in the last year. Big shot but no lock.
Waradmiral’s Jumpin’ Java is rated second choice at 7-2 by Texas oddsmaker Slim Pickens. The powerfully built son of Java Gold is fast approaching two and a half million dollars in career earnings. He added $900,000 to his bankroll last time out when he crushed a very good Grade I field in the rich mile and a half King Geoff and Queen Beth Emerald Stakes while posting a 109 speed figure.
Jumpin’ Java is effective at any distance, but he’s deadly at twelve panels having a lifetime record of 2-0-1 in three grade I starts at the distance. Absolutely fit and razor sharp. The one to beat.
Sometimes it’s not who you beat, but how you beat them. Fairhaven’s New Yorker runner up, Severe Warning(IRE), punched his ticket to Texas by posting a 110 speed figure while winning a Wyoming listed stake in his turf debut. Although the field lacked depth, his manner of winning impressed the committee.
The flashy Theatrical(IRE) sophomore opened up a huge lead and coasted to victory over favored Roadhouse Blues in an eye opening 2:29.1. He shipped in last night and is scheduled to gallop Friday. Another solid contender for Team Americas.
Darkdoun(IRE) rounds out the powerhouse American quartet. Peepsclaim’s speed ball arrives in excellent form following a gate to wire triumph in an eleven furlong listed stake at Saratoga. In that race, the rangy Galileo(IRE) colt sped to the top as usual, opened a long lead, and cruised home by seven while drifting out. Jockey Orza attributed Darkdoun’s erratic stretch run to boredom. “He got bored, that’s all. Nobody else was close enough to see or hear so he started playing.”
The 106 speed figure he posted in that race, along with the fact he’s a graded winner at Saturday’s distance, stamp Darkdoun as dark horse with a chance. And having Jacques “The Flying Frenchman” Stivers in the saddle certainly doesn’t hurt.