Torch The Flame To Chase Running Scared
WORLD CUP LADIES TURF MILE G1, 8F firm turf, $500.000, F&M 3&up |
The event looks to be an international catfight scripted for a
Here’s a quick glance at the 3 “Teams.” Team NASA is coming into this race with a strong hand of 4 mares – it’s a toss-up as to which will take the top prize & I wouldn’t be shocked to see all 4 finish ITM. With the exception of Tete of Gibraltar (Team ES) & Star of Sal (Team FENZA), Team FENZA and Team ES look more like the little sisters to Team NASA which truly surprised me – I guess I just assumed the latter 2 teams would have a stronger influence in the turf world. Not today…
Team
1- Buda For A Day, bay 3yoF by Dayjur, out of Vicki’s Gal (Storm Cat X Sadler’s Wells)
2- Running Scared, roan 4yoF by El Prado x (Roberto X Raise A Native)
3- Torch The Flame, bay 3yoF by Kingmambo, out of Gordie’s Seattle (Seattle Slew X Alydar)
4- Thirteenth Date, bay 5yoM by Gone West, out of Dynacat Form (Dynaformer X Storm Cat)
Team Europe/Scandinavia:
1- Blue White, bay 4yoF by
2- Tricky Missy, bay 4yoF by Phone Trick x (
3- Tete of Gibraltar, bay 4yoF by Rock of Gibraltar, out of Tete Grand End (Grand Lodge X End Sweep)
4- Credit Clock, bay 3yoF by Fusaichi Pegasus x (Red Ransom X Sadler’s Wells)
Team Australia/New Zealand/
1- Kawayi Jun, chestnut 4yoF by War Chant x (Nureyev X Irish River)
2- Star of Sal, bay 5yoM by Testa Rossa x (Caerleon X Irish River)
3- Hurricane Occy, chestnut 3yoF by Octagonal, out of Diamond Nana (Deputy Minister X Storm Cat
4- Corey’s Boo Boo, bay 4yoF by Aptitude x (In The Wings X Broad Brush)
PP 1: KAWAYI JUN Team FENZA
Bred & Trained by: donut Jockey: F Mac (649: 137-123-91, 21%)
Odds: 10/1 Rank: 278
Kawayi Jun starts off in post position one. The daughter of War Chant appears to be a bit temperamental; her normal racing style is to lay low towards the mid-pack… occasionally, however, she looks to get unnerved and darts for the lead as occurred in her prep race to the event.
Her prep for Saturday’s race came in the 8F Their Dukes Special. The mare broke readily, grabbed the bit and began battling the pacesetter for the lead. Turning for home the early favorite had nothing left for the finish getting passed by a late closer to finish 2nd by 2 lengths with a 103sp. Kawayi Jun’s start prior to that event was in the 8F Smackdown III. The feisty chestnut behaved herself, hanging tuff to the wire to get 2nd with a 105sp (Running Scared was 1st).
Kawayi Jun will need to repeat her performance in the Smackdown in order to make a dent in this group’s top runners.
PP 2: BUDA FOR A DAY Team NASA
Bred & Trained by: Vicki Jockey: T Small (654: 190-132-82, 29% )
Odds: 8/1 Rank: 2
Buda has a great stalking ability that will fit in perfect with this bunch – there will be 3 or 4 mares up in front of here. If they tire themselves out it will be smooth sailing for the Buda.
Buda For A Day has won 5 of her 8 starts this season. Her victories came in the 8F G3 Broadside Stakes, 8F G3 Appalooza Stakes, 8F G1 1000 Guineas (105sp, Torch The Flame finished 11th), 8F G1 Cremation Stakes (103sp), and the 7.5F G2 Niedermeyer Stakes (101sp). This filly is on her way to stellar season. If she can seal the deal on Saturday she could be nominated for an Eclipse Award.
Her 2 races leading up to this big one were the Smackdown III over 8F in which she just missed in the final strides finishing 2nd with a 104sp (Hurricane Occy was 3rd). And most recently she ran an uncharacteristic race as the early favorite in the 8F G2 Roberto Clemente finishing 3rd beaten nearly 5 lengths with a 107sp (Torch the Flame 1st).
PP 3: STAR OF SAL(aus) Team FENZA
Bred & Trained by: ausracing Jockey: B Gulch (647: 169-130-78, 26% )
Odds: 6/1 Rank: 80
Speed figure-wise, Star of Sal is currently right on par with this group of ladies. The main barriers for Star will be the quality of competition – June was the only time she has faced graded company this season. It was the G2 Independence Day BB Stakes over 8F – Star of Sal finished 5th (Thirteenth Date was 3rd).
Star of Sal’s prep race for this event was a 2nd in the 8F Bearly The Rakida Stakes. As is her style, Star shot to the lead and nearly wired the field, only to get passed late. She cooked up a 106sp for the event. If she can duplicate that speed and stay strong on the lead then she could walk home with a top 3 finish if not the win.
PP 4: COREY’S BOO BOO Team FENZA
Bred & Trained by: rharfo2 Jockey: T Nugent (553: 73-91-72, 13% )
Odds: 18/1 Rank: 760
Hmm… lil’ Boo Boo has been kept at one of three distances this entire season… 7F, 7.5F, and 8.5F… I wonder how she will perform over 8F. The filly appears to prefer the shorter distance, but due to her light season this year (only 6 starts) and her recent (gradual but steady) improvement of late I am curious to see what kind of surprises she may have in store for us.
The spirited Boo Boo made her last track appearance in late July over the 7.5F Class Brushing Memorial – she finished a fast closing 3rd with a career best 103sp. Prior to that she finished 3rd in another sprint stakes over a muddy 7F with a 99sp.
The filly’s last win was in December 2006 around 8.5F.
PP 5: CREDIT CLOCK Team ES
Bred & Trained by: brenkuk1 Jockey: O Ridenour (646: 142-137-76, 22% )
Odds: 39/1 Rank: 433
Here is a very lightly raced filly – only 7 official starts to her credit… yes, pun intended. And although she has won her last two starts (both back in July and both in restricted allowance company), the frontrunning Credit Clock has a knack for finishing what she starts. She will be running early with possibly Blue White at her side. Credit Clock will need to muster up everything she has and then some (think about 10 speed figure points more) to take the trophy home. I’m not sure if she’s ready for this step yet… but she is definitely a nice filly that looks to have a great future down the road.
PP 6: BLUE WHITE Team ES
Bred & Trained by: safbred Jockey: C Wyatt (653: 157-125-93, 24% )
Odds: 11/1 Rank: 133
Blue White has the speed figures (though inconsistent), but does she have the stamina and the grit to hang tuff to the wire? She has not won a race since January this year and her last attempt in graded company came in May where she finished a dull 4th in the 8.5F G3 Tai-Bo Stakes. The frontrunner will need to step up her performance against the gritty NASA team.
PP 7: HURRICAN OCCY(nz) Team FENZA
Bred & Trained by: wabred1 Jockey: Z Kentucky (658: 135-120-81, 21%)
Odds: 21/1 Rank: 73
July provided Hurrican Occy with her best race to date… a fast finishing 3rd (by ½ lengths) in the 8F Smackdown III Stakes. The filly seems to have loved her return to the short route distance. If that race was any indication what she will do in Saturday’s race over the same distance then she may just pull an upset on the powerful NASA 4-some.
With the exception of her race in the July Smackdown, Hurrican Occy has not been racing much in the company of milers lately. Prior to the Smackdown, her last start around 8F was in April’s G2 Storm Dog Stakes where she ran 3rd (behind winner Torch The Flame).
PP 8: TORCH THE FLAME Team NASA
Bred by: wistful3 Jockey: M Zeus (629: 179-130-79, 28% )
Trained by: super7
Odds: 8/1 Rank: 8
Can anyone say 5 for 9? This sophomore has been dynamite all season, raking in 5 wins and 3 seconds out of her 9 starts this year. Try that hat on for consistency! Throw out her dismal run in the G1 1000
So what has the super-filly won? Her 1st graded win came in April’s G2 Storm Dog Stakes over 8F (Hurricane Occy finished 3rd). Four starts later she took home the G2 Roberto Clemente Handicap over 8F with a career best 113sp (Buda For A Day finished 3rd). Last time out she traveled into the winner’s enclosure for the G3 Diana Classic, again over 8F, this time with a 106sp.
PP 9: RUNNING SCARED(ire) Team NASA
Bred & Trained by: crazyjoe Jockey: H McCoy (583: 118-120-67, 20% )
Odds: 9/2 Rank: 38
Running Scared has been tossing around some of the best (and consistent) speed figures out of the 12 fillies in the race – 5 of her last 7 starts had speeds above a 105.
Let’s look at her past 5 starts leading up to Saturday’s big one. In May, crazyjoe’s trainee finished 2nd in the 8F G2 Adelaide Stakes (105sp, Kawayi Ju was 7th). Her next start was a big victory in the 8F G3 Breeder’s Bowl Game with a 109sp. Inspired by the win, crazyjoe entered the mare into the G1 Money Phone Mile, but Running Scared was leg-weary that day finishing a poor 6th (102sp). Two weeks later the mare bounced back in the 8F Smackdown III, blowing down the barn doors for an easy trip to the winner’s circle with a 108sp.
Last time out (think “prep race”), crazyjoe entered Running Scared into an easy low-level stakes event, the 7.5F Warm Warning Stakes where she entered the gates as the even-money favorite. Running Scared coasted home uncontested for the win with a 106sp.
Her handling has been nearly flawless up to the fall races. I hesitate to look elsewhere for Saturday’s winner.
PP 10: TETE OF
Bred & Trained by: wisbyzews Jockey:
Odds: 5/1 Rank: 69
Why is TOG so special you might ask? Well, in trainer Sabbath’s words, “(she is) one of my most precious horses as she is bred from an Equinics winning mare, Tete Grand End.” Now how many babies can say that? Not only that, but her last 3 starts have been stellar resulting in a 3-race winning streak that Sabbath hopes she’s continue onto the Breeder’s Bowl.
When questioned about his training strategy he was quick to correct me and state that in fact there was no strategy at all. In fact his tactics may actually appear a little… untraditional. Here’s what he said, “I’ve been keeping her in sprints & at a lower level up till this race. This is not a strategy to make her better, it’s just because she wasn’t tested enough at sprints as well as trying to get her to regain some of her confidence.”
From the looks of it I’m pretty sure she’s gotten her mojo back. The filly won 3 stakes events prior to the big race: the West Virginia Trap (8.5F), the Desert the King (6F), and most recently the Sadler’s Unbridled Challenge (7.5F). Earlier this year, TOG ran a fast closing 2nd in the G3 A Plus Mile.
… “Wouldn’t that be something…” if she won? Yes, I believe it would be.
PP 11: TRICK MISSY Team ES
Bred by: daydreamer Jockey: M Grunhard (643: 162-123-75, 25% )
Trained by: beefcake9
Odds: 14/1 Rank: 348
The filly is a bit out of her league, but miracles do happen. Her prep race came in the 8F G2 Peppertown Mile in which she was never a threat, finishing 8th. The two starts prior to that race were unrestricted allowance races over 8F; she won both, posting speed figures of 105 and 104. If she can duplicate those then, yes, she’s make a statement on Saturday. But if her prep race (graded company) has anything to say it’s telling me that Trick Missy doesn’t have what it takes to run in this company.
PP 12: THIRTEENTH DATE Team NASA
Bred & Trained by: congie5 Jockey: H Harzheim (649: 184-127-89, 28%)
Odds: 7/2 Rank: 3
Thirteenth Date is one of the more unique mares in this particular event.
o Has only ran 4 times this year
o Has raced against the boys this season… and won
o Is the richest filly in the race with over $2 million in earnings
She brings with her one of the most well-known jockeys in the Sim to boot. I would have loved to pick trainer congie5’s brain, but the trainer could not be found. So I’ll critique her 4 races this year.
After racing in the G1 Breeder’s Bowl Mile last October against the males (finished a slow closing 7th), Thirteenth Date was allowed a 4 month vacation. The mare returned at the end of March in the 8.5F Jonathon’s Cozzene Challenge as the easy favorite, winning with a 100sp. Four weeks later she was entered in the G1 Sydney Mile; It seemed a bit premature to run against the best males in the Sim, but the mare closed rapidly to finish 6th losing by a mere 3 ¾ lengths (105sp). Congie5 didn’t return Thirteenth Date to the track until late June for the G2 Independence Day BB Stakes in which she again closed like a freight train, but ran out of ground finishing 3rd (104sp, Star of Sal was 5th).
Most recently was the “Delpenn Invades Saratoga” meet. Congie5 entered Thirteenth Date in the 8F G2 Yankin’ Your Molars Out against the boys. She didn’t disappoint. At odds of 7/1, Thirteenth Date rallied fiercely from 11 lengths back to steal the show by nearly 2 lengths with a 111sp. Now if only she can repeat that performance in Saturday’s race.
MY THOUGHTS:
Running Scared is my favorite to win. Torch The Flame has great connections and is training amazing right now so I look to her for the upset (at 8/1). I think she’s been trained perfect for this race. I feel that Tete of Gibraltar and Thirteenth Date may bounce after their top performances last time out, but could still get a top 5 finish. Buda For A Day has lost her last 2 races, but is still right on par with these other 4 so I would be shocked to see her miss the top 5 placings.
Good Luck!
*Keely*