Breeders Bowl Undercard Youth Turf Sprint Grade III
The first race to get the big day going in New Jersey this Breeders Bowl week will be run over 4.5f and open to all 2yos, going around on the turf track. Fine weather is expected for the day’s racing, and this Grade III event worth $125,000 should be an exciting one to get things underway. Most of the field have been showing a lot of early speed in their races, which is probably what has led their trainers to select this short race for them. But with so much speed in the race, who will get to the front, and whoever it is, will they have used up too much getting there? Here is a brief run down on the 14 starters…
PP 1 SJ’S GHOSTZAPPER(KY) (GHOSTZAPPER x SILVER GHOST x DANZIG)ufslfarms ID#139323 5/1
Showed great potential from his first ever start back on the last day of March this year when he was narrowly beaten over 5.5f running an SP 72 on dirt. He managed to run that again in his second start, but this time was able to get the prize over half a furlong shorter, and followed that up with another win in a restricted allowance. Struggled when sent over 7.5f in tougher company, fading in a listed stakes to run 10th. Made the switch to turf 2 starts ago and responded with a sharp improvement narrowly missing in the Their Form Challenge, before breaking through last time in a small field to open up a big break from the gate and carrying it through to the wire in an impressive display. This is much harder, but boasts the best career SP in the field of 87 from two starts ago. Will be tough to beat.
PP 2 BADGEOFTHEWEST(KY) (BADGE OF SILVER x GONE WEST x PLEASANT COLONY) lawyerron ID#106990 9/1
Drops back significantly in distance after not getting the 8.5f last time out when 12th in the Grade III Flying Saucer. Before that he missed by a head in making it three stakes wins in four starts, when he just couldn’t quite peg back the leader. Looked flashy when winning the Ratty Dancer Special and the Boundless Republic Challenge, leading from the gate and opening up big margins before winning comfortably. Those were separated by a respectable 3rd place in the Grade III Feeling Bad Stakes. Has a lot of early speed, but will need to use all of it in order to settle in front here. Should be suited by the drop back in distance and has a career best SP of 78.
PP3 ROYAL SEA EAGLE(ENG) (DOYEN (IRE) x KINGMAMBO x STORM BIRD) benway ID#136989 15/1
The only filly in the field, lines up for her 10th start against the boys for the first time, and coming off a competitive 2nd place in the Rancid Achiever Bonanza against a field of 4. She is the 4th offspring from the dam Osprey, of which 2 others have been winners, and she is the first to become placed at stakes level. Looks bred to get longer trips, but has shown a lot of early speed, having not settled worse than 2nd position in the first half of any of her races to date. Was well beaten 2 starts ago at graded level over the mile, and before that ran an SP 78 in placing in the Bounded Shin Challenge when she reached the lead before the stretch but was run down by a late closer. Her SPs have plateaued in the 4 runs, notching 73s and 74s each time. Will need to find some improvement to challenge this field, despite looking like a handy filly.
PP4 LIFE IS A STORM(KY) (STORM CAT x RAHY x DANZIG) ticketman0 ID#104888 8/1
After winning her first start on dirt, she was switched to turf and didn’t disappoint, bringing home the Tolerant Car Memorial stakes over 6f. Next up he found his Grade II assignment back on dirt a little challenging, when made the early running, but faded to 9th by the wire. Again he switched back to the turf and fronted up in the Smackdown over 7f, but just faded once more to finish a respectable 5th, running an SP 81. Stepped up to the mile and didn’t respond too well, finishing 4th in a field of 5, but last start relished the shorter trip, going all the way from the gate to take home the Judge Melody Memorial. In 6 starts he is yet to fail to find the lead at some stage of the race, so he should be hard to beat for front running honours again here and looks well suited with the drop back to 4.5f.
PP5 KING KAMEHAMERAT(JPN) (KING KAMEHAMEHA(JPN) x PENTELICUS x RIVERMAN) darnath ID#138179 10/1
Started his career with a win on an off track in California and has been sent out in tough races in all of his 7 starts since, managing to take out the Randy West Challenge 3 starts ago and followed that up with a career best SP 81 to run 2nd in the Ray Jackson Special. Last time out he only battled in the Grade I World Cup Juvy Turf Sprint, beaten just over 4 lengths, but finishing in 10th place after being prominent early on. He is his sire’s lone stakes winner so far for this season’s crop and has finished runner up in 3 stakes races in addition to his one winner’s cap. Will be another who should make a charge for the front running, and has the form that suggests he could be thereabouts again.
PP6 NOETIC WELLS(IRE) (SADLER’S WELLS x MIZZEN MAST x FORTY NINER) okiedokie ID#139700 14/1
This light grey colt is the second runner from dam, Noetic Scales, who was a dual stakes winning mare and competent on either turf or dirt. His only career win to date came at his first start over 6f in a MSW, and he was placed in his follow up in a listed stakes in a field of 5. Two further unsuccessful attempts in stakes followed that, before he was dropped back into allowance grade for his last two starts for a 2nd and an 8th. He ran his career best SP last time over a mile with a 77, and his worst result was over his shortest race trip. Might find this too short, and a few of these a bit too slick.
PP7 TAKAPAPER(PA) (SONG OF THE SWORD x DANEHILL x A.P. INDY) oxymoron ID#142454 13/1
Lightly raced colt having just his 4th start today, having won his first 2 by narrow margins over 6f. Last time out he managed to find a rare small graded field with only 5 runners, and ran an SP 75 in finishing 2nd, beaten 2 lengths. Drops back from the 7.5f of his last run which shouldn’t do him any harm, and he is one who could sit back worse than midfield and try and finish over the top of the early speedsters. Is the son of bargain sire Song of the Sword and game dam, Atakapa, who won 2 races from 13 starts. Seems to have inherited some of his grand ancestors’ ability which is fortunate, and shapes as a danger horse who could surprise.
PP8 RAINBOW REACTION(ENG) (RAINBOW QUEST x FUSAICHI PEGASUS x LEAR FAN) siriusflit ID#109426 8/1
Since having won his first 2 starts before the end of March, he has gone on a 9 month drought ever since, despite a couple of close misses. Last time he was tried on dirt without success, fading throughout to finish 4th in a field of 6. Prior to that he had 6 starts on turf for a record of 2-3-0, and his only ITM miss being a competitive 6th in the Grade III Up North Juvenile where he ran his career best SP 81. Despite his breeding suggesting he should go further than a mile, his 3 starts over 5f have returned a record of 3 2-1-0, so he obviously has a liking for sprints in this early stage of his career, and despite not having won for quite a while, he must be considered some chance to get back in the winner’s circle.
PP9 LIMEHIGH(KY) (LIMEHOUSE x HIGH YIELD x COASTAL) jdawg11 ID#41386 28/1
One of the outsiders of the field is winless on turf and has a top SP of only 72 so far, but still managed to finish 3rd in the same Grade III race that TAKAPAPER is coming through, so can’t be dismissed altogether. Three most recent runs have been on turf and although not having crossed the line in front, he began with a 6th of 7 in a Grade III over 5f on an off track where he managed to hold a narrow lead for much of the race, but just got run over before turning into the stretch. He has since been the early leader again in his two latest starts, firstly, he narrowly missed in a restricted allowance when just pipped on the wire, and then faded in the stretch last time to finish 3rd, beaten by 4 lengths over 7.5f. Looks to be a little bit shy of this sort of class so would need to show a significant improvement, but has been placed at this level, and the shorter trip could suit with his early speed.
PP10 LARGENT(ENG) (DANSILI (GB) x RAINBOW QUEST x SEATTLE SLEW) wtas02 ID#142389 9/2
The top ranked runner going around today is also the morning line favourite, fresh from his 3rd placing in the Grade I Juvy Turf Sprint where he found the early lead in a hotly contested race, and went down by under 1 length. Before that he hit an off track in the Royal Saturn Bonanza, but he ploughed through in an all the way win, drawing away in the final stages. He broke his maiden in his second start, where he kicked away by over 4 lengths mid way through the race, to ease down for a comfortable win, and his first up career start saw him once again take up the running, but he was knocked over in the stretch, finishing 2nd. His dam, Northwest Passer, had moderate success, winning 5 from 53, and topping $100k in earnings, all wins came in routes. With a stack of early front runners doing battle for prime position, this guy looks like he could be hard to hold out, having come off a Grade I where he found the lead, and he will surely take a huge effort to run down.
PP11 GIFT CERTIFICATE(FL) (MONTBROOK x ROYAL SKI x LEO CASTELLI) vermacht ID#135013 10/1
Opened up his account in March with a win at his first start, on dirt, going 5f on an off track, with a mighty SP 70 for that time of year. Couldn’t follow it up when sent straight to a Grade III at his next try, finishing 13th. Switched to turf for his 3rd start, he finished 3rd on an off track, again hitting an SP 70. Led all the way next time out over 6.5f in a listed stakes, and was pipped on the line after a similar tactic was employed in The Mile Special. Found the extra trip just beyond him when going 8.5f next time out, and was dominant 2 starts ago when he ran an SP 83 over a mile in restricted allowance company. Most recently he made ground in the stretch, again on the off track, but couldn’t reel in the two leaders when 3rd in a field of 4. Has shown some versatile running styles, so he would probably be best advised to head back out of the trouble early here and try and finish over the top.
PP12 NEPTUNE’S HERO(KY) (ANDROMEDA’S HERO x CRUSADER SWORD x STORM BIRD) opinora ID#135640 17/1
Just managed to do enough last time over 5.5f in the Her Counties Stakes when held on by a nose with an SP 76. This result was quite the reversal from his previous run when he struggled over the second half of the race and finished last in the Their Form Challenge, where SJ’S GHOSTZAPPER(KY) went on to finish second. That was preceded by a handy stakes 3rd place going 5.5f and an allowance win going the same distance for his first try on turf. His first 2 runs on dirt were in stark contrast – winning his first race of the freshman sires series, before being well beaten into 10th in the follow up. Would need to show a bit more of a step up in speed stats to figure in this, having only improved from his first start SP 69 back in March to his last start 76 in September. His dam was a stakes winning sprinter, which could suggest he is capable of flying around the short journey he gets here.
PP13 I. M. WRIGHT(AUS) (FLYING SPUR(AUS) x AWESOME AGAIN x GRAND LODGE (IRE)) slewbacca ID#20879 7/1
Ultra-consistent in his 4 starts to date, having won 3 of them and finishing 2nd in the other, and following up his debut SP 72 with 3 SP 80s in a row. Followed up his comfortable maiden win in June with a smashing Allowance win by 3 lengths. Stepped up to 7.5f for his stakes debut in the Turfstar, but was run down and solidly beaten into 2nd place by the subsequent winner of the World Cup Turf Juvy Mile. Last start saw him settle back in 3rd place early, but then charge away in the stretch to win by 1 3/4 lengths in the Joseph’s Pride Special over 7f. His he-dam was a good performer in dirt sprints, and he appears to be content with either taking up the lead or just a handy position to it. Is looking to break through the SP 80 barrier here, as that is what it will take to win this, and his results so far have been encouraging. One of the top chances.
PP14 BLUEBALL(PA) (SIPHON(BRZ) x COLONIAL AFFAIR x CONQUISTADOR CIELO) amish ID#136275 32/1
This colt should feel right at home over the 4.5f furlongs, having never gone more than 5.5f in his 6 starts. Struggled badly at his first start on dirt when making his debut, he quickly turned that around with an all the way win in a MSW on turf at his next start. He took his winning form and turned it into stakes placing form with a 3rd in the Illini Hank(GB) Challenge in Maryland. Dropping back to allowance he disappointed with a 7th place finish 3 starts ago, but then reversed that form with another all the way win, with an SP 76. Last time he repeated that for a 2nd in the Dentist(IRE) Bonanza. Will have a tough ask to be able to match it with some of these for the early speed, and although he has proven to be a lot better than his humble breeding might suggest, he will need to find an extra gear to challenge here.
Selections
1st – 10
2nd – 1
3rd – 4
4th – 13
Good luck to all