Commoners Become Queen for a Day in BB Distaff
Fourteen ugly ducklings have found their way to swanhood and are ready to fly in the Bargain Bred Series’ Cemetary Winter Distaff. These fillies will run 9 furlongs on the dirt and one peasant mare will be crowned queen for a day at the finish line.
1 AMBERLEIGH FLAME Leeclaim 15/1
Flame Thrower’s daughter has hit the board in ten of 23 starts. She started life as a modest claimer, but was too much for those ranks and moved on to allowance races. She’s been a solid performer ever since. She’s probably not quite quick enough to beat the best here and her mediocre jock won’t help as much as she’d need. Still, she should run solidly and after her day in the limelight will go back to being a solid wage-earner.
2 MN UPPERCUT Lgbost 14/1
Modestly-bred mare has run up until now for the Kaif empire, but was recently aquired by Lgbost for this race. She’s by the Nijinsky son Stack and has been a very solid runner in mid-level claimers. She’s probably just a hair outclassed in this one, but she’s accomplished a great deal after her modest birth.
3 DODGE THE VICAR Tyr 9/2
The morning line cofavorite has run some lovely races at 10-12 furlongs, but is potentially a bit shakier at 9. She’s still no slouch at this distance, however, and is quite capable of hitting the board with a strong race. She likes to stalk the pace and may not have quite enough time to chase down the leaders today. Weak rider doesn’t help things. A strong effort will get her on the board, but the race isn’t ideally suited to her.
4 WONNABY MAROONED Wonnaby 10/1
Wonnaby’s filly has hit the board in 8 of 9 starts, but the bad news is, they’ve all been at least a furlong longer than this one. Still, there’s no real reason to believe the daughter of Ihtiram can’t shorten up a furlong. It’s brand new for her, so she’s not a good bet, but if she perks up just a hair with the shorter distance she will be a real threat. An interesting one to keep an eye on.
5 SHADOWY MUFF Deadman 9/2
The second cofavorite is coming off a huge win in the Bargain Summer Distaff, where she posted a 102 fig and won by a comfortable 1 ¾ lengths. By the Slew son Shadow in the Dark, this stalker has been looking very strong lately. She’s made most of her money sprinting, but has shown that she’s no slouch going past a mile. She’s coming off a lengthy 8-week layoff, but if she’s fit she’ll be very dangerous.
6 PIEBALD MAZE Jdoggtx 6/1
This Maze Craze daughter is a veteran of 36 starts, but shows no sign of slowing down yet. She finished a competitive third to Shadowy Muff in the Bargain Summer Distaff and won the Death Valley Distaff a while back. She’s struggled a bit in open company, but seems comfortable when taking on other bargain-breds. She’s landed a very nice jockey, who can help her navigate through traffic to make her stretch run. With a strong effort, she could definitely find her number on the board.
7 GYRON Verywide 11/1
Four-year-old by the Mr. P son, Our Emblem, has hit the board in 9 of 13 starts so far. She disappointed in the BB Summer Distaff, but has run some nice races since then. She managed to score a spectacular jockey in I Thomas, who should help bring out her best effort. Her speed figures are a bit shy of what they’ll need to be to hit the board here, but maybe that terrific rider will be enough to get her a paycheck.
8 TAP DANCER SEMVI Popsracing 19/1
One of the longer shots in the field, this mare has been extremely successful in her low-claiming niche. She’s by the Nijinsky II son Fred Astaire and has excelled at long route races. This isn’t likely to be her best place to shine, but she’s a terrifically useful mare in the right race.
9 BEROSUS Fritzieqk 12/1
Sophomore filly has really come into her own in her last two races. After finishing second in the BB Summer Distaf, she won a 10-furlong allowance handily. Her speed figures have been improving, and she’s won three of her last five by daylight. I really like her a lot at this price and won’t be a bit surprised if this stretch-runner takes the race. She is by the Broad Brush son Best of Luck.
10 GERMANIC BLUEPRINT Redbirduk 23/1
It’s been a while since this longshot has hit the board, but with only 2 dirt starts lifetime, it’s a reasonable idea for her to take another shot at the main track. By the Danzig son Perugino, she has 34 career starts under her belt. Doesn’t look like her ideal race, but she’s another useful bargain-bred horse who should enjoy her day in the spotlight.
11 GERMAN MIME Sooners28 28/1
Poor gal gets no respect at the windows or with her jock assignment. Though I don’t expect her to blow anyone away this weekend, she’s better than her odds look. She’s posted a 97 fig in the not-too-distant past, which would put her among the better horses in the field. More typically, she runs in the upper 80s, which wouldn’t hit the board here, but is comparable to several other mares here. Her record isn’t too shabby either, she’s been on the board in 10 of 17 starts, with much of her success coming in mid-level claimers. A daughter of Xenomania, who is in turn by L’ENJOLEUR.
12 HHMM Albarace2 12/1
It’s been a while since this five-year-old daughter of Muhtathir (by Elmaamul) has hit the board, but she’s capable of some perfectly respectable speed figures. Though she runs decent numbers, she rarely manages to seal the deal and ran disappointingly in the Bargain Summer Distaff. Could do some damage with a top effort, but I just don’t see it coming this time around.
13 GUESSS Albarace1 12/1
Albarace also sends this homebred Full Mandate (by A.P. Indy) mare. Though she has an impressive $200,000+ bankroll, she hasn’t hit the board in quite a while. Over her career, she’s done very well given her breeding, but I don’t see any signs that she’s going to fire huge this weekend.
14 SO DO I Plong 8/1
Last but not least is this Krusenstern (by Mr. Prospector) mare. She picks up regular paychecks in allowance company and occasionally puts forth a very strong race. Her typical speed figures in the .high 80s won’t get it done, but she’s a rock-solid earner for her stable who will likely go back to getting steady checks for her stable.
What fun to see so many inexpensively-bred mares having such nice careers. No, there aren’t any Breeders Bowl horses here, but every one of them is a useful animal. It’s a well-matched group that should make for an exciting finish.