Trio Of Three Year-Olds Try Older In The Cougar’s Bite Classic
Trio Of Three Year-Olds Try Older In The Cougar’s Bite Classic
“He started out his career a very modest horse indeed, with a breeding that reads cheap
Be a native Californian, I wanted to use a Golden Eagle Farm stallion and Half Term was the cheapest I could find. I used Ballydoyle for the Northern Dancer cross that has worked so well in the sim and completed the breeding using Raise A Native son I’m Snake Bit.
He showed much promise finishing 2nd in a MSW (I’m thankful I didn’t run him in the claiming race I had planned) and won at second asking. Trying to find his best surface, I switched him to the turf in his 3rd start and he won again. He progressed through the allowance ranks running a 116 sp winning a NW4L and I knew I had something special. I put him in the Panhandle Derby a grade 3 race and he won with a sparkling 120 sp. It was off to test the best older horses in the prestigious Eclipse stakes, a Grade 1 affair, and he won gate to wire in
He finished his career with a record of 31 starts 10-7-2-2-3 and earning of $1,356,755. He won 2 grade 1 races, a grade 3 race and several in the money finishes in graded company. He will go down as my best bargain bred ever and possibly one of the sims best too.
He didn’t get much recognition in the game, but he was sure fun to watch on Saturday.”
With that said – here is a look at the field for The Cougar’s Bite Classic.
In post one is Hawkz Quest (15/1), a 4YO dark bay colt by Hawker’s News. Owned and trained by Wariuz, this colt has won three of his 13 starts and his last win was at 10 furlongs and he won The Son Paint, also at 10 furlongs. However, he met many of these same horses in The Hunt Turf Cup, and finished well back.
Pepe’s Pipes (5/1) is by Singingintherain and is a well-conformed bay horse that is conditioned by Dundey5. The 6 YO has won 12/41 starts and although they were in allowance races, he took the field wire to wire. He will probably use his speed to try and do the same on Saturday. Unfortunately he also finished well back in The Hunt Turf Cup against this same type of horse.
The copper chestnut, Saint Royale (23/1) is by Saint Cyrien and is trained by Rapt. He is relatively lightly raced and has won three of his 15 starts but more impressive is that he has only been out of the money four times. His last win was three back at 13 furlongs and that is a lot longer than this race. But, he has won at 11 and if his rider can shake him up early enough he might surprise.
Clearance Clearence (8/1) will break from post four. He is a 6 YO horse by Storm Of Indya and he has one of the top speed figures in the race. His only win in the past year was an allowance race which he won with a 105. That is pretty darn good in any company and trainer Vimes feels he can do it again. The light chestnut has won five of his 38 starts and more importantly he has finished second in his last two starts, The Wombat Cup and The BBRS Special. This is another that the rider is going to have to hustle along early as the distance may be too short although he does show a win at 9 1/2.
Prospotze will lead up Polo Player (23/1) one of only three 3 YO’s in the race. The blood bay colt is by Persian Turban and has won two of his eight starts and finished in the money in five of them. He has some gas and in his last win he took the field gate to wire at 10 furlongs. His only bad race was last time out and he may not have been asked by his trainer, in preparation for this race.
Posting three victories this year, Sleep To Dream (7/1) has won nine of 49 starts and trainer Edburgart knows that each race could be his last. At 8 years old and with Saturday’s race being his 50th start, we were told by his connections, that he’s got his share of wear and tear. Edburgart is hoping Dreamer is ready for at least one more big effort.
Cold Steel II (8/1) is also a rather old guy at seven. By Vittori, the big bay horse has won 11 from 39 starts and has won two of is four starts on the grass including last time out when he wired the field in a $20,000 claimer. Actually this Jdoggtx trainee has only one bad race showing and that was when he was jumped up in class. He fits rather nicely with these.
In post eight will be Minnesota Land (23/1) a 4 YO bay colt by Lando. Trained by Alba2 he has only won two of his 18 lifetime starts but he does like the distance. He will need to really step it up if he wants to get part of this. The trainer assured me the colt has been training well and expects a food effort.
Dicktator (61/1) is the second of the trio of 3 YO’s and is trained by Ohtogo. The longshot of the group, this big red colt by Yamanin Vital is lightly raced with only eight starts to his name. He’s won two of his last four and didn’t like the “good turf” last time out so if you throw that race out, this is an improving colt that could surprise.
The only filly and the last of the 3 YO’s, is Sister Rocky (17/1), a lanky dark bay filly by Tenby. She’s started ten times and won her last three in a row at distances of 9, 10, and 11 furlongs. This is the first time she will be facing the boys and she hasn’t raced since last August when she grabbed her quarter coming out of the gate. Trained by Peachman2, this filly has improving numbers and hopefully she races well fresh.
Wagon Master will be represented by Nopalito Medic (15/1) a 5 YO brown horse who has won six of 22, four of them in his last eight. He finished third last time out in The Wombat Cup over a “good turf” course and that is the worst finish he has had in his last eight races. The Lgbost9a trainee is in good form and should get part
The morning line favorite is Ten Lost Pyramids (2/1), a handsome bay, 4YO colt by Tenpins. He’s won four of fourteen and been in the money in all but four. Five of his last eight races earned him triple digit speed figures and he was the winner of The Hunt Turf Cup where he beat many of the horses in this field. He earned a 107 when he lost by a short head last time out at slightly longer and if he doesn’t bounce of that effort, he is certainly the one to beat. Ten Lost Pyramids is conditioned by Curiostud.
Standing next to the favorite in the gate will be the longshot De Hawk (70/1) from the stable of Stonewall7. A gawky 4 YO bay colt he has only started five times and is still learning the ropes. But he’s a fast one and has never been worse than second in those five starts and he’s won two of them. The son of Saddler Slew won by 17 lengths last time out, in a four horse race over a two mile course. But, he has also won a mile and this horse looks to have a nice future. This one might be worth a play.
Gallic Charm (13/1) will break from the outside and is a 4 YO son of Silic. The brown colt has only one win in the past year but has been racing against much tougher fields. He finished third in the Grade I, Godzilla vs. The World and followed that with a second in The Saint Dangerous next time out. He hasn’t done much since but trainer Alba1 tells us that he has been training well and could come up with a big one.
That is the field that will go to the post on Saturday. Good Luck to all.