The Bargain Bred Classic
Today the sim’s annual Cinderalla story comes to its conclusion. A card full of rags-to-riches horses have had their day in the sun, and now it’s time for the finale. Fourteen horses will run the race of their lives in the 9.5-furlong Bargain Bred Classic.
1 I HAVE NO IDEA Mattress 16/1
This ex-claimer by Dream Run (by Cherokee Run) is a steady earner in long-distance allowances and starter allowances. He very nearly picked up a paycheck in the Bargain BredSummer Classic, but didn’t quite make it. He’s earned his ticket here, but looks to be outclassed by some faster horses. Watch for him to return to more comfortable fields after his day in the spotlight.
2 SKIPS AWAY Gatornavy 19/1
In case you couldn’t guess, this sophomore colt is by Skip Away. He’s been running some very strong races lately, but disappointed with a seventh in the Bargain Bred Summer Classic. He’s happy at this distance and is a nice consistent horse, but the fact that he’s done poorly against many of the horses in this field in the Summer Classic doesn’t bode well for his chances here. A very useful horse, but unlikely to make a big impact this weekend.
3 TEAL TURTLE Bluegoose 12/1
Seven-year-old codger has 45 races under his belt anRd $133k he earned the hard way – in claimers and restricted allowances. Isn’t in the league of the fastest here, but with a strong effort he could just manage to get up for a paycheck. He is by Middlesex Drive (by Pine Bluff) and has a rather wretched jockey on board. Watch for him to come from off the pace as he attempts to pick off some of the early leaders
4 VAINEST Hawkz1 18/1
Hawkz bred this son of West Cork (by Kris S) and has held on to the four-year-old ever since. The colt has run quite solidly in claiming company, but so far Hawkz has been lucky and no one has snatched him up. Vainest ran a struggling 11th in last year’s Bargain Bred Classic and I suspect that’s a pretty good sign of how well he’s up to this kind of company. Nothing wrong with the colt, though, who in the right company rarely leaves the track without a paycheck.
5 WANAMINGO Mogulaxias 14/1
Mogulaxias has owned this four-year-old son of Tracker (by Gone West) for all of his 15 starts. The colt has been successful in claiming and starter allowance fields and gamely managed to hang on for fifth in the Bargain Bred Summer Classic. This is a tougher race and bigger field than the Summer Classic, so he’ll need to reach very deep to do as well. Jockey could be better, and the colt may find himself in need of better assistance as he picks his way through crowds in the stretch.
6 SENSELESSNESS Reallycute 15/1
This four-year-old son of Abou el Abed (by Halo) was doing pretty well in allowance and starter company….then he came to the Bargain Bred Summer Classic. He ran 8th of 9 there and hasn’t run since — a break of 2 months. He seems fit now, but probably needs a tuneup before he can give his best effort. On top of that, he’s already shown once that he didn’t much care for running against this crowd. One way or another, though, he’ll get a nice workout this weekend and will be ready to start doing some damage again in future races
7 AMBER NET Lgbost9y 41/1
Halfway through the field, we come across an afwesome cheap claimer – a terrific horse who has won 6 of ten starts. He’s been placed carefully and well through his career and it has paid off for the five owners he’s had so far. Don’t expect too much of him in this field, but if you ever see him running in a claimer, go ahead and drop a claim slip for him. This colt is by Equinox (by Unbridled’s Song).
8 STUCK IN LODI Jdcola 14/1
This lightly-raced four-year-old is by Deputy Slew (whose breeding you can probably guess). He’s made his name in mid-level claimers and some allowances, with some success – five times on the board in 15 starts. His speed figures are perfectly respectable, but this is a very tough field for him. Don’t expect him to embarrass himself, but he’s probably not destined to be at the top of the heap here, either.
9 QUART LOW Sanatarium 16/1
Here’s an intriguing three-year-old who’s been running some nice races lately. This son of Desert Darby (by Sheikh Albadou) has been first or second in four of six starts, all in MSW or allowance company. He disappointed last time out in the Del Penn Travers, but other than that he’s been improving steadily as he stretches out. Has a respectable jockey aboard. He’ll be at or near the early lead and will seek to hold on. He seems like great value at 16/1, and I won’t be a bit surprised if he runs very well this weekend.
10 IONIC GLOW Marks2 15/1
This veteran five-year-old son of Storm Walk (by Storm Bird) hasn’t won anything in quite a while, but he hits the top five pretty regularly. He’s happy at this distance and is capable of running fast enough to hit the board. He’ll need his top effort to see his number posted, but with a decent jockey aboard it’s a possibility. Watch for him to break very alertly and try to hold on.
11 CRASS BLOW Thegael 99/1
99/1? Well he’s not really [i]that[/i] bad, though I hardly expect him to have his photo taken this weekend. This 8 year old son of Raise a Chief (by Chieftan) has won a MSW and might be up to winning some restricted claimers here and there. He’s been earning his keep so far, which is all that really matters. Not going to be his weekend this time out, but maybe another day.
12 ROAD TO CONGRESS Aphill4 99/1
Again, this horse isn’t quite as awful as the odds might suggest. He ran a mid-80s speed figure and won the race in his first dirt route outing. Star Programmer (by Storm Cat) horse looks potentially useful, though he’s unlikely to be able to compete with the best here.
13 LAGER Stablebums 7/2
13 horses in and for the first time, we’re seeing single digit odds. This Banker’s Gold (by Forty Niner) four-year-old has been first or second in 12 of 18 starts – not too shabby! A deserving favorite, he consistently posts triple-digit speed figures these days, which puts him head and shoulders above the rest of this crowd. One caveat is that in the Summer Classic he was only second best, so he’s not unbeatable, even in this company. Still, he’s a virtual lock for hitting the board and has a great shot at winning. 15% winning jockey certainly helps. He’s an excellent example of how nice a bargain baby can be
14 HUSTLIN HOOSIER Kk1039 6/1
Hustlin Hoosier is by Finder’s Gold (by Seeking the Gold) and is another nice bargain baby. He ran third in the BB Summer Classic and has been running with mixed success in stakes races. This is a nice distance for him and his 24% winning jock should help him make his way to the front after a slow-ish start. A strong race could get his number on the board. Some questions of slowing down after 45 starts, but he doesn’t look like it’s affected him too much yet.
15 LOCAL DELEGATOR Foxon6 6/1
Foxon himself bred this son of Hanging Road (by Gulch). The convincing winner of the BB Summer Classic, he has shown that he is quite capable of putting away the horses in this field. He’s coming off a tough loss in an overnight stakes, but has had a nice rest after that debacle. He’s come from a claiming and starter allowance background, where he has won 9 of 17. Prior to this last race, he won six in a row, only one of which was even remotely close. If he can find his prior form, he will be extremely tough to beat in this race.
16 REAL IRISH SPIRIT Trembling 5/1
This guy ran sixth in last year Bargain Classic. He’s dipped his toes in the water of everything from cheap claimers to restricted stakes and has earned himself a respectable race record in the process. The horse is a four-year-old son of Sunray Spirit (by Hennessy), who is a versatile dirt runner. A top effort could get him on the board, but he seems to struggle as the company gets up to this level and the race may be a bit long for him. Another nice bargain baby who can make his owner as well as his breeder proud.
Best of luck to the trainers and many thanks to Knightmare for putting this series together and spotlighting some of the sim’s more interesting pedigrees.