THIS WEEK IN MINNESOTA—WEEK 3434

While the buzz around the track is gearing up to next weeks Minnesota Festival Day of Racing there is action this Saturday at Minnesota Downs hilited by the 10th race feature, The Dynaform Carcass Challenge stakes. This race will run 6 furlongs on the Supertoy7 Marshall Turf course and offers a purse of $55,000. A field of 6 3yo+ horses have passed the entry box.

Let’s take a look at today’s field:

1)GOLD SPIRIT—EVEN—scarrose sends this 4 year old colt out of AMERICAN SPIRIT with a record of 21-5-2-4 and lifetime earnings of $122,821. This 1635th divisional ranked colt races for the Colocouger stables that are proud supporters of The Bargain Bred Racing Series. This colt was unraced as a 2 year old and won 2 of his 3 starts last year in his 3 year old campaign. This year he has he has had a busy racing year and will be making his 19th start for the season. He has posted 3 wins so far with 2 allowance wins and a stake win in his last start where he won The Memphis Vampire Stakes over 6.5 furlongs on the dirt in Connecticut. He posted his lifetime best 113 speed rating earlier this year while winning an allowance race over 6.5 furlongs in Oklahoma. The only question about this colt is why he is switching to the turf today after being successfull on the dirt in his recent starts. His only other turf start in his career was a long route where he finished 3rd albeit many lengths behind the winner. This colt is a closer who usually sits midpack early in the race. The rider for today’s race will be Adams (9.6%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—106*(DIRT RATING—TURF?)

2)SPRITE REMIX—6/1—lgbost2y sends this 4 year old colt out of  SPREIGHTSTOWN with a record of 33-6-2-4 and lifetime earnings of $101,210. This 261st divisional ranked colt races out of the unafilliated Lgbost stables. This colt had 1 win in 7 starts as a 2 year old and that was his maiden win on the dirt. Last year he picked up 3 wins including an overnite turf sprint stakes in Jamaica. This year he has added a pair of allowance wins to his record. He posted his lifetime best 100 speed rating almost one year ago to this date and that is his only triple digit speed rating recorded in his career so far. His best races have come when he has stalker or pressed the early pace and you can usually tell right from the start whether or not this colt is on his game on any given day. The rider for today’s race will be Cothill (15.9%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—94.

3)IRON ASSEMBLY—4/1—ironmike2 sends this 4 year old colt out of CRAFTY PROSPECTOR with a record of 25-4-1-6 and lifetime earnings of $82,798. He is out of the mare HARD PLATE who was 7/25 at the track and who has 4 foals on record of which 2 are winners. This 206th divisional ranked colt races for the Iron Racing Stables based over at Del/Penn National. This colt was 0/2 in his 2 year old season while racing on the dirt and he would break his maiden in his 2nd start last year which was his turf debut. He would only win one more race as a 3 year old, that coming in an allowance race on a sloppy dirt track. This year he has raced exclusively on the turf and has picked up a pair of allowance wins, those coming last march. He has raced in stakes races for his last 7 starts and has picked up four 3rd place finishes in that time. He posted his lifetime best 102 speed rating while finishing 3rd on a turf listed as good in Georgia’s The Solid Gold Bonanza stakes over 6 furlongs. This closer sits way back early in the race and saves his best run for the stretch drive. The jockey for today’s race will be Friar (17.6%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—96

4)BARKIAVELIAN—8/1—ell1919 sends this 5 year old horse out of DONERAILE COURT with a record of 41-8-7-2 and lifetime earnings of $103,058. This 1848th divisional ranked horse races for the Ell1919 Racing Stables based over at The Great Plains Residency. This colt won his turf debut in his 3rd lifetime start as a 2 year old for his maiden win. As a 3 year old he ran for a tag as low as $2500 and won 3 races of which one was a claimer and the other 2 starter allowances. Last year he picked up a starter allowance and a restricted allowance win and has won a pair of high end claiming races so far this season. In fact his current owner picked this horse up for a claiming price of $50K 3 start ago. Since then he has run twice in an allowance and stake start picking up minor cheques in both races. He posted his lifetime best 98 speed rating way back in November of 2005 on an off turf course and has never posted a triple digit speed rating so far in his career. His best races have come with closing style efforts. The rider for today’s race will be Ritterspauch (4.8%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—92.

5)GONE SHARP TED—3/1—tcopyright sends this 4 year old colt out of GONE WEST with a record of 32-4-5-5 and lifetime earnings of $75,604. This 213th divisional ranked colt races for the Tsyndicate stables based over at Del/Penn National. This colt had a single late season start as a 2 year old and broke his maiden in his 6th start in his 3 year old campaign and his second after switching to the turf course. That would be his only win last year and this year he has added 3 allowance wins to his record. He will be making his stakes debut in this race today. He posted his lifetime best speed rating of 101 earlier this year and recorded his 2nd triple digit speed rating when posting a mark of 100 last time out in a turf sprint allowance in New York. This colt does have early speed and will be out early, but may be pressed by the outside horse in this race here today. The rider for today’s race will be Bowen (19.8%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—100.

6)POWER ATTACK—12/1—purpledaze sends this 4 year old colt out of STORM CAT with a record of 9-2-1-0 and lifetime earnings of $46,559. He is out of the he-mare LUCKY MON who was 8/39 at the track. This 1170th divisional ranked colt races for the NWRC division of the Lucky Stables. This colt has had a very light racing schedule in his career. He won his only 2 year old start, an MSW sprint on the dirt. Last year he was winless in 4 starts and he has alternated running on the dirt and turf in his 4 starts so far this year. He picked up his first turf win last time out winning a NW2L allowance in Connecticut where he matched his lifetime best 93 speed rating. He has shown speed in his recent starts and will likely be trying to cut the early fractions in this race today. The rider for today’s race will be Pannier (4.9%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—91.

There are no horses eligible for the Minnesota Downs 200 credit purse supplement in this race today.

Well if you think #1GOLD SPIRIT can duplicate his dirt form on the turf then even money may be the way to go but if you don’t you may try to find something a bit more pricier with the turf runners in this race today.

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE MINNESOTA DOWNS RESIDENCY THIS WEEK

The residence’s big raceday of the year goes next week with 16 restricted races for Minnesota Downs residents hilited by The $1,000,000 Minnesota Derby and The $1,000,000 Minnesota Classic. A note to all residents that the passwords will be up on the resident message board on Sunday morning. It should be a great day of racing and is the hilite of the racing season at Minnesota Downs.

Minnesota Downs Inc. has announced a new special raceday next summer (date to be announced soon) called The Minnesota Summer Dirt Championships. There will be 6 Grade I races open to all with $1,000,000 purses featuring 2 year old dirt sprints, 3 year old dirt routes and an older open dirt sprint and route. Negotiations are now underway with DerbyFever officials to see if the annual Claiming Crown races can be put on the card to make it a special summer event in the sim.

The 13 leg of the Minnesota Sire Series 2 for Gulch sired horses goes as the 16th race this week with the series leader Ridin’ Shotgun’s trainer informing that he is taking a gamble and running his horse on groggy status after his mishap last time out. Hopefully the horse will manage to be ok in the race but it does change the outlook of this competition with 8 races to go.

The winner of the high speed rating contest last week was Theo with his horse Captain Ulysses who posted a 110 speed rating.

An update of the annual contests will be included with next weeks article as at that time there will be only 2 racing weeks left for the 2007 campaign.

Minnesota Downs Inc. is working on it’s 2008 contest schedule right now and should have an announcement in the last week of this year’s season.

GOOD LUCK AND GOOD RACING

THEO