Delpenn Distaff

Post Position

Horse

1

121761 BALANCE(KY)

First cab off the rank for this years running of the Delpenn Distaff is one of the outsiders: BALANCE. This Thunder Gulch x Kris S. 3yo comes into the race following up a solid run in the G2-Gowader Stakes where she posted a career best speed of 102 to hang on to third. Working against her are: her previous graded form, which is not good and her runs at 9f where she has yet to break out of the 80s. Definitely an outsider but good luck to her connections.

2

72067 TITANIA(KY)

TITANIA (Kingmambo x Cat Thief) is the first of two Rafa Stables entries in this years race (the other being SEGURA). She comes in the less fancied of the two by the bookies, but is not over-matched here by a long-shot. Two starts back she won at this distance in scintillating fashion and last start was not far off in graded company where she succumbed to a late charge in the G3-Annie Oakley Stakes. She’ll need her very best here today as she’s up against some pretty tough elders, but of the 3yos perhaps only the number five and fourteen horses have a better chance.

3

125780  SUPER ALLIANCE(KY)

Its not often you can say that a horse from the ‘Super’ conglomerate is merely making up the numbers, but I fear that’s the case today with SUPER ALLIANCE. This Dixie Union x Alydar 3yo has had a horror run of late. Things looked so much better early on in the year when a decent run of form culminated in her taking out the G2-First State Oaks over 8.5f. Since then she’s seemed rather content with her achievements in life, putting in a string of lackluster performances in which she’s failed to beat more than a handful of horses home. I’m not willing to rule out any miracles but it’s hard to give this once promising filly much more than a flukes chance. Not today, but good luck to her owners.

4

107859  SUICIDAL PLANE

SUICIDAL PLAN (Meadowlake x Sadler’s Wells) is the first elder mare we’ll have a look at today. She comes from the Black Label Stables as does fellow entrant SWEET SISTER MERCY. She’s a two-time stakes winner, one of them being graded (the G3-Go For Broke Stakes) way back in May-06. That’s the good, now with the bad: her recent form has been mostly mediocre and at a class well below what she’ll face this weekend. SP has run past 8.5f furlongs once and finished well beaten. If this race was run at a mile and was a minor stakes I’d give her a chance but this race may be a tad too long and a tad too tough. Good luck.

5

114988 KATHERINEOFARAGON(FR)

Gipper Stables brings us this fantastically accomplished winner of $1.6million. KATHERINEOFARAGORN (High Yield x Kingmambo) has an incredible four G1 wins behind her and looks to take her first against elders today. The months leading up to the Breeders Bowl Distaff were a fruitful one for this 3yo; taking out three graded races, the most recent being the G2-Cotton Handicap over 8.5f where she won nicely with a career best 110 speed figure. The G1-Breeders Bowl Distaff was a different story however with KATHERINE failing to fire, coming home a middle-of-the-road 9^th. She’ll face the first and third placed runners from the BB here again today and looks to turn the tables on them both with what her owners hope is a quick bounce back to winning ways.

6

81052  ARAWAZA

Next up we have one of the heavy-hitters of the dirt classic division; the number three ranked ARAWAZA. This beautifully bred mare (A.P. Indy x Deputy Minister) comes into the race off a stellar 2007 that’s seen a rapid rise from a decent allowance winning 3yo, into an multiple G1 winning 4yo with an outstanding chance here today. Trainer Given remarks:

“ARAWAZA has been one of my most surprising horses this year. She went from being a decent allowance runner to a graded filly in what seemed like the blink of an eye.”

Recent performances suggest ARAWAZA will be right in the mix come the stretch with her last two races being strongly fought third places in the G3-Air Line Handicap and the G1-Breeders Bowl Distaff. The BB race was a bittersweet result for trainer Given who commented on her performance:

“She ran her eyeballs out in the Breeders Bowl and almost came away with the victory.”

In our brief correspondence Given also hinted at one small chink in their weekends operation and it had naught to do with the mare herself:

“I’m really nervous about this weekend as my sim jockey counterpart D Silver has the mount. I let him ride CASTERLY ROCK once and the results were disastrous. Hopefully he’ll do a better job on ARAWAZA!”

Sitting on a win-rate of 16.8%, jockey D Silver is not in the elite bracket of sim jockeys but he’s no muppet and is far from the worst out there today. He quipped upon hearing the rumors of doubt washing through the paddock:

“I may not be one of these fancy-pants jockeys who get picked to ride the favorite in every race, but when I get a decent horse I bring home the money. That CASTERLY ROCK run everyone’s talking about? I had him perfectly placed coming into the stretch and we were badly checked That fourth place is not as bad as it looks. You can’t see it on replays because it was very subtle, but it was there dammit. That run cost me a chance at the big time. This weekend on ARAWAZA I’ll show everyone why I’m back riding one of the favorites.”

On my retort that maybe it was because he was related to the owner I received a quick punch in the snout and will be seeking legal advice.

But back to ARAWAZA. Beyond her jockey and the obvious depth of this race there is one hurdle that she must overcome this weekend. That hurdle comes in the form of the formidable SWEET SISTER MERCY. SWEET SISTER MERCY was the winner in ARAWAZAS narrow BB loss and also came out the victor in the race prior where ARAWAZA finished a long way back. It’s a tough ask and by no means is SWEET SISTER her only threat but ARAWAZAS connections are hoping that she can turn it around on her nemesis come race day in a big way. 

7

95428  BUSH WINS AGAIN

Winterfell Racing brings BUSH WINS AGAIN (Tiznow x Forty Niner) to the track this weekend. BUSH WINS AGAIN is an accomplished, multiple G1 winning mare coming off a weakening 2007 in which her strong 2006 form has slowly petered out, for now. The highlights of her career include winning the G1-Rio Secco Handicap and more recently the G1-Orange Blossom. When I say recently however I mean Mar-07 and her form since then has been mediocre at best. It seems her best days may be behind her – which is no slight considering where she’s been – but I think a few of these are beyond her. Her best is good enough but does she still have it? Trainer War Emblem certainly hopes so.

8

8492 BIG UGLY

9

92807 MASTER AND COMMAND(IRE)

If your looking for a horse that has what it takes to win this years Delpenn Distaff then you could do worse than the number nine horse today: MASTER AND COMMAND (Montjeu x Spinning World) outfitted by Binzaman Stables. Why, you ask? Because a little over twelve months ago she won this very race, capping a five race win-streak that came about soon after a surface switch that resulted in complete career revitalization.

In the year that followed she would come close many times, but only managing the one graded win: the G3-Vogue Handicap. Her past performance in this race and her solid speed figures suggest she’ll be in this race but over the year she has taken worrying losses to BUSH WINS AGAIN, BIG UGLY and most recently SEGURA who she’ll face again today. Despite the loss, her recent second to SEGURA was promising in a prep-race fashion and there’s no doubt she’ll be a threat.

10

111300  SWEET SISTER MERCY

SWEET SISTER MERCY (Kingmambo x Nijinsky II) is the second Black Label Stables entry and is by far the more likely to feature here. After an inconsistent 2006, SSM really hit her straps in the latter part of 2007. Most notably with consecutive G1 wins in the G1-Superfilly Handicap and the G1-Breeders Bowl Distaff. If the BB win wasn’t completely out of the blue due to what had gone on before, the Superfilly Handicap win prior certainly was.

The bookmakers had put SEPTEMBER ROYALTY (not featured) and ARAWAZA as the heavy favorites but neither they nor any other horse could hold off a furious finish by SSM to secure her first graded victory. If her rivals had formulated plan going into the BB Distaff then it certainly didn’t show.

Once again she sat back watching ARAWAZA, OTTO HISTORY (not featured) and others make their move, waited for them to tire and then pounced. And boy what a pounce! From 16 lengths adrift at the second call and still 12 back at the third, jockey H Harzheim finally let her loose and with ears pinned back she stormed home to snatch victory. The owners of the aforementioned pair left gob smacked as there horses were left virtually standing still, such was her speed advantage at the finish.

If she was coming into the Delpenn Distaff off the BB she would be the clear favorite. But LTO she bombed, badly. A forerunner of things to come? Or a mere blip on the radar of potential greatness? Her owners at Black Label are hoping for the latter.

11

54440  SEGURA

Coming in as the equal 5/1 favorite with ARAWAZA is the speedy 4yo mare SEGURA (Pulpit x Machiavellian). She’s put down some impressive speed figures in the last year and looks to continue the two race winning streak she has coming into this race. Her last start besting of MASTER AND COMMAND is a sign she’s ready to step up and beat the better ladies in her class but elsewhere her graded form is thin. Her best run is a fifth placed effort in the G3-Rose Garden Handicap. Beyond that effort it’s all listed stakes which may be a misleading form line into this race. If she can replicate her recent efforts against the big girls she’s got a shot. Look for her to be one of the leaders asking the others to chase her down. The problem is I think they might just do it.

12

6362  MCFLY(FR)

Resident pedigree guru of the sim Knightmare sends out another of the younger brigade in MCFLY (Numerous x Silver Hawk). MCFLY has had a couple of reasonable Graded runs; including a second in the G3-Leopard Stakes and a couple of poor ones finishing both times in 9^th place. Other form has been quick, but inconsistent in allowances and she will need to produce a career best to feature here. Good luck.

13

110315 IRREVERSIBLE(IRE)

IRREVERSIBLE (Giant’s Causeway x Mr. Prospector) as the odds would suggest is another mare with an undeniable chance. She checks many of the boxes that you would look for in a possible winner.

Has she won a graded race? Check, she did that in the G3-Last Jump Handicap

Has she won at this distance? Check, four times in fact.

Has she beaten some of the other favorites? Check, she beat ARAWAZA in a ding-dong Smackdown battle and has come home in front of SWEET SISTER MERCY and BIG UGLY at other times.

Her only weakness I can see is her penchant for not quite getting it done in graded company on a regular basis. In her four most recent graded tries she has come home with three fourths and a second. Commendable, but I think Barn25Dog and fellow connections at the Dog Pound are after a little more. A victory in the Delpenn Distaff could be just what they’re after.

14

115591 CAT O’ NINE LIVES(KY)

Lastly we come to CAT O’NINE LIVES (Tale of the Cat x Riverman) a 3yo filly from Son Carby Lodge. CONL has been on a meteoric rise in 2007, rising from the maiden ranks to that of a graded winner (against elders) in just seven months, a fantastic achievement. Her results up until September 22^nd could be labeled promising but not spectacular. They were a listed stakes and a couple of quick allowance wins on the trot. Like I said; promising but not spectacular.

A long-shot win in the G1-World Cup would change all that. The star-studded field including IRREVERSIBLE and MASTER AND COMMAND had no answer for the young upstart as she propelled herself onto the main stage in a tightly contested race. To prove is wasn’t a fluke she followed it up with a strong second in the G1-Three Smokestacks Stakes next time out. Fellow entrant BIG UGLY could only manage fourth.

CONL is another of an interesting bunch in this race who has failed LTO. In this case her horror run came in the BB Distaff where she was never in it, finishing well back in 13^th. Like the others, these runs can usually be put aside as anomalies but if she is to win here she is going to need to bounce back and bounce back hard.

Good luck to her owners and to everyone else with a runner. It should be a fabulous race.