TONS OF SPEED BUT WHO WILL HAVE THE BEST BACK SEAT DRIVER TO PREVAIL IN THIS GRADE III SPRINT TODAY
The feature race in North Carolina this week is The Grade III Backseat Driver Stakes for all horses 4 years old and up. A field of 14 have entered this 6 furlong dirt sprint and will vye for the winners share of the $150,000 purse.
Let’s take a look at today’s field:
1)PULPIT’S PRINCE(KY)—13/1—tmaria sends this 4 year old colt out of PULPIT with a record of 16-4-2-4 and lifetime earnings of $91,392. This 172nd divisional ranked colt races for the unafilliated Boogie Woogie stables. This colt was unraced as a 2 year old and won 4 allowance races last year. He started in 4 stake races and a 3rd place finish was his best result in added money events. He twice posted his lifetime best 106 speed ratings, both times coming on off tracks. He is a closer who sits midpack early but can also stalk the pace from a little closer up. The rider for today’s race will be Sherrard (9.1%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—100. (FAST TRACK)
2)FORGET THE OIL(KY)—10/1—dixieracer sends this 4 year old colt out of MORE THAN READY with a record of 26-6-6-2 and lifetime earnings of $190,710. This 170th divisional ranked colt races for The Big Oil Conglomorate of stables based at the EW Connection residency. This colt started his 2 year old season with a lifetime debut win on the turf and closed his freshman season with an allowance win on the dirt. After 2 turf race early last year he has been switched permanently to the dirt since. He picked up 4 allowance wins last year and in 3 stake starts managed one 2nd place and a pair of 4th place finishes. He posted his lifetime best 109 speed rating in both of his last two starts including his last in The Grade III Kenny Joe Stakes where he finished in 4th. This colt has shown an ability to both stalk the pace from up close as well as lay back early in a late closing style and he will probably wait to see how the race develops before committing either way. The rider for today’s race will be Sadowski (9%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—109.
3)FLAGRANT—8/1—edburgart sends this 5 year old horse out of GENERAL MEETING with a record of 21-6-5-2 and lifetime earnings of $120,320. This 203rd divisional ranked horse races out of the Great Plains division of the Red Dirt Runners stables. This horse was unraced as a 2 year old and picked up 3 wins in his 3 year old campaign including a pair of $75K starter allowance races after racing for a tag earlier in the year. He picked up a pair of allowance wins last year early and after a failed turf attempt was put in a $110K claimer where his current connections picked him up for the tag. In the 5 races he has run for his new owners he has picked up a one win in The Starke Stubble Special stakes in Peurto Rico where he posted his lifetime best 112 speed rating in the 7 furlong dirt race. He finished 5th in his Graded stakes debut last time out. This stalker can also press the pace if need be and should be up near the front of the field throughout the race. The rider for today’s race will be Joines (8.7%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—109.
4)TWELFTH KNIGHT—9/2—barndog sends this 5 year old horse out of FORTY NINER with a record of 26-11-5-0 and lifetime earnings of $331,215. This 19th divisional ranked horse races out of the RASH division of the Dog Pound stables. This horse was unraced as a 2 year old and won 5 allowance races in his 3 year old season. Last year he won 6 races of which 4 were stake races hilited by the season ending win in The Grade III Kenny Joe Stakes in Malaysia where he posted his lifetime best 113 speed rating in the 7 furlong race. He will be facing many of the same opponents in today’s race. He is another stalker/presser who should be sitting up front right behind the pacesetter early in today’s race. The rider for today’s race will be Naber (18.8%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—111.
5)TIN WOODMAN—11/1—outlaw sends this 5 year old horse out of WOODMAN with a record of 29-7-4-5 and lifetime earnings of $117,773. He is out of the he-mare KIKI’S DIESIS BOY(GB) who was 7/38 at the track. This 296th divisional ranked horse races for the RASH division of the Nextbonus stables. This horse finished 3rd in his lone 2 year old start which was on the turf and picked up 2 dirt allowance wins in his 3 year old season. He picked up 5 allowance win last year and was very sharp after switching permanently to the dirt last summer. He posted his lifetime best 107 speed rating in that swing and posted 5 straight triple digit speed rating to close off last season. He is a closer who sits near the back of the pack early in the race. This will be this horse’s lifetime stakes debut today. The rider for today’s race will be Prior (9.8%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—105.
6)GENE SCOTT—8/1—beeascout sends this 8 year old horse out of GLITTERMAN with a record of 32-10-3-4 and lifetime earnings of $278,609. This 47th divisional ranked horse races out of the AJM stables based in Ireland. This horse picked up 3 wins in 5 starts as a 2 year old and then added 3 more allowance wins in his 3 year old season. He ran 3 times as a 4 year old and then did not return to the track until 2 1/2 years later in March of last year. He won 4 races last year including a stake win in The Wendy’s Storms Bonanza in Wisconsin where he posted his lifetime best 116 speed rating over the 6.5 furlong dirt race. He has not fared very well in his previous 2 Graded stake starts so far in his career. This horse is a speed runner and is expected to be out of the gate quickly trying to cut the early fractions in today’s race. The rider for today’s race will be Mafit (10.9%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—104.
7)HENIANLAUCHKY)—19/1—crandyiv sends this 4 year old colt out of HENNESSY with a record of 22-4-4-5 and lifetime earnings of $660,926. This 196th divisional ranked colt races out of the NWRC division of the Crandy stables. This colt won 3 races including 2 stakes as a 2 year old hilited by the Grade II Club Stakes in Nebraska. He went on the Bluegrass Derby trail last year and in fact ended up 3rd in the big race. His schedule was a very tough one last year running against the top divisional runners and his record may have suffered as a result but he did manage one win last year in the NWRC restricted Cavalcade Cup stake race in California. He posted his lifetime best 109 speed rating last summer while finishing 3rd in The Supertoys Raceout Classic over 8 furlongs on the dirt. This colt is predominantly a speed horse and is dropping back to the sprint distance for only the second time since his 2 year old season. Hopefully he can overcome his propensity for giving up the lead in the stretch drive. The rider for today’s race will be Brothers (9.6%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—99.
8)LOWLANDS MYSTIC—17/1—wonder1 sends this 5 year old horse out of THUNDER GULCH with a record of 27-7-4-4 and lifetime earnings of $276,180. He is out of the mare TRIANGULAR BEER who was 8/50 at the track and who has 5 foals on record of which 4 are winners including 3 stakes winners. This 76th divisional ranked horse races out of the Zeco Stables based at Benelux. This horse picked up 2 wins including a stake win in his 2 year old season. He added 3 allowance wins as a 3 year old and last year picked up another pair of allowance victories. He has raced in 5 Graded stakes so far in his career with his best finish a 2nd place in The Grade II Booker T Handicap where he posted his lifetime best 112 speed rating last season over the 7.5 furlong dirt race. He will return to the dirt today after trying a grass race last time out with no success. This horse is a closer who sits back early but has not been consistant with his closing moves lately especially when running against Graded stakes company. The rider for today’s race will be Waters (9.3%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—100.
9)SATAN’S DELIGHT(KY)—14/1—sparcon sends this 4 year old mare out of DISTORTED HUMOR with a record of 25-8-2-3 and lifetime earnings of $233,462. This 16th divisional ranked mare races for the Natrap stables based at the Kentucky Horseman residency. This mare has 3 allowance wins in her 2 year old season and won 5 races including 4 stakes races last year. In 4 races against the boys last year she had 1 win and a pair of 3rd place finishes. She will be the only mare running in today’s race. She has not fared very well in either of her Graded stakes starts so far in her career. She posted her lifetime best 105 speed rating last September in a 3rd place finish in a 6.5 furlong stake race in Louisiana. She is a closer who usually sits back early but can be further up front albeit when she has done so it has been against short fields which is not the case here today. The rider for today’s race will be Mills (9.8%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—100.
10)WESTERN ROMP TED(KY)—6/1—apacolypse sends this 4 year old colt out of GONE WEST with a record of 23-7-4-3 and lifetime earnings of $1,325,742. This 1st divisional ranked colt races for the Tsyndicate stables based at DelPenn National. This colt won twice in his 2 year old season including a stakes race. He won 5 stake races last year hilited by The Grade II Sleepy Fan Stakes, The Grade I Scottsdale BB Stakes where he posted his lifetime best 115 speed rating over the 6 furlong race and in his last race of the year a big win in The Grade I DPCD Sprint Championship. This colt has a versatile running style being able to both cut the early fractions as well as stalk the pace and that could come in handy as the race develops here today. The rider for today’s race will be Brooks (9.1%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—109.
11)STARK RAVING OIL(CA)—11/1—billn sends this 4 year old colt out of ROAR with a record of 27-5-4-4 and lifetime earnings of $150,569. He is out of the mare BEATEN AVENGER who was 5/25 at the track and who has 4 foals on record, all winners. This 97th divisional ranked colt is the 2nd entry for The Big Oil Conglomorate stables in this race. This horse had 1 win as a 2 year old in 10 starts and that was his MSW win which came on the turf which is the surface he predminantly ran on in his freshman season. He was switched to the dirt permanently last year and picked up 4 allowance wins for the season. He has cashed a cheque in all 4 of his stakes starts including a 3rd place finish in his last race The Grade III Kenny Joe Stakes which was his first Graded start of his career and where he posted his lifetime best 110 speed rating over the 7 furlong race. This colt is a closer who sits mid to back of the pack early and will have a pace to run at with a couple of speed runners here today. The rider for today’s race will be Rein (8.1%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—106.
12)NWRC QUEST—8/1—subotai sends this 5 year old horse out of CORONADO’S QUEST with a record of 24-7-4-4 and lifetime earnings of $146,864. This 46th divisional ranked horse races out of the unafilliated Tequila Mockingbird stables. This horse was unraced as a 2 year old and picked up 3 allowance wins in his 3 year old season. Last year he won 4 races including 1 stakes race. He finished 3rd in his only Graded start to date which was The Grade II Devil Went Down To Deleware stakes in November. He posted his lifetime best 111 speed rating twice in a row last season including his win in The Unbridleds Open stakes in Oklahoma. He will join a pair of others vying for the early lead here today and will need to be rated well in order to reverse the trend of running out of gas short of the wire. The rider for today’s race will be Stalker (12.2%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—107.
13)MR TOMS RIVER NJ(KY)—14/1—honeyj sends this 4 year old colt out of STORM CAT with a record of 12-10-0-1 and lifetime earnings of$161,940. This 38th divisional ranked colt races for the Bob123g stables based over at the Kentucky Horseman residency. This colt won his only start as a 2 year old and in fact won his first 6 lifetime starts including a stake race before losing a pair of stake races in which he appeared to get injured in the second of his losses. After a 2 month layoff he returned to the track and has been unbeaten in 4 races since including a 2nd stake win to his record. He will be making his much anticipated Graded stakes debut today. He posted back to back 108 speed ratings recently which are his lifetime best mark to date. He has changed tactics lately, now rating as a midpack closer rather than running on the front engine all the time and that may be of benefit to him with several other speed horses in the race today. The rider for today’s race will be Esperado (15.2%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—107.
14)SOLO FALCON—13/1—ryantoga sends this 5 year old horse out of LEMON DROP KID with a record of 36-5-3-9 and lifetime earnings of $109,255. He is out of the he-mare HYPERSPEED who was 5/26 at the track. This 1398th divisional ranked horse races for the unafilliated Togasans stables. This horse has 1 win in 8 starts as a 2 year old with that coming in a turf MSW race. He picked up 2 dirt allowance wins as a 3 year old and won a pair of $150,000 claiming races last year. His new connections paid the high tag for him last October and have raced him 3 times since with a pair of 3rd place finishes his best so far. He will be looking for his first stake win of his career today and will be making his Graded stake debut after running in overnite stakes for his last 2 starts. He posted his lifetime best 109 speed rating in the first of his added money event starts last fall over 7.5 furlongs on the dirt. He is another speed horse whose outside post and excess speedy company here can only make the task that much more difficult for this one today. The rider for today’s race will be Baker (8%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—101.
A diverse group in this sprint race today and there is alot of early speed which should make the pace an honest if not fast one here today. I like the division leader #10 WESTERN ROMP TED to probably win this race but am going to take some plays with #13 MR TOMS RIVER NJ here as well as I like the fact he has learned to rate and this could come in handy in today’s race.
GOOD LUCK AND GOOD RACING
THEO