Breeders Bowl Champ Mr Devious Heads Challenge Turf Sprint

EAAA Division Inter-Residency Challenge
Stakes
Six and one half furlongs
Firm Turf
$75,000
All horses, 4 years old and up
 
PP Residence    Horse           Owner    Jockey     Odds 
1 EAAA   BUCKRIDGE NATIVE(IRE)  awhisper  M Fontain  6/1 
2 IRE   HE’S CRAFTY(KY)  browns  S Collins  10/1 
3 ATC   MUADIB  eddielegg  E Newcomb  11/1 
4 IRE   BEATING THE ODDS(MD)  flyingtail  C Shull  15/1 
5 ATC   GIVELOVETHEBOOT  safbred  H Wester  10/1 
6 ATC   MR. INCONSPICUOUS(KY)  foxon4  E C Doyle  8/1 
7 EAAA   EYE OF THE WORLD(IRE)  shamran7  R Morrighan  11/1 
8 IRE   SING SYMFONIC(IRE)  dancards  A Reed  10/1 
9 QLD   GIVEN ME REASONS  mkracing2  D Doyle  12/1 
10 QLD   WESTERN GLADIATOR(KY)  nextbonus  M Russell  8/1 
11 QLD   OH BLACK WATER  stickup  P Jetter  14/1 
12 EAAA   MR DEVIOUS  londoner  Z Kentucky  3/1

 

 

A very classy field of twelve will line up for this event fashioned for older turf sprinters at six and one half furlongs.  We shall examine the field in post position order.

 

 

Breaking from the hedge will be the EAAA based Buckridge Native(IRE).  The talented Indian Ridge(IRE) stallion scored a stunning come from behind victory in Ontario three starts back while posting a 110 speed number for this exact distance.  That score punched his ticket to the prestigious Grade I Japan Cup where Awhisper’s homebred was beaten just over three lengths in a solid performance.  Buckridge Native remained in Japan for his Challenge prep last time out and closed rapidly to finish second as the even money favorite.  The second choice in the wagering is fast and fit.  Dangerous.

 

 

Ireland’s He’s Crafty drew the deuce.  The versatile son of Crafty Prospector and the 100% stakes producing Storm Cat mare, Miss Cat, has won added money events on both fast dirt and wet turf.  He’ll try to add a dry grass stakes win to his resume on Saturday.  A brief word about Miss Cat is in order here.  The fifteen year old’s first foal is the now retired graded winning Nureyev stallion, Crypt O’ Night.  She was barren for the next 6 years before foaling He’s Crafty.  Trainer Browns has enlisted journeyman Sam Collins to ride his four year old homebred.  Will enjoy the class relief from grade I company.  Not impossible. 

 

 

Number three is Alpine Turf Club’s Muadib.  Eddieleggs’ War Chant colt arrives in peak form having annexed an ATC stake with a personal best 101 speed figure last time out.  In that event, held at the ATC home track of Germany, Muadib closed from tenth to score a going away win in a brisk 1:22.2 for the seven grassy furlongs.  Closing in on $400,000 in career earnings but the veteran sprinter will need his very best against this tougher and deeper field. 

 

 

The Emerald Isle’s second entry is the appropriately named Beating The Odds(MD).  The longshot in the field at 15-1, Flyingtail’s stakes winning, graded placed Oratory four year old looks to upset the applecart just as he did last time out in his victorious Swedish allowance prep.  The son of well bred and lightly raced Ice Exalt (Gulch x Vice Regent) needs to kick it up a notch to be competitive with this kind.

 

 

Givelovetheboot proudly carries the ATC banner into battle.  Safbred’s quick but inconsistent Storm Boot stallion has won fifteen races in a forty six start career.  But he’s often been the type to toss a clunker when least expected.  For instance, two back the six year old won a Colorado stake very impressively, running the six panels in 1:09.2 and posting a healthy 105 speed figure.  But he followed that up with a dull seventh behind Muadib as the 9-5 choice.  Certainly a factor if he brings his “A” game.

 

 

The clever Foxon4 sends out Mr. Inconspicuous(KY) for the Alpine gang.  Unlike teammate Givelovetheboot, this guy is amazingly consistent having hit the board in eighteen of twenty one tries on the turf.  The son of Aptitude from the Grade II winning Bring Me Joy (Forty Niner) prepped in South Africa and finished a good second as the favorite after setting all the pace while posting a respectable 100 speed rating.  Can get part with his best try.

 

 

EAAA’s Eye Of The World(IRE) is a deep closing four year old.  Three back Shamran7’s filly edged out a Grade I field of distaffers in an Ohio turf sprint.  But her last two starts were so-so as she never fired in either race and missed the board both times.  The daughter of Dubawi(IRE) and Sack The Castle has won numerous stakes races and three graded events so if she can put it all together, she could win this.   

 

 

Sing Symfonic is the final Irish starter.  The son of Singspiel(IRE) and Afleetfonix (Zafonic) was a holy terror early last year winning six races, including three stakes, and placing in a Grade II.  But he hasn’t won in the past six months.  On the positive side, Sing Symfonic did manage a pair of seconds in his last two outings and his trainer, Dancards, is one of the best at pointing a horse for a particular event.  Could surprise. 

 

 

Next on the barrier are a trio of Queensland based runners, the first of which is Given Me Reasons.  The veteran sprinter has been very good for a very long time.  Back in 2004, she won her first three career starts including the Grade III Fast Lane Stakes.  Mkracing2 worked his filly a brisk half in :47.32 Wednesday morning in hopes of sharpening his pretty gray Silver Ghost mare’s speed a bit following a few lackluster races.  Does fit if here if she fires.

 

 

Western Gladiator(KY) arrives in peak form for the Challenge.  The Gone West colt has won two in a row and five of his last seven.  His 110 speed figure winning a stake in Taiwan last time out was very impressive.  Drilled a bullet five eighths in :58.05 over the turf course on Tuesday A.M.  Cocked, locked and ready to rock.

 

 

Roys sends out her pride and joy Oh Black Water for the Queensland brigade.  The multiple stakes winner has banked almost $340, 000 for the Stickup stable.  The son of High Yield and A. P. Swamp (A. P. Indy) finished a solid third in his Swedish allowance prep (99 speed rating).  Tries hard every time so you never know.

 

 

I saved the best for last.  Gate twelve will hold the best turf sprinter in the world right now.  His name is Mr Devious.  Where does one begin to describe Londoner’s sod god?  Last time out the big son of Crafty Prospector and Lady Storm (Storm Cat) absolutely destroyed an excellent field in the Grade I Japan Cup.  Three back he defeated what is, in all probability, the finest field of turf sprinters ever assembled in the inaugural Grade I Breeder Bowl Turf Sprint.  Back in May he won the Grade I Rising Sun in 1:21 flat (114).  In only fifteen career starts on the turf, Mr Devious has a record of 9-2-3-1 and over two million dollars in earnings.  If he runs his race, the rest are running for second.

 

 

Should be an interesting contest on a great day of racing!