NO FAINTING GOATS IN THIS GRADE I TURF MILE RACE AT ARIZONA TODAY
The Graded feature at Arizona this week in The Grade I Fainting Goat Nightmare Stakes to be run 1 mile on the firm turf for all 3 year olds. A full field of 14 has passed the entry box and will be chasing down the top share of the $450,000 purse.
Let’s take a look at today’s field:
1)DARK PASSAGE(ENG)—17/1—super21 sends this colt out of DANSILI(GB) with a record of 8-4-2-0 and lifetime earnings of $198,965. He is out of the mare FAN DANCER who was 13/35 at the track and who has 2 foals on record with this colt the only winner to date. This 69th divisional ranked colt races for Super’s More Evil Than The Evil Empire stables based at Del/Penn National. This colt broke his maiden in his lifetime debut and also won his stakes debut and Graded stakes debut when he captured the Grade III Dalesbark Cup in Queensland. His only previous try at today’s distance was at the Grade I (Res) World Cup where he was outrun. He posted his lifetime best 90 speed rating 2 starts back while winning The Funk Morris Special in Deleware over 6.5 furlongs on the turf. The big question today is can he extend out to the mile distance, his laste closing style would tend to suggest he could. The rider for today’s race will be Sims (0%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—85.
2)SEATTLE MAMBO(KY)—9/1—bicuspid sends this colt out of KINGMAMBO with a record of 7-3-2-0 and lifetime earnings of $111,545. This 108th divisinal ranked colt races for Doctahg’s Dentition Stables based at Del/Penn National. This colt began his career on the dirt for his first 4 starts and actually broke his maiden and had his first stakes win on that surface. He switched to the turf where he won 1 of 3 starts, that coming in the 8 furlong The Long Time Gone Stakes in Maine. He tried a Grade I race for his 2 year old finale but after showing brief speed ended up losing ground in the stretch. He has twice posted his top speed rating of 90 in his career. His bests results have come when showing speed and he may try for the lead out of the gate in this race today. The rider for today’s race will be Sweeney (0%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—90.
3)SAINT VIVANT(KY)—8/1—super30 sends this colt out of STREET CRY(IRE) with a record of 8-3-1-2 and lifetime earnings of $197,340. This 15th divisional ranked colt is the second entry out of the Super stables from Del/Penn National. This colt won his first 2 starts lifetime, the second of which was an overnite stake turf sprint in Tazmania. He would win another overnite stake race later in the year and would put up 3 top 3 finishes in 5 Graded stake starts last season. He posted his lifetime best speed rating of 93 while finishing a rallying 3rd in The Grade I Epiphany Too Handicap over 8 furlongs in Maryland last time out. He is a late closer who has won all of his starts outside of Graded stake races and he will try to reverse that trend today. The rider for today’s race will be Williams (12.5%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—91.
4)SMACK THE GROOM(IRE)—9/1—legionlurk sends this colt out of SADLER’S WELLS with a record of 4-3-1-0 and lifetime earnings of $131,270. This 55th divisional ranked colt races for the Fromtheu Stables based at the GR Simsters. This colt won his first 3 races lifetime last year and only suffered his first loss last time out in The Grade III Phenom Stakes where his rally came up short and he ended up 2nd in the 9 furlong turf stake in Connecticut. He posted his lifetime best 91 speed rating in his 2nd last race, an 8.5 furlong turf allowance win. He is another closer who hopes to be able to run them all down in the stretch drive today. The rider for today’s race will be Parker (0%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—89.
5)KEPLER TOKYO(JPN)—10/1—marianus sends this colt out of CHARISMATIC with a record of 8-4-1-3 and lifetime earnings of $514,250. HE is out of the mare KEPLER CARSON who was 10/43 at the track and this is the only foal on record to date. This 11th ranked colt races for the Marre stables based in Ireland. After winning his lifetime debut race on the turf he was switched to the dirt for a pair of starts before returning to the turf last last year. He would finish in the top 3 in each of his final 5 starts last year including a win in The Grade I(Res) World Juvenile Colt turf sprint race. He posted his lifetime best 90 speed rating while finishing 3rd in the Grade I BB Juvenile Turf Sprint. He has so far shown a stalking style of racing sitting just off the early pace but does possess some speed and if he finds the pace to slow may take the lead himself. The rider for today’s race will be Desitter (0%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—88.
6)HOARFROST HILL(IRE)—8/1—confessor sends this colt out of DANEHILL DANCER(IRE) with a record of 8-4-2-0 and lifetime earnings of $309,850. This 8th divisional ranked colt races for Given’s Fire and Blood stables based over at the GR Simsters. This colt picked up 4 wins last year including a pair of ovenite stake wins on the turf. He also race in a pair of Grade I races with his best finish a 2nd place in The Grade I Knick Knack Juvenile where he posted his lifetime best 93 speed rating in the 8.5 furlong turf race. He has shown speed in his previous races but will need to still prove that he can keep up the pace when the pressure is put on in the stretch drive. The rider for today’s race will be Trumbull(8.8%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—91.
7)MAMBO MINE(KY)—11/1—jockeymax7 sends this colt out of MINESHAFT with a record of 9-4-2-1 and lifetime earnings of $162,739. This 136th divisional ranked colt races for the Jockeymax stables based over at the GR Simsters. This colt debuted on the dirt but broke his maidein on the turf in his 3rd lifetime start. He went back to the dirt after that race for 3 starts including an allowance win but ran on the lawn in his last 3 starts last year. He won the first 2 of those starts including an overnite stake race before ending the season with a 3rd place finish in The Grade I Digging The Grave Handicap over 6 furlongs on the turf in Maryland where he posted his lifetime best 91 speed rating. He has shown a closing style lately, sitting midpack early in the race and this will be his first time stretching out to a mile on the turf having already run the distance twice on the dirt. The rider for today’s race will be Watson (66.7%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—91.
8)THE STARDUST(ENG)—11/1—greatnames sends this 3 year old colt out of GENEROUS(ENG) with a record of 11-3-1-3 and lifetime earnings of $284,536. This 7th divisional ranked colt races for the AJM stables based in Ireland. This colt started his career on the dirt and actually broke his maiden on that surface before switching to the turf in his 4th lifetime start. He won 2 of is first 3 starts on that surface, both overnite stakes races before moving on to tackle the best in the division in Graded starts. He has been unable to carry his speed all the way to the wire when racing in the Graded stakes and hopes to change that in this race today. He posted his lifetime best 95 speed rating while finishing 4th in The Grade III Apparently Juvenile two starts back over 9 furlongs on the turf. This speedster hopes to reverse the trends he has posted in the BB Juvenile Turf sprint and the Epihany and hopes to have something left in the tank when the closers try to run him down in the stretch. The rider for today’s race will be Zombie (7.55). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—85.
9)WOETTE’S SLIPPER(KY)—8/1—woette1 sends this colt out of FOREST WILDCAT with a record of 7-3-3-1 and lifetime earnings of $479,325. This 4th divisional ranked colt races for the Royal stables of Ostend based over at Benelux. This colt won his first start of his career and picked up his first stakes win when he stretched out to 8 furlongs for the first time last fall. After that win he moved up to Graded stakes where he ended up with 3 top 3 finishes including a pair of 2nd place finishes in The Grade I BB Juvenile Turf and The Grade I Epiphany Too Handicap. He posted his lifetime best 95 speed rating in the latter of those two races. He has shown the ability to stalk the early pace and then ran on the front end in his last start where he tired in the late stretch so it will probably be in his best interests to sit just of the lead here and make his move in the far turn. The rider for today’s race will be Gardner (27.5%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—94.
10)BANNER(IRE)—9/1—2tohold sends this colt out of DANEHILL DANCER(IRE) with a record of 5-2-1-1 and lifetime earnings of $327,000. He is out of the mare TIN SOLDIER who was 0/2 at the track and who has 3 foals on record, all stakes winners. This 280th divisional ranked colt is the third entry from the Super stables in this field today. This colt started his career on the dirt and after a pair of so so efforts was switched to the turf where his performances significantly improved. He won his debut race on the lawn and also added a 2nd win in his 2007 finale at the DPCD Resident restricted races where he posted his lifetime best 96 speed rating over the 8 furlong turf race in Pennsylvania. He makes his first stakes start in unrestricted company today. He has so far shown to have a front end speed style of racing and with others expected to try for the front here today should ensure a lively pace in this race today. The rider for today’s race will be Boutie (14.3%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—93.
11)DEVINE RESET(AUS)—19/1—badasboots sends this colt out of RESET(AUS) with a record of 8-2-2-1 and lifetime earnings of $35,488. He is out of the mare DEVINE KAHN(IRE) who was 13/42 at the track and this is the only foal on record to date. This divisional unranked colt races for the SteveMunoz stables based at the NWRC. This colt is another who started his career on the dirt in his first 5 starts and broke his maiden on that surface. He switched to the turf for his last 3 starts and posted an allowance win in that stretch. He ran in his first stakes race last time out, finishing 3rd in The Kiri’s African Stakes in Kansas where he posted his lifetime best 93 speed rating over the 8 furlong turf race. He is a closer who sits at the back of the pack early and will be making his Grades stakes debut today in this race. The rider for today’s race will be Gordon (16.7%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—89.
12)RODE ME HARD(KY)—11/1—40oz sends this 3 year old colt out of RAHY with a record of 8-5-1-0 and lifetime earnings of $161,650. This 121st divisional ranked colt races for the Team Doza Racing Stables based over at Minnesota Downs. This colt broke his maiden in his first lifetime start and picked up 4 more wins including 2 overnite stake wins before his freshman season was over. He stretched out to a mile for the first time last start in The Minnesota Future Turf Stars Allowance, a resident restricted race that was part of The Minnesota Festival Day of Racing. In that race he closed from the very back of the pack to win drawing off by 2 lengths and posted his lifetime best 100 speed rating. He makes his open Graded stakes debut today and should have an honest pace to run at in the stretch drive here today. The rider for today’s race will be Adams (100%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—96.
13)SPARTIATE(ENG)—8/1—wicked sends this colt out of PIVOTAL(GB) with a record of 6-4-1-0 and lifetime earnings of $603,875. He is out of the mare YTWODUBAI(GB) who was 8/42 at the track and who has 4 foals on record, all winners including this Graded winner. This 1st divisional ranked colt races out of the Daninja stables based over at the GR Simsters. This colt actually broke his maiden in a stakes race in his 2nd lifetime start and has won 3 of 4 Graded stake starts so far in his career. The only loss came in the BB Juvenile Turf where it appears he simply did not fire with his usual late closing burst. He put aside all of his critics in his next start when he closed from the back of the pack to win The Grade I Epiphany Too Handicap, posting a lifetime best 99 speed rating over the 8 furlong turf course in Maryland. He will have a pace to run at today but there are also some other talented closers in this race today. The rider for today’s race will be Kewmwa (28.8%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—92.
14)CREZZINO(ENG)—10/1—allvindy sends this colt out of CACIQUE(IRE) with a record of 6-3-0-1 and lifetime earnings of $418,220. He is out of the mare UNDEFEATED SEASON who was 3/26 at the track and this is the only foal on record to date. This 32nd divisional ranked colt races for the Cobra Kai Racing stables based over at the GR Simsters. This colt broke his maiden in his lifetime debut race and has won a pair of stakes races since hilited by a win in The Grade I Nationwide Stakes in Ireland where he wired the field and posted his lifetime best 88 speed rating over the 7 furlong turf race. In his only route so far in his career he finished 7th in The BB Juvenile Turf and he showed signs of tiring in the stretch in that one. He shortened up for his 2007 finale and still gave up the lead in the late stretch so hopefully his connections have been able to improve his stamina heading into the new year. The rider for today’s race will be Saab(0%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—88.
A great field of sophomore colts in this turf mile race and with an honest pace expected the closers and the frontrunners should be on equal footing here. While some may feel that the #1 ranked colt SPARTIATE is the one to beat here I am going to go with #12 RODE ME HARD and ignore those who insist I am biased towards Minnesota Downs horses as he is still the only one in the field who has posted a triple digit speed rating to date.
GOOD LUCK AND GOOD RACING
THEO