Mihali The Great, Star Writer Co-choices In Rich Breeders’ Bowl Turf
Fourteen extremely rich and talented entrants will vie for the lion’s share of $6,000,000 in the 2020 edition of the Breeders’ Bowl Turf. Let’s meet the starters in qualifying order.
Top qualifier is lawdro’s brilliant Mihali The Great. The four year old son of Not A Single Doubt and half millionaire F as in Foxtrot (Monsun x Deputy Minister) has earned twenty times as much money as his dam. He has won five Grade 1 events and needs only one more to ensure his place in the Hall of Fame. The problem is that this is the deepest field he’s ever faced and he’s been no better than third in any of his last five races. Quite capable of winning this IF he brings his “A” game.
Second highest qualifier, A Lot Of Lies, is a former claimer. After stinking the joint out in his first two races, redhill dropped his son of Camelot into a maiden claimer. It took him three tries before finally breaking his maiden. But like lot of late developing Camelots, the best was yet to come. Once he got the hang of it, A Lot Of Lies decided he liked winning. He won his first G-1 three back and has posted a second and third since. Another with a legitimate chance if he fires his best shot.
Next comes King Of Theives. One of two three year olds in the field, the son of Flintshire was brilliant this spring winning the G-1 Sydney Derby and G-1 English Derby back-to-back. If you excuse his Saint Legend debacle last time out, kingscourt’s sophomore doesn’t look out of place. Yet another looking to regain his best form.
Five year old Star Writer is a true war horse. He has the second most starts in the field and takes after his dam who raced seventy times and won a stake in her sixty second race. Kobras’ son of Sea The Stars has won two very prestigious G-1 races (Classic Turf and Man of War) and finished second in this race last year. As with others above him, he arrives off a subpar performance. Can he bounce back Saturday? Stay tuned.
Same script. Different horse. Lenny’s deep, deep closer Bleakrock was knocking ’em dead until his last race. The son of Bernardini has won a pair of G-1 events, including Equinics, by dropping from the clouds and swooping the fields. But he dug himself too deep a hole last time out. Being 19th at the first call is a recipe for disaster for almost any horse. Looking to regain that winning form.
Another deep closer but this one coming off a win. Knightmare’s Hyzering arrives fresh off an impressive score in the G-1 Jockey’s Weapon. Some may question the depth of that field which contained only two other G-1 winners. But nobody can question his effort four back when he finished second to Bolden Bidder and ahead of Mihali The Great and several other G-1 winners. One of many with a real shot.
Stoners sends out his second stringer, Golden Cloud, for The Turf. With stablemate Bolden Bidder resting following his second straight Ark win, it will be up to the horse with the colorful breeding to bring home the bacon. Golden Cloud has a lot of Northern Dancer and Mr. Prospector in his pedigree. So far that seems like a great idea. G C has never been worse than 2nd in a G-1 and comes off an impressive win in the G-1 Expensive Jalopy. Has a big chance to bring home some more hardware for his owner.
Ciel Etoile is the B B Turf defending champ. He followed up last year’s win with another G-1 score. But it has been slim pickin’s ever since for dixiedotco’s son of Sea The Stars and G-1 winner Jeu De Mot (Montjeu). Following two disappointing graded efforts, Dixie has attempted to “brave up” his horse with a pair of local bred conditioned allowance wins. Will it work? Your guess is as good as mine.
Sometimes out of frustration comes success. Redhill bred Fire Jon Gruden following a loss to the Chiefs in December of 2018. The defeat dropped the Raiders’ record to 2-10. The Raiders still haven’t taken redhill’s advice but his horse has had a fabulous career. The son of Silvano and College Dropout (Montjeu) won his first G-1 two back posting a sensational 118 speed figure. He regressed a bit last time out but was still a creditable second in a G-1 posting a respectable 113. Can factor if on his game.
Messy Connection is a good example of how one can breed a good horse without spending an arm and a leg. He’s by the reasonably priced Sea The Moon (214 BPs as of this writing) out of a career claimer. Atthewire’s colt won a G-2 four back with a 116 SP. Won a G-1 next race by 4 open lengths. Although beaten double digit lengths in his last two, this is a horse to be proud of. Never end a sentence in a preposition.
Brushing is only a three year old. He lost six races in a row after breaking his maiden. And his trainer doesn’t do much we can talk about in mixed company except drink and play golf. How could he have a chance against such a deep and accomplished field? Because he is the “now horse.” Three back he crushed a G-3 field by 6 open lengths. Two back he won a 3 YO G-2 for kicks. And last time out balata’s monster destroyed a field of older G-1 horses posting a 118 speed figure. ‘Nuff said.
Strikingly handsome Delmar D’Oro is the mtk representative. The almost white son of Medaglia D’Oro and stakes winning Stars on Display won the G-1 Coffefields last time out posting a solid 114 speed number. Given a perfect ride by Delaware based Mike Kelly, Delmar D’Oro stalked the speedy Pray For Mercy, sprinted past that one mid stretch, opened up daylight and held the fast closing Fire Jon Gruden safe by a length. A repeat of that effort puts him squarely in the mix.
The oldest and most experienced contestant is six year old Banditfrank. He has won 17 of 28 lifetime starts and almost 5.8 million dollars for former race car driver and current superstar car dealer John Kirby. The son of Frankel has 4 G-1 wins to his credit and easily won a listed stake in his Turf prep. Like his owner/trainer/breeder, Frank may have lost a step or two since his prime. But they can both still come up with a big effort when needed. Ignore at your own risk.
The only starter without a G-1 credit is the second atthewire entrant, Starveyor. The son of Galileo and former claimer Duchess of Hearts (Duke of Marmalade) has won a pair of G-3 marathons on or very near the lead and finished second in a couple of G-1s. Speedy sort may be a pace factor for awhile but likely in a bit too deep to stay the trip.