Buritto Grande Breeders Bowl Sprint

Welcome all to California for the 15th race on the card, the $125,000 G3 Buritto Grande Breeders Bowl. This year’s edition will be the tenth running of the six and one half furlong dash on fast dirt open to all horses 4yo and up.

Race record of 1:14 2/5 belongs to More In The George who edged clear by a half length in 2003 as a 6yo horse, posting a SP of 124 to take the winners purse. This year, the race is wide open and again looks set for a close finish with 4yo colt Hunter Creek from the Rocket stables out of the GR Simsters residency at 6/1 favorite.

Lets take a peek…..

PP #1 – TINTAGEL (CAME HOME x NIJINSKY II x ROUND TABLE) topicount4 – 11/1
5yo horse with a 46% winning average on dirt and has won 3 out of his 5 races at 6.5f on dirt. Ranked 151st in this division helped by his four races this year for two wins and a show in ungraded company. Was smashed by 8 lengths last time out when the leader dictated the race and this certainly looks no easier. Stepping up after 5 ungraded dirt stakes runs for his first attempt at graded glory this week. Will need to run his best race to win this as the opposition is better than he has encounted. A versatile horse to have in the stable winning multiple ungraded stakes on both surfaces, however he looks out of his depth in graded company and prefer others.

PP #2 – CANTICLE(KY) (ORIENTATE x CAPOTE x MR. PROSPECTOR) mrvoice – 12/1
4yo colt ranked 183rd from the almighty Nextbonus Racing, he has found form and a new lease on racing in the last two months of last year and has continued into this year. Ungraded stakes placed once as a 2yo then 3yo, he has grown wings in his last 5 races posting 100+ SP’s for the first time in his career. Going for 4 wins on the trot after back to back allowance wins then last time out nabbed a modest ungraded field on the line to score by a half length, Canticle must again step up another level here to fire a shot in this field. His high profile trainer is one of the sims best and can certainly pick a good horse and he therefore cannot be put out of calculations however he looks up against it in this race.

PP #3 – PROUD AND BOLD (PROUD CITIZEN x A.P. INDY x ALYDAR) avalanche – 17/1
5yo horse hailing from another sim ‘super stable’, Proud And Bold is the divisions 78th ranked horse. Has really hit his straps since being switched to dirt, posting 100+ SP’s in ten of his 15 races after failing to break 90SP as a 3yo on turf. Has won 25% of his races on dirt and has hit the board over 50% of the time.
Held on for 3rd in the G1 Tri City Sprint last September in North California and has since been smashed in his four starts since including last time out after a switch back to turf. Although he was beaten almost 6 lengths in that, he held on for 3rd and showed fighting quality in a full field and in what I think will prove to be a master touch, it appeared nothing more than attempt to wake his sleeping giant. Look for him in the stretch….

PP #4 – URZA’S MITER(JPN) (AGNES WORLD x GIANT’S CAUSEWAY (IRE) x SEEKING THE GOLD) borrow2 – 12/1
This 4yo colt from the Lender stables has come into this race screaming for us to take a look at him after nailing ungraded company last start by over a length posting a career best SP of 113. Ranked 89th in the division and a has run ITM 81% of his races, this track has not yet seen the best he has to offer after he was smashed into 17th of 18 runners in the G1 KingAb Sprint Cup in August last year. Career best form however sees him coming into this brimming with confidence. Showed he is more than happy to lead two starts back when he went wire to wire in allowance company and really looks in this up to his eyeballs whilst trying to make a hat-trick of wins. Nice draw and I think very good value at 12/1.

PP #5 – SESTRIERE(KY) (AWESOME AGAIN x ALYDAR x ROBERTO) sansebas – 10/1
Ranked 12th, this 4yo blue blood from the Rafa Stables has much to boast about. Won the G1 KingAb Sprint Cup here in August before failing badly in the World Cup and Breeders Bowl. Averages over $21,000 per start in winnings helped by his 3 ungraded and 1 G1 win and this G3 looks well within his scope. Out of form at the moment but he is a proven big time performer who can post mid – high 100+ SP’s, he must recapture some of that potency to go close this week. 4 weeks rest and the draw are the positives this week and he must be considered in this field.

PP #6 – WHITE RAIMENT(IRE) (REFUSE TO BEND (IRE) x STORM CAT x CARSON CITY) revelation – 10/1
Ranked 97th and has won 46% and placed 85% of his starts on dirt, this 4yo colt from the powerful Revelation Stables is yet another runner with claims on winning this race. Ungraded winner at 6.5f on dirt posting a 109SP and another horse coming into this race after posting a career best SP (113) last time out, White Raiment looks right in this. Proved he was a genuine graded stakes performer last start when he placed 2nd by a half length in the G3 Count Fingers Sprint, he will again stalk the leaders and look to pounce in the stretch. Has been really well handled to this point of his career and deserves to nail a race like this. Another one to watch in the stretch in this close encounter.

PP #7 – DAYTONA BEACH(KY) (STORM CAT x FORTY NINER x AJDAL) lenny271 – 14/1
First impressions say that he will need to run out of his skin to win this race. Lightly raced 4yo colt who has won just one ungraded stakes race but has also placed 2nd at Smackdown (at this track) and 3rd in G2 company last year. First race this year resulted in a first and last venture to turf and last time out placed 5th in a full field in the G3 Arizona Silver Spoon at 6f on dirt. Showed great promise toward the end of that coming from almost 7 lengths down in 11th spot to rattle home 3 lengths short of some very handy horses. This is a great test for this young colt and if anyone knows what graded company is all about, its Lenny.

PP #8 – PULPIT’S PRINCE(KY) (PULPIT x STORM BOOT x KRIS S.) tmaria – 9/1
This colt looks very hot and cold but if you catch him whilst hot, there is a good chance he will burn you. This 4yo colt ranked 61st in the division is from the Boogie Woogie Stables and showed 2 starts back that on his day, he will fly. On that occasion he posted a 114SP to win at 6f in ungraded company. Was smashed in the G3 Vermont Is 4 Lovers Sprint the start before that but has won the G3 Backseat Driver Stakes, showing he is up to the class level of graded company. Coming into this off a very modest 102SP 4th last time out in ungraded but made ground towards the end of that. Certainly in this if he runs to his best and if he does….. look out.

PP #9 – BIODYNAMIC(KY) (DIXIELAND BAND x FORESTRY x ARAZI) super11 – 13/1
One of many coming in off the G3 Arizona Silver Spoon in which this 4yo colt ran 2nd. Ranked 147th, he is twice G3 placed and is a two time ungraded stakes winner. Career best SP of 109 last time out, he really must step up once again to fire a solid shot at this group today. If he was going to do well, the time is now as his last two runs in 07 and his first two this year have all been great with plenty of potential. At only 19 races all in sprinting ranks, he is lightly raced and looks to improve in this. Good value at 13/1 and although I prefer others, he can certainly give this a go at his best.

PP #10 – STORM OF SUNSHINE (STORM CAT x SOUTHERN HALO x VERMONT) mittasilli – 12/1
Very lightly raced 5yo horse who had an incredibly successful 4yo season winning 6 races including the G3 JFK Street wire to wire posting a 111SP at 6f at similar odds. Stable has almost 15% win ratio and I suspect he is a big contributor. Placed 5th in the G3 Vermont is 4 Lovers to begin the year posting a 110SP but was disappointing last time out placing 11th in the Pablo Cruz Handicap of 7f. Looking like he must be at his very best to beat the field home today, this is a great test for him in only his 17th race.

PP #11 – MADE MYSELF(KY) (PLEASANTLY PERFECT x MT. LIVERMORE x ROAR) epcotlen3 – 7/1
From the highly successful Epcotlen Stables of the Ohio Thoroughbred Racing residency comes this 4yo colt that has been in sparkling form of late. Take out his run leading into this which was on a sloppy dirt track and look at his previous six starts and he really starts to grow on you. His trainer has done a really good job and should be given a lot of credit. Every time Made Myself appears to be struggling or racing below his best, Epcotlen dumps him back to allowance company for a confidence boosting win. A two time ungraded winner and one G2 placing is not an amazing record but he looks in this up to his eyeballs after posting 114 SP to win ungraded stakes last December, a 111 SP to place 3rd before that and a 112 SP to place 2nd in the start prior. He enjoys taking the lead and attempting to go wire to wire which he has proved he can do at 7.5f so this race should not cause a problem. The speed in the race and if nothing else takes him on early, he could well steal thisG3.

PP #12 – HUNTER CREEK(KY) (TIZNOW x PULPIT x STORM CREEK) rocket25 – 6/1
Race favorite and deservedly so after only running one bad race in his 16 race career. 4yo colt who looks great and goes even better posting massive SP’s and running ITM 12 of 16 runs. Two time G3 placed and finishing only 2 lengths off the winner in his G1 and G2 efforts to date, he certainly looks as if he best will be good enough to account for this field. If he is not careful however, Made Myself could steal the show if he is allowed to set the pace up front. Hunter Creek must therefore stay within range and keep him honest. Will run top 5.

PP #13 – SALTY TIGER (AWESOME AGAIN x STORM CAT x ALYDAR) plunk – 7/1
Well bred and can back it up on track. Another who has only run two or three bad races in his career and looks to have plenty of speed lately. Can post big SP’s and usually stalks the leaders, he will hopefully do the same this week, keeping Made Myself honest and ensure a great contest in the dying stages. Although to this point in his career he is unplaced at graded level, he does look in form at present and this is probably his best tilt to date at graded glory. Barrier not an issue as he won the GP BB Sprint from 17 and sat just off the leader and will look to reproduce that effort this week.

PP #14 – NWRC QUEST (CORONADO’S QUEST x SILVER DEPUTY x HOIST THE FLAG) subotai – 12/1
5yo horse from the Tequila Mockingbird Stables is another in this race that used the Arizona Silver Spoon as a lead in. Was smashed by over 8 lengths in that but really impressed prior to that winning ungraded stakes at 6f going wire to wire. Another that will again race on speed this week, he looks to be slightly below the top 5 in this but may just ruff a few up if he reproduces the ungraded winning form. G2 placed, he has run ITM 16 of 27 starts on dirt and has been a grand galloper for his trainer. Graded company may prove too tough again this week but who knows how long he has left to nab a GW notation next to his name?

So there we have it folks. A relatively even field with many chances if they all run up to their best.

I’m going with Salty Tiger to beat Pulpit’s Prince ahead of Hunter Creek, Sestriere and Made Myself.

Have a great day at the races and may your noble steed be swift!