THIS WEEK IN MINNESOTA—WEEK 3539
The 10th race feature this week at Minnesota Downs has 3 year olds sprinting 6.5 furlongs on the dirt. With the sprint thaw coming about a big crowd is expected at the track on Saturday as everyone starts coming out of their houses after hiding from the usual Minnesota Deep Freeze winter. A field of 7 have entered the race and will chase down top share of the $45,000 purse.
Let’s take a look at today’s field:
1)STORMS AWAY(KY)—6/1—khstables sends this colt out of STORM CAT with a record of 9-2-0-4 and lifetime earnings of $58,912. This 416th divisional ranked colt races for the unafilliated Bobangod Stables. This highly priced colt has yet to live up to his lofty BP cost but if his most recent performances are a sign he may be just around the corner from a breakthru race. After winning a pair of allowance races he has had to settle for minor shares while racing in overnite stakes company over his last 4 starts. He posted his lifetime best 91 speed rating last time out while rallying to finish 3rd and this closer hopes to be able to improve on that finish here with the extra 1/2 furlong in distance for this race. The rider for today’s race will be Hardinger (22.7%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—94.
2)SAKURABA(NY)—5/2—astinator7 sends this colt out of FREUD with record of 10-5-3-1 and lifetime earnings of $99,645. He is out of the mare DEAR SLEW who was 2/10 at the track and who has foals on record of which 5 are winners including 4 stakes winners. This 100th divisional ranked colt races for the Astins Place stables based over at the EAAA racing residency. This colt really elevated his performances after he tried one start on the turf as he has posted 4 straight 90+ speed ratings since that one grass start including a lifetime best 94 rating posted in his last start. That mark was posted last time out in a KY stake where he sat back from the early speed and rallied in the stretch to win handily by almost 3 lengths. That race has elevated him to the status of morining line favorite here today. He has finished in the top 3 in 9 straight starts and should be the main contender down the stretch here today. The rider for today’s race will be Boothroy (19.6%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—98.
3)SAMBA TANQUILLE(KY)—5/1—mogul sends this colt out of SILVER TRAIN with a record of 4-2-1-0 and lifetime earnings of $44,400. He is out of the mare SAULK VALLEY STORM who was 8/55 at the track and who has 2 foals on record with this colt the only winner to date. This 322nd divisional ranked colt races for the Planoaxia stables based at the EAAA racing residency. This colt was a late bloomer who came out late in his 2 year old season and won a race on both the dirt and turf course last year. He has tried to dirt sprint stakes so far in 2008 and posted his best speed rating of 96 last time out when he lost out by a head in a photo finish in a BC sprint stake. He seems to run best as a midpack closer or stalker and will be expected to race with a similar style today. He returns to 6.5 furlongs here again and if he can improve on his last start would be a tough foe in this race. The rider for today’s race will be Bowen (13.1%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—96.
4)BURPING BARB(KY)—7/1—jakematt7 sends this colt out of LION HEART with a record of 5-2-0-2 and lifetime earnings of $53,788. He is out of the mare BARB’S CITY who was 5/43 at the track and who has 4 foals on record, all winners. This 457th divisional ranked colt races for the Jakematt stables based at Del/Penn National. This colt started off 2008 with an allowance win where he stalked the pace and then took command in the far turn and then held on to hold off challengers at the wire. He came back in a sprint stake in KY last time out and ran an even if uneventfull trip around the track against a short 5 horse field ending up in 3rd place. His top speed rating of 89 suggests he will need to show some improvement here today to be considered a challenger for a top 3 finish. The rider for today’s race will be Green (3.4%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—87.
5)CLASSICAL BRASS ER(KY)—9/2—erracing sends this colt out of DIXIELAND BAND with a record of 9-3-2-0 and lifetime earnings of $136,270. He is out of the mare BARB’S MENAGERIE who was 13/57 at the track and who has 3 foals on record of which 2 are winners including this stakes winning colt. This 111th divisional ranked colt races for the local Minnesota Downs trainer Cothill whose burgundy and white silks with the hockey puck crest are a prominant feature of the local horseman at the track. Well one thing for sure was found out in his last 2 starts as a two year old last year is that he does not like to route at this point in his career. Still he finished 10th of 20 in the Minnesota Juvenile that showcased the top 2 year olds at Minnesota Downs and he did make some improvement in his 2008 debut last time out while returning to sprinting where he finshed 2nd in WV stake posting a lifetime best 96 speed rating. Another stalker, should be fairly close up front early and if he can improve slightly on that last race will be one of the contenders at th wire here today. The rider for today’s race will be Cothill (14.6%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—98.
6)PULPRATS(KY)—7/2—darny sends this colt out of PULPIT with a record of 11-2-2-4 and lifetime earnings of $66,115. This 238th divisional ranked colt races for the local Minnesota Downs trainer Darnath whose purple and gold silks with the ratty rodent patch is also another fan favorite who will be well backed by the local horseplayers. This consistant if not spectaculor colt has a knack for finishing in the top 3 but has not found the winners circle since September of last year. That could change today if this speedster should get loose on the lead and is able to cut his own fractions for this race. The problem will be can he show some stamina to hang on for the entire race and not be caught in the stretch as has been happening in his most recent races. He posted his top 92 speed rating last time out and may have to worry about the horse outside of him in the gate with regards to getting an early jump on the field today. The rider for today’s race will be Stinson (13.8%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—94.
7)ONE FROM OJAI(FL)—4/1—oneojai sends this colt out of MACHO UNO with a record of 10-4-2-1 and lifetime earnings of $71,600. He is out of the mare OJAI SURPRISE who was 4/38 at the track and who has 4 foals on record of which 3 are winners including 2 stakes winners. This 86th divisional ranked colt races for the Desert Fox stables based over at RASH but he is no stranger to Minnesota Downs as he also keeps a string of horses locally at the track here as well. This colt broke out of the gate early last year winning his first 3 lifetime starts including an overnite stakes sprint but after failing to find the winners circle for the rest of the year he was dropped down to allowance company to start off the 2008 season. He picked up a 1st and 2nd place finish in MD allowances posting back to back 89 speed ratings just 3 of his lifetime mark and will make his return to stakes action today. It appears he has changed tactics as he has run on the front end in each of his last 2 races and he will have to deal with the horse immediatly inside of him if he chooses to run that way today. Still, he will have to show some improvement in speed to be a win factor here today. The rider for today’s race will be Friar (23.9%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—90.
NOTE #5 CLASSICAL BRASS ER AND #6 PULPRATS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE MINNESOTA DOWNS 200 CREDIT PURSE SUPPLEMENT SHOULD THEY WIN THIS RACE TODAY.
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE MINNESOTA DOWNS RESIDENCE THIS WEEK
The cutoff for stables to be included in the Minnesota Downs $$$$ and BP’s contest for the 2008 season will be noon gametime on saturday. Credit prizes are given to the trainers who have the top 3 stables in $$$$ and bp’s earned during the calendar year.
The 18th of 20 races goes in the Minnesota Downs Sire Series contest for GULCH sired horses and it really looks like the only question left in the series is a battle for 3rd place between Doza’s ONE MORE SHOT and Theo’s STORMINA ETS who are only $1500 apart in the standings.
Nameless’s MR HAGAR is dominating the Minnesota Last Man Standing Contest and we are down to 3 horses remaining. It will take some kind of disaster for him to lose as he has taken all but one of the contest races.
Minnesota Downs will be running it’s first restricted 2YO MSW races in the first 2 weeks of May, see the MB for details.
Minnesota Downs will also be hosting the CLAIMING CROWN races this year and there will be a prizehorse for the winner of each of the 7 races. More detail will be posted as we get closer to raceday.
GOOD LUCK AND GOOD RACING
THEO