Bodhisatva Favorite in Lone Star Mile
Race : Lone Star Mile – Grade II – $250,000
Track : Texas
Restrictions : All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance : One mile on the Turf
Welcome to the 10th running of the Lone Star Mile. A Share in the $250,000 purse is up for grabs as the 3 year old and older horses race a mile around the Texas turf which is listed as firm for Saturday. If history is any indication it should be a very interesting race and a difficult one to handicap. Although the favorite has won this race 4 times, we also have winners with odds as big as 18 to 1 salute the judges. The jockeys here in the Lone Star state seem to be sharing the victories, only K. Smith and C. Shoemaker have won this race more than once, although C. Shoemaker has won twice and finished in the money 3 other times, so he might be one to watch. The stakes record is held by 2001 winner Starke Storm trained by stu44 with a 121. No one has been close to that record since and I doubt we will see it broken Saturday. For four of the previous winners, the Lone Star win was their first (and unfortunately last) graded victory. There are 8 horses in the field without a graded win and I certainly hope that if they win here history doesn’t repeat itself for them. Although last years’ winner Champ’s Bro trained by hoshaba won with a wire to wire run, all but one of the other previous races have been one by a horse who didn’t make his move until late in the race. I think we will have an exciting race to cap off the day of races in Texas this week.
Let’s have a look at the competition:
PP 1 RAPT ATTENTION (MINESHAFT x AWESOME AGAIN x RED RANSOM) bred and trained by leftcoastj (Fabman Farms, 15%) Odds: 6 to 1
This lightly raced 4 year old out of Kara Again looks pretty impressive. In his 17 career starts he has 6 wins and has only finished out of the money twice! Rapt Attention is making his graded debut here. When trainer leftcoastj moved him from allowance to stakes races last fall it seemed to take him a race or two to find his groove. Hopefully he won’t need the adjustment time with this jump in class. Rapt Attention has put up his 4 highest speed figures in his last four times out with a sizzling 114 at The MORE TRAP Memorial early in January. He is used to getting 4 weeks or more rest and will only have 3 coming into Saturday’s race. I think this horse is definitely one to watch.
PP 2 THE SHINING (GB) (BEAT HOLLOW (GB) x SILVER HAWK x HIS MAJESTY) bred and trained by lenny27 (The Evil Empire, 20%) Odds: 9 to 1
In The Shining’s last 4 races he has 2 wins at this distance. Unfortunately those two allowance races were sandwiched between two G1 attempts with uninspiring finishes. He does have a G1 win last September in the Maudlin Cup. The win came against a small field, but it was a competitive one. He finished ahead of 4 graded winners and 2 graded placed horses in the victory. The Shinning has drawn jockey J Webb (16%), one of the best here in Texas. This 5 year old is putting up the speed figures to be competitive here, but the question of class still looms large.
PP 3 SUBSIDE (KY) (DISTORTED HUMOR x HENNESSY x AFFIRMED) bred and trained by hornets07 (Knightmare Stables, 11%) Odds: 14 to 1
Subside is one of many in the field looking for his first graded win. His last time out at the G3-Tally Ho Mile did not produce the desired results, but it was Subside’s first try on a muddy track and I don’t think he liked it. Discounting the last race due to the off track, this lightly raced 4 year old out of Efficy looks to be a great form for Saturday. In the previous three races Subside brought home two wins and a place and put up three impressive triple digit speed figures. You have to go all the way back to last July to find the last time Subside finished worse than second and that was on a dirt track. He has only had three weeks of rest, but that is what he had going into The HIS BROOKS Challenge where he got his last win.
PP 4 UNINTENTIONALLY (KY) (DIXIELAND BAND x WILD AGAIN x FUSAICHI PEGASUS) bred and trained by pjlracing (Pedro’s Racing Empire, 16%) Odds: 12 to 1
This four year old out of Imawildone has plenty of experience. He has raced this distance 13 times in his 21 career starts to 5 victories. Unintentionally is 2-4-1 in his 10 graded starts. Okay, so if Unintentionally likes the distance and can hold his own in graded company what are the concerns? His last race was only three weeks ago, so rest might be an issue. Another concern might be his alternating triple digit speed figures with low 90s. If the trend continues he is due to put up a speed in the low 90s here. Despite these things, I think Unintentionally will be a factor here.
PP 5 KIWI MOUNTAIN (DYNAFORMER x KINGMAMBO x EL GRAN SENOR) bred by kbsweet and trained by spewu (Keely’s Stables, 12%) Odds: 6 to 1
This six year old out of Sister Sarah is making his fourth attempted in graded company. His first two tries ended in 9th place finishes. But in his last time out was at the G1-Crock Of Gold last month where he held his own in a very tough field and finished just out of the money in fourth. Kiwi Mountain has been consistently putting up triple digit speed figures. I would expect him to come out of the gates strong, he likes to race in the lead. He should have a little competition to hold the lead, but things will get a lot tougher as the late runners make their move around 3rd call. Although most winners in the history of this race have been deep closers, last year was won wire to wire and Kiwi Mountain has a chance to do that again.
PP 6 PLEASANT EMBLEM (JPN) (WAR EMBLEM x LEMON DROP KID x HENNESSY) bred by spredi and trained by koolaid (Legendary Stables, 9%) Odds: 93 to 1
Although this race is open to 3 year olds and up, Pleasant Emblem is the only three year old in the field. Since trainer koolaid moved Pleasant Emblem from dirt to turf he has two win and two third place finishes. His last time out was in the G1-The MOUNTAIN THAT RIDES Battle where he finished 9th. I think he was a little out of his element there. Although the price for this 3 year old out of Pleasant Lemessy is pretty steep I think he will race better than the oddsmakers anticipate.
PP 7 UNPREDICTABLY T (WESTERN FAME x POINT GIVEN x STORM CAT) bred and trained by xtchamps (tsyndicate Stables, 9%) Odds: 10 to 1
Drawing PP 7 is Unpredictably T. This 5 year old based on Vertigoing is another horse in the field looking for his first win in this class. He has raced with graded company 11 times in his 42 race career and his best finish came in The Slowness Stakes last April where he finished 3rd. He does have 11 wins to his name and he finishes in the money 50% of the time. He is a force to be reckoned with at the stakes level, but I am not sure the jump in class is going to work for him here. He does have the speed numbers to be competitive, but most of his wins have been at 8.5 or 9 furlongs. His two wins at this distance were very early in his career.
PP 8 GEORGE W. LOSER (POLISH PRECEDENT x PERSONAL FLAG x STAGE DOOR JOHNNY) bred and trained by monimonica (Monimonica Stables, 10%) Odds: 99 to 1
This 7 year old is one of the oldest in the field, there is one other 7 year old. You have to go back a year and a half to find his last victory and almost that long to find his career high speed of 78. His sire, Polish Precedent has produced one graded winner in the sim, Full Measure (who got her first graded win last weekend at The Spa Ladies Marathon). I doubt Polish Precedent is going to find another graded winner in his offspring at this race. I think the biggest question for this horse is will he top his odds of 9232 to 1 and 9263 to 1 from his last two times out?
PP 9 C YOU AT THE WIRE (IRE) (HIGH CHAPARRAL (IRE) x RAINBOW QUEST x DANEHILL) bred and trained by lawyerron (Right At Home Stables, 12%) Odds: 12 to 1
This graded veteran will occupy PP 9. 12 of 26 starts for this 4 year old have been in graded races. And impressively, the only race in his career that was not stakes or higher was his maiden. 5 of his 7 career wins were sprints and the other two were at 9 furlongs. He has raced a mile before, but never finished better than 8th. After saluting the judges twice in a row in graded races last fall with his career high speeds of 111 and 112 C You At The Wire has struggled. I am not sure racing him here with only two weeks rest at a distance that isn’t his best will produce the desired results. But we have seen horses with worse odds perform well here before.
PP 10 BANNABY (KY) (UNBRIDLED’S SONG x HENNESSY x DARSHAAN(ENG)) bred and trained by zalduendo (Rafa Stables, 14%) Odds: 6 to 1
Bannaby had a rough time out last time. He had a 10th place finish in the G2-Arcade Handicap. To his credit, it was a tough field and all but one who finished ahead of him had either graded wins or graded places on their resumes. Disregarding his last time out, Bannaby looks to be positioned to win here. He is one of only 6 horses in the field to consistently have triple digit speed figures and he is one of 5 to actually already have a graded victory to his credit. Also in Bannaby’s favor is his obvious liking of running a mile. Three of his 6 wins and almost all of his second place finishes have come at this distance . I think he will be able to shake off his last race and make a great showing Saturday.
PP 11 MICHAEL STRAHLMAN (KY) (FUSAICHI PEGASUS x PEINTRE CELEBRE (IRE) x THEATRICAL(IRE) bred and trained by windycity (Ojia Valley Stables, 16%) Odds: 9 to 1
Dare I say it?? Yes, another horse looking for their first graded victory! Michael Strahlman will be coming out of the gates in PP 11. This 4 year old based on Vilnus Kid has found great success in the stakes and allowance ranks, but would really like the graded win. He has finished third twice in his 3 graded tries. In his last 4 tries he has a win and an place and 3 pretty impressive triple digit speed figures. His top speed of 110 came at The JUDGE RANK (IRE) Stakes where he won in January. Michael Strahlman hasn’t won since then, but the speed figures he has been putting up should make him competitive here. He has only raced this distance three times in his 23 career starts.
PP 12 DOODLEBUG (CRYPTOCLEARANCE x CAERLEON x STAGE DOOR JOHNNY) bred and trained by ajm (Ajm Racing, 14%) Odds: 12 to 1
Doodlebug is trying for his first graded win here. Despite not having the elusive graded victory this 7 year old, the second of two in the field, has had a successful career. He has 8 wins and finished in the money almost 50% of the time. Doodlebug is coming off a win last time out and was posting speeds at the beginning of the year similar to the rest of the field. He is going to need a great start to pull off the victory here and he probably would have preferred an inside post position to help with that.
PP 13 BODHISATVA (FUSAICHI PEGASUS x STORM BIRD x PRIVATE ACCOUNT) bred by XX and trained by ets5 (THEO STABLES INC.—CLAIMING DIVISION, 11%) Odds: 9 to 2
After Theo claimed Bodhissatva for $5000 he has gone on to win his two G3 tries and finish second in his G2 try. Add to that 3 other victories, 3 seconds and a third and I would say that $5000 was a great find! Teddy has been asking on the message board for claiming success stories, perhaps he should write about his own. J The last time out for this 5 year old out of Mama Private was the worst race since coming to Theo Stables Inc. He has been given a long rest since that race and was switched back to his favored 8 furlongs as opposed to the 8.5 he tried last time. Bodhisatva might have preferred a different weather forecast, having found great success on off tracks, but I still think he will do well here on the firm turf. He posted the highest speed factor in the field two races ago with a 115.
PP 14 STEAL THE CAT (KY) (BELONG TO ME x TACTICAL CAT x OGYGIAN) bred and trained by ck2stable (At the Wire Thoroughbreds, 10%) Odds: 12 to 1
Steal The Cat is coming off two wins in his last two races. And This 4 year old out of Tactical Kitten has been consistently putting up triple digit speeds since late last year. He is making his graded debut here in his first stakes attempt. He has shown he likes this distance, 4 of his 5 wins have been a mile. He will need a considerable jump in speed to keep up with the field, but if he sits back and lets some of the others fight it out for the early lead, Steal The Cat just might manage to steal the show in the stretch.
Although there is some fierce competition in the field, I have to agree with the morning line and pick Bodhisatva for the win. I think Kiwi Mountain will be fighting hard to hold on to the lead, but will fall just short. My pick for third is Subside making a late move and finishing strong. If the winner here is a first time graded winner I certainly hope they are not the fifth to be struck with the Lone Star curse of it being their first and last graded win. Good luck to all the racers!