Perfect handicapping near impossible for the Perfectionistic Handicap
Track : Colorado
Restrictions : All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance : A mile and one sixteenth on the Dirt
I decided to stay home in Colorado and write about the race here to save the BTB the cost of flying, hotel, etc. With all the horses they have been giving away lately I am starting to wonder about their bottom line. And I need to hurry home after the race to entertain a house full of little Spidermans to celebrate my son’s 7th birthday. So, staying close to home works for me this week. Anyway, who doesn’t love Colorado?
The Perfectionistic Handicap is the highlight race on the card in Colorado. Despite the fact that the weather is always changing here and we have had 80 degree weather, snow and thunderstorms (all within 48 hours) the track is listed as fast for today’s race. The name of the race was quite intimidating for me since I am not a perfectionist, so please forgive any typos in my article. J
Last year’s winner was out of assistant editor for the BTB stables, The Squirrel Empire. A.P. Precedent, after his first graded victory last year in the Perfectionistic Handicap he has gone on to win 4 more times, including two G2 races. The stakes record is held by 2003 winner Running For Jennah (horsenotes) with his sizzling 119. It will take a career best for someone to take down that record today. Let’s look at the field:
PP 1 RAVENCRAFT CASTLE (IRE) (CASTLEDALE (IRE) x FORTY NINER x SEATTLE SLEW) bred by photo41st and trained by bluehaze (Cleverdoc Stables, 18%) Odds: 8 to 1
This 4 year old out of Mama Niner has the most experience racing in stakes and graded stakes, but only 2 of his 10 career wins were at that level. Those wins were well over a year ago. He does have a pair of allowance wins sandwiched around his most recent graded try at The Razorback Cap-G3. He finished ahead of Cat Daddy (also in today’s field), but it was only good enough for 9th place. This field is not as competitive as his last graded try and he has been consistently posting speeds well into the triple digits. I expect him to stalk the early leaders and then put on the pressure up the stretch. Although this horse has brought home over $1 million in earnings, he hasn’t been able to win against graded company.
PP 2 SKYBOLT (GULCH x FORESTRY x SARONICOS (IRE)) bred and trained by mano2 (Mano Stables, 12%) Odds: 8 to 1
This 5 year old son of Gulch is making his graded debut here. He has tried stakes 4 times with 2 in the money finishes. His best try was his last time out at The MR. UGLY Stakes where he stayed well back until about the halfway mark and then he started moving past the rest of the field, but wasn’t quite able to pass the leader. This scratch bred also put up his career high speed of 113 in that race.
PP 3 GRIMLOCK (KY) (GONE WEST x SEATTLE SLEW x ALYDAR) bred by stupor7 and trained by padrebri (Cobra Kai Racing Stables, 16%) Odds: 11 to 1
Late in March Grimlock won for the first time against graded company in the G3-Smart School Cap. He had a great start and no one could catch him. In his wire to wire win he put up his career high speed of 116. Then last time out he tried a G2, but unfortunately did not have the same results. He started strong, but couldn’t hold on against the more competitive field and faded quickly after 3rd call. Prior to that this scratch bred 4 year old had consistently posting speeds in the hundreds. He if can do that here he should be competitive.
PP 4 DAN’S EMPIRE (EMPIRE MAKER x DANZATORE x BOLD RULER) bred by danmancan and trained by acote4 (Pilgrim Stables, 9%) Odds: 9 to 1
After it took Dan’s Empire 8 tries to break his maiden, his former trainer tried three allowance races that were anything but spectacular and then placed him in claiming races. Pilgrim Stables picked him up for $10,000 and Dan’s Empire likes his new stable. This 6 year old scratch bred has gone on to win 9 of his 33 starts with Pilgrim Stables and he finishes in the money well over 50% of the time. Dan’s Empire has not been able to bring home a victory in this class though.
PP 5 COOMINYA VOLVO (RAINBOW QUEST x LEAR FAN x TREMPOLINO) bred by yammer101 and trained by court4 (Liddleski Empire, 9%) Odds: 12 to 1
Coominya is another horse in the field to have been claimed. He only won 1 of his first 10 races and when yammer101 placed him in a $35,000 claimer the Liddleski Empire snatched him up. Since then this son of Rainbow Quest out of Fan of the Profit has won 6 times and just passed the $100,000 mark in earnings. Also, like Dan’s Empire he has tried stakes and graded stakes before, but all of his wins have been in allowance races. His last three tries were in stakes races and although he didn’t win, he was in the mix finishing 2nd, 3rd and 4th.
PP 6 VALDESKING (IRE) (KING OF KINGS (IRE) x SEATTLE SLEW x MR. PROSPECTOR) bred and trained by valdes (Fernando Empire, 16%) Odds: 9 to 1
After winning a conditioned allowance and bringing home his first stakes victory trainer Valdes decided to see what Valdesking could do against graded company. He finished fifth at the G3-Sand Castle Godolfin Mile in a very tough field. He lost to two graded winners and two graded placed horses. He did have his career high in that race, a 111. This is a softer field and he should be able to improve on his 5th place finish here.
PP 7 LEMON FIZZ (LEMON DROP KID x DANZIG x SUMMER SQUALL) bred and trained by bighoss (Bighoss Stables, 9%) Odds: 13 to 1
This 5 year old out of Candy Girl is making his graded debut here. He tried stakes once before as a three year old. Although he only has 5 wins in his 23 career starts, he has double that in his place column and has finished in the money almost 75% of the time. He hasn’t finished worse than 3rd since last November and has been posting speeds consistent with the rest of the field. Most of his races in the last year have been an even mile, but with his late running style the extra 16th could benefit him here.
PP 8 CAT DADDY (KY) (ELUSIVE QUALITY x HENNESSY x AFFIRMED) bred and trained by robsscoobi (Robsscoobi Stables, 16%) Odds: 8 to 1
From PP 8 is Cat Daddy. This 4 year old son of Elusive Quality is making his second try against graded company here. He has only finished out of the 6 times in his 18 career starts. Unfortunately, 3 of those times were in his last 4 races. He has been very success in allowance races and won at this distance at The TASMANIAN MICA Challenge for his first stakes victory. You have to look all the way back to last summer to find that last time he ran slower than triple digits. There are a lot of late runners in this field, so he will have a lot of competition to take the lead up the stretch.
PP 9 SILVER AND BLACK (JPN) (SILVER CHARM x HANSEL x ICECAPADE) bred and trained by carryback (The CVBear Racing Empire, 8%) Odds: 19 to 1
Silver and Black is the long shot here and the lightest raced in the field with just 11 career starts. This son of Silver Charm is making his stakes and graded debut here. His speeds are well into the triple digits recently, but just a little slower than most in the field. His last two wins were also at this distance. If he can handle himself in this class I think he could definitely be in the mix here.
PP 10 PRESENT DANGER (FUSAICHI PEGASUS x SADLER’S WELLS x A.P. INDY) bred by chilichili and trained by benelux (Benelux Stables, 11%) Odds: 11 to 1
This expensively bred 5 year old will start from post position 10. Currently Present Danger is with his 4 trainer after bouncing around stables getting claimed early in his career. After his trainer Benelux switched him from turf to dirt he has been on fire. He has four wins and three second places in his last 7 allowance tries. He attempted graded company for the first time in his last race at the G2-St. Pats. Legacy. Although he had his lifetime high speed of 111 in that race, he had a terrible start and wasn’t able to recover. He made a valiant effort, but finished 5th. He had two months rest after that try and should have an easier field to compete with here.
PP 11 SEIZING DESTINY (ENG) (CAPE TOWN x PHONE TRICK x HALO) bred and trained by epcotlen4 (Epcotlen Stables, 14%) Odds: 9 to 1
Seizing Destiny is coming off his first stakes victory at The VELVET BLUSH Special. He also put up his career high speed of 114. This will be his 3 race in 4 weeks so rest might be a factor for him. There has been some talk on the message boards recently about “early sharps” and how often to run your horses. It will be interesting to see how it plays out for Seizing Destiny. This 4 year old is out of Halo Trick should have a nice confidence boost with his last win and if he can put up another speed like his last time out he could be the one to beat here.
PP 12 UNDER BELLY (STORM CAT x ATTICUS x CHIEF’S CROWN) bred and trained by hansg (Hansg Stables, 14%) Odds: 12 to 1
Like many in the field today Under Belly has had great success in allowance races and is trying to make the move up in class. This 5 year old out of Nappy Dugout has tried stakes three times, none were successful. Underbelly is starting right next to the horse that beat him in his last race, Seizing Destiny. Under Belly finished sixth, over 9 lengths behind Seizing Destiny. That was his only finish out of the money this year. Under Belly will have top jockey M. Wallace (25%).
PP 13 GARGAMEL (IRE) (GALILEO (IRE) x KINGMAMBO x MILL REEF) bred and trained by lopo87 (Given Stables: Fire and Blood, 21%) Odds: 9 to 1
This 5 year old scratch bred has been a very versatile horse for Given Stables. His wins, in the money finishes and earnings are pretty evenly split between turf routes and dirt routes. He does have a stakes victory from early in his third year on the turf, but hasn’t been able to win in stakes or graded stakes since then. His most recent win was a turf route last October and his last win on the dirt came late last summer. He has been racing in stakes and graded stakes since his last win and has come close a few times, hasn’t been the winner. If he can get the lead early and hold on against all the late speed he might be able to get his first graded victory here.
PP 14 APE THE GREAT (CA) (EVENT OF THE YEAR x NORTHERN BABY x ALLEN’S ALYDAR) bred and trained by ape (Ape Hipiloto Stables, 7%) Odds: 8 to 1
After nine tries in stakes and graded stakes, Ape the Great was finally able to secure a stakes win early this year. Then he went on to win two more stakes n his last two times out. In his last race he posted his career high speed of 114. Coming off three wins and his best effort, he looks like he will be do well here.
This is a tough one to call. I have said that in articles before, but I don’t think I have seen a field with odds as close as this one. Despite his high price, I don’t think you can count out Silver and Black, we haven’t seen what he can do against graded company yet. As for the rest, your guess is as good as mine. J I will go with Ape the Great to continue his winning streak and take home his first graded victory. Grimlock and Seizing Destiny are my picks for second and third. Good luck and happy racing. J