Yors Numras Sprint

Post Position

Horse

Trainer

Jockey

Odds

1

123057 DONTUSEMEAGAIN(KY)

doctahg2

Mo Johnson

9/1

DONTUSEMEAGAIN (CRAFTY PROSPECTOR x SEATTLE SLEW x DANZIG) is a single stakes winning colt, running for the Dentition *No Do Claima’s* Stables conglomerate out of Delpenn National. DONTUSEMEAGAIN is a recent returnee to the stakes ranks after plying his trade for the majority of his twenty-one race career in allowance company. Some solid end of year form saw trainer doctahg2 give the 4yo a test in The FROG SPIT Cap. The test results came back a resounding A+ with DONTUSEMEAGAIN running out the comfortable winner in a speedy 1:14 3/5 (115). His graded try next up wasn’t quite so well received by the faculty (a well beaten ninth). Likewise his last up start over seven furlongs where he couldn’t quite hold off the late swoopers, eventually finishing fourth. Today he shortens up over recent runs with connections hoping to counter the late race fading of recent weeks.

2

84419 HOLLOW HALO(KY)

nextbonus

N Linville

6/1

HOLLOW HALO (SPEIGHTSTOWN x BEAT HOLLOW x HALO) comes into the race looking for his tenth win in twenty five races. This winner of over 350k has recently elevated himself to graded winner status, after taking out the G3 Toboggan Handicap in march. Owners Nextbonus Racing have seen fit to test their colt in recent weeks with grade one and two tries in which HOLLOW HALO came up a little short against some of the better sprinters in the sim land. Far from being disgraced and far from retreating back into their shells nextbonus and co have seen fit to drop him back a furlong and send him out again in a big one to try and make his tenth victory a special one. Class will ensure he figures.

3

126470 EPISTLE(KY)

bookworm

S Bahr

11/1

EPISTLE (GHOSTZAPPER x SEATTLE SLEW x FORLI) is a lightly raced 4yo out of non-winning mare POST SCRIPT. Despite not winning a race in thirty starts, she has produced three quality youngsters with EPISTLE looking to become her first graded winning progeny. First things first, the young hopeful looked to take his first stakes win in February in The AKULA Stakes where he fell agonizingly close by ½ a length. To date this has been his standout performance, with him failing to go on with his improving form in recent weeks. Will need to replicate his AKULA Stakes run if he is to figure here.

4

116591 SCAT BRAT CAT(KY)

alroman

N Oates

6/1

SCAT BRAT CAT (FOREST WILDCAT x DANZIG x HOIST THE FLAG) arrives today the equal favorite with HOLLOW HALO. For a colt that has run 110+ in four out of his last six, you’d be surprised to find he has only come back a stakes winner once in his twenty five race career. That win came three races back in The DYNAPROSPECTOR Cap where he charged home from last to first in a perfectly timed run in a race run at today’s distance. What has followed has been two grade three tries resulting in a best effort of fourth. This causes a little concern, when you take into consideration he finished well beaten to a fellow runner here in his last start. As does jockey N Oates who is yet to win this year. Trainer alroman will hope his experience at this distance will be enough to overcome some of his in form rivals.

5

23760 FANTASY FESTIVAL(MD)

brassylass

H McSpeed

20/1

FANTASY FESTIVAL (FANTASTICAT x FESTIVAL OF LIGHT x RAHY) represents the MaNature TB’s ‘Organic & Homegrown’ operation. He is a lightly raced winner of three races with two stakes tries to date. Two starts back he fell to the aforementioned SCAT BRAT CAT by six lengths before improving to just fall short last start in The GILLESPIE Cap. Not such a bad effort considering the winner was the great sprinter CASTERLY ROCK who was rebounding from a recent form slump. Finishing second to such a great horse is more than respectable and will need to be repeated if he is take this one home.

6

130937 STORM OF SUNSHINE

mittasille

V Townsend

8/1

STORM OF SUNSHINE (STORM CAT x SOUTHERN HALO x VERMONT) has raced at six furlongs in four of his last seven races, in that time bringing home two grade three victories. The most recent (last start) saw this scratch bred colt take out the G3 Ferris Bueller Stakes in a blistering 1:08 4/5 (111). In total contrast to his last graded win (where he lead all the way), STORM OF SUNSHINE sat back in the pack before overcoming some of his more fancied rivals in the stretch. Beyond six furlongs his form has been sketchy with a trio of below par efforts in his last few runs but owner mittasille seems to have found his sweet spot at this distance and are expecting big things today. Hard to beat if he runs to form of last run.

7

124713 QUANDARY

mattress

P Dylan

19/1

QUANDARY (STRODES CREEK x CRIMSON SATAN x RED GOD) has some refreshingly obscure breeding in addition to what must be some refreshing form for trainer mattress considering this horse’s one-time claimer history. After eight races of up-and-down form over a range of distances, original breeder cottontop had had enough, dropping the then 4yo into a race with a tag. Mattress was quick to swoop and his initial outlay has looked to have paid off immensely in recent times. QUANDARY’s last four runs have returned four wins, with his last being an impressive stakes victory in The PADRE SHOCK Challenge where he stalked the leader and pounced on the stretch. Similar to today he came into that race at big odds so don’t be surprised to see him sneak up on the favorites here. Quality each-way betting choice.

8

110693 SCOTIAN GIFT

rrlogan

R Spring

12/1

SCOTIAN GIFT (CHARISMATIC x AFLEET x BUCKSPLASHER) is a winner of over 400k, running for rrlogan out of ONEWORLD Stables. He is a two times sprint stakes winner that seems to come in and out of form in frequent cycles. When in form he has been able to put away some quality fields, such as his effort in THE 2^ND MINNESOTA SPRINT where he overcame five graded winners to post his most recent victory. When he’s out of form however, he can look disinterested. Cases in point; his runs in the G2 Wild Thing Stakes and more recently The I CAN Stakes, in both of which he was unsighted. He has been able to win at big odds before and he may just be primed for a big one, but his inconsistency is a worry.

9

110673 SEGUIN MOREAU(KY)

zambaygo2

J Iginla

10/1

SEGUIN MOREAU (SMARTY JONES x MILL REEF x DANZIG) carries the hopes of zambaygo2, a member of Rafa Stables. He is a winner of 164k and six races, with one stakes victory coming back in his 3yo campaign. He has a natural tendency to set the pace and will probably be the early leader here today. Unfortunately for him and his connections he tends to be caught by one or two horses late when he’s up against tougher competition. This was the case in the G2 SIM Complainers Special (up till now his best graded effort) and more recently The LORD COIN Cap, where in both cases he was pipped near the line, finishing second. Form would suggest much the same happening today, with J Iginla taking his mount to the front and his owners praying for him to hold on down the stretch. Big chance for money.

10

39491 ARMORED ASSAULT(KY)

sunshine34

T Sherr

11/1

ARMORED ASSAULT (FORESTRY x RED RANSOM x CAPOTE) is an aggressively named young colt, coming off his biggest win to date in The MOUNT BILLY Handicap. This came in only his second stakes try after being rewarded for some consistent allowance form towards the end of his 3yo campaign. Trainer sunshine34 was a little disappointed he didn’t come back a stakes winner in his first effort, but sighted the weather as a significant factor. This minor setback was quickly overcome with his aforementioned run last time out, where he beat a field containing grade one winner SMOULDERING STREET. One query we have is does he have the outright speed to win here? Will need to post a best effort.

11

56929 CAMPAN(KY)

donosti

S Dawson

14/1

CAMPAN (HENNESSY x FORTY NINER x THEATRICAL) is out of five time winning mare BERTIZ, who did all her damage on turf. CAMPAN looked to be a bit of a jack-of-all trades/ master-of-none type horse, until his return to the dirt late in his sophomore year. For the first time he was able to break into triple digit speed figures (repeating the effort consistently) and has two stakes victories in 2008. In January he broke through for his first in more than a year of trying in The OUT WITHIN POWER Cap, posting a 1:27 4/5 (113) over seven and a half furlongs that would see him come home the victor in most races. He won the second stakes last start over the same distance. So is in good form. But there are some doubts that the second of Rafa Stables entries in this race can compete with the top couple over six furlongs where he came up short in an allowance two starts back.

12

97897 BIG POPPA PUMP

stonecold

R Heenan

13/1

BIG POPPA PUMP (POINT GIVEN x STORM CAT x MR. PROSPECTOR) is one of the more experienced campaigners here, with thirty one starts under his belt. He is the second graded winning offspring out of the mare STORMY NIGHT. He has come home the winner for trainer stonecold three times, once as a 2yo, once as a 3yo and once as a 5yo; earlier this year in The ROCKY Z. Challenge. He led all the way that day (his one and only time doing so), posting a time of 1:14 4/5 (114) over six and a half furlongs. Unfortunately that run ended a hot few months of form that has since turned disastrous and seen BIG POPPA PUMP unceremoniously dumped back into the allowance ranks to find some form. A middling allowance run at today’s distance has been enough to catch his trainer’s eye, so possibly expect the unexpected, but you’d be hard pressed to pick him the winner here.

13

24955 AS I LAY DYING(KY)

sarava02

P Ashmore

9/1

AS I LAY DYING (SAINT LIAM x DANZIG x MR. PROSPECTOR) is certainly doing anything but laying down in recent times and bounds into this one off a smart victory in The B.B. BUZZ Special last time out. This 4yo out of single stakes winning mare MISS BREWTALITY has been steadily improving ever since breaking his maiden at first time of asking. In little under a year he’s managed to grow speed wise from a 1:16 4/5 (93) to a 1:15 1/5 (110) at his most accomplished distance of six and a half furlongs and may not have hit his ceiling yet. Trainer sarava02 who runs under the Black Label Stables banner has found another one to add to their already plentiful stocks and will be quietly confident their young grey colt can brush away any of the class issues we have with her and step up to the big time here.

14

95922 FUSAICHI PHANTOM

2totango

S Bauder

11/1

FUSAICHI PHANTOM (FUSAICHI PEGASUS x NORTHERN DANCER x HOIST THE FLAG) is the elder statesmen here, coming to us as a 7yo warhorse with thirteen wins under his belt. Not racing until he was four, FUSAICHI PHANTOM started his career well and was running with stakes potential in his first year. 2006 was a year in which his speeds receded and the writing looked to be on the wall for this once promising scratch-bred colt. 2totango out of Twoofus Stables wasn’t prepared to give up and his/ her persistence paid off in 2007 a stakes victory in The ROO A.P. Cap and a pair of solid third place efforts in graded company. This is a great return for the old guy who many thought was finished or at least destined for lesser things. Early 2008 form has not quite been up to his previous years heroics but he’s a six furlong veteran who has some chance of beating the whipper-snappers here