Full Field for The Why You Buggin Stakes
Welcome to the 7th running of The Why You Buggin Stakes. For the first time in the history of this G3 for fillies we have a full field. They will race 5 furlongs on the turf that is listed a firm for a share in the $100,000 purse. In the previous 6 runnings the favorite only won once (the inaugural running) and it has been won with late runners 4 out of 6 times. Dark Eclipse ran the 5 furlongs in 58 3/5 seconds in her 2004 victory and I think her record will be hard to beat today.
Today we have some 2 year olds with popular sim sires such as Seeking the Gold and Ghostzapper, some little known sires and 6 horses in the field have sires that have only produced 3 or fewer crops, including 3 first year sires. We also have 6 horses in the field who are making only their second career start here, one that debuted in a claimer, and two stakes winners. Another interesting tidbit, the vast majority of horses that are out of a game dame are out a mare that preferred dirt to turf. Let take a look at the field and see how this race is shaping up.
PP 1 RAN DUMB BREAD (LUCKY STORY x RAISE A MAN x LUCKY MEL) bred and trained by southern (Cmd Stables, 9%) Odds: 29 to 1
Facing a price of 53 to 1 Ran Dumb Bread (quite possibly a random bred) broke her maiden on her first try posting a speed factor of 69. She then tried an allowance race and graded stakes race that didn’t produce the same results. She finished out of the money both times and instead of increasing, her speed factor is decreasing. All three of her previous starts were on the dirt and trainer Cmd decided to see if he could find better results on the turf. She is a daughter of little used sim sire Lucky Story and if Ran Dumb Bread is able to pull off a win today it will be the first stakes win for Lucky Story as a sire.
PP 2 NEVADA DIVA (ENG) (SINGSPEIL (IRE) x CARSON CITY x GREEN DESERT) bred and trained by utah (White Wolf Breeding Farms, 11%) Odds: 7 to 1
Nevada Diva made the long trip over from Northern California after winning there in her first career start. She ran just off the pace most of the race, then took the lead in the stretch and finished 1 ¼ lengths ahead of the second finisher. If she lets some of the horses fight it out for the early lead and tire themselves she has a good shot of taking the lead in the stretch if she is able to stay ahead of the late runners. Her sire is Singspeil who has produced a nice number of winners in the sim, but not a lot of stakes winners and only 2 graded winners. Her game dam is Caloundra Gold, who was a dirt sprinter.
PP 3 JAIMEE (TREMPOLINO x KINGMAMBO x PEINTRE CELEBRE (IRE)) bred and trained by soulbleed (Black Label Stables, 18%) Odds: 8 to 1
Jaime is a daughter of Trempolino out of game dam Graveyard Disciple. Graveyard Disciple ran most of her races on dirt, all of her wins coming over the dirt and the majority of her in the money finishes too. Jaimee is the top offspring from Trempolino this year, only one of two (out of 12) to have won. Trempolino typically produces turf routers and Jaimee did great on this surface in her maiden (and only) race. She stayed well back and then moved up quickly after third call to finish 2 lengths ahead of Insignificant who was trying to win wire to wire. In a field with a lot of early speed it will be to her benefit to stay back until late.
PP 4 POTENZA (KY) (POWERSCOURT (GB) x MACHIAVELLIAN x DIXIELAND BAND) bred and trained by ingham (Thechamp Stables, 13%) Odds: 12 to 1
Potenza is a daughter of sim sire Powerscourt. He is a son of Sadler’s Wells and 2008 is his third year as a sire. He has produced 12 stakes winners, but no graded winners yet. Potenza is out of game dam Zamellian who had all her wins and in the money finishes on the turf. She debuted on a yielding turf track, but it didn’t seem to bother her at all as she shot up the stretch to pass almost the entire field (she had been racing in 13th place) and win. She only one of 3 horses to try an allowance race before making the jump in class and she stayed well back again and then closed it late, winning again. Like Jaimee, she has an advantage of being one of the few closers in this race.
PP 5 CRAZY IMPUSLE (ENG) (SHAMARDAL x THUNDER GULCH x DYNAFORMER) bred and trained by pjlstables (Pedro’s Racing Empire, 16%) Odds: 10 to 1
Crazy Impusle is in Shamardal’s third crop of horses. In his first year as a sire he produced 92% winners and 9 stakes winners. Last year he produced one graded winner and this year 10 of his 31 horses have already won. Shamardal’s offspring tend to like the turf , although with Thunder Gulch as DS, it wouldn’t be surprising if she liked the dirt as well. Crazy Impulse is out of game dam Littlemissthunder who only ran as a 2 and 3 year old. Her wins as a 2 year old were dirt sprints, but as a three year old she won two turf routes, with speeds over the century mark. Crazy Impulse debuted in a small field and she fought for the early lead with the favorite Fastnfirm Rocks. She was able to move ahead of her coming down the stretch to win by just ¼ of a length. She is going to have quite a fight here for the early lead and will need an increase in speed over her last race to be competitive here.
PP 6 JUST PLAIN IN (PA) (SORT IT OUT x CASEY TIBBS (IRE) x TIME TESTED) bred and trained by graywolf21 (Wolf’s Den, 12%) Odds: 51 to 1
Just Plain In is making quite a jump in class today. She debuted in a $2000 maiden claimer, but despite being one of the long shots she wired the field. This will be only her second time out and against a field with much harder competition. She is a scratch bred out of Sort It Out. He is in his second year as a sire, has produced 64 horses, 8 winners and 1 stakes winner. Its Out is Sort It Out’s stakes winner, a 3 year old colt and stable mate of Just Plain In. He won The Bargain Derby in May. Graywolf is hoping for similar success for this daughter of Sort It Out. Just Plain In’s debut speed is similar to others in the field, so the big question is if she can handle the jump in class.
PP 7 FORMULE DE DEPART (FR) (ANABAA x CANNY LAD (AUS) x GRAND LODGE (IRE)) bred and trained by arcman (Candlestick Farm Racing, 8%) Odds: 17 to 1
Formule De Depart is one of 6 scratch bred horses in today’s race. Her sire is Anabaa, son of Danzig. He produces mainly turf sprinters. He has yet to produce a graded winner in the sim, so Formule De Depart could be the first one to do that. This will be the fourth race for Formule. Her speeds have only been increasing and she is used to the track here at Longchamp having raced here in her previous two tries. She won for the first time her last race wire to wire, beating 4 horses that were favored over her. In that race she put up a speed factor of 70.
PP 8 EXCELLENT LEADER (IRE) (EXCELLENT ART (GB) x MACHIAVELLIAN x DIXIELAND BAND) bred and trained by londonred (Bristolred Stables, 12%) Odds: 5 to 1
After winning her first time wire to wire against a full field with a sizzling speed factor of 79, trainer bristolred tried stakes next. She won this race wire to wire too, but it was much closer and she wasn’t as fast. She is a scratch bred daughter of Excellent Art who is in his first year as a sim sire. He has already produced two stakes winners, Excellent Leader ranking second. She has an excellent chance at being the leader here, the only one of two with stakes experience and although her speed decreased from her first to second race, both are higher than the most of the field. She will definitely have pressure from others with early speed, but she had that in both of her previous wins and it shouldn’t bother her. Hard to bet against her here.
PP 9 BIG TOP HAL0 (LA) (BIG TOP CAT x JOLIE’S HALO x CAPOTE) bred and trained by zoolander (Fortune500, 16%) Odds: 9 to 1
Big Top Halo is making her 5th career start here today. She has a pair of second place finishes and a pair of wins; including a stakes win her last time out where she put up a 76 speed factor. In all of her previous starts she has stayed pretty far back and waited until after 3rd call to move up. With so many that will probably be fighting for the early lead here she should do well. Also, her lowest career speed is as high as some horses’ career high. She is a daughter of Big Top Cat, son of Storm Cat who is in his first year as a sire. Big Top Halo is his top earner so far this year. Her game dam was a dirt router, but she seems to being doing quite well on the turf so far. She will have top jockey B. Wu who won this race last year. I think she will be hard to beat here, especially if those with early speed tire themselves out fighting for the lead.
PP 10 DOCTOR WHO (KY) (SEEKING THE GOLD x GIANT’S CAUSEWAY (IRE) x DANZIG) bred and trained by super17 (More Evil Than The Evil Empire, 16%) Odds: 3 to 1
Doctor Who is making the long trip over from the American Division (her last race was in Lousiana) to the EAAA Division for her second career start. In her first start as the favorite she won at 5.5 furlongs wire to wire. One horse was coming toward her with a lot of late speed, but she held on finishing 1 ¼ lengths ahead. Doctor Who’s pedigree is quite impressive. She is a daughter of 7th ranked sim sire Seeking The Gold who typically produces dirt runners. And she is out of game dam Super Lasik who also earned most of her money on a dirt track, including 3 stakes wins. If her first race is any indication though, Doctor Who is doing great on turf. Her speed factor in her first race was 71 and she will be hoping for a great start out of the gates so she can take the early lead.
PP 11 CASE FACE (KY) (GHOSTZAPPER x DISTORTED HUMOR x SECRETARIAT) bred and trained by kauffmac1 (River Ridge Farms, 6%) Odds: 7 to 1
Case Face is a scratch bred daughter of Ghostzapper, who is in his third year as sire in the sim. In his first year he produced 93% winners and has 41 stakes winner and 10 graded winners. Ghostzapper usually produces dirt runners, but Case Face tried the dirt her first time out and didn’t seem to like it, finishing over 5 lengths behind and with a speed of only 55. Her trainer at River Ridge Farms then switched her to the turf where she has had some success. Her first try on the turf she held the lead most of the race, but wasn’t able to hold on against the late speed. Her second try she won with a wire to wire victory. Unfortunately there are many horses in the field today with early speed, faster than her and some dangerous deep closers so I am not sure she is going to take home her second win here.
PP 12 CIRCUMSTANCES (FL) (INDY KING x DEFRERE x BRIAN’S TIME) bred and trained by smokeybb (Smokey’s Stable, 9%) Odds: 65 to 1
Circumstances is a daughter of little used sim sire Indy King. He produced his first graded winner last year in Indy Prospector (Indy King x Broad Brush x Mr. Prospector). Circumstances’ sire, ds and dds are not highly ranked in the sim, but all of their sires are (A.P. Indy, Deputy Minister and Roberto). Circumstances is one of 6 scratch bred horses in the field. She tried a dirt race first with miserable results and then trainer Smokey tried her on a turf track. She went for the lead early, ran in second place most of the race and at the last minute pulled ahead by a nose to win.
PP 13 SLICKAS (NZ) (VOLKRAAD (GB) x EL CORREDOR x MASTER WILLIE (GB)) bred and trained by wariuz (Hawkz Racing Stables, 9%) Odds: 23 to 1
Slickas is the first offspring of game dam El Pickle. All of El Pickle’s wins and in the money finishes were over a dirt track. Her sire is Volkraad, a little used sire that has produced mostly dirt sprinters in the past. He hasn’t produced a stakes winner in the game since 2004. In her first two races she was in very full fields and showed she could hold her own in them. In her first race she wasn’t able to stay ahead of two deep closers, but was able to finish in the money. She won her second time out to the surprise of the oddsmakers, well over 2 lengths ahead and making a 10 plus jump in speed from her first race.
PP 14 FLOORWALKER (ENG) (SIR PERCY x UNBRIDLED x SOUTHERN HALO) bred and trained by tiramisu (Tiramisu Stables, 7%) Odds: 15 to 1
Today’s race will be only the second time out for Floorwalker. She won in a wire to wire victory her first try. With so many others in the field with early speed, more experience and higher speeds she will need a good jump in the speed to win here. Her sire is Sir Percy, who is in his first year as a sire. Floorwalker is his first winner out of 13 horses. She is out of game dam Their Southpaw who has produced one stakes placed horse (she has 6 offspring). Floorwalker is one of many horses in the field who is out a dam that was most successful on the dirt, but is starting their career successfully on turf.
It is hard to know what these two year olds are going to do. Having only raced a few times you never know when you will see a jump in speed or a change in racing style. With a field full of early speed horses that are likely to tire themselves out and a history of late closers winning this race, my pick is going to be Big Top Halo for the win. I also think Jaimee will make a move late, but it won’t enough for the win or to get ahead of Excellent Leader in her attempt for a wire to wire win.
Morning Line: Doctor Who, Excellent Leader, Case Face and Nevada Diva (tied)
Kloie’s Picks: Big Top Halo, Excellent Leader and Jaimee
Good Luck and Happy racing. J