Buckeye Derby Features Man Among Boys (In a Horse Sense)

Remember the days of adolescence?  We all try to forget some of those times surely, but most will at least recall the boy who had the mustache about one year before everybody else.  Remember that guy?  Remember the envy and curiosity?  Of course now we realize that biologically people mature at different rates and that one guy was just on the fast track to maturity.  But then we didn’t know this.  All we knew was there was a guy that looked like dad turning in the same homework as you in geography.  And all we thought was ‘this guy is a freak of nature.’

Consider the upcoming Buckeye Derby at the Ohio track (is it Thistledown?  Riverside Downs?).  The nine furlongs dirt route Grade II stake is open to three year old horses.  Three years old for a horse, isn’t that about horse adolescence?  Now consider the eleven horse field and know right now that FOLSOM BLUES is wearing the mustache in this field.  And much like the mustache guy, this horse too is a freak of nature, or at least a simulated freak.

PP #1      CURLY (KY)                                       cranyii                   M.Carrington        14/1

The cranyii trained chestnut colt takes his second crack at a graded race.  His last outing, the GI Princess Cup, produced a disappointing tenth finish about fifteen lengths back.  Perhaps this result was due to having no lord of darkness in the saddle.  While under R. Zombie and O. Osbourne, CURLY has produced a third place finish at the Unknown Moe Special and his only win, an eight furlong MSW which, incidentally, occurred just two months ago.  When running well, CURLY will look to take off with the leaders out of the gate, not necessarily setting the pace, and hopes that the leaders will fade near the end. 

PP#2       ZAPPER MAN (KY)                          peter12                  L. Ingersoll            5/1

The winningest and most experienced horse in the field, ZAPPER MAN has eight wins in seventeen starts.  Four of those wins were Stake races included the most recent Stupid Seattle Handicap and Fourth Spice Challenge.  This Stake level success has yet to translate to the Graded level, but with three wins and two seconds in his last five races, the brown horse appears to be running well heading into this race.  Look for L. Ingersoll, who gets the ride, to guide ZAPPER to the middle of the pack the first half of the race.  At the mid point, the horse will start to creep up on the leaders looking for an opening for the stretch kick, and ZAPPER has a nice finishing kick.

PP#3       FOLSOM BLUES (KY)                    jimcougar             M.Grunhard          5/2

The seconded rated horse overall in the dirt for classic routes, FOLSOM BLUES is the horse with the moustache.  He is the spoiler of KISSIN STREETCRY’s attempt at the sim Triple Crown with the Middle Jewel Stakes win.  Additionally, the brown colt is also the winner of the GI California Derby, and runner up of the GI Ring of Fire Special (which is a shame, considering all the Johnny Cash karma that should have been going).  FOLSOM will fall to the back of the pack out of the gate, not afraid of falling up to fifteen lengths behind.  At the half way point, he will unleash a huge burst of speed that will not let up until he find himself at the front of the pack and then the wire.  Running speeds at 100+ over his last six starts, one can see why this is the favorite.

PP#4       JULY FIFTH (KY)                            hoffiebarn             D. McHale            6/1

Quick, what do JULY FIFTH and favorite FOLSOM BLUES have in common?  The answer, they are the only two entries in this race with a Graded win and also a win over KISSIN STREETCRY.  JULY’s came in his GIII The B.P.S.R. Memorial Derby Prep victory (with fellow entrant CRANE MOUNTAIN taking third) back in early April.  Unfortunately, the brown colt appears to be struggling since then with only a third place finish to show in three starts.  Trainer hofflebarn looks to Kevin’s brother, D. McHale, to turn things around.  JULY looks to close on the leaders in the second half of the race, but he appears to have more success closing from the middle of the pack instead of the back.

PP#5       DIABOLIC TUTOR (JPN)              steller                     L. Herren               9/1

Looking at the horse’s name, one may ask if this horse is the head steed of Batman and Robin’s stable.  With this in mind, you the reader should read this following synopsis with the old school Batman (Adam West) cadence.  INTERESTINGLY enough . . . . the steller trained colt . . . has shown a variety of running styles.  The FIRST style . . . consists of FALLING to the middle . . . of the pack AND . . . closing out the race.  ANOTHER successful tactic . . . has DIABOLIC breaking with . . . the LEADERS and . . . out stamina-ing them.  L. Herren will be up to try to get this colt . . . HIS first Stake win.  Quick – to the Bat Cave!! 

PP#6       CRANE MOUNTAIN (KY)              afc                          O. Smith                7/1

The afc trained colt looks to take off with the leaders out of the gate and utilize a short, quick burst of speed when needed to take the lead.  This tactic has resulted in five times ITM out of ten lifetime starts including a Kid Vegas Challenge win and a GIII The B.P.S.R. Memorial Derby Prep show.  O. Smith will be in the saddle to guide CRANE in a slightly shorter distance than he is used to running.  If successful, the jockey has promised to back flip to the winner’s circle.

PP#7       GOLD TO GOLD (OK)                    graywof4               K. McKnight        17/1

GOLD TO GOLD is still looking for his first Stakes level win.  The best Stakes finish for the brown colt is third place in both the Godzilla Gal Bonanza and the Secret Siphon Special as a two year old.  Trainer graywolf4 looks to jockey K. McKnight to try to turn around a three year old season that has resulted in two wins and two seconds (all four ITM were AWL level) in eleven starts.  GOLD will look to run a fairly steady pace from gate to wire and try to utilize a small burst of speed when needed to get to the front.  If this tactic is going to work, the colt is going to need stretch this burst of speed to multiple furlongs.

PP#8       WANDLORE (FL)                             disneyland            D. Hickling            10/1

Either this horse was meant to be a CAL bred steed, or he actually needs to be trained by disneyworld.  Geography lesson aside, WANDLORE is the only entrant that has yet to finish out of the money, seven for seven.  The highlight of this record is a Lord’s Bird Stakes win in his last outing where the chestnut colt closed in the stretch of the mile race to a length and one half win.  This start represent two firsts for the horse; the first run in a Graded race and the first at a mile and an eighth.  D. Hickling will get the ride and will look to guide WANDLORE to the middle of the pack at the start of the race and close with some bursts of speed during the stretch run.

PP#9       STONE SAINT (JPN)                        acote3                    H. Harper              21/1

One of two entries from the Pilgrim Stables (PERFECT ORDER is the other), STONE SAINT is looking for his second career win after breaking his maiden last year.  The chestnut colt is running in just his second Stakes race with the other being an eighth place finish in the GI Win the Crowd and Rome Will Follow Derby.  STONE has shown some nice closing speed including some quick bursts of speed when need to pass a horse.  It will be up to H. Harper to try to sustain this closing speed to bring this horse home in the money.

PP#10    PERFECT ORDER (KY) acote6                    B. Fortune             22/1

A librarian would be proud looking at PERFECT ORDER’s record during his life, six starts with nothing to show bookend nicely with two wins at each end.  These past two wins at the ALW show that this long shot is starting to get back to a winning form.  Trainer acote6 looks to B. Fortune to try to take this winning form to a Graded Stake level.  If this is to happen, PERFECT ORDER will need to sustain his burst of speed longer during the stretch run to help close out the race.

PP#11    CAT CREEPER (KY)                       champions0          A. Peglow              5/1

Living in the greatest home stable this writer has seen thus far in the sim, Faster Sim Horses? Secret Ninja Changes?, CAT CREEPER is predicted to fight for second with ZAPPER MAN according to the odds makers.  But let’s revisit that home stable name again.  This write has no clue about the meaning, but anytime one can introduce ninjas AND leave people guessing is a quality name of the highest order.  CAT is currently mired in a three start slump of not finishing in the money after running of the first six lifetime starts on the board including a win at the Brandywine Springs Handicap.  Of course, these last six starts were against Graded competition which could be a reason for this.  A. Peglow will be charged with changing the brown colt’s luck in the Graded level.  Success may lie in how strong and sustained the second half kick the CAT will be able to sustain.