Millwood Cup Offers Treat

Sim players get a special treat on Halloween as the Millwood Cup will be run a week earlier than it’s real life equivalent. The championship race in the long distance turf division carries a $4 million purse for the first one home over its two mile distance. As befits a race of such importance the field is top notch. It includes the last two victors in this race, Platinum Wipe Club (2023) and Mix of Emotions (2022). Platinum Wipe Club parlayed her victory to Horse of the Year honors last season and enters with a strong chance this season. She is one of two fillies in the race along with Kiama Swap. The two previous winners are joined by Known Danger in the five million dollar earners bracket. While there are some very blue blooded runners in the field three of the fifteen entrants were once available for a claiming tag giving all sim trainers a chance to dream. Let’s take a look at the field.

#1 Kiama Swap 20/1

A very lightly raced four year old filly, Kiama Swap has been slowly stretching out in distance and finding success. She’s won three of her last four races: an allowance at a mile and a quarter; a listed going a mile and a half and most recently the Grade Two Prix Royal at a mile and five eighths. That does mean she has never run this distance before and there can be a big gap between horses who can get up to a mile and three quarters and those that can stretch another quarter mile. Kiama Swap’s running style was different in that Prix Royal win as she sat closer to the early pace compared to those other wins before rolling home down the stretch, winning by over three lengths. She’s a beautifully bred daughter of American Pharoah out of the Hall of Fame mare Cadet Cat. The two time grade one winner on dirt scored her biggest victories going a mile and three quarters but she was a grade two winner going two miles. In the shed she has been even better – from nine foals she has produced three grade one winners, two grade two winners a grade three winner and two listed winners. Her best foal was a Violence mare, Frankie and the H who was an End of Year Award winner with grade one wins including going two miles.

#2 Outback Embers 20/1

Five year old Outback Embers is looking for his first graded win in this spot. He is a listed winner going this distance and has been graded placed in his two most recent races. Two starts back he finished third in the Grade Three Copenhagen Marathon going a mile and seven sixteenths where he was next to last early on before making a solid move down the lane. He was beaten just over five lengths but was fifteen lengths back at the stretch call. Most recently he was second in the two mile Grade Two Don’s Plastered Cup where again he was well beaten early on before making a run down the stretch. This time he closed over nine lengths down the stretch but was still beaten by four lengths. Both of those races came over yielding surfaces (his only two off track starts) so it will be interesting to see whether he can close better on a firm course. He’s a scratchbred son of Dubawi x Sadler’s Wells x Monsun.

#3 Shelby’s Joy 8/1

Another horse who has never run this distance is Shelby’s Joy. The four year old has never even run beyond a mile and a half so he’s big question mark here. He has been very successful in his career and enters off a win in the Grade Three Sick No More at that distance. In that spot he closed from last – over nineteen lengths back to win by an increasing four lengths. The son of Kitten’s Joy is the first stake winner from four foals for his Golden Horn x Frankel dam.

#4 Germanik 12/1

The first horse who was once available for a claim tag (and $2,000 at that!) is Germanik. Luckily for his trainer Tees this horse was not picked up by another player and he’s gone on to earn nearly two million dollars. Much of that came from a second place finish in this race last year. He’s got two wins going two miles in listeds but this season he has only run this distance once in the Grade One Ackland Cup in February where he finished sixth. Since then he has run exclusively at a mile and three quarters in allowances where he’s got one win, two seconds and a third. That makes him difficult to gauge in terms of class quality as well. Last season he was a closing monster, this season has seen him sitting much closer to the early pace. He’s a son of Study of Man out of a Monsun x Awesome Again mare. He’s the only stakes winner from her thirteen foals.

#5 Kiama Tyomeo 8/1

Kiama Tyomeo has done very well at this distance, winning twice and running third once in four tries at two miles. He’s a grade two winner going a mile and three quarters in the Yorkshire Plate where he sat midpack before powering home to win going away with a 117 speed. Just prior to that he was second in the lucrative Grade One Sand Castle Golden Turf Classic going a mile and a half. Most recently he was third in the Grade One Longchamp Marathon at this distance. In that spot he was third early on and closed well while running a 112 speed. He’s a son of Galileo based on the grade two winning Sea The Stars x Street Cry hemare Henty Omeo. Henty Omeo did his best running around a mile and a half but in his lone two mile race he was second in a listed.

#6 Shakalakaboomboom 25/1

The longest shot in the field today has perhaps the best name. The four year old scratchbred gelding by Bricks and Mortar x Sadler’s Wells x Kingmambo enters off a win in the Grade Three Gladiator going this distance. In that spot he sat fourth at the first call but steadily made progress around the course, taking command around the far turn and motoring home to win by over four lengths with a 109 speed. This horse’s last eight starts have come at this distance and he’s won six times while never being out of the money. He’s consistently gotten faster and seems to be in the form of his career.

#7 Purple Red 5/1

Second choice in the field is this Dubawi five year old. He enters off a second in the Grade One Ark de Comic Dog going a mile and a half. He ran a career best 120 speed while closing from midpack to lose by just a quarter lengths. Last season Purple Red won a grade one at that distance. He prepped for the Ark by running in an allowance going a mile and three quarters which he won easily with a 111 speed. It was his first time running that distance since his three year old season in which he also ran his only two mile race. That came in a local bred allowance against three other horses and resulted in a facile win but it’s almost impossible to draw any conclusions about this race based on that one. He was produced by the grade two winning Pivotal x Sadler’s Wells mare Rosberry who did her best running around a mile and a half but she was a winner going a mile and three quarters. In the shed she has produced two other grade one winners and three lissted winners from ten foals.

#8 Outback Elevator 10/1

Five year old Outback Elevator saw a three race win streak broken in his most recent run, a sixth place finish in the Grade One Longchamp Marathon. Prior to that he’d won an allowance, the Grade Three Roosenbad Marathon and the Grade Two Greatwood Cup in that order. All three races came at two miles, a distance at which he had a previous grade three victory as well. He’s a midpack runner with a ton of closing kick – enough to blow the doors off of the Greatwood by four lengths and enough grit to get up to win by a head in the Roosenbad. He’s a scratchbred son of Galileo x Giant’s Causeway x Deep Impact.

#9 Altercado 21/1

Even though he comes from the family of grade one winning turf runners Amaterasu and Exceleratsu and with a dam who was a turf stakes winner, Altercado was not tried on the lawn by his breeder before he was dropped into a claiming race in just his second start. Snatched up by his current connections Altercado has won seven of his subsequent fifteen starts and just over $265,000. All of those wins have come at a mile and three quarters or more and generally have seen him run towards the middle or back of the pack before making a sustained run. His best run was his most recent run. That race came in his graded debut, the Grade Two Irish Saint Legend at a mile and three quarters. In that spot he sat fourth of six early on before closing six and a half lengths down the stretch, finishing third by just one half lengths. His speeds are a touch below the best of these but in his best runs he’s not that far off. He’s a son of Alternation out of the above mentioned Monsun x Awesome Again mare and he’s looking to become her first stakes winner from eight foals.

#10 Mix of Emotions 11/1

A five million dollar earner, Mix of Emotions won this race back in 2021. That was his most successful year on the track but a win in this spot would cap a very good year for the six year old scratchbred son of King Kamehameha x High Chaparral x Danehill. Since finishing third in this race last season he has won every other start. That started with the Grade Three Diamond Stakes in February, continued through the Grade Two Second Henry in May and capped by the Grade Two Longdale Cup in August. In those races he closed from last or close to it with a devastating kick down the stretch and all three came at this distance. His most recent start was a twelfth place finish in the Grade One Longchamp Marathon. That was the worst finish he’s had in the past year but if he runs true to his pattern he will be very difficult in this spot.

#11 New Queue 23/1

New Queue’s connections are very lucky this colt was never picked up for a claiming price. Running for a tag as low as $2,000 early in his career New Queue blossomed at the end of his three year old season when stretched to a mile and five sixteenths for the first time. A win in that spot saw him reel off six straight wins. Starting in starters going a mile and a half and moving on to an allowance win going a mile and three quarters and then a win in the Grade Two Don’s Plastered Cup at two miles he just dominated his fields. After a loss in a grade two at the end of 2022 he was given three months off before returning to the races a winner in February. This year he’s won four of his five starts including a successful defense of his win the Don’s Platered Cup. He wants to run on the lead and will obviously have to catch Platinum Wipe Club to do that but if that runner falters he might get his preferred run. He’s a son of South African sire New Predator out of a Rainbow Quest x Kris S. mare who has also produced grade one winner Rio Rainbow by Rio De La Plata.

#12 Platinum Wipe Club 9/2

What can be said about Platinum Wipe Club that hasn’t already been said? Last season’s Horse of the Year has had every superlative under the sun thrown at her feet and she has exceeded all of them. Last season the Millwood was her fourth grade one of the year. This season she has been less than invincible but added a win in the Grade One Gold Glass to her resume. She prepped for the 2022 Millwood by running fifth in the Grade One Ark de Comic Dog. This year she again tried that rich prize and finished fourth in the mile and a half event. She never got her preferred position – in front from the get go – but was only beaten two lengths and she ran a career best 119 speed. The six year old is a scratchbred daughter of Deep Impact x Montjeu x Kingmambo.

#13 Contaki 21/1

The only three year old in the field is this gelded son of Contrail x Forty Niner x Kris s. He’s been in the money in fourteen of his fifteen career starts and has three graded victories under his belt. Those races (all of which came in his last four starts) saw wins in the Grade Three Opeenheimer Reunion at a mile and three eighths, the Grade One German Derby at a mile and a half and in his most recent start the Grade Two Hanging Chad at a mile and three quarters. That is the longest distance he’s ever run and all of his starts have come against fellow three year olds. He did run a very quick 112 speed in that spot which saw him come from next to last to win by five and a half lengths which is typical of his wins.

#14 Outback Fez 22/1

Even though he is a four year old Outback Fez has the fewest starts of any horse in the field. He’s a scratchbred son of Dubawi x Street Cry x Galileo who debuted in November of 2022. He broke his maiden in January when he ran a mile and a half for the first time. Two starts later he won an allowance going two miles and he’s not looked back. He was third in his stakes debut in July before trying the Grade Three Stockholm Marathon at a mile and seven eighths which he won easily, coming from about a dozen lengths off the pace to win by three and a half lengths. He ran a 109 speed that day, bested only by a 112 in his most recent start, the Grade One Longchamp Marathon. In that spot he was quite a bit further off the pace early on but he again made a strong late run and closed nine lengths down the stretch to finish second by two and a half lengths.

#15 Known Danger 6/1

Our last five million dollar earner in the field is Known Danger. He hasn’t won a six million dollar race to do that but he does have three grade one wins and interestingly they have all come at different distances. In September of 2022 he won the Saint Legend at a mile and five sixteenths against three year olds. He added a win in December’s Winter Cup and then started 2023 off with a win in the mile and a half New Zealand Darby. After that win which he accomplished with a 120 speed he was kept to that distance for the rest of this year. He’s finished third in two of his three subsequent starts but has not run back to that lofty number. He’s never run this far before although obviously his Saint Legend win was close. He’s a scratchbred son of Bricks and Mortar x Kingmambo x Dansili.

Good luck to all!