The SLEEZY PASS Stakes
On tap this week at the Tennessee track is the 4th running of the SLEEZY PASS STAKES. This open stakes race, with a purse of $55,000, is for all horses ages 3 years old and up and will be contested at the mile and three eights distance on the firm turf course. The 2006 edition of the race produced a new stakes and track record for the 11 furlong turf distance when SARATOGA STORM – (Storm Cat x Lemon Drop Kid x Deputy Minister) bounded home in a final time of 2:15. Previous winners of the stakes also include – 2005 BRUSH OF GREY – (Broad Brush x Grey Dawn II x Riverman) and 2007 KINGS OVER ACES (IRE) – (King of Kings (IRE) x A.P. Indy x Kingmambo). A field of five will compete this year with the hope of adding their name to the history book for this race.
PP1) JUBBLY (IRE) – (5/1) by Shamardal, Trained by tote. Going for his third consecutive win today, his last race a 2 length victory against horses his age in the $75,000 Prosper Vision Special, this 3 yr. old colt has been off the board in just 1 of his 13 lifetime starts and has earnings of over $168,000. His only out of the money finish was a distant 14th place finish in the G1 Sydney Derby in April also against 3 yo competition. Today’s race marks the first time the colt will face open stakes competitors in the 3yo+ division but he has contested races at today’s 11 furlong turf distance with success. Four races back, in the MOAI Special at AK, JUBBLY (IRE) finished 2nd just 3 ½ lengths back of the winner while running a competitive close to the pace race while posting a final SP# of 95. Trainer tote’s charge should once again be in the mix of things from the outset of the race with Tennessee’s leading rider R. Bokie in the saddle.
PP2) S R KING OIL (AUS) – (5/2) by High Rolling (AUS), Trained by jeffdrew. This 6 yr. old earner of over $245,000 has 6 lifetime victories to his credit and 1 open stakes win under his belt, a 2 length victor in the Your Nijinsky Handicap way back in April of 2007. In 2008 S R KING OIL (AUS) has raced nine times, with two victories in allowance company, and has competed in four other open or graded stakes competitions. His last stakes outing was two races back in July when he competed in the G1 Smackdown finishing 4th in the $1 million dollar race. Another unique statistic about this gutsy performer is that both of his highest SP#’s of 106, ran in 2007, were run at today’s 11 furlong turf distance. It looks as if this jeffdrew trained runner might take advantage of his liking for the distance and could very well bring home the $33,000 winner’s check to his connections.
PP3) PASS THE DELTA – (3/1) by Chief Seattle, Trained by jockfan04. Running today in his 57th lifetime start this 7 yr. old earner of over $268,000 has 11 victories to his credit ranging in distance from 8 to 10 furlongs on the turf. Today marks only the 4th time PASS THE DELTA has been entered into an open stakes competition throughout his long racing career. His last stakes start, nine weeks ago in the Big Actor Challenge in FL, was a 5th place finish when he raced a front running style race while posting a final SP# of 93. Today’s race is the 2nd start for the horse, while being trained by jockfan04, after he was claimed from his previous owner out of a $20000 tag claiming race also in FL in June. This tough veteran shows promise as his consistent in the money percent shows (53%) and it will be interesting to see how he handles running the 11 furlong turf distance of today’s race, which also happens to be the longest run in his competitive career.
PP4) ELUSIVE IN SEATTLE (KY) – (14/1) by Elusive Quality, Trained by seplatt01. Our second 3 yr. old entrant in today’s race comes off a 5th place finish, some 4 ¾ lengths back, in an allowance race at KS last time out when he tackled older runners for the very first time at a mile turf distance. ELUSIVE IN SEATTLE (KY) has two wins to his credit out of 17 lifetime starts with his most recent win coming in March of 2008 in an 8.5 furlong allowance event at WY. With an off the pace mid-pack or further back running style this colt has improved his final SP# in his last three races posting a 93 final SP# his last time out. Like trainer jockfan04’s runner in this race trainer seplatt01 will be watching his charge today running in the longest race of his turf career and will have the services of jockey A. Singh in the irons.
PP5) KONDOR (KY) – (1/1) by Hennessy, Trained by cnl. Today marks the 11th stakes start for this 4 yr. old earner of over $271,000 who has 8 lifetime victories to his credit out of 28 races. KONDOR (KY) started his racing career off slow finally breaking his maiden in May of 2007 after running in 10 previous MSW races but he certainly hasn’t disappointed his connections since then. After that 4 length win at AK the horse has notched 7 wins out of 17 races including three open stakes company victories at various turf distances. His last time out, in the Bare Sky Special at 10.5 furlongs, he led every step of the way while posting a final SP# of 105 for the distance. Trainer cnl’s horse’s form shows a come and catch me if you can type preference at all distances and if he is able to open up some daylight in the early stages of the race on his competitors he has the ability to take it to the wire willingly while often running a final SP# of 100+. Jock D. Mathieson has the mount.
Race Analysis
One of the reasons I like my beat reporter’s job for the BTB is because it gives me the opportunity to see different open stakes races being contested by various horses at different ages and racing levels in their career and today’s race is a good example of this. In today’s race there are two 3 yr. olds, one 4 yr old, one 6 yr. old and one 7 yr. old horse who have all shown the potential to be competitive in races here on the SIM. With two runners in the race running the longest race of their career, two other runners racing this week after successful open stakes victories last time out, and one runner who two races back ran in a $1 million dollar purse race it makes for a somewhat confusing (but hopefully successful) challenge to pick a race winner. But like in real life, on my ventures out to my local track, that’s never stopped me before. So here are this weeks pick’s for our weekly open stakes race here at the Tennessee track and good luck to all the trainers and their horses in this year’s race.
2008 SLEEZY PASS STAKES selections
Win – #5 KONDOR (KY) Place – #2 S R KING OIL (AUS) Show – #1 JUBBLY (IRE)