The OUR DINNER Bonanza
The 10th race on the card this Saturday at the SIM Tennessee track is the 4th running of the OUR DINNER BONANZA Stakes a contest for all horses age 3 yrs. old and up with a purse of $55,000. The six and one half furlong turf event will be run over a course labeled as firm with six speedy runners set to compete for top honors. The 2007 edition of the race produced a new stakes record set by HALOATRICAL (IRE) – (Theatrical (IRE) x Halo x Fappiano) when the sjmeola4 trained colt covered the sprint distance in 1:15 4/5. With five of our six entrants running their last race in open stakes competition, and the only horse not to compete in stakes competition last time out being a co-morning line favorite, the contest looks on paper to be a very competitive race with any one of the horses being capable of taking home the winners share of the purse.
PP1) CONSPIRATOR – (2/1) by Lemon Drop Kid, Trained by super10. With 10 lifetime victories to his credit this 5 yr. old horse is looking to push his career earnings over the ½ million dollar mark with a win in today’s race. This super10 trained runner is competing in his 8th consecutive graded or open stakes race today with his last time out being in the Dowell’s Dane Special Stakes at KS where he finished a fast closing 3rd just 2 lengths behind the winner in the 7 furlong turf event. With his usual fast turn of foot once he hit’s the homestretch the speed in this race had better be alert nearing the wire or they just may see CONSPIRATOR and Tennessee’s leading rider R. Bokie slipping past them in the final strides.
PP2) IT’S MY COURT (GER) – (9/1) by Monsun (GER), Trained by borrow2. A winner of 3 of his 12 lifetime starts this 3 yr. old colt is making his 2nd career start today in a stakes race. His last time out in the Boulder Grade Stakes at HK was a 7 furlong event on the dirt where he put in what would have to be considered a disappointing effort dropping way out of the race early while still posting a SP# of 94. All three of IT’S MY COURT’s victories have come on the dirt with his last win coming in an allowance race at a 7 furlong distance two races back. Trainer borrow2’s horse is not a complete stranger to the turf though with his record showing two second place finishes out of four turf races early in his career. With his increasing SP#’s and his possible affinity for the turf he may be one to watch out for today.
PP3) PARK AT THE TOP – (9/2) by Ecton Park, Trained by bhoffman. This talented 7 yr. old horse, who changed hands when he went over to trainer bhoffman’s barn in June 07, seems to have found his preferred race distance under new guidance with much success. His last 14 races have been contested on the turf at distances between 6 and 7 furlongs and he has consistently hit the board finishing in the WPS spot in 8 out of those 14 races. His last time out, in the Tuff Gong Memorial at VA, was only his 2nd lifetime try in stakes company and he finished 4th some 5 lengths off the winner while racing back in the pack in the early stages of the race. PARK AT THE TOP appears to be in the best form of his career at this time even setting a new lifetime SP# of 106 two races back in Sept. when running in allowance company. Jockey D. Crisp has the mount.
PP4) GRECIAN FORMULA (KY) – (5/2) by Cherokee Run, Trained by fab36. This 4 yr. old earner of over $176,000 is running in his 4th consecutive stakes race today with the services of jock M. Isdell aboard. This fab36 trained front runner was victorious three races back in the Birds Of Africa Stakes at WA handily beating a field of 10 at the 7 furlong turf distance while posting a SP# of 107 for his effort. During his last time out GRECIAN FORMULA held second place safely, some 1 ¼ lengths off the winner, while also staying in front of another runner in this race super10 runner CONSPIRATOR. GRECIAN FORUMLA’s early speed speaks well for his chances today at the 6.5 furlong distance and watch for him to attempt to wire this field which just happens to be something that he has been able to do often throughout his fine career.
PP5) DEEP DARK SECRETS (IRE) – (2/1) by Refuse To Bend (IRE), Trained by broohar. Our second 5 yr. old competitor in today’s race has recorded five 103+ SP#’s in his last 6 races and today will mark only the 2nd time the horse has ran in open stakes company. DEEP DARK SECRETS, an earner of over $135,000, has won 6 of his 49 lifetime starts and has also earned the place money in his races 10 other times during his career. This broohar trained come from behind closer will show no interest early on in the beginning stages of the race but his form shows swift action on his part when the real racing begins around the final turn for home and look for jockey Be Wallace to be urging his charge home aggressively at this stage in the race. This colt is a well deserved ML co-favorite and should be in the thick of things nearing the wire.
PP6) AUSSIE OPERA (JPN) – (9/1) by T.M. Opera O, Trained by taffysfill. This 4 yr. colt out the the multiple stakes winning mare Aussie Girl is competing today in his second consecutive stakes start for trainer taffysfill after finding a new home with the trainer in July of this year. His last race, at CO in the 7 furlong OJAI Raider Challenge, was a 3rd place finish some 2 ½ lengths back from the winner after the colt had led every step of the way until being caught late in the stretch drive. AUSSIE OPERA will most likely be the one to challenge the other aspiring front runner in this race, GRECIAN FORMULA, from the start and will need a nice clean break coming from the outside post position in today’s race. Jockey S Mitcho is in the irons.
Race Analysis
The history of the OUR DINNER BONANZA Stakes here at Tennessee indicates that a front running style horse may have an edge on his competitors at today’s 6 ½ furlong turf distance. Two of the last three stakes have been won by speeders who were able to break alertly from the gate while leading every step of the way to the finish. The 2007 stakes record holder HALOATRICAL (IRE) and the 2006 winner LOSIN’ YOUR MIND (Fusaichi Pegasus x Nijinsky II x Halo) did not relinquish the lead to the field from the outset. Only one previous winner of the race, 2005’s CHAMPLAND BAND (Dixieland Band x Theatrical (IRE) x Dancing Champ), was able to obtain the winner’s share of the purse while running just off the pace on a surface labeled as yielding. If history is any indicator of a serious factor to consider when reviewing today’s race it would appear that GRECIAN FORMULA and AUSSIE OPERA may have luck on their side when trying to gain the victory at the wire.
2008 OUR DINNER BONANZA selections
Win – #1 CONSPIRATOR Place – #4 GRECIAN FORMULA (KY) Show – #3 PARK AT THE TOP
Good luck to all the trainers and their horses in this year’s race.