Lenny Pair, Desperado Duo Head Contentious Breeders’ Bowl Turf

An eclectic field of fourteen long distance specialists will compete at twelve furlongs over the firm Del Mar grass course in the 2024 renewal of The Breeders’ Bowl Turf. Fourteen different sires and twelve trainers will be represented. Only long time standouts Lenny and Desperado managed to qualify two runners. There are seven horses, four geldings and one three year old colt entered. Let’s meet the field in qualifying order:

The top point getter is Winterset’s 4 YO Hall of Fame multimillionaire Parrish Sea. The strikingly handsome light gray son of Sea The Stars and dual Eclipse winning HOFer Parrish Hill (Tapit x Sadler’s Wells) reeled off five consecutive G-1 wins, all at a mile and a half on the grass, before settling for second in the eleven furlong G-1 Kakarazuka Kinen Cup in Japan. He bounced back nicely next time out capturing the G-1 G.P. Von Baden in Germany with a 118 speed figure. Last time out Parrish Sea faced a sensational field in The Ark. His fourth place finish, while no disgrace, may have revealed a small chink in the armor. Clearly the one to beat if he brings his “A” Game.


Next comes Bring Me To Church. Worldclass bred St Mark’s Basilica to his erstwhile claimer Bring Me Daisies (Sebring x Sadler’s Wells) and hit the proverbial jackpot. Bring Me To Church has won half of his sixteen lifetime starts including four G-1s. Speed is his game and he has been on or near the lead in all of his races. Last time out he opened up by seventeen lengths on his rivals and cruised home by eleven under stout restraint in the G-1 Coalminer Cup. His strategy is no secret. Catch him if you can. It won’t be easy.


Bam Bam Bigelow is the first of two Desperado hopefuls. The altered son of Snitzel is out of Rob’s stakes winning graded placed Deep Impact mare, Deep Catch. Bam Bam has never been worse than second in six tries over wet grass. Last time out he won the G-1 Classic Turf Stakes in New York posting a 117 speed number over a yielding surface. Unfortunately for him, Del Mar is bone dry this year. But Bam Bam is no slouch when the turf is firm. And his dazzling turn of early foot will undoubtedly have him in contention throughout.


The second half of Rob’s two headed monster is Street Snitch. He is in fine fettle having annexed a pair of G-1 events in his last two outings. Two back the son of Street Sense and hard knocking race mare Hit My Stride (More Than Ready x Galileo) used his patented stalk and pounce tactics to crush a strong field in the Tribute to Smokeglack while posting a solid 118 speed figure. Last time out the dirt bred turf lover used a similar strategy beating a good field in The Canada Turf (SP 115). With plenty of speed signed on, Street Snitch will have targets and may get first run before the deep closers can get in gear.


Vive la France! French bred Marechal Davout is named after the military commander and Marshal of the Empire who served during both the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. Waremblem bred Intello to his modestly performed Golden Horn mare, Victorian Belle, and came up aces. Todd’s 5 YO was a late bloomer. He didn’t win a stakes race until his fifteenth start in September of his four year old season. He then went on a hellacious tear winning four out of five graded stakes including a victory in the rich G-1 Sand Castle Golden Turf Classic (SP 119) over one of the better fields ever assembled. His last two starts were well below par. Needs to regain some of his former magic in a hurry,


The first of Lenny’s pair is Street Skills. Ryan’s flashy chestnut is bred to run forever being by New Approach from a Monsun mare who, actually, preferred sprinting. Street Skills has won half of his sixteen career starts including an eye catching 122 speed number four back annexing the G-1 Grand Brazilian. The deep closer was given too much to do last time out in The Ark, but still managed to pass eleven rivals late to pick up the final check. Serious contender if he can stay a wee bit closer earlier.


The lone sophomore in the field is Tenpoint’s gloriously bred Frankel colt, Path Of Time. The rangy bay punched his ticket to Del Mar via a solid second in the prestigious $6,000,000 G-1 English Derby. He followed that up with a smashing triumph in the G-1 Owner’s Stake at Woodbine (112 SP). Dismissed at 34-1 facing his elders, you could take a worse stab.


You never know where a really good horse will come from. And Rising Monsuns is a perfect example. His dam was a decently bred mare (Monsun x Kitten’s Joy x Seattle Slew) who won her share of allowance races. But in the shed she produced absolutely nothing ten of the eleven times she was bred. Even Rising Monsuns raced in claimers as low as $10,000 until Oakridge figured him out. Now the son of Order of St George is on top of the world following consecutive G-1 wins. The mid-pack stalker unleashed a furious rally to take down the United Countries two back (SP116). And last time out he crushed a solid field in the Europe Classic. The “now” horse must be taken seriously.


Megaforma is true SIM royalty. He’s by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah out of five time G-1 winning Hall of Famer, Magniforma. Megaforma won the G-1 Man of War (SP 112) three back but has struggled recently with diminishing speed numbers. Empire State Racing stalwart Frankster has to be concerned. Needs to turn it around in a hurry to contend this weekend.


Fastnet Franzie is one of the two entrants without a G-1 win on his resume. He has been G-1 placed twice in three attempts and has won two graded stakes in a row. Rubber’s Fastnet Rock gelding won the G-3 Winchester Cup two back posting a 110 speed number. Last time out he replicated his 110 winning the G-2 Carlton Fisk by six open lengths. Very nice horse in a very tough spot.


Lenny’s Mortar At Dark has been installed as the 7-1 lukewarm favorite. The son of Bricks And Mortar has popped big speed figs on a few occasions. The concern for me is that he seems more comfortable at slightly shorter distances and/or wet going. Used his usual stalk and pounce technique to capture the 10.5 furlong Judgemont International (SP121) on a good track. Last time out Mortar At Dark finished a bang up second to the speedy Bam Bam Bigelow in the G-1 Classic Turf Stakes (116) over a yielding course. Certainly capable of winning here but I would be hesitant to take such a short price in such a deep and talented field.


Japanese based Just A Way is the sire of of Slowjet’s Just An Angel. The four year old gelding culminated a five race winning streak two back when he drew clear in the G-1 Greatest Show On Turf in South Africa (SP 115). Last time out he stopped badly in Germany’s G-1 G. P. Von Baden. High quality animal but probably not fast enough to threaten this world class field.


Just Sticky is the type of horse who many would dismiss since he is one of only two in the field who has not won a G-1. But reading betwen the lines, I see a very high quality horse who has thrown big speed numbers (119 and 120) on occasion and just might possibly upset the apple cart with the right trip. Mightyforego’s handsome red chestnut son of Justify and No Stick Chick (Dubawi x Teofilo) is G-1 placed twice in his last four races. Beware.


The Breeders’ Bowl landscape is littered with Given’s well bred monsters. He has multiple entries in some events. But his only Turf starter barely qualified by the skin of his teeth. After sitting on the bubble all week, Danny could finally breathe a sigh of relief when Devon And Cornwall drew into the field. The altered son of Camelot and G-3 winning Dynadragon (Kitten’s Joy x Dynaformer) is the poster boy for gelding. Pre-snip, he couldn’t get out of his own way. Afterward, he became a real racehorse who eventually won the Itch Tribute G-1 (120). Deep closer shows big speed numbers (121, 119) in recent G-1 runnerup efforts. It would be no surprise if he took top honors.