The Perfect Allen Bonanza

Welcome to Tennessee where this week the 4^th running of the PERFECT ALLEN Bonanza will be run on the turf at 6 ½ furlongs. The stakes record, set in 2005, belongs to TAMARAKI (Peintre Celebre (IRE) x Foolish Pleasure x Graustark – owner Biko Stables) who covered the sprint distance in 1:16 4/5 (SPF 91.803).  A small but talented field of four 2 year old colts will compete this year for the $30,000 winner’s share of the purse.

Breeding –         Sunday Break (JPN) x Came Home x Peintre Celebre (IRE)

Making his 9^th career start today, but his first venture on the grass surface, this winner of two races looks to rebound back into form after three sub-par performances. His last three races on the dirt have been stakes starts where he struggled to find his footing and getting into contention early on in the race and today’s return to a shorter sprint distance may be to his liking. With 5 in the money finishes at the beginning of his career, ranging from 4.5 – 5.5 furlongs on the dirt, it could be just the right distance and new surface for this horse to get back into his winning ways.

Breeding –          Jump Start x Street Cry (IRE) x Giant’s Causeway (IRE)

Finishing first or second in four out of his seven lifetime starts this colt makes his 3^rd start in open stakes competition today after finishing 6^th and 7^th in the races the first two times around. Last time out in the Barb’s College Kid Stakes he ran the longest race of his career so far, 8.5 F-turf, and found the longer distance a little to much for his liking at this point in his career finishing 7^th by 11 ¾ lengths. He has been quite competitive at the sprint distances on the turf picking up a win and two seconds on firm and yielding labeled courses and his speed should put him right in the thick of things from the beginning in today’s race.

Breeding –        Generous (IRE) x Caro (IRE) x What A Pleasure

With four turf sprint wins already for his owner this youngster has an open stakes victory to his credit, the 7F Hasty Door Bonanza during week 3679, where he set his lifetime best SPF winning by a head. And prior to that win he had shown quick speed in all of his races usually being in front at C1 and not slowing down until the finish line. However the race after his first stakes win, in the Only Moe Stakes at MT, he encountered problems during the race finishing some 34+ lengths back of the winner and posted an uncharacteristic 40 SPF for the 8F race. He bounced back from that race running a respectable 4^th place finish last time out (on the dirt) in another stakes race at 7F and if he has fully recovered today he must be considered a definite threat to win it all.

Breeding –       Theatrical (IRE) x Caerleon x Alydar

Cutting back to today’s turf sprint distance might be just what this horse needs to garner his 3^rd lifetime victory for his owner. His last three outings have been 8-8.5F stakes route races where he showed he could be competitive finishing 2^nd and 3^rd in two of the three races. Prior to that he finished with two wins and a 5^th place showing at shorter turf sprint distances (4.5-6F) and he has steadily increased his SPF nicely earning his highest SPF last time out in the NWRC Cavalcade Cup Juvenile Turf. He usually has plenty left in the tank once they turn for home and he looks well placed in today’s race and is a deserving ML favorite.

Good Luck to all the owner’s in today’s race!