20 Crack Sprinters Battle for the DPCD Sprint Championship
A packed field of 20 of the Sim’s best sprinters will battle for the last big sprinting prize of the year – the Grade 1 DPCD Sprint championship at 6 furlongs over the good dirt course that has seen some rain in recent days. Will the damp track have an impact on the outcome? And just how many finely tuned sprinters in this field will engage in a front end battle through the opening half? It’s a very competitive field and you could choose any one of 5 or 6 horses in here and have a good shot at winning.
Selections:
CASCADE MAGPIE
MOUNT DIABLO
DOCTOR G
The field:
1 – PYRALIS was a solid sprinter against fellow 3yo sprinters this year, highlighted by a hard charging second place finish in a grade 1 event this summer. He tried older runners for the first time in his last race and turned in a credible effort, closing to finish a fairly close sixth in a bulky field of 20 over this track. His only try over a wet surface didn’t go that well with a fading finish at a longer distance. This son of Bandini has found his niche sprinting, but he’ll need to go faster than ever before to take a victory in this tough event. A deserving entrant, but he’ll likely come up a bit short today.
2 – CHIVES will love the wet surface today, as he clicks at a 40% win rate over an off track. On class he seems a bit short of this group. His last stakes placing was back in January, and he’s run in a mix of allowance and listed stakes events since then. 6 furlongs is also a bit short of his best distance as he’s had his greatest success going 7 furlongs in recent months. Not likely to hit the board.
3 – BARB’S FRENCHY has some great sim bloodlines – his game dam BARB’S ALYDAR was a 4 time stake winner in her career. This 3yo has really turned it on this year, with three stakes victories of his own. He’s done most of his best racing when going nearly a mile, and today he’s cutting way back to 6 furlongs against some pure sprinters. His recent longer races will have him loaded with stamina and trying to advance through the lane but this sprint distance is likely a bit too short for him to do his best running.
4 – GOGO GIZMO is ambitiously placed today. He hasn’t fired a triple digit speed figure yet in 2008 and he’ll need one for sure to compete today. He’s another runner who will benefit from the wet surface, but it’s not likely to be enough.
5 – CASCADE MAGPIE is a firecracker going short on a wet track and that’s the setup he has today in his quest for his first graded stakes victory. He’s posted 4 wins this year and his hit the board in 10 of his 11 starts over an off track in his career. Most importantly, he comes to this race in top form, winning a listed stakes event with a 119 speed rating three starts back, and then winning an allowance race last time out as a tune up for the big event today. While he has plenty of gate speed, he’s versatile enough to sit off the early pace and make a move around the turn. He’ll like the surface and has the speed to close the deal. The only question is can he handle the bump in class to tackle horses with some graded wins on their resume? The one to beat.
6 – DOCTOR G wins the award for comeback of 2008. After racing just once in all of 2007, this 5yo son of Grand Slam returned to the races this year and steadily worked himself into the best form of his career, winning multiple stakes races this fall. He exits a puzzling effort in which he finished 13th in a Grade 3 sprinting event where he should have performed better. Prior to that he scored in back to back grade 1 sprints, posting speed figures over 110 in both events. A quick look at this past performances will show you that this guy only knows one way to run – when the gates open he’ll go as fast as he can for as far as he can. Perhaps that explains his poor effort last time around as he failed to get to the front early and then packed it in. A repeat of his Grade 1 efforts would make him a major player here, but there’s a metric tonne of early speed in here to contend with.
7 – STOCKBROKER is going to be a good one in his 4yo campaign. As a 3yo in 2008 he’s rattled off 6 straight 100+ speed ratings. In his one start against older runners this year he performed ok but didn’t fire like he usually does down the lane. He’s back against older runners today and would need to take a step forward to win this one. 3Yo son of Exchange Rate is still developing and this time next year he may be the favorite in this race, but today he’s likely running for place or show money at best.
8 – GONE FOR ROYAL is another in here with outstanding sim bloodlines, as his game dam ROYAL CAT was a grade 1 winner in her racing career. This 3yo will try older runners for the very first time in his career and he’s picked a tough spot to do it. He has a grade 2 victory on his resume from the Pea Shooter Handicap back in May. Looking over his last few races, he’s right there in terms of speed figures and ability but he’ll need to fire like a rocket out of the gate to make the most of his speed style in here. This time next year we may very well be writing about this guy for the 2009 edition of this race, but this time around he will likely come up short in a tough field.
9 – MOUNT DIABLO is a lightning quick 3 yo with a very promising career ahead of him now that he seems to be focused on sprinting. He’s getting better all the time, but the record shows that in his only two attempts against older horses he has failed to hit the board, although his last race was much better with a close fourth place finish. He might be able to reserve himself just off the pace and then pounce in the stretch. His speed figures are quite impressive, as is his consitency – he rattles off 110 speed figures almost every time he sets foot on the track in recent months. Can he figure out how to knock off his elders today? In a highly competitive field, this son of Minshaft is showing all the signs that he might peak today and take his first grade 1 victory.
10 – OTTO ALLEGHENY turns back to sprinting after a number of route races with mixed results. Trainer mardigras is hoping this guy will wake up today and recapture the form he showed earlier in the season. This son of Smart Strike is a intriguing prospect is he can turn it around as he has had success closing in sprints over an off track, and there will be speed to run at today. His recent routes will have him full of stamina in the lane. At 22-1 he’s a legitmate longshot player in here. Could very well hit the board at long odds.
11 – SANDSTONE PARK is proof that breeding a 3yo late in the season can still be fun despite missing out on a horses’ 2yo campaign. This guy ran his first race in October 2007 as a 3yo and trainer stupor1 has been enjoying the ride ever since as this son of Kingmambo has racked up 8 wins from 16 tries. Sandstone Park just missed in the G1 Tri City sprint at 6.5 furlongs. He employs a deep closing style and perhaps he’s a little better with some added real estate to work with. Today’s 6F distance is probably a bit short of his best, as evidenced by a flat outing in the Breeders Bowl sprint where he didn’t fire in the stretch. He has the speed figures to get it done but this field is loaded with talented sprinters and cutting back to 6F may work against him.
12 – RAVINE RAIDER is as quick as they come out of the gate and he has a stakes win this year going 7 furlongs all the way on the front end. There are other speed runners in here and he’ll need to contend with some company on the pace. His speed ratings are strong but a little short of the top runners in here. It would be easier to back him if he had some tactical speed instead of the all or nothing front end approach he’s employed lately. He’ll be very visible in the early but might be backing away late, although he could hang on for a share.
13 – EARLY MORN could be a major threat in this race if he gets fired up soon enough at this short distance. The 4yo son of Danzig Connection is a rock solid closer at his preferred distance of 7 furlongs. As an added bonus, one of his best lifetime starts was a 116 speed rating over a sloppy track. He doesn’t yet have a graded victory but he’s displayed the talent required to get the job done. A repeat of his best effort puts him right in the mix here. Racing is full of question marks, and the distance will present the biggest challenge for this runner. Can he shorten up and still be successful? I think he’ll be closing late for a piece of the pie.
14 – CANTICLE has 2 listed stakes wins this year, and 5 wins altogether in 2008. Stakes success runs in the family as his game dam Vixen Prospector notched 6 stakes victories in her career. He seems to have the speed figures to contend today and has some positive races under his belt over an off track which should also help. His flexible running style should see him positioned just off the pace early and then accelerating as they turn for home. He’s yet another good runner in here who doesn’t have the top speed figures, but can’t be ignored either.
15 – VAPORIZER is a major player in this race. A few times this season he’s uncorked some impressive speed figures only to come up second to a tough winner. A repeat of his best efforts from this season would put him right in the thick of it here. With a 20 horse field, there could well be a boatload of early speed but this runner has proven to be quite versatile, winning on the lead or closing through the stretch. The knock on this guy is that he seems to find graded company difficult and hasn’t managed to translate his success against listed stakes runners to the graded events. When it rains he seems to run even faster so he’ll welcome a wet surface today. Vaporizer is looking to become the second graded stakes winner produced by his game dam, MA BUDA.
16 – CATLIKE STRENGTH is a developing 3yo talent who’s already recored a 111 speed rating in his career. Wasn’t able to hold on in an allowance against his own age group last time, and he’s stepping up to tackle older runners today. His versatile racing style will position him well today to be there in the stretch if jockey Crow can find him a good spot down the backstretch. He has the talent but may not yet have the experience to put it all together in a tough race like this one.
17 – GREELEY HOLLOW shortened up for his last race and that move paid off right away with a victory in a listed stakes in Arizona. For most of this season he’s been trying longer distances up to 8.5 furlongs and may have rediscovered his love for sprinting after that last effort. His task today is a tough one – with a lifetime best of 106 he’s a bit short of the field in terms of overall speed and he has yet to hit the board over a wet surface in his career. If he takes a big step forward off that victory last time out he may get him self a piece of the pie here, but it looks like he’s running for place or show money as it’s unlikely he can get it done here today.
18 – IN A SIMPLE RHYME has notched just a single victory this year and that came back in March. He’s been running against the toughest sprinters the sim has to offer and has always held his own, as evidenced by his closing show finish in the Breeders Bowl Sprint. While he is very capable of firing a big speed figure to win an event like this, he’ll need to step up from his previous efforts if he’s going to get it done. A contender for sure, but today may be a repeat of his recent performances where he closes willingly but doesn’t get there for the big prize.
19 – JUDAS HAS SPOKEN is a 3yo who toppled older runners last time out in the SOFT LIGHT BONANZA listed stakes in Ontario defeating a few others who are in this field today. In fact he’s won his last two starts using a similar style – stalking the field and then turning on the jets in the lane to get it done. He’s progressed in leaps and bounds this year running some impressive speed figures in his recent starts. His challenge will be that he’s simply a better runner at longer distances, preferring to go 7F or more. Today’s abbreviated 6F distance will be too short for him to do his best running. Closing through the lane for sure, but not in time.
20 – CALL WAITING has drawn a nearly impossible outside post here in a field of 20 horses. He’s another 3yo who is showing tons of potential for his 2009 campaign, and his affinity for a wet track will serve him well today. An optimist would point to his 108 speed rating over a wet track as a sign that he may take a step forward today an contend. A pessiment would say that despite some good raw talent, he’s not yet hit the board in any level of stakes company and tries older runners for the first time today. This is a tough field – I’ll lean to the pessimistic side of the story for today.