The Seventh Penn Dash

Evenly Matched Field for Penn Dask VII

Mr. Devious and Van Hoevenberg renew rivalry

A talented field of 19 will line up for the seventh running of the Penn Dash on Saturday, and the field is nothing short of spectacular. Mr. Devious, winner of the Breeder’s Bowl Turf Sprint is here, as is the number one ranked three year old, Van Hoevenberg, who chased Mr. Devious home in the Breeder’s Bowl.

The field is so loaded that defending champion Seekin Destroy barely made the cut. Only two of the 19 runners are at single digit odds, and the favorite goes off at a very lukewarm 8-1. You’ll get 9-1 on the BB winner, and everything else is a total bomb- double digit odds no matter how high the speed figures stretch.

The turf course is firm, and the stakes record of 1:20 4/5, set by Slingblade Edison in the second running, is clearly in jeopardy. Let’s meet the field.

PP1 PERFECT DRAGON (AP Indy- Deputy Minister) From the given stables comes this four year old colt who has won nearly 50% of his 24 lifetime starts. The front running burner came back from an injury early in the year to go on a royal tear, and he comes in on a four race winning streak. Equally effective at seven panels as he is at six, he’s run the distance in 1:21 flat two races back, which is certainly fast enough to win the Penn Dash. We know he’ll be on or near the early pace. Will he hold?

PP2 FREEKY’S V (Vindication- Gone West) Three year old sports a sparkling record of seven wins from 17 starts, and has only been off the board on the lawn three times in his career. He’s the polar opposite of Perfect Dragon, preferring to launch a big rally from the back of the pack. He barely missed at the distance last time out, running a 113 in a race in which the winner matched the stakes record for the Penn Dash. The winner of that race, the G2 DelPenn Turf Monsters, is here as well. Freeky’s V has been a rapidly improving sort, and looks poised to move to the next level.

PP3 MR. INCONSPICUOUS (Aptitude- Forty Niner) Foxon’s graded winning miler returns to sprints for the second time since taking down the G1 Rising Sun Spring Cup. The four year old has already banked nearly 1.9 million in 34 lifetime starts. He’s a stalking sort who likes to be forwardly placed, but he’s shown some versatility as well. He can gun to the early lead, and he’s proven he can hold. He should keep Perfect Dragon company up front, or if that one is hell bent on the lead, Mr. Inconspicuous can lay off him and track. He’s going to get a good trip, and turning back from a mile should suit him perfectly.

PP4 CAPTAIN AMAZING (Rock Hard Ten- Storm Cat) Waremblem apparently let go of RHT’s crotch long enough to allow him to mount the Storm Cat mare (much to Todd’s chagrin- he like to keep RHT all to himself), and he’s got to be pleased with the result. The four year old is already a graded stakes winner, having won the G3 Mr. Anderson Special, and just missing in the G1 Golden Jamboree. In the latter, a strangely run race, he closed stubbornly into a slow pace- he was 13^th at nearly every call, yet no more than 4 ½ lengths out at any time. A final surge left him a heartbreaking head short of the win. He usually comes from the back of the pack, but rarely finds himself way out of contention. His form, however, has slowly been slipping since the Mr. Anderson win, and his last out was a complete disaster in which he never lifted a hoof and finished dead last. He’ll have to shake that effort out to factor, and even on his best day, his top figs are a few lengths off several others in here. Todd, though, knows how to bring them to a big race; he’ll be called upon for his best training effort here.

PP5 WONDER SHOWZEN (Giant’s Causeway-Fappiano) Six year old vet is the most experienced horse in the field, sporting 13 wins from his 48 starts. Surprisingly, there looks to be a lot left in the tank, as his last two starts resulted in two of his best figs. This guy almost always secures a good early position, and gives himself every chance to win, but his late kick has been wanting. He’s more one paced than some of the big guns in here, and that will likely cost him. Of concern is his last start in graded company, where he got abused worse than Paris Hilton by the guy wearing the night vision goggles….in with a shot, but a lot will have to go wrong for him to figure at the wire.

PP6 INCLUDE MY KING (Rock of Gibraltar- AP Indy) Longest shot on the board at 32-1 is an improving three year old, but has run his best races in routes. Oddly, he has a better record sprinting. Go figure. He cuts back from nine panels to seven today, a race in which he shot away to an impressive six plus length win. But that top fig of 106 won’t get it done in here- he’s going to have to improve some eight lengths to figure. He’ll be in good position around the turn, but when the question is asked turning for home, he’ll likely get swallowed up by a lot of horses.

PP7 TIPPY’S LOVE (Successful Appeal-Formal Gold) Five year old horse was cruising in the summer months, racking up nice wins in the G3 Simon and Simon Handicap and G2 Hyperactive Handicap in consecutive starts, then was a solid third in the G1 Canada Mile. Unfortunately, that race looks to have taken him totally off his game, as he’s run two straight putrid efforts in listed company. Seems to have lost some of his early hoof. He’s rock solid if he stays in touch with the leaders early, but when he falls more than five lengths out, stick a fork in him. He’s going to find it tough to stay close to what figures to be a blistering pace, and that will likely turn him into Tippy’s Hate.

PP8 FAROTTO (Forestry-Gone West) Relatively lightly raced three year old has been coming into his own lately, firing off a pair of 113 figures- albeit with no win photos to show for them. Likes to lay fairly close to the pace, but when it’s hot, as it was in the BB, he seems to come a bit unglued. No doubt he’s fast enough to win, but whether or not the pace suits him is the real question. He’s got room to improve, and any major forward move here could result in the tote board going bananas, as he’s sitting at a very generous 12-1, coming off one of those 113 efforts. Nice horse, great price…..can’t fault anyone for plunking a couple Washingtons on his nose in here.

PP9 SEEKIN DESTROY (Mineshaft-Danehill) Defending champ has lost a step or two at age five after an arduous career and 40 starts. Has an uncanny knack to produce his best efforts in the toughest races. While defeated, he missed by only 1 ¼ lengths in the G1 Rising Spring Sun Cup, 2 ¼ in the G1 Golden Jamboree, and four lengths in the BB Turf Sprint- all the while finishing off the board in all of those races. Don’t be fooled by the fifth and sixth place finishers- the stout closer still has “it”, and while his top efforts aren’t as good as last year’s, there’s still some moxie in the tank. But don’t bemoan the Supers- this guy, while in with a chance, is the weakest of the three runners they’re bringing to the party. That’s a mouthful.

PP10 VICORY BUDA (Victory Gallop-Unbridled) Mr. Prospector all over this guy’s pedigree clearly hasn’t deterred him. He’s a graded stakes winner, and figures to be part of the crush of horses looking to secure a prime stalking spot. Best efforts, however, have come on softer ground. He’ll have to reverse that trend to be a major player today. Talent is there, gotta think he’d like to swap out the Delaware weather for this one, but it is what it is….has to go to a new level to be in the mix at the end.

PP11 DANE’S FOLLY (Theatrical-Danehill) Five year old just keeps cranking out one solid effort after another. He’s certain to contribute to the brutal pace, coming into this off a front running score in the 5.5f G3 Movieland Turf Express Handicap, where he went wire to wire with a 109 figure. He’s run some big races at the seven panel distance, but seems better suited to six furlongs. He’ll get out there and wing it with a few others, but when the lungs start to burn, he’s probably going to be the first to blink. He won’t quit, that’s for sure, but I have doubts that he can hold off the closers after being embroiled in a brutal pace up front. The versatility isn’t there to lay off the pace. Very tough horse, but a prisoner of his own steaming cesspool of desires to make the lead.

PP12 GLORIOUS SUNSET (Mineshaft-Danzig) How come none of my multiple copies of this pedigree ever amount to more than a pig wallowing in manure? Oh, well…it worked for this guy. Three year old gets those whopping 31-1 odds off a stinker LTO in the G1 Because I Said So Stakes, where he was simply crushed like an egg. Yet another stalker, he’s been troubled by inconsistency. He can be brilliant one day, and an upper level claimer the next. His form is wilder than Don King’s hairdo, and it looks like he’s on the down side of his form cycle. His worst two efforts have come in G1 company- exactly what he’ll face today. If he returns to his best form, he’ll have people dancing to the bank, but it looks like he’s in need of some more consistent form to figure. I’ll bet even trainer Londoner doesn’t know who shows up today- Mr. Glorious or Dr. Sunset. Coin toss here.

PP13 LIBERTINE (El Prado-AP Indy) The second Super horse in the field, he’s been more consistent than Seekin Destroy this year, but never as brilliant.

Consistent as in capable of a 108-111 run; but not much more than than that. Shows multiple graded stakes placings in his last few races, but just can’t seem to nail the big one. He’ll likely sit in the second wave of stalkers, some six- eight lengths off the pace, and look to make a prolonged, grinding run to the leaders around the 1/8^th pole. From there, it’s anyone’s guess. If the leaders fall apart, he’s got a shot….stunk LTO, which does not bode well here.

PP14 MR. DEVIOUS (Crafty Prospector-Storm Cat) Well, trainer Londoner certainly knows what he’s going to get with this five year old, and that’s a solid effort every time he faces top notch company. This one is a future Hall of Famer, having won the BB Sprint in consecutive years, a near impossible accomplishment. He’s shined on many other days, having also won the G1 Japan Sprint, G1 Sydney Sprint and the G1 Rising Spring Sun Cup. His G1 wins, for the most part, have been otherworldly efforts, none more so than this year’s BB Turf Sprint, where he was pushed to the wall but failed to yield, crossing the line in front (barely) and earning a whopping 118 figure for the effort. But that’s not an isolated type thing- he’s won with a 117 and a 114 as well. Suffice to say, if Mr. Devious runs his race, he’s going to be close to impossible to beat. His top effort trumps all others in here. But you gotta ask- at age five, after all those wars, does he have another huge run in him? He’s tailed off badly after the BB this year. Possessed of frightening early speed, he’s certain to be part of the early pace, but can he hang on and fight off all comers? He’s got the guts of a prizefighter, but if you go to the well once too often….