Milers Take Center Stage

Welcome to the lucky seventh edition of the Delaware Mile-G1, a race that consistently attracts the most brilliant dirt milers in the game, including previous winners Eruption, High Otto, the filly Otto History, Taking Risks and Western Groom. The stakes record of 1:32 4/5 was set last year by Tempest. WIth a rich $3 million purse, this year’s version has attracted a near-full field of 19 competitors, including the winners of many of the grade 1 mile races held earlier in the year. The off track adds an interesting wrinkle to the equation, and without further adieu, let’s meet the competitors:

PP1: Silver Christmas, 5yo H (Forestry x Seeking the Gold x Wild Again)
Crush83’s raindance paid off, as the track came up good today. The horse has the holiday angle going for him, too, and is somewhat surprisingly at 16/1 as he would seem a natural for the hunch bettors. The handsome, muscular horse ran lights out in his only try over a wet surface, posting a 117 SF while coasting home a 3 length winner. That was against easier company, but he definitely could surprise at a price. The desperado homebred has been knocking on the door for a while, with three consecutive third place finishes in swift time. Saturday may be the day he finally breaks through.

PP2: Trophy of Triumph, 3yo C (A.P. Indy x Northern Dancer x Exclusive Native)
This lightly raced and royally bred colt has accomplished quite a bit in his short career, with five wins and two seconds from seven starts. Trainer/breeder fairhaven3 has certainly taken the patient approach with this guy, and it has paid off. Makes his graded stakes debut in a tough spot, and appears better suited to nine panels than the flat mile (although he is two for two at that distance. Has performed well over an off track. Kind of the dark horse in the field, as he definitely still has room for improvement, but gets a real gut check here.

PP3: Watergate Scandal, 4yo C (Empire Maker x Deputy Minister by Mr. Prospector)
Talented colt has been playing catch me if you can at the highest level for most of the year. Unfortunately for trainer/breeder Jonsnow, like Nixon, his charge has been caught more often than not. Still, the Scandal has hardly been disgraced, finishing third in the Breeders’ Bowl, and second in both the Sterile Mile and Godolfin Mile. There have been other times where he has remained untouched, such as when he won the Nixon’s Promise-G1 earlier this year with a sparkling 120 SF. The four year old has won over an off track, and has the talent to get the job done. Part of his chances may depend on how much pressure he takes on the front end, with Swiftsure, Halo Me Down and Trophy of Triumph most likely to push him early on. If no one goes with him early, watch out!

PP4: Sahara Desert, 3yo C (Encosta de Lago x Storm Cat x Clever Trick)
Fresh off of a win in the Sterile Mile-G1, Sahara Desert looks to make it two in a row. The godmother homebred also won the Prims Memorial-G2 earlier this year, and won his only start over an off surface. He hasn’t strung two wins together in a while, though. That said, he has been firing speed figures consistently in the 100+ range. Lots to like, but in a wide open field where only one can win, he’ll need to fire his best shot.

PP5: Wireless Eavesdrop, 3yo C (Smarty Jones x Danzig x Mr. Prospector)
Talented sophomore has been at or near the top of his division most of the year, but has been in a bit of a slump, comparatively speaking, since winning the Swamps Stakes earlier this summer. Most recently was freshened after a sixth place finish in the BB Dirt Mile, and trainer/breer econ hopes that the rest is all that is needed to put the spark back in the colt’s step. When Wireless is on, he’s on, as shown by the fact that he qualified for the Bluegrass Derby in fairly short order, and was near perfect in his first seven starts. Has never run on an off track, so that is a bit of a question mark, but certainly has the talent, when he brings his A game, to sneak up on the field and come away with the win.

PP6: Swiftsure, 3yo C (Dehere x Forty Niner x Danzig)
Sanchez sends this prize colt to the Mile wars. Earlier this year, the racy looking colt won the Smackdown 4 The G1’s-G1 at this distance with a 111 SF. Has been knocking on the door since, with three solid efforts against tough competition, most recently fifth in the Sterile Mile-G1, and hopes to turn things around here. Was second in his only start over an offtrack. Based on Smackdown, looks like he does his best when he gets an uncontested lead, but Watergate Scandal may have something to say about that. Like the others in this deep field, has a shot.

PP7: Zygote, 6yo H (A.P. Indy x Storm Cat x Seeking the Gold)
Talented miler is still at the top of his game for trainer/breeder isisbabe, with victories this year on Smackdown Day and the Middle Ground Mile. Like several others in the field, has been freshened since the BB Dirt Mile, where he was a close fifth. Royally bred horse just needs to pick up a check to head over the $2 million mark, and has finished second in both tries to date over an offtrack. Each of those efforts was against graded stakes competition. Was third in this race two years ago, and seeks to improve upon that effort this weekend. Lots to like about this guy.

PP8: Cat’s Got Game, 3yo C (Distorted Humor x Storm Cat x Seeking the Gold)
This colt was acquired by sdmf5 for $5 million plus from breeder fatattack after a poor outing in the Eddie Haskell Stakes. Since then, the colt has won an allowance, and last time out, a listed stakes with a 110 SF, both at 1 1/16 miles. Gets a definite jump into the deep end with this field, and this come from behinder will have to cut back in distance in order to get the job done. The off track is a question mark. Not mission impossible, but will need to pull out a career best here.

PP9: Oishi, 3yo C (Forestry x Seeking the Gold x Alydar)
Anyone looking for nicks – there are two entries with this same sire x DS cross. The younger version is this guy, whose name has got to be a challenge to racecallers. Fetti50 has seen this sophomore run absolutely lights out since being returning to a mile, winning an allowance with a 112 SF, and a listed stakes last time out with a swift 122 SF. However, the colt failed to hit the board in either of his tries over an off-track, and he faces a much tougher field today. If he can survive the goo, and can duplicate his last race off of three weeks’ rest, watch out.

PP10: Halo Me Down, 5yo H (Mineshaft x Halo x Storm Bird)
Sdmf4 gave this guy an interesting final prep, stretching him out to 11 furlongs on the turf, where this stallion led most of the way before tiring to fourth. Prior to that outing, Halo had been seventh in the BB Dirt Mile, and second in the It’s All Your Fault Stakes-G2, with a 112 SF. Whether this works with the gunmetal grey remains to be seen, although it should be noted that the last time the turf to dirt angle was tried, the colt won against allowance competition. Over an offtrack, this guy won an allowance and was fifth in the Cosmopolitan Mile-G1. Seems to want to run on the front end, which could be a problem with Watergate Scandal in the field. Still, has won a graded stakes at this distance before, and has the capability on his best day to do so again.

PP11: Sisson’s Mark, 3yo F (Mark of Esteem x A.P. Indy x Riverman)
Binzaman02’s star filly tackles both the boys and her elders in this event. The tempermental chestnut has won a pair of G1 events, and more recently a G2, against 3yo fillies at this distance, but looks to make amends here after finishing fifth in a listed stakes against older fillies. It should also be noted that Sisson’s Mark has tried males on four other occasions and has yet to walk away with the win. This filly loves to come from dead last, and she’ll have to weave through a heck of a lot of horses to get there, and will assuredly be at the mercy of the pace scenario. Undeniably a talented filly, but she’s being asked to do a couple of things she has yet to do, and tries an off track for the first time, so there are question marks that need to be answered on Saturday before she can end up in the winner’s circle for the 8th time in a brilliant career.

PP12: Flying Bryan, 3yo C (Royal Academy x Danzig x Storm Cat)
Ascot’s homebred colt should have been a turf runner based on pedigree, but instead, he has turned into a fine racer at 9 panels on the dirt, winning the Captain Hook-G2 (over a sloppy track), Federico Stakes-G2, and finishing second in the Swamps Stakes-G1 behind Wireless Eavesdrop, all at that distance. The last time Bryan tried a mile, he was fourth on Smackdown Day behind Swiftsure. Still, despite the concern about the cutback in distance, the sophomore is unbeaten in two starts over an offtrack, and has been consistently firing off triple digit speed figures. Will need to put forth his best effort, like many of the others in the field, to walk away with the victory.

PP13: Wooden Minister, 4yo C (Hennessy x Woodman x Deputy Minister)
Pogs1’s homebred colt returns to the graded stakes wars after a confidence building win against allowance company. Two starts back, the Minister won a G2 stakes at a mile against 4yos only, and seems to be back on track after finishing off the board in the Equinics and the Nixon’s Promise-G1, the latter behind Watergate Scandal. Has never tried an off-track, and like Sisson’s Mark, likes to come from way out of it, which makes him vulnerable to the pace conditions. Likes to win, having done so 7 of 19 tries, with speed figures above the 100 mark in his past seven races, and is capable of doing so on Saturday.

PP14: Thick and Thin, 4yo C (Forty Niner x Seattle Slew x Alydar)
Sdmf9’s third entry in this race is a beautifully bred colt that has shown flashes of talent, but has yet to put it all together. The chestnut hasn’t seen the winner’s circle since February, when he captured an allowance N3y. Is three for four over a wet track, but faced much easier company than he’ll see this weekend, and has yet to finish better than third against graded stakes competition. Still, some of his better efforts have come in his last three dirt tries, and with the improvement in speed figures, combined with love of the goo, it is possible this guy could finally live up to his pedigree and pull out the surprise.

PP15: San Pellegrino, 5yo H (War Chant x Pleasant Colony x Caerleon)
Super stables sends this winner of more than $2 million into the fray. This guy is perhaps best at 1 1/16 miles, but he is still awfully good (and a graded stakes winner) at a flat mile. Sports a 6-1-2-1 record over an offtrack, although he disappointed in the sloppy Cosmopolitan Mile-G1 earlier this year. Looks to get back on track after a pair of poor performances in the BB Classic and the Lewis & Clark Stakes-G2, and the cutback in distance is a step in the right direction. Like others, has a legitimate shot on his best day.

PP16: Rocket Go Boom, 5yo H (Pulpit x Cat Thief x Gallant Man)
This guy took 12 starts to break his maiden, having been claimed away for $20k in his 11th start by his current connections, and they have to be pretty happy with how things turned out. The laklakers42 trainee has gone on to win six more times after that maiden score, including three wins over an off-track – two of them in stakes – and a game third in the Cosmopolitan Handicap-G1. Kind of went off form two starts back with 13th place finish in the Middle Ground Mile-G2, and didn’t quite shake it off in his most recent race, when he finished fifth. Still, he did post 100+ SFs in each of those races, but the Boomster has been closer to the 110 mark until then. Still, loves the wet track and could easily turn things around here at 17/1.

PP17: Snarky Remark, 3yo C (Invincible Spirit x Diesis x Lyphard)
Looneylopo’s star colt seeks to bounce back to his BB Dirt Mile-G1 winning form after finishing sixth in the Sterile Mile-G1 last time out. Another turf bred horse doing his best running on the main track, this gorgeous brown colt pulled the upset at 24/1 on one of racing’s biggest days, and looks to do it again here at the price of 17/1. Has never tried an off-track, so that is a bit of a question mark, and will need a perfectly timed ride from V Jef to make the most of his explosive late kick. Has to be respected off of his BB win.

PP18: Panhandling, 3yo C (A.P. Indy x Seeking the Gold x Northern Dancer)
Royally bred colt is unlikely to do any panhandling any time soon for trainer/breeder Dixiedotco. Connections know how to win, although this guy seems to have a little bit of a case of seconditis. Still, the lanky chestnut has to be respected based on his current form, which includes a second, beaten a head, in the BB Dirt Mile-G1, and a third in the Sterile Mile-G1. Was second in the Flat Land Derby-G2, in his only try over a wet track, and cannot be overlooked here.

PP19: Hoosier Miner, 4yo C (Mineshaft x Woodman x Ferdinand)
This gold medalist and winner of the Make A Wish-G1 at a flat mile earlier this year, comes into this race fresh off a listed stakes win over a sloppy track with a sharp 114 SF. That certainly must have felt good for trainer/breeder escena after watching the Hoosier finish a dull 13th on BB day. Is three for five at the mile distance. Another deep closer who may need a lively pace to show his best, but on his best day, could very well add the rich Delaware Mile purse to his Equinics prize.

Too tough for me to handicap, as most of the horses can make a case for why it is possible for them to win. Enjoy, and may the best horse win!