South Carolina’s Deep South Sprint

Deep South Sprint
Grade I
Six and one half furlongs
Fast Dirt
$500,000
All horses, 3 years old and up

You can feel the electricity here in South Carolina as we get set to run this year’s Deep South Sprint over six and a half furlongs on fast dirt! Several high profile runners will look to add the exclamation point to the end of their 2008 racing seasons while entertaining legions of racing fans, and a few celebrities gathered about to watch. I even saw a rabid intoxicated Santa with a Moneygrowsontrees T-shirt under his red overcoat. Obviously, someone forgot to tell Santa Christmas was over on Thursday. Maybe today will be Christmas for Moneygrowsontrees, Santa seems to hope so, but let us not forget the likes of Superman, Hennessy Titans, Made Myself, Tank of Sugar, Unhaunted, and the horse with the funny name Zihuatanejo among others. Did I get that right Zi-hua-tan-ejo! The bugel is blaring and the horses are coming onto the track now. Let’s run down the field for this year’s Deep South Sprint:

PP     Horse                                       Owner         Jockey         Odds 

1        GHOST PROSPECT(KY)     talented      T Parker    13/1

2        ANTIQUE GOLD(KY)          pureluck     M Epps       10/1

3        BLACK ARROW(KY)           ascot           M Hartel    11/1

4        CRAZY EIGHTS(TX)            zahree        B Sanders   10/1

5        ALL ABOUT HENNY            desperado5 W Early     16/1

6        HENNESSY TITANS            slewbetcha I Solar         8/1

7        MONEYGROWSONTREES cheadle      V Webb       10/1

8        TANK OF SUGAR(KY)         devilsdoo    C Morrison 10/1

9        MADE MYSELF(KY)            epcotlen3    M Hamm    8/1

10      STAIRWAYTOPARADISE(KY)  sparadise  J Kowalkowski 9/1

11      UNHAUNTED(KY)                grracers     T Olobia     10/1

12      EPISTLE(KY)                        bookworm  N Parsons  13/1

13      ZIHUATANEJO(KY)             thefifth        M Mickson 8/1

14      SUPERMAN(KY)                   waremblem5 Be Dixon  8/1

GHOST PROSPECT(KY)  

GHOSTZAPPER x A.P. INDY x MR. PROSPECTOR

Career: 16 7 4 3 $307,505

This three year old colt is quickly making a name for himself sprinting to success every chance he gets. He is coming off four consecutive wins with two of those wins in stakes. He ran a monster 115 speed figure in the NWRC Cavalcade Cup Sprint Stakes back in October. He will look to stalk and pounce while cementing himself as a graded class runner.

ANTIQUE GOLD(KY)

SEEKING THE GOLD x WILD AGAIN x DANZIG

Career:  17 5 6 0 $342,065

Here is a four year old that has won grade III level, but never finished higher than fifth in a grade I. All that could change today with Epps Up who is more than capable of leading this fine colt to the winners circle. Antique Gold has tremendous burst out of the starting gate. He has run a slew of fast 100’s topping out at 113, so he has the speed to win this race.

BLACK ARROW(KY)

APTITUDE x GONE WEST x SEATTLE SLEW

Career: 31 8 6 3 $481,561

Finished fourth in this years Breeders Bowl Sprint with a 106 speed figure. Not a particularly quick starter out of the gate, but he has had a wire to wire win in the Halo Spanking Special destroying the field easily with a 114 speed figure. He also finished second in this year’s The West State Sprint G1 with a 111 speed figure. The four year old has lots of talent, but I would like to see a better jockey than M Hartel up.

CRAZY EIGHTS(TX) 

A P VALENTINE x LEAR FAN x PHONE TRICK

Career: 37 9 3 4 $209,775

Here is a four year old horse that just seems to love being run on a brutal race schedule. He has never finished above fifth in grade I stakes, but has shown a great deal of speed. He will have to overcome his difficult race schedule which doesn’t seem to ever include much rest, as well as overcoming a poor jockey in B Sanders. By my odds he is a long shot to win.

ALL ABOUT HENNY(KY)

HENNY HUGHES x GRAND SLAM x WILD AGAIN

Career: 13 6 1 3 $143,678

This three year old colt has only one grade I attempt, but that came on a wet track making it a tough indicator. He won at six and a half furlongs in the Wendy’s Storms Bonanza with a 111 speed figure in September. All About Henny is lightly raced with only 13 starts, so he should be fresh. The real question will be whether he can overcome a bad jockey, and a step up in class.

HENNESSY TITANS

HENNESSY x MR. PROSPECTOR x NODOUBLE

Career: 32 14 3 3 $643,100

The veteran warrior is very much capable of running a big race, and dominating a tough field. He has solid starting speed, but not rabbit speed, so he shouldn’t be far off the lead before pouncing late. The wiley veteran is from the great mare Ms. Prospector who ran 93 career races, and won over a million dollars in earnings. Ms. Prospector has already foaled three stakes placed runners with two stakes winners. She also has a two year old Violet and Dash who debuted this month finishing second in an msw with a whopping 91 speed figure. Hennessy Titans certainly has regal enough bloodlines, not to mention a world of experience.

MONEYGROWSONTREES

FORESTRY x MR. PROSPECTOR x I AM THE GAME

Career: 36 9 7 4 $1,261,510 

Moneygrowsontrees will certainly have every opportunity to win with V Webb up. Webb has been in the money in 50% of his career races, so one would think he should be able to get it done with the money horse out of desperado stables. He is going to need a better run out of Moneygrowsontrees than F Gossett got back in October in the Breeders Bowl Sprint where he finished a disappointing seventh. The five year old will have to race at his best to win in this difficult field today. He has a world of talent as shown earlier this year in the Tri City Sprint back in September with an outstanding 110 speed figure. He won that race over six and a half furlongs by a head. He will need to make his move soon enough to win this one.

TANK OF SUGAR(KY)

SPEIGHTSTOWN x SECRETARIAT x DANZIG

Career: 13 8 0 0 $178,040

The three year old Tank of Sugar has a lot of regal blood coming from the great Secretariat in his tank. He is coming off three monster victories in which he ran between seven and seven and a half furlongs. The super horse will try and make the jump to grades and display the type of speed that allowed him to run an amazing 117 speed figure in allowances earlier this year. His early speed is solid, but not great. I think C Morrison who is riding Tank of Sugar could find himself very pleased with this mount when it is all said in done here in South Carolina. This could be the young colt’s coming out party today.

MADE MYSELF(KY)

PLEASANTLY PERFECT x MT. LIVERMORE x ROAR

Career: 33 9 8 2 $592,925

Made Myself should be a contender for the early lead in this race. He will be hard pressed to beat Antique Gold to the early lead, but he may be able to pull it off. It will be interesting to see who plays rabbit in this one, and if the rabbit can steal it wire to wire. Made Myself has done it before, and can do it again. He will be looking for that ever elusive grade I victory. The four year old is seasoned, and certainly a contender to make a breakthrough today.

STAIRWAYTOPARADISE(KY)

PINE BLUFF x DYNAFORMER x TOM ROLFE

Career: 22 6 5 4 $168,514

This lightly raced four year old has the pedigree you might expect to see running over a mile, but he has been a very solid sprinter to say the least. He finished third in the recent JFK GIII running a speed figure of 111. He still is coming into his own. He should be trailing just after Made Myself and Antique Gold early in this one before breaking for the lead down the stretch. He is another fine runner in a very tough field looking to make a name for himself here in South Carolina.

UNHAUNTED(KY)

GHOSTZAPPER x UNBRIDLED x ALYDAR

Career: 27 6 3 7 $99,908

Here is a horse that shouldn’t have any problem to avoid being spooked by grade I competition. He may lack big race experience, and be coming into his own late, but he is real fast! He has three consecutive sprinting wins with speed figures of 111, 111, and 110. The pedigree here is outstanding.

EPISTLE(KY)

GHOSTZAPPER x SEATTLE SLEW x        FORLI

Career: 26 6 5 2 $203,014

Here is another very solid four year old sprinter with excellent pedigree trying to make a name for himself. I think the odds makers may have been a bit generous with this one, but he does have very good speed. He likes to break very late in his races, so he may find himself in too great a hole in what I expect is going to be a very fast early pace. He will need a big rousing finishing kick to get things done here today.

ZIHUATANEJO(KY)

GONE WEST x COX’S RIDGE x RAJA BABA

Career: 16 6 3 3 $291,654

Here is a very interestingly bred four year old with pedigree that includes the  great sprinter Raja Baba. As many of you know Raja Baba may have been one of the greatest sprinters of all time. A real nice jockey here with Mickson up who will get a chance with what may be the finest runner in this field. The four year old is lightly raced, and just recently been coming into his own. He has two consecutive stakes wins with speed figures of 113, and 115 (one of those was grade II). He starts slow like a locomotive, but he finishes faster than a bullet train at top notch. If he can move soon enough watch out. This is my favorite horse in the field, but I am not sure he will make his move soon enough to overcome the early fast pace.

SUPERMAN(KY)

STORM CAT x MR. PROSPECTOR x SHARPEN UP(GB)

Career: 25 9 3 3 $398,547  

This well seasoned four year olds name seems fitting based on these recent speed figures: 114, 107, 114,113, and 109. That is really enough to say it all. Superman loves to be at the front early, but I don’t see him breaking out of the gate to the lead in front of the other early speed contenders in this one. He will break third or fourth before slipping a couple spots as they come across the wire. Then again maybe he doesn’t slip at all in this one!

Lebowski’s Picks: 6, 13, 8, 7, 2