Three-Year-Old Dirt Marathon Runners Showdown
There is a competitive marathon race for three-year-olds in Ohio this week, The PAPER GRIN Special over two miles on the dirt for a purse of $50,000. The going is good and there is a full field of fourteen, which will be reviewed here in race card order.
Drawn on the rail is Brandy’s Dream, one of three fillies in the race, who won her latest start, a NW3x Allowance for three-year-old fillies over a mile and three-quarters, by four and a half lengths going away, posting a speed figure of 95. She has shown ability to handle good ground, recording a speed figure of 93 for a place and a win in NW1x Allowances over a mile and a half on it. D. Hickling rides this one for trifecta.
Next is Paris Lights(IRE), another filly, who won an Allowance race for non-winners of one in six months over this distance on the turf last timeout, posting a speed figure of 65. She recorded her best speed figure of 93 when second in an Allowance race for non-winners of three over eleven furlongs in May. This will be her debut on dirt, and her pedigree has a lot of turf influence, so a watching brief is suggested for this one. V.Pegram rides this one, who was bred by jimcougar and runs for lenny17.
The lightly-raced Acid, bred by chico02 for the tbgifted2 stable, has won two out of three races to date, his debut in a Maiden Special Weight race over ten furlongs and a Stakes race over a mile and three quarters last time out, when he recorded a speed figure of 96. Between those, he finished a rapidly-closing fourth in a Stakes race over thirteen furlongs, putting up a speed figure of 97. The trainer has not kept this horse a secret and his determination to keep him out of shorter races seems to have paid off. The factor against this one is the going, as horses with Ela-Mana-Mou in the bloodlines do not appear to act on rain-softened ground. B. Fortune is the jockey.
Old Pulpit has won five of his thirteen races to date. Last time out, he finished second in a Grade Three event over thirteen furlongs, recording a speed figure of 93. Before that, he had won two Allowance races, one for non-winners of four over today’s distance, when he posted a speed figure of 88, and the other an NW4x over a mile and a half. L.Ingersoll rides this one for sunkitten.
The topically named Hurricane Run(IRE) is the outsider here. He comes here off two wins, in Maiden Special Weight company over thirteen furlongs, when he posted his best speed figure to date of 91, and an Allowance for non-winners of three over a mile and three-quarters. His odds may be somewhat skewed by the fact that he spent four of his seven races to date on the turf before switching to his preferred dirt. M. Carrington has the ride for seilern.
Ms. Dirt Devil T has won four of his seventeen races to date. Bred and trained by yearling, he finished a long way behind last time out in a Stakes race over nine furlongs on the turf. The time before, he won a Stakes race over the same distance and surface. The furthest he has previously run is a mile and a quarter three races ago, when he made most of the running but could not hold on and finished third, beaten five and a quarter lengths, recording a speed figure of 83. A. Ambrose is up on this colt with questionable stamina.
Dysfunctional has won nine out of seventeen races to date. Last time out, he made all to win a Stakes race over this distance, posting a speed figure of 83. He has been lucky to gain so many wins, as his trainer made the most of a claiming tag to run in Starter Allowances, in which he ran up a four-timer between the middle of June and the end of July. O. Smith rides this one, who was bred by barbheff and runs for greyghost.
Operataz Quest(GB) has won two out of thirteen races to date, a Maiden Special Weight over seven furlongs and a NW1x Allowance over seven and a half, both on the turf. He recorded his best speed figure when third over a mile two races ago on the turf, and his best speed figure on dirt is 85 over nine furlong, when he finished third in an Allowance race for non-winners of two in three months. Despite that good run in a competitive sort of race, he has much to prove here, particularly as he appears to prefer turf and his pedigree also suggests that. R. Ridenour is in the saddle on this one, who was bred by elagou and runs for sorrento.
Affair Of The Tiger(IRE) is well-fancied and has put up some good speed figures. Last time out, he posted a speed figure of 104 to win a Stakes race over eleven furlongs. The time before that, he put up a speed figure of 102 to finish second in a similar race. Obviously improving once stepped up to this distance, it remains to be seen if he can continue his improvement to two miles. M. Grunhard rides this one for the delta2tigr stable.
The other filly in the race is Sunshine Hollandia, who is bred and trained by thegallery. She has won five of her nine races to date, running up a four-timer in her most recent starts, from a track-restricted Allowance over nine and a half furlongs on dirt to a Stakes race over eleven furlongs on yielding turf, taking in a Grade Three over this distance on turf and a ten and a half furlong Stakes on good dirt along the way. She recorded her best speed figure of 94 in that race on good dirt, which suggests she will handle the going. L. Gordon is in the saddle.
Conbarro is another who comes here off two wins, the first in a Maiden Special Weight race over thirteen furlongs, then last time out in an Allowance NW1x over a mile and three-quarters, in which he recorded a speed figure of 92 on good ground. It was not until this one began to run over the longer distances that he met success, so it would not be surprising if he improved further with the longer trip. Q. Redden rides this one, who was bred by maruxa and runs for lgbost8.
Chaparral County(IRE) has won two of his eight races to date, a Maiden Special Weight race over nine furlongs and an Allowance for non-winners of two over eleven, which is the furthest he has run to date. In that race he posted a speed figure of 90, his best so far, and he may improve over further. D. Duper has the ride for shedrow.
Load The Cannons has won four out of sixteen races. Last time out, he finished a closing second in a Stakes race over thirteen furlongs, recording a speed figure of 98. Previously, he won an Allowance for non-winners of three in six months over a mile and three-quarters and a Starter Allowance over eleven furlongs, in both of which he recorded a speed figure of 92. The manner of his latest run suggests that he would appreciate the extra distance as he began his challenge so late. M. Holland rides this one, who was bred by quietgrind and runs for winnaquid.
Drawn on the outside is Makerofdreams, who is bred and trained by turbo12. He has struggled recently in a Stakes race over a mile and half a furlong and a Grade Three event over nine furlongs, when he put up a speed figure of 96. Previously, he recorded a speed figure of 109 to win an Allowance NW4x race over a mile. Nine furlongs is the furthest this one has run, and the indications are that he is a miler. M. R. Luck is in the saddle.
There are a number of genuine stayers in this field, along with a few thrown in who have yet to prove themselves over the longer distances, and one who is proven over the distance but on the turf. The main contenders appear to be Affair Of The Tiger, Acid, Brandy’s Dream, Old Pulpit and Load The Cannons, all of whom are proven marathon runners on the dirt.