Big Race Preview 2622
(Filling in for Knightmare… and, yeah, I’m gonna cheat by adding the article links! LOL! Wow, this is a *hard* article to write, trust me… Ha! Newfound respect for Knightmare, yeesh. 🙂 )
Week 2622: The 2yo Breeders Bowl contenders continue to scramble for last-minute stakes points. The Global Sim Racing Series checks in, covering all four freshmen route divisions. Meanwhile, New York hosts the time-honored Superfilly Handicap for distaffers, and, of course, the promisingly dramatic Bob Woodward Memorial. Finally, the sophomore filly milers tackle Sun State Cup honors at Queensland.
Race: 2622.0414 Bob Woodward Memorial – Grade I – $500,000
Track : New York
Restrictions : All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance : A mile and one eighth on the Dirt
Track : New York
Restrictions : All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance : A mile and one eighth on the Dirt
Easily the race of the week with #1-ranked dirt route older horse Call Of The Wild II continuing his claim to the older male title. IMO, Gipper’s colt is the most underrated and ‘unknown’ divisional leader in the game… there just hasn’t been too many older horses that have captured the Sim’s fancy over the years. ‘Wild won the CA Classic(G1, 10f) in fine style previously and bravely goes to bat again in another tough battle. One to watch if he can pull this off.
#2-ranked Search And Conquer played bridesmaid in ‘Wild’s ‘Classic last time around and hopes to turn the tables. Parker who was an also-ran in the ‘Classic…. but can handle his own at this distance on his best days. Super miler Danzig With Sal stretches out in an interesting testcase scenario. Slither, Leave The Reef, Seeking The Brave are always in the thick of things as recent graded winners. Grade 1 winner Unprecedented recently returned to the races after a long layoff and he’s in pretty good form finally. One to watch.
Race: 2622.0415 Superfilly Handicap – Grade I – $400,000
Track : New York
Restrictions : Fillies and mares, 3 years old and up
Distance : A mile and one sixteenth on the Dirt
Track : New York
Restrictions : Fillies and mares, 3 years old and up
Distance : A mile and one sixteenth on the Dirt
Sophomore filly phenom Swift Kick tests her elders for the very first time in this Breeders Bowl prep (a sixteenth shorter than the BB Distaff). She’s gonna have a tough assignment with brazen older mares such as Bumblebee Classic (G1, 8f) winner Gingivitis and GSR Mares (G1, 8f) champ Homecoming Dance. Both mares trying to overcome that extra bit of ground. Chubby Visa (G2, 8.5f) victoress Glass Heart is on a terrifying 2-race win streak and merits serious respect as the one to beat.
Dangerous Reward rebounded in the Go For Gold(G1), but might find this distance a bit short. Indy Connection hopes to prove the sleeper, while Waki Notion is always a threat. Gorgeous group of Breeders Bowl Distaff-probable females with 8 of the 14 having won graded stakes recently.
Race: 2622.0416 
– Grade I – $500,000
Track : New York
Restrictions : All horses, 2 years old
Distance : One mile on the Dirt
– Grade I – $500,000Track : New York
Restrictions : All horses, 2 years old
Distance : One mile on the Dirt
The pick of the GSR Diamond litter! Hoserhead Juvy(G1) champ Terrordega squares off against unbeaten dual Grade 3 winner Rhibus. Rhibus has the edge, winning over the mile LTO. Terrordega beat Deputy Goldseeker, but the latter colt smoked a mile recently in listed company thus claims ahead of the game. Racetime fave Ab Fab soaked up a sloppy graded sprint and makes his two-turns debut like a threatening titan. Got the lines to go the distance too, so watch him from behind the frontrunners. Crytpo Flow brings Grade 1 credentials to the table and royal bred Fernando Storm keeps on improving.
Excellent contest. 🙂
Race: 2622.6616 
– Grade I – $500,000
Track : Norway
Restrictions : All horses, 2 years old
Distance : One mile on the Turf
– Grade I – $500,000Track : Norway
Restrictions : All horses, 2 years old
Distance : One mile on the Turf
Graded-placed Skills And Magic tabbed as the slight fave in a wide open field. Awesome Angel is the one to watch here after sweeping three straight listed turf stakes starts. Awesome Again speedster also boasts the lone 90+ SP# as well…. and that came over 8.5f. Sharp Bend(IRE), hero of a Grade 3 score, keeps improving with extra yardage and provides the main threat. Wonder Lawn missed a Grade 3 photo last time out, while Very Silver missed in a Grade 1.
Anyone’s race — difficult to tell if the 2yos would be ready for the BB after this week, but possible.
Race: 2622.0116 
– Grade I – $500,000
Track : California
Restrictions : Fillies and mares, 2 years old
Distance : One mile on the Dirt
– Grade I – $500,000Track : California
Restrictions : Fillies and mares, 2 years old
Distance : One mile on the Dirt
Unbeaten Miss Congeniality tests two-turns for the very first time. Ditto for Grade1-placed Skippy who probably boasts the best in form look of the bunch. Watch these two here.
A number of graded and listed winners in this contest — no big favorite though, so it’s anyone’s race. Dual graded placed Colorado Desert could step it up with the added distance according to lineage. Pro Dubai, who won over this distance two back, should fare better this time around. Talented filly. Getaway runner-up Building Empires should appreciate the extra furlong. The Westies, Ransom’s Ecstasy won over a mile LTO. Royal bred Eurojet is a Gone West sleeper.
Race: 2622.3516 
– Grade I – $500,000
Track : Longchamp
Restrictions : Fillies and mares, 2 years old
Distance : One mile on the Turf
– Grade I – $500,000Track : Longchamp
Restrictions : Fillies and mares, 2 years old
Distance : One mile on the Turf
This bunch doesn’t boast a lot of flashy SP#s, but that’s to be expected of freshmen fillies. Bookies like unbeaten Benefactress(IRE) after her Grade 3 romp over 7.5f. Don’t worry, she won in hand over a mile previously too. She upset previously unbeaten The Blue Sword(GB) in that event. Grade 3 winner Nob Hill rides two race win streak and it’s difficult to seperate her form the winner… though she hasn’t scaled the two-turns benchmark.
#3-ranked Ransom passed the distance test in listed company LTO and has to be the proven one to beat. She’ll need her best SP# so far to bag this race. Large Marge(IRE) won an early season 5f grade and has been honest if not spectacular since, while Prabha(AUS) stumbled LTO over an off track. Should rebound.
Competitive contest — anyone’s guess again.
Race: 2622.5515 Sun State Cup – Grade I – $500,000
Track : Queensland
Restrictions : Fillies and mares, 3 years old
Distance : One mile on the Turf
Track : Queensland
Restrictions : Fillies and mares, 3 years old
Distance : One mile on the Turf
Popular Sly Go Lightly(IRE) proves she’s not just another pretty face. Ranked 6th in the division, she’s the overwhelming racetime favorite. Lost LTO in Grade 1 company, but has been the heroine of multiple grades throughout the season. Can she bring home top honors for her fans?
She’ll have to chase uber-speedster Cold Storage, fresh off of her Del Webb Oaks (G1, 9f) triumph. Thirteenth Date bagged a short field Grade 1 LTO in fine stalker-style time. Talented sprinter Gold Squall tests the mile rightly again — one to watch. 102 SP# Smackdown champ Compensation might have a thing or two to say. Furious recent Grade 3 winner Ms Dixieland tries to stretch out. Sotto Voce, Alberta Gold keep knocking on the door. Eightthehardway boasts some good miler times of late. Like a darkhorse? Try Zaspirit(NZ), who placed to La Pata Daisy over the springtime. Comes off of a long layoff in a serious cutback in distance.
Check out major Grade 2 action at Kentucky this week as well in the Bluegrass Cup.