The Roll Me Over In The Clover Special

The Roll Me Over In The Clover Special
Grade III
A mile and one eighth
Firm Turf
$125,000
Fillies and mares, 3 years old

PP        Horse ID          Runner                                     Owner              Jockey             Odds

1          161301            SPECIAL UNION(KY)          andycapper      F Porter              7/1   

2          119184            ICE AND SNOW(JPN)          racine3             F Gossett            4/1   

3          157086            ONE FAST CRAFT(AUS)      badasboots      C Mecklenburg   6/1   

4          157878            MEGEYEV(KY)                     theatrical           T Bates               7/1   

5          164340            CREU’S DANCE(IND)           warchyld          Y Bower             6/1   

6          163754            JITTERBUG GIRL(KY)          tihsho               A Lewis              9/2   

7          155815            VOLTAGE SPIKES(KY)        foxon4             M Staples            5/1  

8          168724            TAP TAP TAP(KY)                rman                 O Brim                7/1  

9          69624              STORM BEAUTY(IRE)          wistful3             R Simcox          10/1   

The Roll Me Over In The Clover Special is certainly full of many compelling runners. The field is made up of some very accomplished three year old mares, several who have just recently switched to turf, and one very intriguing bargain bred by the name of Creu’s Dance. The class of this race is Ice and Snow, but the everyman’s horse in this one is Creu’s Dance. I don’t know if she was actually bargain bred, but if they waited until the end of the week when they bred her then she certainly was. She will make her first graded appearance on the turf. She is the only frontrunner in this field which contains mostly close stalkers who run just a length or two off the lead. The others are more than likely going to give her a two or three length advantage early, but I have her fading and finishing fourth. If Crue’s Dance can hold on though, it truly would make for a great BTB story. I think she is the real story in this years Clover race, but that is not to say the rest of the field is not special. We have a lot of talented runners in this one, so it should be fun and exciting here in sunny California. Now let’s break down the runners:

SPECIAL UNION

DIXIE UNION x DUBAI MILLENNIUM (GB) x DYNAFORMER

Career: 8 2 1 1 $85,325

Originally Special Union was racing a steady diet of dirt races, but that all changed last time out. After a third place finish over 8.5 furlongs on turf in which Special Union ran an 83 speed figure in allowances, she makes the jump to stakes. Special Union is the type of mare that starts out of the gate extremely slow preferring to let the others charge ahead, but once she makes her move look out. She is out of the mare Special K II who has already produced some nice runners with the most notable being Awesome Annie. I am not completely sold on Special Union as a turf runner, but I do think she will show us that indeed she likes the turf. Look for her to enjoy nine furlongs and be competitive.

ICE AND SNOW

LAMMTARRA x AWESOME AGAIN x CLEVER TRICK

Career: 8 5 2 1 $403,765

With over 400k in earnings Ice and Snow certainly doesn’t lack big time experience. She is coming off a second place finish in the grade one Miesque’s Gold Classic, and prior to that she finished third in the Breeders Bowl Juvenile Turf filly. With five career wins in which three of those were stakes wins, the future looks bright for Ice and Snow. She is going to be a huge factor in this one. She will stalk just a length or two off the pace before she pounces, once she does that watch out!

ONE FAST CRAFT

FASTNET ROCK (AUS) x FUSAICHI PEGASUS x DYNAFORMER

Career: 8 4 1 1 $112,960

One Fast Craft can fly for sure. She is going to be stalking close to the early leaders with Ice and Snow. The question is going to be whether she shows the guts at the end to hold on and finish the race strong. She seemed to have spit the bit in the Sarge’s Stakes in which she fell back from first to third over eight and a half furlongs last time out. If she can go nine, she is certainly going to play a factor. Either way she is a very fine race horse that is sure to have an exciting career.

MEGEYEV

MEDAGLIA D’ORO x NUREYEV x BLUSHING GROOM(FR)

Career: 7 2 1 3 $34,733

Megeyev is the wildcard in this race. She has finished in the money in six of seven races. Her last time out she failed to impress finishing eight in a grade one over eight and a half furlongs on dirt. Now after running seven career races on dirt she will move to the turf. If Megeyev takes to the turf we can expect a jump in speed, and possibly a very pleasant surprising result.

CREU’S DANCE

FANTABULOUS KING x MOSCOW BALLET x FIRE DANCER

Career: 8 5 2 1 $187,140

Here is proof that a bargain bred horse can really become a great runner. She finished second in The Rainbow Bridge II Special with a 93 speed figure over a mile. She has seven races in which she finished in the money, a total that is the most impressive in this field. Creu’s Dance will break quickly in this one charging to the front all by herself. This nine furlong test will be her longest, but if she can show some maturity then expect her to be in the mix coming to the wire.

JITTERBUG GIRL

UNBRIDLED’S SONG x DANEHILL DANCER (IRE) x GONE WEST

Career: 7 1 1 3 $70,223

After four starts on dirt she moved to turf taking to it well. She finished third in regular stakes before finishing fifth in a grade one. Last time out she finished third in the Miesque’s Gold Classic. She has a tendency to wait quite a long time before making her move. She is going to give a lot of lengths to the rabbit early, but the extra furlongs are going to make it all gravy. Everyone knows the jitterbug is the best way to catch a bass, now let’s see the jitterbug of race horsing make some noise!

VOLTAGE SPIKES

POINT GIVEN x SADLER’S WELLS x MR. PROSPECTOR

Career: 7 4 2 0 $243,100

After finishing an impressive second in the grade one Graduation Stakes, Voltage Spikes faltered in the Miesque’s Gold Classic Stakes finishing sixth. Voltage Spikes will stalk settling in just behind One Fast Craft, and Ice and Snow, but I don’t see her out kicking the two of them late in this one. She is no doubt a very nice thoroughbred, but I don’t see this being her day. Nonetheless she is more than capable of winning here in California this Saturday.

TAP TAP TAP

TAPIT x NUREYEV x MT. LIVERMORE

Career: 6 3 1 0 $54,755

Five very good races on dirt and then she moved to turf, and what a move it was. Tap Tap Tap loves the green grass which is evident after her 87 speed figure win in allowances. Granted it was only allowances, but she was running quite fast on dirt prior to that. She will run alongside Voltage Spikes in this one before the two of them fade giving way to Ice and Snow and One Fast Craft down the stretch.

STORM BEAUTY

DANEHILL DANCER (IRE) x STORM CAT x FAPPIANO

Career: 8 2 1 2 $44,554

Storm Beauty is the same boat as Tap Tap Tap, and Voltage Spike in this one. I don’t think she has the speed and stamina to out kick the more seasoned runners. Storm Beauty to this point has been a real nice allowance horse, but she is going to have to be better than that in this one.

Lebowski’s Selections: 6, 2, 7, 5, 3