Be Forewarned: Closely Contested Mile Likely in Ontario

Be Forewarned Stakes

Grade III

One mile

Fast Dirt

$150,000

Fillies and mares, 4 years old and up

Race ID:3826.2815

With the possible exception of MAGPIE FEVER(KY), these are deep blue bloods who meet in Ontario today.  So you see what it takes to get to the graded level in the sim.  Anyhow, we have a number of 4 and 5-year-olds on the recent improve, and a few who seem to have peaked.  There could be a crowd up front, so don’t neglect the closers when doing your handicapping.

PP  Horse ID  Horse  Owner  Jockey  Odds  W / P / S

1 146791 GAME GIRL(JPN)  adonis  B Renfroe  15/1   

STRAVINSKY x MR. PROSPECTOR x A.P. INDY

Finally paired up two big races in the Sword Tootsie and the Storming Hannah in her last two to close out her sophomore campaign.  They were both wins, the first at 34-1; seeing as she had run a 45 just prior on a good track, that was understandable.  Thankfully, today’s running is dry.  She’s likely to get out front, but will have to leave something in the tank.

2 54977 SKIDMORE INDY(KY)  jrogue  Mo Johnson  10/1    

A.P. INDY x SADLER’S WELLS x KINGMAMBO

Here’s another who has busted out some big numbers her last two.  She tried stakes company in the Shadeed’s Double last out in Iowa, and she faded pretty badly.  The speed numbers are fast, but she almost always loses ground in the stretch, and that’s a tough row to hoe in graded company.

3 68714 TEFERI’S REALM(KY)  mav1762  R Heenan  12/1 

WAR CHANT x BLUSHING GROOM(FR) x SADLER’S WELLS

The 5-year-old has certainly looked over the top since winning the Grade 3 Snownut back in August.  She’s still ranked 60th in this division, and truth be told she hasn’t been running that badly, including two seconds.  She has a nice stalking style that will serve well if she can return to her best.

4 132359 THOTHMES III(KY)  willyam39  D Conrad  16/1

KINGMAMBO x SEATTLE SLEW x NORTHERN DANCER

Came into the Sword Tootsie off two wins and making her stakes debut, but GAME GIRL(JPN) blew her out of the water, and she finished twelfth.  This lightly-raced 5-year-old is showing signs of hitting her best stride, so if you want to take a chance that she has the big closing kick today that she was missing in November, the odds are delectable.

5 72067 TITANIA(KY)  bagur  R LeVan  8/1    

KINGMAMBO x CAT THIEF x A.P. INDY

I had high hopes for this Queen of the Faeries in a few of the scenarios I laid out in my Girls Cap preview (http://blacktypebugler.com/default.asp?artid=7082), but she chased the lead and wound up 11th.  It’s possible she’ll be more comfortable at 8 furlongs instead of the 9 or 10 she’s been contesting lately.  If so, she has some top class speed to make her a force to contend with.  Other than the Girls Cap, she’s been very consistent.

6 133665 TENPIN TOUCH(KY)  dixon  S Brownridge  6/1 

TOUCH GOLD x MISWAKI x POLISH NUMBERS

Yet another who made her stakes debut in her last race.  Dixon was very patient to make that move, sitting on the now 5-year-old through a more than 30 race career and a long string of 100-plus speed numbers last year.  Her 110 in the Mother Buda three weeks ago was at 7 furlongs, and she’s mostly run in sprints.  However, she did score an allowance win at a mile last year, and she sure is fast.  Bettors might want to skip her at 6-1, though.

7 141475 SCHITZNGIGGLE(KY)  peeps3  V Townsend  6/1    

GONE WEST x NORTHERN DANCER x BUCKPASSER

The poor dear is a blue blood but has that funny name.  She’s 4 and improving, with two speeds over 110 since last summer.  As a multiple graded-placed filly who sometimes holds tenaciously to her speedy position, she’s worth a try to see if she can bring it home for her peeps.

8 122633 CLOUT(KY)  lasthope  N Linville  7/1 

STORM CAT x SEEKING THE GOLD x ALYDAR

5-year-old put it all together in a series of off-track races last spring, culminating in a powerful move to win the Grade 1 Bumblebee Classic.  She hasn’t been quite that good since, but solid enough.  She must have prayed for rain, but it didn’t come.  Could come from behind to pick up some – or all – of the pieces.

9 142910 PANTHER DAMPER(KY)  gunman  R Tatersall  12/1  

GRAND SLAM x AFFIRMED x PLEASANT COLONY

Well, that’s interesting… she chugged her way through a solid but unspectacular career, then three weeks ago she’s sent to North Korea and runs a sharp, closing second to 12th ranked NEHI ORANGE(KY).  The 108 speed she earned fits well here, but was by far her fastest ever.  Bounce theorists will almost certainly find a reason to bet against her.

10 14213 SMELLY GREEN STUFF(ENG)  inzamam  K Wakeman  12/1  

GREEN DESERT x CHARISMATIC x EASY GOER

She hasn’t won in more than a year, but she did finish in the top five in five graded stakes last year.  You can chart pretty consistent improvement in her racing since switched to the dirt late in her juvenile year, and her 107 in the Bad La last out is a good lead-in for this company.  She might be better as a 4-year-old, so take a flyer on her.

11 132904 MAGPIE FEVER(KY)  vawoman  W Mafit  6/1  

STORMIN FEVER x PHARLY(FR) x SOVIET STAR

Her nice third in the Girls Cap was in line with my expectations.  However, she seems to like those mile and a quarter type affairs better than the straight mile.  It’s hard to tell from the past performances, because some of the shorter races were on good going, but the mile contests are among the slowest in her records.  What might be a nice move at a classic distance could come up short here.

12 115935 ZAP FOR GRASS(KY)  fjmracing  C Brubaker  9/1  

GHOSTZAPPER x KINGMAMBO x DANZIG   

She too was hot early last year, but has been spotty since.  There was a big 107 in a November allowance under Vegas Jef, but all the other recent races have been under the century mark.  She does love the distance and won’t let the leaders out of her sight.  For me, an underlay at 7-1.

13 81109 JAZZY SEATTLE(KY)  zooomr4  T Sherr  17/1  

DIXIELAND BAND x SEATTLE SLEW x SECRETARIAT

New 4-year-old netted a 109 in the Grade 3 Broadcast in November, and has gotten a nice break since.  If she’s cranked up, she’ll be up near the front again.  For her to get it done, she’ll have to show that the 109 was maturity, not an aberration.

14 137620 EMPIRE OF THE KING(KY)  kingfaust  T King  21/1  

EMPIRE MAKER x MR. PROSPECTOR x DEPUTY MINISTER

Wow, this 4-year-old has only six starts!  She won her first three starts, beginning as a 2-year-old back in November 2007.  She ran a nice third in her next race, but kingfaust laid her off until this past November.  Whatever reason kingfaust had, it worked in spades.  She won her November allowance with a 103, then laid out a stakes field in the Corporal’s Friends, including runner-up SCHITZNGIGGLE(KY).  That 114 is one of the fastest speeds showing going into this race.  She is very, very interesting at 21-1, but she’ll have to prove herself in a speed-filled lineup.