Japan – Buddy Boy Mile
Welcome to Japan, where this years Buddy Boy Mile is not just another Grade 2 Race,
It’s the much anticipated return of “2008 Horse of the Year” Basketball Jones, and like you can expect, media from all over the Globe flew into Tokyo to take pictures of the star and trying to dig as deep as they can to present a story. Well, I’m not gonna dig deep, I don’t need another sensation, but want to introduce you the horses that try to stop Basketball Jones from winning 5 in a row. The Turf is in best firm condition, as the 9 horses will get into the parade ring soon, let’s take a look at the field of older horses going for the classic Mile distance:
http://www.simulatedsports.net/hr/runtime/prettyhorse.asp?hossnum=26611
29 Races – 3 Wins – 151,619$
The 6yo sadler’s Wells Colt looks more like a filler entry, not having won since Junbe 2008, and not having cracked the 100 speed mark in his last 5 races, this will be a tough test, not to finished distanced. He feels best over 8f, but struggled recently, to even get into the money in ALW races.
http://www.simulatedsports.net/hr/runtime/prettyhorse.asp?hossnum=100267
50 Races – 20 Wins – 854,198$
The 6yo Two Punch Colt is a real veteran, who was on top of his game in 2007, when he showed a 2nd place in a Grade 1. 2008 he was mainly running in ALW company, and fared very well there. After 3 consecutive wins from October to December, he started this year in the Grade 3 Laffit Handicap, where he ran a strong race, and finsihed 2nd, less than 2 lengths behind Awesome Song. But tells you what a struggle he’ll face today, with Awesome Song, likely not the strongest rival he’ll battle today. He likes to stalk the lead a few half lengths off, but not too far, always staying in touch. He’s tricky to judge, being a 6yr veteran and his lack of big races entered over the last year, but don’t expect him to challenge Basketball Jones.
http://www.simulatedsports.net/hr/runtime/prettyhorse.asp?hossnum=140624
16 Races – 6 Wins – 918,054$
The very talented 4yo Eckelston Colt looks to rebound from a rather mediocre finish to his great 3yo campaign. He was on top of his game when winning the 2000 Guineas and the St. James Tavern, sweeping the major English 1m turf races for 3yos, however he struggled from there on. He finished 3rd in the Equnics, and after 2 out of the Money Finishes in the Canada Mile and the Mospe Cup was 5th in the Breeders Bowl Turf, with a lifetime best 8f speed of 112. He finished the season with a 3rd place in the Kingab Mile, showing very strong speed finishing, and perhaps would like to go a furlong further. But today he’ll have to square off against the top milers of 2008, and would love some Breeders Bowl Revenge.
http://www.simulatedsports.net/hr/runtime/prettyhorse.asp?hossnum=31387
26 Races – 13 Wins – 3,334,670$
Whatever you write about this 5yo Smarty Jones Horse may not be enough, whenever the Ecplipse winner and undisputed horse of a year hits the track the first time in the next year fort he first time, it’s something special, and it’s no different this year. Welcome 2008 Horse of the Year Basketball Jones…………… Enough of the merits, today he’ll be just like any other entrant, starting at the stalls, and trying to get win No. 14 for him. He comes off a long layoff, having not run since last years Breeders Bowl, a total of almost 4 months, but he is unbeaten in his last 4 starts, and hasn’t lost a race over 1 mile in the last year, his last defeat over exactly 8f coming last january in a Grade 3. His only real floppy race last year was the Smackdown race over 10f, but he compensated well for that, being a winner at the Equinics, the Canada Mile and the Breeders Bowl, 3 of the most important races over older turf milers.
He’ll face some well known rivals like Yautora and Banner in an almost unbelievable dream mile for a Grade 2 event.
http://www.simulatedsports.net/hr/runtime/prettyhorse.asp?hossnum=12189
27 Races – 7 Wins – 310,270$
The 5yo Nureyev colt enters the Grade 2 on a low note, he’s not won a race since June 2008, and it looks, like this will not be necessarily the day to change it. He showed his strongest outing last year in the Maudlin Cup, a race won by Banner, he finished 2nd 2 lengths back, and afterwards never was able to match that class, finishing 4th in a Grade 3, and 2nd in a Stakes race last time out. His lifetime high is a 113, which looks good on paper, but usually, when running fast speeds, he was beaten, and used a good running style in his favour. He likes to trail early on, and often can be found near the end of a race midway through.
http://www.simulatedsports.net/hr/runtime/prettyhorse.asp?hossnum=154887
12 Races – 5 Wins – 147,651$
The lightly raced 4yo Dehere Colt made his turf debut just 4 races back, winning an ALW race in October 2008, afterwards he set a blastering 116 over 1 mile in his second start, an open stakes race, but struggled in Graded class afterwards. Finishing 4th in both the Sanders Stakes and the NC Mile, where he faced some horses he’ll have to battle again today. It will be a versy important race for him today, with now more turf experience, he’ll have to show he can battle with the best, and could be on for a great 2009 campaign, if he can show lots of progress today.
http://www.simulatedsports.net/hr/runtime/prettyhorse.asp?hossnum=78569
31 Races – 12 Wins – 415,101$
The 6yo Rahy colt is another contender bringing in a winning streak, his now counting at 3. He’s a veteran, however making only his 3rd start in graded company, with the first 2 being rated average, with a 5th and a 6th place back in Spring 2008. Last time out he won an open stakes race over 8.5f in Nebraska, running a nice 110, only 1 under his lifetime high, which is a 111 set in December 2007. Usually making his race from Midpack he looks one class beyond the favourites today, and will face an uphill struggle all day.
http://www.simulatedsports.net/hr/runtime/prettyhorse.asp?hossnum=146025
17 Races – 5 Wins – 2,398,125$
The 4yo Danehill Dancer colt comes off a 7 week break, and would like to have a winning start into this season. He looked very strong finishing last year with a Grade 1 win in the Penn Mile, his 116 speed was a career high, and shows off some great things to come in 2009. 2008 was a great year for him, with 2 Grade 1 wins, in the Penn Mile and the Maudlin Cup, he showed very strong in the top mile races, with a 2nd place in the 3yo Equinics Race and a 4th place in the Breeders Bowl Mile, he is looking for his first win over Basketball Jones, and likely challenges from mid-pack.
http://www.simulatedsports.net/hr/runtime/prettyhorse.asp?hossnum=125365
28 Races – 13 Wins – 1,301,575$
The 5yo Unbridled’s Song, comes in on a 4 race winning streak, which he would, just like Basketball Jones, keep intact, but this will be a difficult task. His wins came in an ALW, a restricted Stakes race, and the NC Mile, a Grade 2 and the Grade 3 Laffit Handicap. This shows he’s about one class behind the favoured horses, still looking for his first Grade 1 win. However today the race technically is still a Grade 2, a class, where he already has 3 career wins. He faced Basketball Jones in the Equinics Race last year, finishing 5th, the last time he was beaten. He loves to run from the midpack, but is not known for very fast closing speeds, more for a progressive stagger.
If we look at the 9 horses, it’s clear, that Basketball Jones is a huge favourite and anything but a win by the Horse of the Year, would be a surprise, but we shouldn’t forget, it’s his first race since October, and he might be a little rusty, plus it’s early in the year, and on a cold Japanese Winter day, an upset can happen quickly, and be sure to check Awesome Song and Banner to look for any little chance they get.