Chocolates, that will raise a few eyebrows!!!!

Grade I
Seven furlongs
Firm Turf
$500,000
All horses, 4 years old and up

Race ID:3861.3701

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkknI1hTnjo (paste this it will make catch phrase make sense)

LEGENDARY LEMON (KY) LEMON DROP KID x IRISH RIVER (FR) x MAJESTIC LIGHT

This has been a seriously good horse. In 2007 he was really top class winning multiple graded races including over 7f. He has the class to win a graded race. 2008 saw his form drop off a little. It is obvious wear and tear is a factor here this is somewhat sad as he has only run 26 races and has been well managed by owners. Such is life as they say. I would expect this horse therefore to struggle in graded races this year which is a shame.

ARRIVERDERCI G STORM CAT x MR. PROSPECTOR x DAMASCUS

This horse has loved the switch to turf. The problem is that he has now run 40 races and only 6 on turf the last 6. His speed figures have been awesome though. The issue is at 6 is he going to want to go into graded class. His speed figures make good reading and therefore it is worth a shot. There has to be some doubt given the number of miles on the clock that he has the required class. This does look a case of an opportunity lost with this horse.

ASSAULTED (ENG) RED RANSOM x CAERLEON x SECRETARIAT

This horse had a top class 2008. He had a couple of graded wins in there as well. His speed figures were top class and he appears to like 7f. His last 2 runs have been somewhat lackluster though. The last start may well have been down to the trip and the one before a cry of no more this year. He has the class and ability to bounce back and win a race like this. It would be no shock to see him in the shake up here.

CREDIT CASTLE (KY) CASTLEDALE (IRE) x SADLER’S WELLS x MACHIAVELLIAN

It does appear truly amazing a horse like Castledale can have a better sim record than his sire. This though is a good horse. He put a lot of good speed figures in last year. He is very good at this trip an added bonus and a graded winner. He did not like the off track in his last start. This horse should stay way further on breeding though. The other problem could be he has already peaked some SW*Mach crosses come to hand early and do not hold there form as you would expect from really life records. His last start was poor but that was an off track so can be thrown out. If he returns to form he has a decent chance of running a big race.

SCARLET REAPER (KY) STORM CAT x A.P. INDY x SEEKING THE GOLD

This fellow has been banging in some awesome speed figures of late. If we look a little closer this is somewhat a smokescreen. One run was in a graded race this was the lowest speed figure and more importantly he was well beaten. A look through this horses record shows that appears the case when stepped up to this grade. There are no obvious reasons to expect that gulf to be narrowed here I am afraid.

URBAN DYNAMO (KY) DYNAFORMER x SAKHEE x FAPPIANO

This horse is unbeaten on turf for current connections in 4 runs. His last start was a stakes win in a very good speed figure. His breeding would suggest that he should improve with age. This is though a big jump up in class when you consider that the horse can still run in a nw3x. You cannot rule this horse out as some horses really improve at 4 but in truth there is about a 90% probability he will come up short.

VESPUCCI (KY) STORM CAT x GOLD LEGEND x NORTHERN DANCER

This was a very good 2yo horse. He held his form well as an early 3yo as well. He like so many horses has not really improved since then. His speed figures look weak in this field. You would have to expect his best days are well behind him now. He can still earn good bps running in allowance races but in graded company looks like he will struggle and is easily passed over.
VAN HOEVENBERG (KY) VINDICATION x FORTY NINER x DANEHILL

This horse’s sire has been horribly overrated in the sim. He has preformed to type in real life and his results were easy to predict. This horse in real life would have cried enough through injury a long time ago. Saying that the Vindications I have seen are nice looking horse but appear to have serious soundness issues. This though is a good horse and is the highest rated in here. He has been tough and reliable plus more importantly well handled. He can post some really fast speed figures as well. He though does have a problem in that his win race record is low for a horse of this quality. His last start can be thrown out due to the off track and short trip. He has every chance of hitting the board once again in this race.

NEW SENSATIONS (KY) A.P. INDY x GONE WEST x NORTHERN DANCER

This horse is very interesting in this race. If you ignore the fact that A.P. Indy is useless as a turf sire in real life this has got a lot to offer. He loves the trip of 7f. he has won his last 3 races well. He has the pedigree to suggest he will improve with age he is. The owner has found out what makes the horse tick and has done a good job with him. He has selected a nice spot ideal trip to test him at the graded level. In my mind it will be no surprise to see this horse run well. He may only be placed here but it would be no surprise to see this horse being a major player in grade races over this trip in 2008. I am guessing his aim is the worlds top 7f turf race the Prix de le Foret come October. It will be interesting to see how he develops.

FLASH OF DESTINY (ENG) DUBAI DESTINATION x THEATRICAL (IRE) x ROBERTO

It is hard to imagine a horse out of a mare with this breading being a sprinter. It is though one of the more realistic and likely to produce a top horse in real life pedigrees in this race. For no other reason than that it would be nice to see this horse do well. This horse is improving with age. He was placed in a graded race on his last run that was a lifetime best. I still think that a couple of nice stakes wins would benefit him though. He has the ability to go on in 2009 and be a very good horse.

TIPPY’S LOVE SUCCESSFUL APPEAL x FORMAL GOLD x RUN THE GANTLET

This has been a really good horse for his owners. He can still post big speed figures see his last run. I doubt though he is now a graded class horse anymore. I expect him to be well beaten in this race. He can though still be a good horse in allowance races and pick up several hundred bps to assist in getting a nice farther for when the sex change comes.

FULL FORCE (KY) SMARTY JONES x STORM CAT x SEATTLE SLEW

Someone can read! It would appear that the owner has read and understood Mike’s posting on US racing and getting horse to run on turf to balance the new graded race program (let’s hope fortune favours the brave). This horse though is being given a real acid test. He has never run on turf in his life. He may well be a horse who does like it. His sire has been a failure at stud so far, being by Elusive Quality does give some hope he will like turf. Elusive Quality does better in Europe than the USA there was some talk of him moving to stand in England and Ireland last year I would say that is still reasonably likely to happen if his US figures do not improve this year. The dam sire Storm Cat has a good turf influence as well the negative being the very poor turf influence of Seattle Slew. It will be interesting to see how the horse runs if nothing else.

GOTTA DANCE CAPOTE x NIJINSKY II x IN REALITY

This horse has been running well of late. He really seems to excel in 7.5f stakes races. He has therefore 2 problems here 7f and the fact this is a graded race. He is now 7 his only graded run was over 8f on hios first start as a 4yo he was well beaten. With his age and lack of graded experience it is hard t make a case for him troubling the judge in this race.

HUARALINO (KY) SPEIGHTSTOWN x THEATRICAL (IRE) x A.P. INDY

His sire was in demand this week at the Fasig-Tipton sale. He has done well at the headline level but if you scratch the surface you get another story. In GB & Ireland he has one graded winner the other runners could not muster a win between them. It would appear he is suffering from the Gone West temper problem and needs a really nice mare with good mental attributes as well. This is an ice horse and has been improving until…he came up against older horses. As with so many 3yo that can be a hard bridge to cross his last run suggest he may be starting to get over that and it would not be a major surprise to see him run a very good race and even win.

As for my selections:-

1 New Sensations his name could be apt and looks like he will have a really good 2009.
2 Huaralino looks another horse who is going to improve in 2009.
3 Assaulted class act looking to bounce back to his best.