Beyond the Wire, The Bill Collins Memorial

Where every race has a story.

Twelve Furlongs for Pride

Perth, Australia — Sunday, August 16, 2026
EQUINICS Race 16 — Bill Collins Memorial
Grade I / Group 1 — $40,000
12 Furlongs — Fast Dirt — 4-Year-Olds & Older

There are races where the purse tells you everything you need to know.

This is not one of them.

The Bill Collins Memorial carries only a $40,000 purse, a figure dwarfed by the millions already earned by some of the horses in this field. But the Equinics have never really been about money. They are about residency pride, bragging rights, and the rare opportunity to represent something larger than an individual stable.

And at twelve furlongs, there is nowhere to hide.

This is not a sprint where one burst can decide everything. It is not a mile where tactical speed can cover a mistake. A mile and a half on dirt asks for patience, stamina, timing, and the willingness to keep going long after the easy part of the race is over.

The twelve horses assembled in Perth arrive from very different backgrounds. Some are proven Grade 1 winners. Others are hard-knocking stayers who have built their résumés one allowance and stakes race at a time. A few have already shown they can thrive well beyond this distance.

Every one of them is here for the same reason.

To carry a residency banner and try to bring home Equinics glory.

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#1 CENTER OF CREATION (12/1)

The Distance Grinder

Owner: blackhole
Breeding: Epicenter × Malibu Moon × Grand Lodge
Running Style: Mid-Pack Grinder

Center of Creation has made a career out of one thing: going long.

Thirty-one of his thirty-five starts have come around two turns, and he has competed at distances ranging from ten furlongs all the way out to sixteen. While he has not yet broken through in graded company, he owns seven career victories and has repeatedly shown that stamina is not the question.

His strongest recent efforts include a runner-up finish at thirteen furlongs in Oregon and a dominating allowance victory at fifteen furlongs earlier this year, when he took command midway through the race and drew off by six and a half lengths.

At twelve furlongs, he may actually be cutting back into a distance that allows him to stay a little closer than usual.

He is not likely to rush early. Expect him to settle, preserve energy, and try to grind his way into contention as the field begins to tire.

Race-Day Question: Can a horse built for extreme distances use that stamina advantage to outlast more accomplished rivals?

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#2 HARBAUGH HERO (13/1)

The Marathon Man

Owner: waremblemfl
Breeding: Gunnevera × Into Mischief × Tiznow
Running Style: Deep Closer

Harbaugh Hero may be one of the purest stayers in the entire field.

Fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen furlongs have become familiar territory for the five-year-old, and his recent form suggests he is coming into the Equinics in excellent condition. Most recently, he captured a fourteen-furlong allowance in Pennsylvania by more than five lengths after settling well off the early pace.

That victory followed a third-place finish in the Grade III Atlanta Cup at the same fourteen-furlong distance and another earlier allowance victory over fourteen furlongs.

His style is clear. Harbaugh Hero is perfectly content to concede ground early, sometimes a lot of it, before beginning one long sustained run. At twelve furlongs, the concern may actually be whether the race is long enough for his preferred rhythm.

But if the leaders go too quickly, few horses here will be happier to see them come back.

Race-Day Question: Can the marathon specialist shorten up and still deliver his trademark late run?

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#3 MEET ME N DA ROOM (34/1)

The Longshot With Stamina

Owner: 6ward
Breeding: Exaggerator × General Meeting × Charismatic
Running Style: Deep Closer

Meet Me N Da Room enters as the longest price in the field, but this is exactly the kind of Equinics horse that deserves a closer look.

The four-year-old has only two victories from twelve starts, yet nearly his entire career has been built around distance. Eleven of his twelve starts have come in routes, and he has already raced at twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen furlongs.

His best performances have come when allowed to settle far off the pace before making one sustained move. He broke his maiden at thirteen furlongs by nearly ten lengths and later won at twelve furlongs after advancing strongly through the second half of the race.

He also owns a Grade III placing from the Control Stayer, showing that he has already been competitive against better company.

This is unquestionably the toughest field he has faced.

But stamina is not something he needs to prove.

Race-Day Question: Can the least accomplished horse in the field turn proven staying ability into the biggest surprise of the Equinics?

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#4 KGALAGALDI (7/1)

Catch Me If You Can

Owner: ballarat
Breeding: Curlin × Tapit × Kingmambo
Running Style: Front Runner

There will be no mystery about Kgalagaldi’s intentions.

He goes to the front.

Again and again, the five-year-old has built his races around controlling the pace, and when he gets comfortable, he can be devastating. Earlier this year, he captured the Grade I Desert Stamina Cup at fourteen furlongs, leading every step of the way. One race earlier, he did the same thing in the Grade III New Orleans Stayer.

His résumé also includes commanding victories at twelve and thirteen furlongs, including a nine-length stakes victory over this distance.

The concern is what happened most recently. Kgalagaldi again made the lead in the Grade I Razorback Route, but after controlling the race early he faded to fifth.

Still, a front-runner with proven Grade 1 stamina is always dangerous, especially if the rest of the field allows him to dictate comfortable fractions.

Race-Day Question: How much rope will the field give one of the most dangerous pace-setters in the race?

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#5 INTO BRAGI (9/1)

The Iron Horse

Owner: dannejaka
Breeding: Into Mischief × Tapit × Kingmambo
Running Style: Pace Presser

Into Bragi has spent his entire career doing one thing: routing on dirt.

Twenty-two starts. Twenty-two routes.

The five-year-old owns eight victories and has repeatedly demonstrated that extreme distances do not intimidate him. His résumé includes wins at twelve, thirteen, and sixteen furlongs, including an eight-length allowance victory over twelve furlongs last fall and a thirteen-length score at sixteen furlongs.

He generally prefers to race close to the pace rather than far behind it, making him one of the horses most likely to keep Kgalagaldi honest early.

Recent Grade 1 efforts have not produced a breakthrough, with a fourth in the Hail to the King Stakes and sixth in the Razorback Route, but those races prove he has already been tested at this level.

Into Bragi does not lack stamina.

The question is whether he can turn that stamina into his biggest graded victory yet.

Race-Day Question: Can the career router finally convert endurance into Grade 1 glory?

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#6 HEDSTROM (18/1)

The Patient One

Owner: ceres25
Breeding: Curlin × A.P. Indy × Deputy Minister
Running Style: Deep Closer

Hedstrom may be one of the least experienced horses in the field, but the four-year-old has spent nearly his entire career preparing for races like this.

All thirteen of his starts have come around two turns, and most have been at ten furlongs or farther. His running style is unmistakable: he drops far back, sometimes double-digit lengths behind the leaders, before trying to make one long charge.

That approach produced his most impressive victory earlier this year at twelve furlongs in Idaho. Hedstrom was last early, still well behind midway through the race, then swept through the field to win by two lengths.

More recently, he finished third in an 11½-furlong stakes event after once again racing from far back.

He has not yet faced graded company, so this is a major step forward.

But at least he knows exactly what twelve furlongs feels like.

Race-Day Question: Can the youngest deep closer in the field make his late kick count against seasoned graded stayers?

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#7 UNDER THE NEON (7/1)

The Millionaire Stayer

Owner: brightvalr
Breeding: Quality Road × Kingmambo × Tapit
Running Style: Closing Stalker

Under the Neon brings the largest bankroll in the field, with more than $2.2 million earned and multiple major victories on his résumé.

The five-year-old has already proven himself at the highest level. He captured the Grade I Hail to the King Stakes earlier this year at thirteen furlongs and previously won the Grade I Hit Man over sixteen furlongs by nine lengths.

He is not a horse who needs the lead. Under the Neon is comfortable settling behind the first flight before gradually improving position, and his best performances have often come when he begins moving before the deep closers launch their runs.

His Grade 1 résumé is impressive, but perhaps even more important is his proven versatility across long distances. Thirteen, fifteen, sixteen furlongs — he has succeeded at all of them.

The twelve-furlong trip may actually feel short compared with some of his biggest assignments.

Race-Day Question: Can the richest horse in the field turn class and proven stamina into another Grade 1 victory?

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#8 MORE THAN AGAIN (5/1)

The Horse in Form

Owner: harrylanlow33
Breeding: More Than Ready × Street Cry × Awesome Again
Running Style: Front Runner / Pace Presser

If current form matters, More Than Again deserves every bit of attention the morning line is giving him.

The six-year-old enters having won two of his last three starts, both at 11½ furlongs, and he did it with authority. Most recently, he controlled the Lynns Powers Dirt Stayer from the start and drew off to win by seven and a half lengths while earning a 115 speed figure.

Earlier in the year, he captured another 11½-furlong stakes race after sitting just behind the leader before taking over.

His résumé also includes dominant twelve-furlong allowance wins, including a fifteen-length victory last September.

More Than Again has the tactical flexibility to lead or sit just off Kgalagaldi, which may be one of his greatest advantages. He does not have to win the first quarter-mile to win the race.

He only needs to be there when the real running begins.

Race-Day Question: Is the horse in the best current form also the horse ready to claim Equinics glory?

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#9 LOW LATENCY (7/1)

The Old Professional

Owner: missymoo
Breeding: Curlin × A.P. Indy × Unbridled
Running Style: Mid-Pack Stalker

Seventeen victories.

That number alone tells you almost everything you need to know about Low Latency.

The six-year-old has won nearly half of his thirty-seven starts and enters the Equinics in outstanding form. He has captured three of his last five races, including the Grade II Grumpy Old Man Marathon in July and the Endless Penguin Dirt Stayer in May.

His running style is adaptable. Low Latency has won from the front, from just behind the leaders, and from mid-pack. That versatility is particularly valuable in a twelve-furlong race where pace can shift dramatically.

He has also repeatedly excelled beyond this distance, with major victories at thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen furlongs.

There may be flashier horses in the field, but few are more battle-tested.

When races turn into tests of endurance and judgment, professionals tend to find their way into the conversation.

Race-Day Question: Can seventeen career victories become eighteen on the biggest residency stage of them all?

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#10 THE HAMBLETONIAN (6/1)

The Proven Champion

Owner: sjmeolawc
Breeding: Authentic × Seeking the Gold × Broad Brush
Running Style: Tactical Stalker / Pace Presser

The Hambletonian arrives with one of the most complete résumés in the field.

Nine wins from twenty starts. More than $1.7 million earned. Grade 1 victories. Grade 2 victories. And success stretching all the way out to sixteen furlongs.

His peak performances have been impressive. He captured the Grade I Desert Stamina Cup at fourteen furlongs, won the Grade II Buckeye Stayer at sixteen furlongs by eleven lengths earlier this year, and previously finished second in the Breeders’ Bowl Dirt Marathon.

He does not require one specific trip. The Hambletonian has won on the lead and from just behind it, making him difficult to compromise tactically.

His most recent effort was encouraging as well, finishing third in the Grade II Out Of The City Handicap at ten furlongs.

The distance will not bother him.

The class will not bother him.

The only question is whether somebody else can simply run better.

Race-Day Question: Can one of the field’s most accomplished stayers add Equinics champion to an already impressive résumé?

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#11 INSTAGRAM STORY (6/1)

The Versatile Threat

Owner: gowans2023
Breeding: Uncle Mo × Curlin × Tapit
Running Style: Mid-Pack Stalker

Instagram Story brings a mix of class, stamina, and tactical flexibility to Perth.

The five-year-old has earned more than half a million dollars and owns six victories, with eighteen of his twenty starts coming in routes. Earlier this year, he delivered perhaps his most eye-catching performance at twelve furlongs in Japan, moving to the lead early and drawing off by more than thirteen lengths.

He followed that with a respectable fourth in the Grade III TV Stakes at the same distance before finishing second in a 10½-furlong stakes race in June.

Instagram Story is not locked into one style. He can race near the pace or settle farther back depending on the situation, and that flexibility could matter in a field with several horses intent on establishing position early.

His pedigree — Uncle Mo over Curlin and Tapit — hardly hurts the argument for stamina and class.

Race-Day Question: Can adaptability prove to be the difference in a race filled with specialists?

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#12 HAACK’S PANTHER (8/1)

The Late-Running Hammer

Owner: puracrema
Breeding: Tapit × Awesome Again × Distorted Humor
Running Style: Deep Closer

Few horses enter the Bill Collins Memorial with more momentum than Haack’s Panther.

The five-year-old has won eight of seventeen starts, and his last two performances have been outstanding. In May, he came from far back to win a twelve-furlong allowance by nearly seven lengths. Then, in July, he repeated the performance in the Latinos del Mundo Equinics qualifier, sweeping past the field to win by nearly thirteen lengths while earning a 112 speed figure.

That is exactly the kind of preparation you want heading into this event.

His preferred style is obvious. Haack’s Panther wants nothing to do with the early pace. He drops out, conserves energy, and begins passing horses when others start wishing the race were over.

He has struggled at fourteen and sixteen furlongs against stronger competition in the past, but twelve furlongs appears to be a much more comfortable distance.

And right now, he looks like a horse who knows exactly what his job is.

Race-Day Question: Can the hottest twelve-furlong closer in the field produce one more devastating late run?

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How the Race Sets Up

This race has the potential to become a fascinating chess match.

Kgalagaldi appears to be the most committed front-runner and should be looking for control early. More Than Again and Into Bragi have enough speed to keep him honest, while The Hambletonian can also race close if the pace develops favorably.

That leaves a formidable second wave.

Under the Neon, Low Latency, and Instagram Story should be able to settle within striking distance without becoming involved in the early fight.

Then come the true closers.

Harbaugh Hero, Hedstrom, Meet Me N Da Room, and especially Haack’s Panther will be hoping the leaders turn twelve furlongs into a genuine stamina test.

The pace question is simple:

If Kgalagaldi gets comfortable, everyone else may have a problem.

If the front group pushes too hard, the final quarter-mile could belong to the closers.

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Beyond the Wire Selections

🥇 MORE THAN AGAIN (5/1)

The current form is difficult to ignore. Two recent stakes victories at 11½ furlongs, including a 115 speed figure and a seven-and-a-half-length win, make him the horse to beat.

🥈 HAACK’S PANTHER (8/1)

Back-to-back dominant wins at twelve furlongs give him exactly the profile you want here. If the pace heats up, he may be the one rolling fastest late.

🥉 THE HAMBLETONIAN (6/1)

Proven class, proven stamina, and tactical versatility. He has already won major races much farther than this and should be involved when it matters.

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Final Thoughts

Nothing about twelve furlongs is easy.

There are no shortcuts.

No horse can bluff its way through the final quarter-mile.

And perhaps that is why the Bill Collins Memorial captures the spirit of the Equinics so well.

These horses are not running for a life-changing purse. Many of them have already earned far more than Sunday’s $40,000.

They are running for their owners.

For their teammates.

For their residencies.

And for the right to say that when the Equinics came to Perth in 2026, they were the ones still standing strongest after twelve demanding furlongs.

Twelve horses will enter the gate.

Only one will carry its residency across the wire first.

That is what the Equinics are about.

Beyond the Wire
Where every race has a story.