Guinea Gonna Be A Good One!
It’s time for that grueling turf-mile test known as the 2000 Guineas, to be run as the 13th race this Saturday at Track 49, Newmarket. This will be a very interesting renewal, with a 2009 Eclipse winner trying to regain lost form (PREPOSTERAGEOUS), and another 2yo star, THAT LONESOME SONG, trying to accomplish the same thing. We also have a pair of stars trying to grab another rung on the way to the top, SPUR’S DANCER and DUSSELDORF. Add in a lightly-raced undefeated potential monster (SANDOR) and several other accomplished colts, and you’ve got one heck of a race.
PREPOSTERAGEOUS needs little introduction. All this son of Medicean did last year is go 6 for 7 with 4 graded-stakes wins on the way to the Eclipse as top 2yo turf runner of 2009. The only blemish on the jetersring trainee’s record in 2009 was a 2nd in the BB Juvy. Everything seemed set for a strong 3yo campaign… Hasn’t gone that way thus far. The colt shocked his connections by missing the podium in both his 3yo starts, leaving jetersring wondering what the heck is wrong with his supercolt. Will this guy find his stride again at 6/1, or is this the Sim’s answer to Arazi?
THAT LONESOME SONG is another who had a fine 2yo campaign but has been unable to keep his form going thus far in his 3yo season. In his last, aa decided to try dirt with his Dynaformer colt and it looked at the top of the lane like it was going to work as the long-striding colt got right into contention at the top of the lane. Unfortunately, he flattened out somewhat and finished a fairly close-up 7th. Now he returns to the sod. Will the surface switching work for the 9/1 shot?
SPUR’S DANCER, a son of Danehill Dancer, has done very little wrong thus far in his 11-race career. His trainer, hollandia3, has brought his colt along patiently, waiting until this year before he even tried 2 turns with him. True to form, he’s been more than solid in his 2-turn runs, with 2 graded wins and a better-than-looked Equinics 6th. He drops a furlong shorter than his recent successes today; this could make things difficult for his running style. He’s 6/1.
FUSAICHI ZOMBIE has only run once so far in 2010, but it was a fine performance indeed, barely missing in fast time in an Equinics race while finishing ahead of PREPOSTERAGEOUS. This is impressive indeed, but having only one start since December makes this zzombie trainee a bit of a mystery horse. Has he been injured or sick? Being “saved” for later on? The trainer ain’t talkin’, and neither is the horse. The CPU speaks at 6/1.
DUSSELDORF, on the other hand, is on a roll in 2010 with a pair of dominant front-running wins to his credit after a 3-month winter rest. Lenny4‘s Monsun speedball will be hard to catch if he gets a long lead like he’s been able to do in his last pair. The CPU agrees, making this guy the 4/1 favorite.
ZAPINGO regressed in his last out, the Japanese 2000 Guineas. Before that, he had been improving his speed numbers a little bit each time. Was the last race one of those “bounces” we always hear about? If so, this andros trainee by Galileo could be right in the thick of things at the wire with a rebound. Hard to say, but the CPU lists this colt at… You guessed it, 6/1.
HORMUZ II looks like he’s in a little deep here at 14/1; however, he fired a big one in just missing at 21/1 in the G3 Jellyton Stakes three starts back. If this son of Hernando can fire another shot like that one one today for gudenus, he could get part of the purse.
SANDOR is an interesting one; Sangster takes a huge class hike with his undefeated son of Irish sire New Approach, a colt who never even saw a racetrack until last November. The strapping brown colt’s four wins have been very impressive, especially his last in a mile stakes. Will he become a star today? He has a nice juicy price of 10/1 on his nose.
9/2 second-favorite is GPS TO FINISH LINE, who was certainly on a roll recently, He Google-mapped the right route to the winners’ circle three times in a row. Unfortunately, good things don’t last forever. He was unable to get in high gear last time out, finishing an inelegant 4th in the Irish 2000 Guineas Trial. Trainer lgbost2yop shrugs it off, blaming Mapquest for the satellite glitch that caused his Henrythenavigator colt to get off the beaten path to the wire. “I think I’ll get my colt a Thomas Guide”, he joked.
SONGS OF PRAYER improved mightily when switched to the sod after he had been unable to break his maiden in six dirt starts. After going 3 for 4, the Mr. Greeley colt trained by pazracing takes a huge rise in class today. Not impossible, but a difficult task. He is still elible for nw3x allowances, and the odds of 11/1 reflect that.
My fearless prognostications:
SANDOR – Undefeated and 10/1, worth an upset shot
DUSSELDORF – On a terrific run, blazing speed
FUSAICHI ZOMBIE – Could stalk hot pace and take it allowances
Good luck at the races!