Star-Studded Cast In Cosmo Mile
Mark it down in your race-viewing appointment books, everyone!
This Saturday’s $600,000 Grade 1 Cosmopolitan Handicap will be contested at a flat mile as New York’s 14th race, and it promises to be one for the ages! Many of the top dirt routers in the Sim (12 of 14 are listed in the Top 35 in their division) will be there battling for glory in a race that could very well be a major factor in the 2010 Eclipse votes in a few months. The super group certainly finds this race important, sending a phalanx of four after the prize.
This field has totaled over $30 million in earnings, and some 40 Graded stakes wins, an impressive group indeed. Have a look:
ON THE ROAD comes off a tough day in the Godolphin Mile in which he got beat by 11 horses but only a little more than 6 lengths. His previous strong performances indicate that this son of Dynaformer has the ability to bring trainer super4 another big prize. He goes from the rail at 9/1.
BROADWAY DANCER is 8/1, breaking from the 2-hole. He went into the Godolphin Mile with high hopes, but those hopes went down with a thud. Trainer super20 isn’t discouraged, and sends this guy right back into the fray, looking for revenge, or at least to somehow help one of the four super runners get to the winners circle.
SNARKY REMARK also bombed out last time in the G2 Sand Castle Godolphin Mile, his first poor performance since last year’s muddy Cosmo Mile. Trainer looneylopo hopes that poor run was just a little bump in the road for his spectacular son of Invincible Spirit and that he’ll demonstrate the powerful form of his previous several races. At 12/1, the CPU may be undervaluing this guy’s chances.
STORM PUPPY is #4, at 10/1. The 20th-ranked older distaff router, this tough field of males might be a bit much for her to handle; the CPU likes her a little, though. Her one try vs. males was a solid effort; maybe.
WATERGATE SCANDAL possesses much speed, but has enough spunk to hold on well in mile races most of the time. The son of Empire Maker outran JUILLET BLUES early two races back and held on well at the end, only to get nipped at the wire in the Godolphin Mile. Trainer jonsnow hopes that wire comes just that little bit earlier this time. At 9/1, she could get part of this.
JUILLET BLUES also has a ton of speed, but has trouble holding on at 2-turn distances against top company. Son of Gone West might be better-served at a furlong shorter. However, simsters4‘s colt has been close a few times at this distance and level and is not without a chance here, at 8/1.
THIS CALLING appears on the surface to be a late-running marathoner who is out of place in this field full of speedy milers, but a closer look at the record of this son of Sadler’s Wells shows that his shortest race in the last year have all resulted in 110+ speed ratings. Does arse2007 have a 9/1 surprise up his sleeve today?
SHOOT FOR THE GOLD, a 16/1 shot, hasn’t had a whole lot of success since that hot stretch of 9-furlong runs late last year. Yet another from the super stables, this late-running marathoner would be a surprise here, but it’s hard to put much past trainer super5. This son of Cacique could just wake up and pull it off… Maybe.
DEMECO is another superstar who has been off-form lately, and the CPU noticed, putting him at 20/1. The son of Awesome Again was 2008’s top 3yo after a string of Graded wins that culminated with the Breeders Bowl Classic, and he was still rolling with another pair of Graded wins thru the middle of 2009… Then things went awry. While fatattack‘s colt has had three 2nd’s in Graded stakes since, he hasn’t been in any winners’ circle since his CA Classic win last June. Last time out, fatattack tried to shake his colt up a little by trying him on the grass. Will the switch back to dirt wake this guy up?
ATLANTIC BOLT got his first Graded score since last May in his last, but the field was slightly light for the level. Is this son of Stormy Atlantic really on the improve as it looks on the surface, or has he benefited from excellent placement by trainer bigarnie? He might appreciate a bit more distance, also. He’s 13/1.
The 2009 Horse Of The Year, JEEPSTER, entered 2010 looking to pile on more glory (and money) on the way to the Sim HOF, but it just hasn’t gone that way. Since his crowning victory in last year’s Breeders Bowl Classic, he hasn’t been able to hit the board in his three 2010 starts. Trainer super25 has been burning the midnight oil trying to figure out what has happened to his champion Seeking The Gold colt, but has thus far found no answer. Can this winner of over $6 million get back on the winning track, or are his best days behind him after only 18 career starts? This’ll tell you just how good a race this is… How often do you get 12/1 on the Horse Of The Year?
TULLOCH RANGE, made a surprisongly low 7/1 by the CPU oddsmaker, has the lowest career earnings total in the field (A mere $450k, more evidence of how good this field is). Should this son of Include return to the form he showed when running a close-up 3rd in the Breeders Bowl Dirt Mile last year, the tulloch trainee will have a say in today’s outcome.
Consistent, fast and versatile POWER RANKING has been busting huge speed figures while almost never missing the board, but faces the toughest company of his career. A son of Awesome Again trained by ticketman0, this guy has blown away fields on the front end, and has come from several lengths off the pace to win. This versatility could really help the 6/1 favorite here.
HOT AND SPICY returned to the dirt last time to score by a nose in the G3 National Rider Club Stakes, his strongest performance since his big stretch in early-to-mid 2009. Trainer londoner hopes that just a little more improvement will get the huge score today at 13/1 for his son of Awesome Again.
After having taken a nice long look at this terrific field, I have decided a few things:
1) The older dirt miler divisions are very, very deep with much quality.
2) This race will be a thing of beauty to watch.
3) Ain’t no way I can begin to handicap this thing… Keep your Sim money in your bank and ENJOY THIS RACE!