Who Will Sip the Sparkling Wine?
A field of fourteen top two year olds go postward in the Grade 1 Sparkling Wine Stakes, one of the most important races on the schedule and a great prep for the Breeders Bowl Juvenile. The race is contest at 8.5 furlongs on the main track here in New York, site of the 2005 Breeders Bowl.
It is an evenly matched field, but the morning line choice is Lulu’s First Tap, by first crop sire Tapit, and trained by Epic. The diminutive grey colt is out of the lightly raced mare Well Lulu and is the best the mare has produced. Lulu’s First Tap has three wins in six starts, including an impressive win in the Delpenn v GR Simster Smackdown race. Lulu regressed in his most recent start, his first routing race, finishing a disappointing 7th in the Camel Juvenile (G2). There is no doubt trainer Epic will have him cranked him this week, as he seeks to make the Breeders Bowl field and add a Grade 1 feather to his cap.
Wonderboy Eamon(IRE) is listed as the 7/1 second choice for trainer stalfrank and top jockey Nick Lawton. The colt by Desert King(IRE) has excelled since switching to the main track, winning two of three starts, including a victory last time out in the Dell Computer Futurity (G2). He beat several nice horses in that race, but he did struggle a bit in his only try routing – running an 83 to finish 5th in the G3 Trixy Delight’s Special.
A trio rate 8/1 odds to share morning line third choice honors, led by Ydracing’s Crafty Cyclone, a son of Crafty Prospector who makes his first appearance at more than 6.5f. He has three wins in five career starts including a late charging win in the Doctor Issac Memorial Stakes at 6f. It will be interesting to track this colt, which jumps into graded company for the first time also. Trainer ydracing has had success with Crafty Prospector before, and hopes for the greatest success of them all here with Crafty Cyclone.
Also at 8/1, Sino Fave(IRE) is trained by lbgong stables and does own a win in his own route try. The Fasliyev(IRE) colt ships over from Europe after a victory in the Bob Bar Cap at today’s distance. Brian Child has been given the call in the stirrups for the 33rd ranked dirt colt, which has the breeding to excel at this distance. This will be a great test for class.
Jtlincoln’s Samoth has a perfect record in two career starts, including an explosive win in the One Devil Memorial in his last start, at 7.5f. Jtlincoln bred his Silver Charm mare, November Sky to Storm Cat, resulting in Samoth, who has been nothing short of brilliant in both of his races. He must now tackle Graded company, but there is nothing that says he will not be able to make the transition.
Rated by the morning line odds maker at 9/1, is Byronics, trained by gavinw. Byronics has been finished worse than 2nd in six career races, but now jumps from allowance company to a Grade 1 race. Gavinw has enjoyed a large amount of success in the sim, as he close in on 100 career wins. The chestnut colt by Touch Gold was excellent in his last start at 7.5f, but may prefer a sloppy surface. Either way, trainer gavinw will have a better picture after the running of this race.
The royally bred Seeking the Maker, a colt by Empire Maker, gets the services of Kentucky Derby winning jockey Ron Haffner, for trainer sunrunner. Seeking The Maker has two wins in four career starts, and earned a late closing second in his last start, a listed stake. Seeking the Maker is stable mates with several nice horses, including Sunday’s End and Pie Take, so there is no doubt that trainer sunrunner knows how to prepare a horse for a big race.
Super10 stables brings in Grand Cru, a son of Cape Town, into the race after a victory in his first route try in a listed race in Idaho. Grand Cru pulled away from his competition by 3 ¼ lengths in that effort for jockey Bill Gulch. In his previous start, Grand Cru was a good third to Lulu’s First Tap, in the DelPenn vs Gr Simsters Smackdown. Grand Cru is a ½ brother to graded winning Hit in Mid America, so he has the credentials in here.
Other contenders include Belmont Bomb, trained by graywolf20, who has attempted Graded races in the past without much success. He would need an improved effort to contend here. At 12/1, is the Afleet colt, Armstrong, trained by paddy. Armstrong comes off a good second to Sino Fave(IRE) and may be a value play at his current odds. He only needs a small step forward to compete in here.
Super24’s Etude(IRE), a son of Dubai World Cup winner Street Cry(IRE), looks like a colt who should appreciate the added distance. He scored an allowance win at 8f and was closing in his last start at 7.5f. He gets a hot jockey and could be a contender at 11/1. Utilities Guru Yochem, sends the Red Bullet colt Pinkie Hollandia to the gate. He was a strong winner in his first routing effort, and his odds are inflated to 23/1 because of an injured performance three back. He is another colt who will get the opportunity to demonstrate he has the class necessary to compete at this level.
Lovely Sheep, trained by tonno200, is listed at 16/1 by the oddsmaker and has never been off the board in five career starts. While this is this is his first Graded try, it appears likely jockey Ted Johnson will send him right towards the lead, as the Lammatara colt ahs done in every start thus far. At 20/1 is Seattle Point, trained by hadagal, who is undefeated in his three dirt races, and is a stakes winner on the turf. Seattle Point is by dual classic winner Point Given, and certainly has the breeding to handle the extra distance, in this, his first route try.
It is an evenly matched field in the Grade 1 Sparkling Wine Stakes, but one that is lacking in a standout, or even a Graded winner. That will change today, as the winner may head to the Breeders Bowl Juvenile as one of the early choices. Good luck to all.