Take the Yellow Submarine to the Breeders Bowl

The first weekend in October, what a wonderful weekend it is, with just a month to Breeders Bowl, its an all out battle to make it into one of those races. California alone this week has four grade one races with a grade two as well. The first graded race in the line up is the Yellow Submarine Grade 1, for three year old and up fillies and mares. The mile and a quarter turf race has a purse of $400,000 and will be run over a firm turf course. A small, but tough field of five has been entered.

Drawing the rail is the peeps7 trained Famous Indy. As you could have guessed by the name, Famous Indy is a five year old daughter of A.P. Indy out of She’s Famous Now, a daughter of Sadler’s Wells. She’s Famous Now was stakes placed in her racing days, and has produced three horses of racing age as a broodmare. All of her offspring are winners, including a stakes placed four year old, besides this runner in question a grade one winner. In thirty trips to the track Famous Indy has won ten times, placed four and finished third once, earning over $1.1 million. Indy has won two grade one races at this distance. Famous Indy is going through a bit of a dry spell without a win since the first of May, the last time she hit the board was at the end of May. Her speed figures have tailed off as well with upper nineties for her last three starts. On a good day for Famous Indy she’ll sit over ten lengths behind the pacesetter and come charging after the third call. At 3/1 with her running style we won’t know until the race is over if she’s having a good day. A good horse that needs to come back into form, small field size should help her hit the board.

5idiots trains this next entrant, Eximus Equus, poor horse isn’t one idiot of a trainer enough for any horse? Eximus Equus is a three year old daughter of A.P. Indy out of an unraced Forty Niner mare. In fifteen starts she’s won five times, placed once and finished third three times, earning over $148k. The first thing to note of Eximus is this will be her first start against older fillies/mares. Eximus also steps up in class, being a grade three placed listed stakes winner. Last time out she posted her first triple digit speed figure. In her favor is she has won at this distance, and is versatile in her running style. She can win from just off the lead, or by being on the lead, even going ten panels. At 9/1 she is the long shot in the field, and should not try to go the lead, as there is proven speed in the field, doing so would only get her tangled up in a speed duel. Could surprise.

The third post position goes to the slight morning line favorite, Vengeance Of Pain who is trained by texasace00. Vengeance Of Pain is a four year old daughter of Generous out of an unraced Sadler’s Wells mare. In twenty one trips to the track she has won twelve times, and finished second five, earning just under $2.5 million. Vengeance is a three time graded one winner, including last year’s Breeders Bowl F&M Turf. She has won three of seven starts this year, with all of them coming in her last four starts. Six of those seven starts this year have produced triple digit speed figures, and she even won the race that she didn’t post a triple digit. She’s a proven lover of this turf course, winning or placing on this course all six starts that she has made. Vengeance comes into the race off of a nine furlong listed stakes win, where she wired the small field of four by over two lengths. She doesn’t have to be on the lead to win though, most of her wins, including last year’s Breeders’ Bowl have her about a half a dozen lengths off the pace. With another horse in the field being known for going to the lead she’ll do her best by tracking the pace. At 8/5 this race could be her last prep race before defending her title as the F&M Breeders Bowl Turf.

Post four goes to the second choice, Dangerous Waters, from the billiam40 barn. Dangerous Waters is a five year old daughter of A.P. Indy (apparently the sire of choice for this race), out of an unraced Northern Dancer mare. Dangerous Waters has won twelve of thirty starts, finishing second six times and third once, with career earnings of $1.9 million. Dangerous Waters became a grade one winner in her last start, and has several grade two and three wins to her name. Dangerous finished fifth in this race last year, then went out to finishing tenth against Vengeance of Pain in last year’s F&M BB Turf, and then 2^nd in the Ugly BB Distaff this year. Although Dangerous is a grade three winner at this distance her preferred distance seems to be nine to nine and half furlongs. Dangerous Waters has a quirky running style were she can either be just off the tail of the pacesetter or almost a dozen lengths off to win. Last time out she ran from well off the pace to win with a 110 speed figure. Looking at her past performances lately she’s been running a great race then a not so good one, then another great one, which would make today’s race her bounce race. At 9/5 she has formed a rivalry with the favorite, and needs to break her good/not so good streak. If she runs the race she did last time she could be tough to beat.

Rounding out the field is billzpaid5’s A Warriors Queen. A Warrior’s Queen is a four year old daughter of Bernardini, out of an unraced Dynarformer mare. In eighteen starts she has won six times, placed twice and finished third three times, earning over $200k in her career. Warrior is a graded placed, listed stakes winner at this distance, who last time out finished a far off eighth to Dangerous Waters. Warrior has been going through a bit of a win drought with her last win coming over six months ago in a listed stakes race at this distance. A Warrior’s Queen will be the pacesetter of this race, with five of her six wins being on the lead, even the race she didn’t wire the field she was never more than a head behind the leader. There are a few other horses in the field that have shown that they can go for the lead, so she could get caught in a speed duel if she isn’t quick enough out of the gate. At 9/2 her best chance at a victory is to get to the lead and draw off as far as she can and hope not even the best closers could catch her before the wire.

With a small field of five almost anything could happen. Three of the five entrants are by A.P. Indy, so maybe an A.P. Indy trifecta? My picks are Vengeance of Pain, Famous Indy, and Dangerous Waters. Good luck to all, may your horses run fast and return safely to their barns.