Bargains are Quality in Japan
Kamikaze Mile
Stakes , One mile, Firm Turf, $75,000, All horses, 3 years old and up
The nightcap in Japan is a Bargain Bred Racing Series staple. We have two Bargie award winners in this category, the defending champion, the Bargain Derby winner and the Arc de Malaleve winner. That alone makes for an interesting mix, but the newcomers are solid too. Will any go on to Bargain Bowl glory? Bring on the bargains!
1 154092 KING OF WARIUZ(AUS) wariuz1 A Blundin 11/1
KING OF HAPPINESS x TIMBER COUNTRY x KAAPSTAD(NZ)
Last year’s turf mile bargie winner draws the rail. 2009 was a charmed one for this oddly named mare, as she dominated the BBRS turf mile events; while 2010 started promisingly for the 5-year-old with a career-best 105, it has been a nightmare since, finishing off the board other than a decent second in May’s Silenius Mile. It seems ignominious for the defending champion to be 11 to 1, but it seems generous given her recent record coming into the race. Will need to recapture her midpack/closing style to win this one.
2 185088 MIMBO HILL(IRE) txknight W Lloyd 13/1
RIGHT WIN (IRE) x SAVOIRE VIVRE (GB) x LAHINT
This year’s Bargain Derby champion owns two turf wins, so there’s hope. His best asset is to close from waaay back: in the 100 Guineas, he closed from last of twenty to finish fourth. That may be helpful here, but in the Arc de Malaleve last out he didn’t fire, running an 80.
3 1217 RANDOM KOPPIE(GER) kwhisper R Scharf 7/1
JOHAN CRUYFF (GB) x WOODSNWATERS x VETTORI(IRE)
Sophomore has been getting better and better, and now jumps into the BBRS stakes series. He’s specialized at this distance and has not been out of the trifecta in his last six. His improving series of speeds, culminated with a 96, makes him competitive, and another step forward could put him over the top. A good turn of foot in the lane, so watch for him late.
4 126074 QATAR(KY) hawkz352 N Tippins 9/2
TASTE OF PARADISE x MARCHAND DE SABLE x AL NASR(FR)
5-year-old mare has been solid enough since coming to the Hawkz conglomerate (from protean) more than two years ago, but she has not won since May 2009. The tipsters are giving her a good chance based on these odds, but this type can have trouble actually earning the winner’s circle. She ran a 100 in February, but her other speeds are more low-90s, so an exotics finish seems more likely.
5 9916 SHOAIB AKHTAR(IRE) younggroup G Arnold 3/1
INTIKHAB (IRE) x MANZOTTI x MINNESOTA MAC
Another older mare, and a hard-knocking sort (14 for 54, over $400k in earnings), she has quite a BBRS history (won 2007 Kaif Mile, second in this race in 2008). Interestingly, she has stayed out of the BBRS ranks this year. Notably, however, she comes in off a win two back and a 100 speed last out when finishing second in an allowance. She’s got tactical speed, and is a good choice to bounce back into BBRS prominence with a top-two finish here.
6 147977 CONCOTELLI(IRE) txknight K Ledwith 2/1
LE VIE DEI COLORI (GB) x STAR APPEAL x SADAIR
Uncoupled entrymate of MIMBO HILL(IRE) and member of BBRS sponsor Knightmare’s group of stables. This is the one who came in off the claim to capture last year’s Silent Witness sprint on BBRS championship day. He had a break thereafter and came back to run strong speed-wise all year, but until recently was winless on the campaign. Then he took a turf mile allowance in September and, more impressively, the Arc de Malaleve at 10 furlongs last out, blowing by the field of 15. A deserving favorite.
7 109933 HOUNDVILLE platypuscz A Hudson 7/1
DEERHOUND x SHAHRASTANI x CORMORANT
He’s finished third in the last two runnings of this race, and is the 2008 turf mile bargie co-winner. Based on that history, I’m not going to throw him out, but he has really been more on the fringes for a while. Now seven, he ran some 94s this year, the last way back in April, and so is swimming upstream to finish third again in this edition.
8 48267 MALAKOWSKY(PR) rem C Roser 9/1
Won the Bargie Turf Mile this February in just his second turf start, wowing ‘em at nearly 16 to 1. It’s been a tough slog since then – eighth in the Silenius, fifth in the Hunt Cup, thirteenth in the Arc – and the last two have been dismal. The Puerto Rican may need to recapture his speed to lay a little closer if he means to move back to the form that he showed in the winter.