G2 Topicount Special Features Only Four
Grade II
A mile and one half
Fast Dirt
$1,000,000
All horses, 3 years old and up
The Del-Penn Championship day has been a sim tradition for a while now, but this year, there was some question to whether the day would go on. But here you have it, the races are being run, some downgraded but still out to showcase the best in the sim. In this preview, I will be writing up the G2 Topicount Special, which has featured the maximum of the sim twenty horses before, but the minimum standard for the sim, four, show up in the 2010 running.
This race first started in 2003, the first year the championship day was open to the whole sim. In the 2003 year, the race was run at 10f and restricted to only 3yos. The next two years, the race was still run at 10f, but the age restrictions were opened up to 3yos and older. In the 2006 running of the Topicount Special, the race was stretched out to 12f, but was restricted to only 3yos again. In the 2007 running, the race was changed yet again, and was shortened back to 10f and opened back up to 3yos and older. But now, in its 3rd straight year running at 12f and opened up to 3yos+ it has been changed to a G2 from a G1 for the first time in its history. Let’s get to the entrants of this Holiday race.
PP #1 Spontaneously-Ghostzapper x Seeking The Gold x Northern Dancer, 4-1 with O Osbourne up (23.8%)
Stable: The Danby Road Connection (Lenny) (GR Simsters)
One of the two up and coming 3yos of the bunch. This colt’s hemare did his best work at sprint distances, so interesting to see this colt doing his best work at marathon distances. He has won now 4 consecutive races by 19 ½ lengths, a very nice stat for this colt. He has never races in stakes competition, and only against his own age group, but he has posted speed figures as big as 111. Last out in a 13f allowance, he sat right off the pace, took the lead at the ½ mile pole, and won eased up under the wire by almost 5. He earned a 97 speed for his easy win. This colt is getting better with every race, and he could spring the upset here.
PP #2 A.P. Assault-Stephen Got Even x Storm Cat x Broad Brush, 2-1 with R Keogh up (5.1%)
Stable: Kingman Racing Syndicate (Empire State Racing)
This colt is most famous for his win last time out in the G2 Hamburg Hall, his first graded experience. The win forced Mtk76 to pay Kingman, the owner of this improving colt a sum of credits because of a bet they had made earlier in the year. This colt has only raced ten times, the least amount of the field. The other 3yo of the bunch, this colt has only been off the board once in his career. He is a deep closer, and closed from as far as 12 lengths back in his last. He moved into 3rd coming around the turn, and blew by the field to win by more than 3, earning a dazzling 107 speed figure. He will be off the pace early, but will be up front or close to the front late.
PP #3 My Destiny-Empire Maker x Secretariat x Mr. Prospector, 1-1 with N Linville up (18.7%)
Stable: Dixiedotco Racing (Pastures Of Green)
The heavy favorite of the field here. He has won more than 1/3 of his career races. Last out he raced in an allowance for the first time since August of 2009. Before his last, he had raced in 16 straight Graded/Listed races. He was the heavy favorite of six. He broke 4th, and was 10 lengths behind going down the backstretch. He made a big run coming around the turn to get within a length of the lead. He rolled away to win by 5 with a nice 105 speed. This colt obviously has the most graded experience of the field. He finished 3rd in Equinics earlier in the year, and also won a G2 after that, but he has also been inconsistent running some disappointing races. He could pop a 115, but I like other horses better seeing his odds.
PP #4 RockRockPlanetRock-Rock Hard Ten x Empire Maker x Danzig, 7-2 with D Silver up (15.7%)
Stable: Willyam13 Stables (GR Simsters)
One of the two GR Simsters entrants in the field. He is only horse of the four to have any type of early speed. So I expect him to have a somewhat big lead coming around the first turn. This colt’s last race was 9 weeks ago at 16 furlongs in the G2 Kegstand. In his last, he sat right off the leader’s flank. He started to fall back coming around the turn, and continued his retreat, but hung in to get 3rd, beaten only 6. He was given a 99 speed. He has won 20% of his races, and has been on the board in a little less than 75% of his races. He is two for two when he has the early lead, but I don’t think he has the class or the numbers to contend in this one. Will be just an early factor.
I expect a contentious race, with horses flying at finish! Should be a good one!
Morning Line: 3-2-4-1
Gowans: 2-1-3-4
Good luck to all connections in this one!