Strike When Ready Leads New Market Handicap
Turf sprinters run in the feature Grade One New Market Handicap at six furlongs on the firm turf in Victoria. The field is a very strong fourteen, led by last year’s Breeder’s Bowl Turf Sprint winner Strike When Ready. Also in the field is last year’s New Market Handicap winner Haack’s Mom, one of two mares taking on the boys today. The other mare, Echo Pass is the leading earner and one of six millionaires in the running. Let’s take a look at the field!
#1 Kansas Comet 16/1 galloplaz stables S Dubrich rides
Kansas Comet is a five year old son of Danehill Dancer out of g-grade Montjeu x Seattle Slew horse Braggin’ Rights. Kansas Comet has six wins, two seconds and six thirds from twenty five starts and over $1.2 million in earnings. Kansas Comet’s last five starts have all been turf sprints and have yielded some of his best starts. Becoming a graded winner in October, he took the Grade Two Sprinter Stakes at six furlongs with a 110sp. He also finished third, beaten less than a length in the seven furlong, Grade Three Blue Pin Stakes, also with a 110sp. Most recently Kansas Comet was seen finishing eleventh in the Grade One Teleprompter Cap on January 15th.
#2 Strike When Ready 9/2 sweetnan stables D Evans rides
Strike When Ready is a six year old scratch bred son of More Than Ready x Smart Strike x What A Pleasure. He has twelve wins, eight seconds and three thirds from twenty six starts with over $2.2 million in earnings. Amazingly this talented horse didn’t break his maiden until his fifth start. All but three of his starts (at the beginning of his career) have come sprinting on the turf. A stakes winner as a four year old, he became a breakout star at age five, capturing four graded stakes topped by the Breeder’s Bowl Turf Sprint with an eye popping 117sp. After finishing third in the Grade One Penn Dash in December, owner sweetnan gave Strike When Ready a little bit of a breather. He returned to the races on February 5th and showed no rust when winning the Grade Three Silk Road Stakes at six furlongs with a 116sp.
#3 Certain Victory 8/1 hurons4 stables S Nightingale rides
Certain Victory is a five year old son of A.P. Warrior out of b-grade Rubiano x Storm Cat mare Skinny Cat. He is one of two graded winners and three overall stakes winners for the mare, from eight foals to race. Certain Victory has ten wins, nine seconds and one third in twenty five starts, with over $500,000 in earnings. While he has never routed in his career, Certain Victory has shown promise on both dirt and turf. He has won four stakes races on the dirt and an equal number on turf, although two of his turf wins were at the Grade Three level. His highest career sp of 116 was earned on the dirt; on turf he has a high of 110. Certain Victory has two starts so far this year, both on the dirt. He won the six furlong Gowoods (JPN) Stakes over a sloppy track with a 105sp in January. On February 12th he was beaten less than a length while second in the five furlong Pharivor Challenge Stakes with a 109sp.
#4 Echo Pass 6/1 malekfarms stables D Dowell rides
Echo Pass is a five year old daughter of Ghostzapper out of the f-grade Giant’s Causeway x Mr. Prospector horse Goliath. She has fourteen wins, five seconds and two thirds from twenty seven starts and over $3.2 million in earnings. Echo Pass began her career on the dirt where she won three Grade One Races at ages two and three. Switched to the grass for eight of her nine starts in 2010 she added to her resume. All sprints, she won five of those eight starts including three Grade Three races and one Grade Two. Her 2011 debut suggested we may not have seen the best of this mare yet as she took on males for the first time in the January 29th Grade Two Cool Lightning Stakes at six furlongs. Over a yielding turf course she won with a 115sp, the highest of her career.
#5 Burnt 15/1 eaaaprizes stables L Ward rides
Burnt is a four year old scratch bred colt by Green Desert x Storm Cat x Mr. Prospector. He has eight wins, two seconds and two thirds from fifteen starts (all sprints) and earnings of over $300,000. Twelve of his starts were as a three year old and included two stakes wins one of which was over his elders. He began 2011 with a strong second in the six furlong Yoda’s Tanked Stakes where he ran a lifetime best sp of 109. In his last start he easily won the Alyurbasrblongtous Stakes at five and one half furlongs on February 12th with a 105sp.
#6 Awesome Wings 14/1 upgrade stables R Kowalkowski rides
Awesome Wings is a six year old son of Awesome Again out of d-grade Hawk Wing x Storm Bird mare Valdes Wing. This is the best of her four foals to race. Awesome Wings has seven wins, nine seconds and four thirds from thirty starts and earnings over $400,000. 2010 was a break out year for Awesome Wings, he had nine starts, all turf sprints and scored three stakes wins, a second in the Grade Three Saint Georges Stakes and a third in the Grade Three Desert Airport Trophy. He ran sixth in the Grade One Teleprompter Cap to kick off this year. Most recently he ran second in the Horse Called War Memorial Stakes on February 19th at five and one half furlongs with a 105sp.
#7 Lattitude 12/1 super14 stables J Cox rides
Lattitude is a four year old scratch bred son of Henrythenavigator x Nureyev x Riverman. He has five wins three seconds and five thirds from eighteen starts, all on the grass, and over $1.2 million in earnings. While showing promise from the beginning, Lattitude really came into his own in the second half of his three year old season. He won his first stakes race in July against his peers. His next stakes win came while facing his elders in September and he followed that up with a second, beaten only half a length in the Grade Two Sprinter Stakes, also against his elders. After a poor showing on good turf in November, super14 gave the colt some time off to mature. He returned on January 15th to shock the Teleprompter Cap winning his first Grade One with a 109sp. Most recently he finished third with a 111sp in the Grade Three Silk Road Stakes on February 5th.
#8 Zebbriz 11/1 faststart stables C Buchiw rides
Zebbriz is a four year old son of Dansili out of the d-grade Dixie Union x General Meeting mare Dixie’s Halo. Dixie’s Halo has produced four foals; none have performed as well as Zebbriz. Zebbriz has seven wins, two seconds and two thirds from fourteen starts and earnings over $300,000. All fourteen of his starts have come sprinting on the turf and eleven came during 2010. He recorded five wins during that time, including three listed stakes and a win in the Grade Three Jupiter Stakes, all against fellow three year olds. He faced older horses for the first time in December where he was beaten less than a length while second in the Manatee Challenge Stakes. He earned his best sp of 111 in that start. He has one start in 2011, running third in the seven furlong Stormy City Special against only four year olds on February 12th.
#9 Seven String 17/1 axeracing0 stables S Raymond rides
Seven String is a seven year old scratch bred Saratoga Six x Northern Dancer x Roman horse. He has eight wins, three seconds and fourteen thirds in thirty seven starts, with earnings over $300,000. Although he started his career on the dirt, the majority of his starts have come on the grass and he has never routed. A winner of four stakes during his career, two of those victories came in back-to-back starts in May and June of 2010. He moved up to graded stakes after that and took thirds in two Grade Three starts and one Grade Two. After tailing off slightly toward the end of the year axeracing0 gave Seven String some time off. He returned to the races on January 29th when he finished third in the Dragon City Special Stakes at five and one half furlongs with a 104sp.
#10 Will’s Adventure 15/1 kobras stables M Redden rides
Will’s Adventure is a five year old son of Street Sense out of the f-grade Gone West x Storm Cat mare Storming West. She has two other foals but Will’s Adventure is her only stakes winner. Will’s Adventure has twelve wins, three seconds and four thirds from thirty one starts and over $400,000 in earnings. An eight-time stakes winner, Will’s Adventure took five of those stakes wins in 2010. All of those were on turf between five and one half and seven furlongs. He began 2011 with a bang, winning the Contribute Memorial Stakes by a head. He returned on February 5th to finish second with a 106sp in the Dawson’s Magic Challenge Stakes over a yielding turf course.
#11 Mr. Coffee 5/1 kilbirnie stables J Kohlmorgen rides
Mr. Coffee is a five year old scratch bred Empire Maker x Northern Dancer x Seattle Slew horse. He has ten wins, three seconds and one third from seventeen starts and earnings over $2.4 million. Sixteen of those starts have come in turf sprints. Mr. Coffee entered 2010 with only a maiden and allowance win to his credit but he successfully worked his way through his conditions until July when he won his first stakes race. He ended the year with back-to-back graded scores, taking the Grade Two Because I Said So Stakes and the Grade One Penn Dash Stakes, both with 111sps. After a short break he returned to competition on February 5th with a score in the Dawson’s Magic Challenge Stakes on a yielding turf course with a 110sp.
#12 Haack’s Mom 18/1 mrhaack stables N Fagan rides
Haack’s Mom is a five year old daughter of Maria’s Mon out of the f-grade Easy Goer x Nijinsky II mare Our Tombs. Haack’s Mom is one of two stakes winners for the mare. Haack’s Mom has fourteen wins, one second and three thirds in twenty nine starts with just under $1 million in earnings. 2010 was this mare’s best season by far; she won six starts including her first stakes and graded stakes scores. In March she won the Grade one New Market Handicap against males. She also took the Grade Three Summer Handicap against mares in July. She has not run since last November’s Breeder’s Bowl Turf Sprint, where she finished twelfth.
#13 Living Loud 21/1 seplatt01 stables R Bailey rides
Living Loud is a four year old scratch bred Wonderful World x Redoute’s Choice x Encosta de Lago horse. He has eight wins, six seconds and three thirds from twenty two starts with earnings over $1.3 million. After winning three Grade One races as a juvenile, Living Loud’s three year old year could be termed a disappointment. He won three stakes, including the Grade Two Cheyenne Stakes in May of 2010. He didn’t return to the winner’s circle until his first start this year, the four and one half furlong Chomp the Bit Special. He returned on February 19th to finish second in the Comrade BBor Challenge Stakes, while running a 105sp.
#14 Cardinal Effect 9/1 newastin14 stables N Hartel rides
Cardinal Effect is a five year old scratch bred Not For Love x Northern Dancer x Riverman horse. He has sixteen wins, five seconds and three thirds from twenty nine starts with over $400,000 in earnings. Cardinal Effect had a very successful 2010, winning ten of twelve starts. He capped off his year with a victory in the Grade Three Zeppelin Cap at six furlongs with a 110sp. His six race win streak was stopped in his next start when he finished sixth in the Grade one Teleprompter Cap. He returned to the 110sp level in his last run, the February 12th Barb’s Rushing Me (IRE) Challenge where he finished third.
Good luck to all!