The Irish 2000 Guineas

A $500,000 purse, blues skies and a firm green turf course await a dozen three year olds shooting for Ireland’s Classic 2000 Guineas.  The Grade One race run over one mile has attracted some of the division’s toughest runners and some new shooters looking to make their reputations.  Let’s take a look at the field!

#1 Pink Flamingoes 9/1                                  super22 stables                                B McCormick rides

12-4-0-0               $278,220

Pink Flamingoes is a son of Ghostzapper out of the d-grade Unbridled’s Song x Danehill mare Multiple Mainiac.  Pink Flamingoes is making his first start on the grass in this spot, but Multiple Mainiac was a grass specialist.  He is her first foal.  Pink Flamingoes won two stakes races as a juvenile, the one mile Hello Quirt Special and the Camel Juvenile at the same distance.  In 2011 he has four starts, all in graded stakes, with two fourth place finishes.  His most recent race was the one mile Grade Three Barbara Walters Special where he finished seventh with a 94sp.

#2 Seeking the Joy 20/1                                                hollandia4 stables            G Holland rides

8-3-2-2                  $78,665

Seeking the Joy is a son of High Chaparral out of the e-grade Seeking the Gold x Gulch mare Lock Stock.  She has produced one graded winner and one stakes winner from seven foals.  Seeking the Joy had two wins from four starts as a two year old.  He was second in an allowance in his first start in 2011 before winning an allowance at a mile and three sixteenths with a 90sp.  He was off the board in his stakes debut going that distance.  Most recently he finished third in the Grade Three Force Stakes at a mile and one quarter with a 93sp. 

#3 The Seven Seas 3/1                                   super1 stables                   Z Kentucky rides

13-4-6-1               $1,435,370

The Seven Seas is a son of Montjeu based on the c-grade Seeking the Gold x Seattle Slew horse Delpenn Champ, who won his Grade Two victory at a mile on the grass.  The Seven Seas’ biggest victory came in last fall’s Breeders’ Bowl Juvenile Turf where he scored an upset nose victory over Blast Off.  He has been somewhat less lucky in 2011, finishing second in three starts and third in his only other run.  All four races have been at one mile and his highest sp during that run was a 108 earned in March in the Grade Two Golden Rose Stakes.  Most recently he was second by a length in the English 2000 Guineas at Newmarket with a 105sp.

#4 Atomic Storm 16/1                                    monologue stables         E C Doyle rides

10-4-0-3               $468,200

Atomic Storm is a son of Teofilo out of the f-grade Storm Cat x Diesis mare Firing With Cat.  He is the second graded winner and third stakes winner from eight foals to race for the mare.  Atomic Storm won four of his first five starts as a two year old, including two Grade Two races and one Grade Three.  He has been less successful as a three year old, taking third in his initial outing, the Grade One Vermont is 4 Lovers at seven and one half furlongs with a 96sp.  He was off the board in two subsequent starts.

#5 Starcry 7/1                                                    lucky7 stables                    R Inch rides

7-2-1-2                  $125,630

Starcry is a son of Galileo based on the g-grade Street Cry x Giant’s Causeway horse Secret Passage.  A winner of one race in three starts as a two year old, Starcry became a stakes winner in his three year old bow.  He took the one mile Skyway Prince Memorial Stakes with a 100sp in January.  He was sixth and fourth in two graded outings following that race.  Most recently he finished third in the one mile Grade Two German 2000 Guineas with a 102sp.

#6 Stars n’ Sparks 19/1                                   texasace stables               E Newcomb rides

8-4-3-0                  $157,380

Stars n’ Sparks is a son of Sea the Stars x Sadler’s Wells x Darshaan.  Stars n’ Sparks won two of his four starts as a two year old and was stakes-placed in another.  He’s had the same result as a three year old, taking two allowance races and running second in the mile and three eighths IPAD2 Special Stakes.  Most recently he was fourth in the Grade Two South African Derby at a mile and one half with an 87sp.

#7 Sportin Indy New’d 8/1                           rogers941 stables             S Collins rides

10-4-2-0               $212,280

Sportin Indy New’d is a son of New Approach out of the f-grade A.P. Indy x Sportin’ Life mare A.P. Port.  She has produced one graded winner and two stakes winners from eight foals.  Sportin Indy New’d won three races on the grass as a two year old, including an owner restricted stakes at a mile and one sixteenth.   He returned as a three year old to win the mile and one eighth Vindictive Tales Challenge Stakes with a 104sp.  Stretching out in distance in his two subsequent races he finished fourth and sixth.

#8 Ionian Sea 5/1                                             socalman stables              M Russell rides

9-4-2-1                  $161,235

Ionian Sea is a son of Medaglia D’oro x Mr. Prospector x Nijinsky II.  After starting his career on the dirt, he switched to the turf in December of 2010 and reeled off three straight wins.  He was second in his first stakes try, the one mile Operation Blade Turf Mile Stakes before winning the Grade Three Dracula Stakes at that distance with a 107sp.  Last out he finished a closing fourth in the one mile English 2000 Guineas with a 103sp.

#9 Ikeepsaprivatejet 12/1                            seattlesle stables             A Jones rides

8-5-1-0                  $174,465

Ikeepsaprivatejet is a son of Dansili out of the e-grade Elusive Quality x Generous mare Elusive Devil.  This is her only graded winner from three foals but her two year old by North Light is a winner in her only start.  Ikeepsaprivatejet started his career on the dirt but broke his maiden in his initial grass run and added an allowance and the Grade Three Les Paul Stakes in his next two.  After finishing off-the-board in his 2010 finale he was given some time off.  He returned to the races in March to win the five and one half furlong Zion Turf Sprint with a 96sp.  Last out he was a winner by a head in the seven furlong Pikepass Goofball Turf Sprint Stakes with a 102sp.

#10 Queensland Symbol 11/1                     stormcat55 stables          A Reed rides

5-4-0-0                  $202,044

Queensland Symbol is a son of Starcraft x Symboli Kris S x Dance in the Dark.  Unraced as a two year old, Queensland Symbol broke his maiden at first asking going six furlongs on the grass.  He was fifth in his next start but he has reeled off three straight victories since.  The last two runs were at a mile, he won an allowance with a 96sp and the Grade Two German 2000 Guineas with a 104sp.

#11 Chondrite 9/1                                            given3 stables                   F Durst rides

6-4-0-1                  $124,320

Chondrite is a son of Smart Strike based on the c-grade Galileo x Deputy Minister horse Meteorite.  Chondrite’s first four starts were on the dirt.  He won twice and was third in the Meat Loaf Loop Challenge Stakes.  Switched to the grass in March he won a one mile allowance with a 98sp.  He followed that up with a Grade Three victory in the Premium Pairing Stakes, also at one mile with a 104sp.

#12 Adjust the Fun 7/1                                  topicount2 stables           P Jetter rides

11-4-2-1               $1,521,840

Adjust the Fun is a son of Distorted Humor based on the e-grade Storm Cat x Hishi Akebono horse Fumetsu.  Although Fumetsu was a stakes winner on the grass, Adjust the Fun spent his first ten starts on the dirt.  He won two stakes as a two year old, including the Grade Three Trixy Delights’ Special Stakes at one mile.  He did not seem to progress as a three year old, running in three graded races without hitting the board.  That changed in his most recent start, the one mile Grade Two Young Men’s Mile Stakes on the grass which he won going away with a 105sp.

Good luck to all!