The Vegas Kid Favored In 10-furlong Liken It Local Stakes

The Liken It Local 10-furlong $75,000 listed stakes is one of the better races on the annual Liken It Local Card here in Arizona on Saturday.

There are eight stakes races on the card in the Liken It Local Series promoted by the test barn residency, worth a grand total of $600,000 in prize money. And there are two races for residents only as well.

This 10-furlong Liken It Local Stakes field has a little bit of everything, from four year olds with just a handful of starts to an amazing 11 year old who’s been running two mile races much of his career with startling consistency.

Steve. who runs the testbarn rez and ever the king of the promos, says this is the first running of this Liken It Local series of races for the testbarn residency, which includes eight races that are open to all sim players and two more which are for residents only.

“This is the final phase of this series of races,” says Steve, who says there is a Place Pick 8 contest running in conjunction with this particular series of races Saturday in Arizona.

“The winner of the Place Pick 8 contest can pick up a whopping 1000 credits. See the main board forum for more details of the contest open to residents and non-residents alike,” says Steve.

And residents are also competing for a Zenyatta Prize Cup Package, as well as 100 credits for any resident who wins any of the races on the Liken It Local card, says Steve. “It pays to be a test barn resident, and it definitely pays big to participate in the Place Pick 8 contest.”

Here is the field for the running of the $75,000 ten furlong Liken It Local Stakes, for three year olds and up on the dirt in Arizona on Saturday.

1 — CADET BREW (CAN) Owner: Cadet Stables (cadet)

Odds: 63/1 (Milwaukee Brew x Seeking Cadet (Seeking The Gold x Tiznow))

Cadet Brew is a pretty interesting, albeit lightly raced, horse who is trying his first stakes run here in Arizona on Saturday. He’s only got five career starts, all in the east, and this will be his first trip west of the Rockies. He’s been in the money in three of his five starts, and he’s progressed pretty rapidly up the speed figure ladder racing against some pretty tough company back east. He doesn’t have the stakes experience, like we said, but this group he’ll be facing is mostly a group of older, experienced horses that he might find himself comfortable in when he goes for his first stakes win ever. He took a four month break from the races after his fifth place finish in January, and when he came back to the races last month, he threw an 85 speed figure, which isn’t bad at all coming off a long layoff. Cadet Stables appears to be extremely patient with its horses, and that would indicate they don’t throw them in spots they think that can’t win or do well in. This one might be a surprise here. He doesn’t have the speed figures that most of these have, but he’s extremely well bred, and his career has been extremely well managed. Might be a live one in this spot. Keep your eye on Cadet Brew here on Saturday. He’s definitely not over the hill, and he’s fairly fresh coming in here. Second start off a layoff is always dangerous, despite the 63/1 price you’ll be getting on this one.

2 — IT’S ALL ABOUTTHEO (IA) Owner: Tea Stables (tea)

Odds: 19/1 (Governor Vasquez x Pikepass x Saratoga Six)

The five year old scratch-bred son of Governor Vasquez has as many starts in his career as the six year old Crafty G, but not nearly as many triple digit speed figures on his resume. This one had been running in some pretty lofty graded stakes company earlier in his career, but his best speed figure came in a second-pace finish nearly a year and a half ago in the $1,000,000 Minnesota Calssic Stakes in December of 2009. It’s All Abouttheo would probably love nothing better than for the Arizona skies to open up on Saturday and dump a ton of rain on the track, because he loves the wet stuff. That probably won’t happen, but if this horse can regain his form of a couple years ago, he would definitely be the one to beat in this spot. He’s 19/1 here, but he’s definitely talented, that much is certain. But can he sustain a run with the likes most of these, who are popping triple digit speed figures on a fairly regular basis? That’s the big question mark for It’s All Abouttheo.

3 — WHAT WHEN WHY (FR) Owner: Denovo Stables (luckydj)

Odds: 30/1 (Anabaa x Flavescent x Beau Buck)

Meet the grand old man in this field, What When Why. This 11 year old son of Anabaa has 53 starts in his career, mostly of the claiming variety. This is one of the horses you look at and really like to cheer for in a race like this. He’s never been in a stakes race in his entire career, and wouldn’t it be something if he could pull that off here? He’s got over $239,000 in the bank for his owner, and he’s made a lot of breeder’s points for this stable, mostly running in the upper level claming ranks. What When Why has been in the money in 34 of his 53 starts, which says a great deal about his consistency. He’s dropping down in distance here in this 10 furlong Liken It Local Stakes in Arizona on Saturday. He’s used to running in much longer races than this, usually of the 14-16 furlong variety. He took a bit of a break before his last start, a fifth place finish in a 2-mile $40,000 claiming race in Connecticut. This old guy hasn’t run ten furlongs since 2008, when he finished second, beaten half a length. What When Why is sort of the feel good story of this race, still making money for his owner at the age of 11. It would be really sweet if he could pull off the win here, but the distance seems to be his only question mark. We know he can do well at 16 furlongs, that much is certain, but how will he handle the drop back down to 10?

4 — THE VEGAS KID (FR) Owner: Worldwide (inthamoney)

Odds: 6/5 (Trempolino x Lemon Drop Kid x The Minstrel)

One of the older, and definitely more experienced horses in this field is the French-bred The Vegas Kid. The six year old son of Trempolino comes in here with 44 starts, and if you want a more incredible number, he’s finished in the money in 29 of those starts (11-11-7). The Kid’s last stakes win came in November of last year, in the Big Biz Memorial Stakes in Wisconsin. That race was ten furlongs, and he seems to like that distance a lot. That’s what he’ll be seeing here in Arizona on Saturday. He hasn’t been running that distance lately, but he is throwing some pretty whopping speed figures of late, including a 108 in his last start. The Vegas Kid may have some tread worn off his tires, but he’s still got some wheels left, and he could be the one to beat here on Saturday.  There’s a reason this guy is the 6/5 morning line favorite in this field, so he might be one to watch closely in this spot.

5 — ROAMIN VICTORY (TUR) Owner: Worldwide (fastracing)

Odds: 5/1 (Victory Gallop x Roamin Cat (Roman Ruler x Storm Cat)

This is a pretty well bred son of Victory Gallop here in Roamin Victory. He’s out of a Roman Ruler mare called Roamin Cat, who’s got Storm Cat as a damsire, and that usually means plenty of speed. In fact, Roamin Victory is probably one of the few in this race with lots of early speed, and he might just try to steal this one wire to wire if he can. The four year old Turkish-bred only has three triple digit speed figures in his 18 starts. But his biggest one came last time out when he threw a 107 in $35,200 allowance race in South Africa. He’s done a lot of his racing overseas. If Roamin Victory can get to the front, and that’s pretty much going to be the way of it here, he might just be fast enough to steal this race, going gate to wire in front. That would be pretty impressive since he has no stakes experience to date, but this would be a really nice start to his stakes career, if he could pick up a win here in Arizona on Saturday.

6 — CRAFTY G (WA) Owner: John5539 Stables (john7317)

Odds: 2/1 (Matty G x Craft Prospector x Silver Charm)

Crafty G didn’t start racing until July of last year. The four year old son of Matty G broke his maiden at first asking and it wasn’t long before he was popping a 104 speed figure in his fourth time on the track. He has five stakes tries so far in his 12 starts, without a win, but he’s come close a couple times. He finished second in the Southern Brother Stakes last year in Ottawa, and he comes in here off a second place finish in the 10 furlong Mountain Reef Dirt Route in Nebraska. This colt loves these ten furlong events. He loves to come charging late from the back of the pack, and if he gets any kind of front end speed duel to run at, Crafty G could be really dangerous in this spot. The son of Matty G is lightly raced, he’s got a ton of talent, and at 2-1 he’s very likely to get the score here in the 10 furlong Liken It Local on the dirt.

7 — THE SACRED ONE (WA) Owner: Gajan Stables (gajand)

Odds: 13/1 (You And I x Silver Deputy x Silver Black)

The Sacred One is one of the more inexperienced–and younger– horsesin this field. The four year old son of You and I has only seen the track eight times in his career, but he’s been in the money in all of his starts except one. He’s a fixture on the local-bred allowance company scene, with five of his eight starts coming in that company. He’s thrown a couple of pretty nice speed figures in his 8 starts, including a 98 last time out. He had another 98 but both of those starts came on the turf, at nine furlongs. He’s switching to the dirt here, and he’s going a furlong farther than he’s used to, and it’s his first stakes attempt. He could jump up and surprise a few here at 13/1, but this guy seems to like the turf more. He’s not quite been in this type of company yet in his short career, but we’ll find out what he’s made of Saturday in Arizona. Sometimes a horse like this will suddenly find himself and shine in stakes company and go on to a stellar career on the track, and that could be exactly the case with the Washington-bred The Sacred One.

8 — STRIKE CRAFTY (TUR) Owner: Ads1 Stables (ads102448)

Odds: 9/2 (Strike The Gold x Crafty Grades (Crafty Prospector x Honor Grades)

From the stable of this year’s Bluegrass Derby winner comes Strike Crafty, a five year old son of Strike The Gold. This will be Srike Crafty’s first attempt at a stakes race in his 29 lifetime starts. He was popping some pretty nice triple digit speed figures last year as a four year old and doing it consistently. He has tailed off a bit this year in the speed figure department, but he did pull a 102 in his last start before shipping in here to Arizona. He finished fourth in that start, a $17,600 open allowance event in Arizona. Strike Crafty gained a ton of ground late covering the 8 furlongs there, and this turn up to 10 furlongs might be just what he needs in this spot. He’ll probably start slow and come with a late charge at this bunch. If Strike Crafty can get enough early speed to run at in this bunch, he’ll no doubt be a very dangerous one in this field in the 10 furlong Liken It Local Stakes.