Your Storm – Your Call

Your Storm – Your Call

Finland – It was cold but clear and expected to stay that way through the weekend as I made my way towards the rail to watch the morning workouts.  The Finns must have some special de-icer that they use on the main track to keep it from freezing.  I reached down and picked up some of the soil and it felt wonderful – moist and springy as opposed to icy.  The horses seemed to like it also as they went about their business with the soft sound of feet hitting a much deeper surface than I am used to back in the states.  I am here to cover the Your Stepping Bonanza, a seven furlong affair for 2 YO fillies over the main track for a $60,000 purse.  Only four trainers dropped entry cards but it should be a competitive race and with 2 YO’s anything can and will happen.

The Your Stepping was named in honor of a now 9 YO mare by Hansel who won 10 races from 64 starts.  Although she was only stakes placed, she was a hard knocking lady and was retired with honor.  She has three foals to race and they are all winners.

I heard the exercise boy on the morning line favorite before I saw them come through the gap onto the main track.  A diminutive dark bay filly with two white hind socks and her tail over her back, La Vinotinto (3/5) came mincing on to the track with a hump in her back that must have made the rider feel like he was sitting on Mount Vesuvius.    He was hollering at her trying to keep her attention and not having much luck as she stopped, took a deep breath and snorted like a huge dragon.  With a tight grip on her mane, he asked her to jog off and she did with a trot that made her look like her legs were attached to pogo sticks. 

As they broke off into a gallop and proceeded around the track I looked at my notes and saw she was by Mineshaft and is 4/4 in the money with two wins.   She broke her maiden with a wire to wire victory in an allowance race and then stepped right into stake’s company finishing third on May 7^th in the Figaro Fighter after stalking the pace.  She popped a splint in that race and was given some time off before re-appearing in early August when she easily won the Tears of Conflict again going gate to wire.  Trainer Venezolano then sent her out in the Black Hearted on September 7^th where she again tried to lay just off the leader.  She made the front on the turn but could not hang on and finished second in a good effort.  If she can get a long easy lead she will be tough to wear down.

Trainer Denveru sent Patricia Redding (2/1) out for a morning jog with the pony.  The light bay filly with the bald face was certainly feeling her oats in the cold air and bucked and played along side her staid companion.  A daughter of Red Bullet she finished third in her first out in Italy and then came right back with a win at the same track.   Denveru then stepped her up in class and she gave a plausable effort in The Boundtocee hanging tough before fading to 4^th.  She should move forward off that effort and the only thing that might get her beat is if low percentage rider R Moffit thinks he knows more than she does.

Giggly Girly (4/1) is a quarter type daughter of Housebuster and she was out for a morning gallop.  Compact and racy looking, the plain brown filly came from far back to win her very first start and then followed that up with a fast closing second last time out in The Kitty Kat stakes at seven furlongs.  Owned and trained by Bombsaway, she will be ridden on Saturday by one of the best in the jockey colony, M. Kiprusoff.  After watching her gallop, I got the feeling that the others better keep an eye on her as she certainly was all business.

Freewill has teamed his filly Allez France (6/1) up with that riding machine S. Ex who was on her back for an early morning jog.   By Lac Ouimet, the oversized dark bay filly was hitting the ground well as she went the wrong way of the track in the warming air.  She was an easy winner last time out coming from far back to win going away.  This is a big class jump, but if she can improve or run back to her last speed figure (80) she could very well steal this race.

Good luck to all.