Travelers Stakes Fetes Talented Bunch
When you take your initial glance at the Bugler’s PP’s for the Grade 1, million-dollar Traveler’s Stakes, you might think “Gee, for a million-dollar super-classic Grade 1 race, this came up a bit light!”. After all, only three of the Top 20 3yo’s are entered, and none of the Top 10.
Still, many in here are late-blooming potential superstars that missed much of the springtime Triple Crown frenzy and are just now threatening to become real monsters of the Sim racing world. Rather than “weak”, I’d say this field is more like “unproven but promising”.
Let’s open the virtual pages of the Bugler and see what we have:
CONFIDENTLY WRONG draws the rail and goes off at 12/1 despite his lofty #19 ranking. The Encosta De Lago colt tried the turf after an arduous spring campaign that was highlighted by a 3rd in the Bluegrass Derby, but didn’t run a step. Torrential hopes the switch back to good ol’ dirt will light a fire under his colt’s hooves. Hard to say, but not without a shot.
NO QUALIFICATION should be quick early for trainer fairhaven5 at 18/1 while taking a trip up the class ladder today in his Graded debut. His final times appear to lag a bit, but he could do some damage if he’s able to get a nice early lead. However, it appears the Galileo colt should have some company up front in this bunch. While he’s never lost a 2-turn race on a fast dirt track, he’ll need to run the race of his life to get the job done here.
BOISDERBYBOUND has had two nice late-running efforts in his last pair of Graded tries and boble20 hopes the extra real estate will help his Tiznow colt turn the tables in this spot. He goes off at 9/1 in this extremely wide-open race and it would be no surprise to see this guy be in the hunt as they near the wire.
SALES PITCH goes off at 8/1 and looks like he might have both the quality and the racing style to get the job done here for mtkearner. He looked every bit the champion while fending off the late run of my own best-ever 3yo last time out, but is tested by an extra furlong here. Just how good IS this guy? We’ll know in 10 furlongs…
CAT HUMOR pulled a 15-1 surprise in the Grade 1 Clerk Of Scales last time out for his 3rd consecutive win. His 14/1 odds look like a bargain when compared to the 9/1 odds on the one he beat last time; does the CPU bet its own races? The Distorted Humor colt is trained by talented, who is… well, um, talented. Don’t leave this guy off your exotics, and he could be the one having his picture taken after the race, too.
TIZ FLAPPIN’ NOW hasn’t won since January, but has made a lot of money with just-miss efforts for tracktails almost every time out since then. The CPU respects him at 9/1 and he is ranked #16. Despite the Dixie Chatter colt’s confounding odds-on allowance loss last time out, he stands in well with these.
MR. FIX IT is a cleverly-named son of Mastercraftsman who has never failed to hit the board on the dirt. His best efforts have been strong, but he makes his stakes debut here for lenny8 and will need a lifetime best to do much damage with these. Goes off at 11/1, a bit low in my book.
STREETS OF NOWHERE nearly won a residency-restricted “Triple Crown” series, finding 12 furlongs a bit far. After a slight break, the saintly271 trainee tried open Grade 2 company and held on to beat a slightly-light field at 9 furlongs. The Awesome Again colt gets 8/1 respect from the CPU, but might be a pace-duel victim in this spot.
OINTMENT did nearly as well in a different residency-restricted “Triple Crown” series, then made an ill-advised turf try against older for manoroflad before an evenly-run race in the same Grade 2 as STREETS OF NOWHERE. The Sebring colt will need much better to pull a 14/1 surprise here.
RUFF RIDERS is co-favored at 7/1 for billzpaid2, and loves the distance. He was closing well in STREETS OF NOWHERE’S Grade 2 race at 9 furlongs, and won two in a row at today’s distance before that. The Candy Ride colt has yet to get a really high speed figure, so improvement in that area may be needed.
LATERNA MAGICA closed with a huge rush last time to grab 3rd as a 25/1 longshot in the Grade 3 Shiny Gem Stakes last out. If he can carry that kind of finish for another furlong, the son of the obscure sire Parading (hasn’t sired a stakes winner in his two crops) will be hard to deny here. 18/1 is a pretty nice price, but a “new top” performance will be needed from the capitanio trainee.
LOST AND DAMNED is the other 7/1 favorite, representing the lenny1 barn. The Montjeu colt has only run on the main track three times, all impressive showings. His dirt debut was a residency-restricted Preakness, and he ran a strong 3rd. Since then, it’s been nothing but wins, the last a very impressive win on the slop in a relatively strong minor stakes. Versatile colt looks tough; don’t leave him off your betting slips…
When FREE AS A BIRD won the Grade 3 Chicago Derby back in April, trainer urso thought his Birdstone colt was lined up for a real run at bigtime fame. Unfortunately, things just haven’t gone so well. Four Graded efforts since then have only resulted in one 3rd-place run and three “also ran” finishes. He comes back just three weeks after his last try and the CPU thinks he’s ready to make amends, placing him at 8/1. Will need a big turnaround in form to live up to that.
HAIL THE BAND has been nibbling away, getting small pieces of the pie in all of his races except for a nice win in the Grade 3 The Affirmative at California two starts back. Trained by kingswan, the Bluegrass Cat colt will need his best effort here at 11/1.
The ol’ crystal ball comes out… Here’s what I can see through all the fog and haze…
SALES PITCH looks every bit a real contender for postseason honors at this point.
CAT HUMOR should be flying late, and could certainly catch my top choice.
LOST AND DAMNED should find his way to the podium.
Good luck all!