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#9: STORMSHAFT <\/B>(10-1)<\/FONT><\/P>Classic division rank<\/B>: #4 (among three-year-old fillies)<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Pedigree<\/B>: Mineshaft-Swell Prospector, by Storm Cat<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Jockey<\/B>: F Gossett (674-145-112-85, 21.5% win, 50.7% on the board)<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Trainer<\/B>: tripcrown9<\/I><\/B> (225-41-25-24, 18.2% win, 40% on the board)<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Career highlights\/Major 2005 wins<\/B>: Grade II Denny Tario Oaks; Fantasia Handicap<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Major 2005 flops<\/B>: 9th<\/SUP>, Grade III Little Evil Sophomore<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>What the trainer thinks<\/B>: BTB correspondents were quickly shooed away from the backstretch barns, under the guise of \u201cNo news is good news\u201d. However, tripcrown9<\/I><\/B>\u2019s assistant was overheard in an enthusiastic conversation outside of New York\u2019s racing secretary\u2019s office. \u201cYeah, she\u2019s had a rocky road at times over the summer. But we\u2019ve been experimenting with her approach, and we\u2019re trying to get her to be more active during a race, and not just to wait until the mood strikes. Part of her issue is that, and part is that she still tends to get a bit riled in the gate. So, we\u2019ve been schooling her away from the others. We\u2019re seeing progress. I think she\u2019s really responding to the different treatment.\u201d<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>What the jockey thinks<\/B>: \u201cOn the plane from California, I watched films of Stormshaft<\/B> to get to know her better. She\u2019s a rangy filly with a beautiful stride, and a flair for the dramatic, but only in a good way. She seems to like to drop way back and then rally, and while that got the job done some of the time, there are some times this summer, especially in the California race, where you could tell that just wasn\u2019t working for her. I hope I can convince her to stay alert early on so that when we enter the far turn I can coax her to the front. She\u2019s bred to go long, and it really appeals to her, so if she\u2019s not too far from the lead on the turn, she should be plenty game.\u201d<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>What the competition thinks<\/B>: \u201cShe\u2019s one no one can underestimate. Stormshaft<\/B> can threaten from far back, and it wouldn\u2019t surprise me to see her put together a great big run late. I don\u2019t take her lightly at all.\u201d—assistant to opposing trainer<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>What the railbird thinks<\/B>: \u201cThere\u2019s not much I can say about this little girl that hasn\u2019t already been said. Interestingly, however, will she ever win a G1? A question I\u2019m sure her trainer asks constantly.\u201d—ricdav093<\/I><\/B>, in the BTB preview of the Little Evil Sophomore (where Stormshaft was 9th<\/SUP>), September 17<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Preview<\/B>: This talented filly came into June with gusto, and with the respect of many of her peers courtesy of her two Grade II wins. Her wins in the Denny Tario and the Fantasia, coupled with a second in the Bluegrass Oaks and a belated fourth in the Black Middle Flower, all of which came from well off the pace, propelled her into the top flight of sophomore fillies. But after an intense performance in the Denny Tario, where she rallied from eight lengths back to win driving, she hasn\u2019t been the same. Her late kick as she\u2019s risen through the division has proven a bit more ineffectual, and her last three preps for this, all at a mile-and-a-sixteenth, have found her rallying more slowly. Her numbers remain fair, even against these, but the spark she had in the spring has dimmed, and maybe a change in approach might do her some good. In her present form, talented as she is, Stormshaft<\/B> might be in for a rough Saturday.<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>
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<\/FONT><\/P>#10: GLASS HEART<\/B> (6-1)<\/FONT><\/P>Classic division rank<\/B>: #2 (among older fillies and mares)<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Pedigree<\/B>: Stormin Fever x End Sweep<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Jockey<\/B>: J Stivers (708-178-131-88, 25.1% win, 56.1% on the board)<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Trainer<\/B>: 4stardave <\/I><\/B>(741-93-98-88, 12.6% win, 37.7% on the board)<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Career highlights<\/B>\/Major 2005 wins<\/B>: Grade II Chubby Visa handicap; Grade III Boquet O\u2019Daisies Stakes, Rose Garden handicap<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Major 2005 flops<\/B>: 11th<\/SUP>, Grade I Bumblebee Classic (eased)<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>What the trainer thinks<\/B>: \u201cI’ve been playing the game since about week 439 (give or take a few weeks), and this will be my second trip to the BB, and 3rd starter. I had two go last year, both of which had started to go off form, and honestly was just happy to finally get to the big dance. This year I’m happy to be going, but will be disappointed if Glass Heart<\/B> doesn’t at least hit the board. In actuality, while I respect each of the fillies I’ll be running against, I think Glass Heart<\/B> is the one to beat. She’s one of the two best horses that I’ve had in the Sim, and definitely the best filly. She has shown tremendous ability from the minute she set foot on the track. And trainer epic<\/I><\/B> should get a \u2018fortune teller\u2019 award. Back on 6\/26\/04, (fellow trainer) vegasjef<\/I><\/B> started a message board thread titled “Speed figures getting out of control.”\u00a0Epic<\/I><\/B> used race 2167.2113 as an example of that “problem,” noting that his horse ran a 104 and was third. He went on to write, \u2018To show even further how crazy the 114 winning SF was, that’s the exact same SF my 4YO filly Fumascus had on Saturday in winning her G2 race. I think the winner of this race will prove to be an elite filly.\u2019 Well, the winner of that race was Glass Heart<\/B>, who ran her record to 3 for 3 in that one. She’s as consistent as they come, having only 2 speed figures below 100 for her entire career: this first one was a 96 when she broke her maiden, and the other came when she was eased in the Bumblebee. I got a little too greedy running her in the Bumblebee, running her back in just two weeks after she ran a strong 2nd against the boys in the Cosmopolitan Mile. I gave her plenty of time to regroup after the Bumblebee, and she seems to have come back as strong as ever. Her win in the Rose Garden was easier than it appeared, and she had a nice prep last out in the Superfilly. As for tactics in the race, I’m not going to change her running style now. She basically likes to settle, start her run on the turn, and run them down in the lane. The only thing that would hurt her is if the race is pace less, which I don’t anticipate.\u201d<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>What the jockey thinks<\/B>: \u201cI wouldn\u2019t take the trip from France if I didn\u2019t have horses worth the trans-Atlantic crossing to ride. When I rode her in the Cosmopolitan in May, I knew she would be something special. It\u2019s like all I had to do is throw a switch, and she\u2019d be sailing through the clouds and get to the front. She may not have won that day, but I\u2019ve followed her every move since then, and I\u2019ve been really impressed with how she\u2019s trained all year. I love my chances, and I know she\u2019s poised to steal some thunder from a Squall.\u201d<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>What the competition thinks<\/B>: \u201cGlass Heart<\/B> is the only older horse that somewhat worries me.\u201d—opposing trainer<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>What the railbird thinks<\/B>: \u201cGlass Heart<\/B> has quietly been a force in the older female division running some great races. She is one of the top contenders for the Breeder\u2019s Bowl but she may not be as well known as others in her division.\u201d—knightmare<\/I><\/B>, in the BTB recap of the Superfilly, September 30<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Preview<\/B>: She\u2019s been everywhere, it seems. North, south, east, west, she\u2019s the horse who\u2019s faced the best. She\u2019s gone border-to-border, to border-to-border, and has come away with four wins in eleven starts. Her one misstep turned out to be a literal misstep, as she clipped heels after the break in the Bumblebee Classic, and ended up cut on her feet, which was enough to sideline her for over two months in the summertime. She healed beautifully, and her preps have been absolutely stellar, with two wins and a second (in the Superfilly) upon her return. That her late run never fully got into gear over this course last out seems irrelevant, as the pace was contentious, but her figs have constantly broken the low-110s, and she seems to have earned her stripes over this four-year-old campaign, especially against the boys in the Cosmopolitan, where she was close to a swift early lead, yet still managed to beat all but one of the boys she faced there, closing well to be second. 4stardave<\/I><\/B> has proven that trainers sometimes can do no wrong, as she only missed picking up a check when she was injured. With a jockey on board known for his good luck with strong closers, she seems primed for a top effort here.<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>
<\/FONT><\/P>#11: TERMANTIA<\/B> (16-1)<\/FONT><\/P>Classic division rank<\/B>: #9 (among three-year-old fillies)<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Pedigree<\/B>: Pulpit x Irish River(FR)<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Jockey<\/B>: R Foster (280-41-17-37, 14.6% win, 33.9% on the board)<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Trainer<\/B>: zatopeck<\/I><\/B> (611-82-80-76, 13.4 % win, 39% on the board)<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Major 2005 results<\/B>: 2nd<\/SUP>, Grade I California Oaks, Oak Grove Stakes<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Major 2005 flops<\/B>: 18th<\/SUP>, Grade I Bluegrass Oaks; 13th<\/SUP>, Grade I Sweet Nanette Stakes<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>What the trainer thinks<\/B>: Trainer zatopeck<\/I><\/B> was unavailable for interviews due to pressing business elsewhere. One of the assistant trainers did come clean with a theory, though: \u201cHer best hope is to be the pressure that forces Empire Reef<\/B> to run out of her mind. I suspect that she\u2019ll be somewhere just off that other filly\u2019s flank, no more than a length off the lead. If she knows we\u2019re there, she won\u2019t try anything dangerous to our chances. We focused on honing her speed the last week or so, and we used a bar shoe to guard against the hoof problems she\u2019s prone to. We want her to still be there when the speed fades, and to hold off everyone else. She\u2019s far more versatile than anyone gives her credit for.\u201d<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>What the jockey thinks<\/B>: \u201cI <\/B>may not be as seasoned <\/B>a jock as many of the others in the jockey\u2019s room, but I know this surface. I think it can support Termantia<\/B>, and she should take to it just fine. The word is Empire Reef<\/B> is going to take them out early. I know my instructions by heart, and they are to go with her, but not to engage her or pass her. She\u2019s not a juvenile on a sloppy track, setting sub-44 fractions. She could possibly steal the race, if she\u2019s fast enough and Empire Reef<\/B> doesn\u2019t break well. I think I can get her to stay the distance, and I\u2019m not concerned about what others might do.\u201d<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>What the competition thinks<\/B>: \u201cShe holds the key to the race, really. If she goes to the front to keep Empire Reef company, it sets it up for someone else later. If she leaves her alone, Empire Reef<\/B> might wire the field. It\u2019s a tough position to be in, if you\u2019re part of her connections.\u201d—assistant to an opposing trainer<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>What the railbird thinks<\/B>: \u201cShe has had a problem with getting passed at the wire.\u201d— pazjazz<\/I><\/B>, BTB preview of the Oak Grove, September 1<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Preview<\/B>: She\u2019s the other prime source of speed in this race, and barring a third early pace controller joining the fray, it\u2019ll be up to her to keep Empire Reef<\/B> in check. Her speed shouldn\u2019t be overlooked, either: early in the year she was beaten a length in the Grade I California Oaks, and a length-and-a-half in the Grade III Leopard Stakes. More likely, though, her result could be similar to her loose-on-the-lead strategy in the Denny Tario Oaks at this distance, where she led by six at the top of the stretch, only to stagger home second. Her numbers are pretty fair here, but her one-dimensional style diminishes hope that she\u2019ll hang on late. She could influence the race strategies, but unless she rates better than she ever has, and a new dimension to her comes through, it could wind up a long afternoon.<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>
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<\/FONT><\/P>#12: DONNER<\/B> (17-1)<\/FONT><\/P>Classic division rank<\/B>: #5 (among three-year-old fillies)<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Pedigree<\/B>: Thunder Gulch-Project Matter, by Deputy Minister<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Jockey<\/B>: T Small (735-194-142-109, 26.4% win, 60.5% on the board)<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Trainer<\/B>: sam812218<\/I><\/B> (555-67-61-84, 12.1% win, 38.2% on the board)<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Career highlights\/Major 2005 wins<\/B>: Won Grade I Chestnut Stakes; Players Club National Oaks; Grade II Fast Feline Stakes<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Major 2005 flops<\/B>: 11th<\/SUP>, Grade II Cotton Handicap<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>What the trainer thinks<\/B>: \u201c”The first thing you need to do is toss Donner’s<\/B> last. I gave the instructions to close from out of the clouds, something she hates, to hopefully give her a little extra kick in this race. \u00a0We’ll see if that works here. Personally, I absolutely love the way this pace should set up. \u00a0Lots of dead closers in here, so I’m wanting Donner<\/B> to sit third about a length-and-a-half behind Termantia<\/B> and Empire Reef<\/B>, who look like the obvious two speeds. \u00a0From there, I’m hoping she can take over a little before, or in the stretch, and hold off the charge. I think the 3yo’s are the class of the distaff
division. \u00a0Horses like Swift Kick have stepped up to
older & beat them, so why not think it? Overall, I like my chances far more than the oddsmakers do!”\u201d<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>What the jockey thinks: \u201c<\/B>I\u2019m going to do what I\u2019m told, and that means we stalk <\/B>like we were Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction, only without boiling anything. I love this filly so much from watching her run all day, and I think she\u2019s a major threat no matter where I have her spotted. The others are strong, there\u2019s a lot of closing speed, and this field is pretty deep anyway, but I\u2019ve seen her run long and seen her go a mile, and having ridden her, I\u2019m certain no matter how she\u2019s steered, she\u2019ll run like a \u201965 Mustang when it counts.\u201d<\/B><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>What the competition thinks<\/B>: \u201cShe\u2019s very dangerous. Her ability to go long routes or miles has alerted my boss to the fact that preparing against her is a nightmare. She\u2019s probably the best three-year-old no one\u2019s talking about, and she can do anything over a mile.\u201d—opposing horse\u2019s hotwalker<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>What the railbird thinks<\/B>: \u201cWhen I saw her in the Go For Broke, I thought to myself, she\u2019s not going to hold them off after being so close to the pace. But she kept going and going, it was like the Energizer Bunny. They may not have been the best field, but she shined like a superstar. You knew she\u2019d get even better.\u201d—Delaware\u2019s track announcer<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Preview<\/B>: At 2, she showed promise, but never crossed over until her last \u201904 start, when she romped in a GR Simsters-restricted race and ran a 104 speed figure. At 3, she\u2019s continued to mature, blossoming particularly in that Grade III Go For Broke win, where she took the lead entering the far turn and quickly accelerated to coast home almost four lengths in front. She went off going 11 furlongs in the Chestnut over this surface, romped next in the Players Club Oaks, and held off the late charge in the Fast Feline two back. Her numbers as the Distaff approaches are pretty good, if not necessarily stellar, and her last was evidently used more as a training regimen than a legitimate prep\u2026which makes her thirteenth-place finish a bit alarming. She faces older here for the first time, and there is an abundance of closers, so if there was a lesson to be learned, sam812218<\/I><\/B> should very much hope she learned it well enough. That said, she better not get too close to the front end, because if the pace is hotter than what some people expect, she could be finished before they turn for home.<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>
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<\/FONT><\/P>#13: DUBAI PROSPECTOR<\/B> (21-1)<\/FONT><\/P>Classic division rank<\/B>: #3 (among three-year-old fillies)<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Pedigree<\/B>: Essence of Dubai-Carby Prospect, by Mr. Prospector<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Jockey<\/B>: T Loesch (725-201-137-96, 27.7% win, 59.9% on the board)<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Trainer<\/B>: ezywin<\/I><\/B> (167-34-28-19, 20.4% win, 48.5% on the board)<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Breeders Bowl r\u00e9sum\u00e9<\/B>: 2nd<\/SUP>, 2004 Juvenile Fillies<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Career highlights<\/B>: Won Grade I Getaway Stakes; 2nd<\/SUP>, Grade I Bluegrass Derby (versus colts) <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Major 2005 wins<\/B>: Grade II Louisiana Oaks; Grade I lool Oaks<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Major 2005 flops<\/B>: 14th<\/SUP>, Grade I Exam Stakes (eased)<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>What the trainer thinks<\/B>: \u201cThis little filly has been a constant source of pleasure for me. \u00a0She was voted the Eclipse two-year-old filly of the year last year which was a bit of a surprise and an honour. \u00a0She finished second in the Breeders Bowl Juvenile Filly last year and we’re hoping she can go one better this year. \u00a0Only once in her eleven starts has she finished outside of the first two and that was when resuming after her gallant second in the Bluegrass Derby and she came back injured. After another lay off she came back with a nice 2nd in Stakes company and I think she’ll strip a lot fitter after that run. \u00a0Her best is very good and she’s proven she can get the trip, and I think the 21-1 odds the bookies are offering is very generous and expect her to go very close. \u00a0 If she can run at her peak, there isn’t a horse I fear in the field despite some very good fillies and mares facing the starter. \u00a0This horse never ever gives up and has talent to burn.\u201d<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>What the jockey thinks: <\/B>\u201cI\u2019m honored to get the mount. All my jock friends kept emailing me about this fabulous filly that almost won the Derby, and when I saw that race, I knew I had to see about getting the mount if our paths crossed. I\u2019m sensitive to her tendency to get hurt when the big race comes, and I\u2019m sure that she\u2019ll be fit to fight against the best fillies. When I worked her last week, I gave her a couple of my own tests, just like I was told to, and she responded like a machine. She\u2019s ready for this. I\u2019m ready for this. Together, I hope we\u2019re unstoppable.\u201d<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>What the competition thinks<\/B>: <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>\u201cI\u2019m most worried about Dubai Prospector<\/B>, who is recovering from a couple of injuries and will be in top form for the first time\u00a0since her second in the Bluegrass Derby.\u201d—opposing trainer<\/FONT><\/P>\u201cI also have the utmost respect for Dubai Prospector<\/B>. She seems to have recovered from whatever went wrong in the Exam Stakes, and I think she’ll be dangerous.\u201d—another opposing trainer<\/FONT><\/P>\u201cDubai Prospector<\/B>, even at 21-1, is a serious wildcard.\u201d—still another opposing trainer<\/FONT><\/P><\/LI><\/UL>What the railbird thinks<\/B>: \u201cIf she ever stays healthy for an extended period, she just might turn into a Hall Of Famer, because there\u2019s so much potential in her to become a legend. We were surprised\u2026astonished, really, but thrilled to see her on the entries list for the Sister Pam. If it can elevate us to a graded status, fantastic, but regardless, she was absolutely angelic while she was here. We wish her success, and hope this was the key race that propels her to the winner\u2019s circle.\u201d—Japan\u2019s assistant racing secretary<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Preview<\/B>: The Dead said it best: \u201cWhat a long, strange trip it\u2019s been.\u201d She\u2019s got the fewest 2005 starts, and probably the single most eye-opening result of the year: she wound up second in the Bluegrass Derby off of two prep races for fillies(!), and actually led for almost three furlongs, into the stretch before she gave way and Anticosti collared her. That surprising result would be the last anyone would hear from this filly for about three months, but unfortunately, the surprises continued. Her comeback in the Grade I Exam was one that she\u2026well, it must be said: she flunked out, getting eased after nearly tumbling at the break, and in addition to the cuts on her legs she suffered, she was rumored to have wound up with quarter-cracks which required more time to heal. When she returned, it was under cover of the clouds in Japan, where she was a fast-closing second in her second comeback. She\u2019s been training well for a return, and the added eighth will certain appeal to her fitness. Earlier in the year, she won two graded mile-and-a-sixteenth stakes from off the pace, yet by the same token her style at 2 was to take them out fast. If she decides to join the early leaders, it wouldn\u2019t be too surprising, but one expects she\u2019s itching to sit back, and wait on the pacesetters to show signs of vulnerability. As lightly raced as she is, and as strong as her career has been to date (the only race she never finished first or second in was one where she was hurt), she also can show signs of fragility, so one should be inclined to approach this filly\u2019s best hopes with serious reflection and due caution.<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>
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<\/FONT><\/P>#14: GALLOPING GHOST<\/B> (17-1)<\/FONT><\/P>Classic division rank<\/B>: #6 (among older fillies and mares)<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Pedigree<\/B>: Wild Again x Easy Goer<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Jockey<\/B>: D Evans (715-163-121-123, 22.8% win, 55.3% on the board)<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Trainer<\/B>: tejanorun<\/I><\/B> (474-70-77-64, 14.8% win, 44.5% on the board)<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/P>Breeders Bowl r\u00e9sum\u00e9<\/B>: 4