{"id":1195,"date":"2005-11-18T01:59:22","date_gmt":"2005-11-18T01:59:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blacktypebugler.com\/?p=1195"},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","slug":"oldbtb_1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/?p=1195","title":{"rendered":"Wall-To-Wall ‘Carpet’ CAN Be Exciting!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Though the calendars read mid-November, the grass action in <\/SPAN>New York<\/SPAN><\/st1:place><\/st1:State> suggests it\u2019s beginning to look a lot like August.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>If you glance at the past performances of the assembled field for this weekend\u2019s $250,000 Grade II Flying Carpet Handicap, you\u2019ll find two refugees from last month\u2019s successful Breeders Bowl, as well as entries who\u2019ve made starts this year in races as challenging and diverse as the Jockey Guild Gold Cup, the Windy City Turf Classic, the Eddie Haskell Stakes, the G.S.R. Derby, the Canada Turf, the Coalminer Cup, and the Man Of War Stakes.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Pretty hardcore.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>It proves that racing is a year-round thing, and doesn\u2019t just come to the end of the line with the Breeders Bowl.<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

\u00a0<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

In fact, this late-season turf handicap could help settle a division race, in a way\u2026just maybe not the division you would think of in this mile-and-three-eighths open handicap.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The top-ranked older filly in the marathon division on grass is here, Krishna(<\/SPAN>IRE<\/SPAN><\/st1:stockticker>), as well as the runner-up in last month\u2019s Jockey Guild Gold Cup, Especially, and both have something to prove.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Krishna(<\/SPAN>IRE<\/SPAN><\/st1:stockticker>) could still be a player in the balloting for the top turf filly honors, while Especially, in his second start for a new trainer, looks to run back to his only very good grass start last year.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Joining them for a particularly challenging late-year grass stakes are Brilliant, a sophomore colt who may have just rediscovered a love for the lawn; Swingshift Sal, looking for redemption after bombing out in the BB Turf last out; and Plastic Golem, a six-year-old marathon specialist who might have finally returned to his niche against graded stakes competition.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>In fact, none of the nine entries in the field stands out, for good or bad, and no member of the field is more than 8-1, which makes for an exciting finish to what has been a strong year for grass racing. <\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

\u00a0<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

The field:<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

\u00a0<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

Extortionist<\/SPAN><\/B> [Red Ransom x Sword Dance(<\/SPAN>IRE<\/SPAN><\/st1:stockticker>)] races for the hard-rockin\u2019 barn of ratt49<\/I><\/B>, and he\u2019s ready to go round and round here.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>A lightly raced colt, he\u2019s had all of five starts this season, and won two of them, notably the Grade II Horseshoe Falls Stakes at <\/SPAN>Ottawa<\/SPAN><\/st1:place><\/st1:City> two back.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He\u2019ll close with a flourish late, like in that effort, where he was closing from approximately <\/SPAN>Winnipeg<\/SPAN><\/st1:place><\/st1:City>—fourteen lengths down—to get up by a half-length.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Is the race long enough?\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He was more impressive in that stakes in <\/SPAN>Maryland<\/SPAN><\/st1:place><\/st1:State> four back, going a mile-and-five-eighths and winning as the rider pleased.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>But here, it\u2019s a furlong short of a mile-and-a-half, and he\u2019s 0-for-1 at the distance.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>His numbers are solid, though nothing like the win in last year\u2019s Classic Turf (a 115).\u00a0 <\/SPAN>And in the Bluegrass Cup Turf last out, a Grade II, he was sixth after the pace scenario changed into one where his typical late charge was rendered moot.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>On the plus side, though, he was freshened two months from that effort, and returns here.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He\u2019s hard to knock for an exotics option, but is going to need every inch of ground, and be a bit closer, in order to make up for the turn-back in distance.<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

\u00a0<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

Heidelberg<\/SPAN><\/B><\/st1:PlaceName> <\/SPAN><\/B>Heights<\/SPAN><\/B><\/st1:PlaceType><\/st1:place> [Dance Bid-La Run, by Machiavellian] won\u2019t close from the suburbs, but he should be in the game at his best late, coming from behind. \u00a0<\/SPAN>His dam was Grade <\/SPAN>III<\/SPAN><\/st1:stockticker>-placed on grass in 2001, and has already produced a stakes-winning half-sister Dumb Donut(GB) this year, but the sparkling stakes pedigree hasn\u2019t completely caught on with this three-year-old: the wish<\/I><\/B> trainee is a four-time stakes winner this year, but has been missing whenever he\u2019s elevated himself to the graded ranks.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He\u2019s earned checks each of his last three graded races, like his third in the Grade <\/SPAN>III<\/SPAN><\/st1:stockticker> Panhandle Derby last out (traffic issues on a dead inside trip), a fourth in the Grade <\/SPAN>III<\/SPAN><\/st1:stockticker> Haw Haw Derby (more traffic issues, in tight quarters down the lane), and another third, in the Grade <\/SPAN>III<\/SPAN><\/st1:stockticker> Saint Ledge (no traffic troubles, closed well late, appeared to be game for added ground).\u00a0 <\/SPAN>His best results are at these marathon distances, coming from off the pace, and his last earned him a very good fig, hinting that he\u2019s learning how to rate and kick out in the stretch.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He tries older horses here for the second time, and should fit nicely at class and distance, though one suspects his best races may still lie ahead at 4.<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

\u00a0<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

Brilliant<\/SPAN><\/B> [Fantastic Light-Unbridled State, by Sadler\u2019s Wells] has shown signs of his eponymous nature, but hasn\u2019t quite put together a complete sign of brilliance to date.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>On the <\/SPAN>Derby<\/SPAN><\/st1:place><\/st1:City> trail, he has a second in the Grade II Wooden Indian over the dirt surface here, and he led the <\/SPAN>GSR<\/SPAN><\/st1:stockticker> Derby in <\/SPAN>Texas<\/SPAN><\/st1:place><\/st1:State> two back before fading late to third.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He came out of that effort in fine fashion, with a strong yet tiring turn in the Carlton Fisk last out in <\/SPAN>California<\/SPAN><\/st1:place><\/st1:State>.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>That race showed a lot, as he pressed the pace in that turf marathon before giving way in the stretch, and it was a strong return to his early career form, when he focused a lot more on racing on the grass and did so with good success (graded-placed at 2, a stakes-winner at 3).\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The focus for his career now is on the grass, which is likely how it should be given his pedigree—he\u2019s out of a six-time winner on grass, and his sire is a strong turf sire.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The assumption here is that he\u2019ll influence the pace, as has been his stock-in-trade in recent time.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Rating, though, has given him stakes success in the past, which might be a serious consideration for the future.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>His grass figs are still in the formative stages, and so aren\u2019t as competitive as some of the more experienced in the field, but his dam did most of her best running at 4, so next year could be a strong one for this attractive colt.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Trainer vsmdinc<\/I><\/B> has him on the right path.<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

\u00a0<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

Plastic Golem<\/SPAN><\/B> [Beaudelaire x Fabled Monarch] is most intriguing, an experienced six-year-old marathoner for the barn of gonzo3<\/I><\/B> who apparently idolizes baseball Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>In the Carlton Fisk \u2018Cap last out, he rallied hard late to get up for second.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Last year, in the Fisk, he made a milder move for second.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Go Sox, right?\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Well, he\u2019s been lightly raced this year, with just five starts, including three marathon stakes wins.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He\u2019s a Grade II winner from 2003, and he\u2019s got a streak of twelve straight starts in which he earned a paycheck, dating back to August 2004.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Alas, the last graded-quality figs that he\u2019s fired came back in 2003.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He\u2019s certainly capable of tossing in a race recalling his 2003 glory days, but he\u2019s been much stronger lately running over twelve furlongs, although his positioning shouldn\u2019t keep him all that far from the front.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He\u2019s a warrior, but in the twilight of his golden years he\u2019ll need a boost to make him run for the shadows.<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

\u00a0<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

Krishna(<\/SPAN><\/B>IRE<\/SPAN><\/B><\/st1:stockticker>)<\/SPAN><\/B> [Theatrical(<\/SPAN>IRE<\/SPAN><\/st1:stockticker>) x Kris S.], for paceman2<\/I><\/B>, is the lone filly in the field, and is quite the knockout. \u00a0<\/SPAN>She\u2019s the tops among all fillies on grass in marathons, and comes off a sharp near-miss (inasmuch as a near-miss can be really sharp) in the Breeders Bowl Filly & Mare Turf last out.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>There, she kept grinding away, rallying from thirteen lengths down to finish beaten only three-and-a-half lengths behind a pair of talented mares in Turning Japanese and Grand Caffreys(<\/SPAN>IRE<\/SPAN><\/st1:stockticker>).\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Two back, she almost stunned a talented field of colts in the Coalminer Cup, rallying to be beaten only a length by the quality colt Minesweeper.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She\u2019s capable of beating the boys—she won last year\u2019s <\/SPAN>GSR<\/SPAN><\/st1:stockticker> Derby in <\/SPAN>Queensland<\/SPAN><\/st1:place><\/st1:State>—and her numbers are the rare kind, the quality ones that look good whether on turf or dirt.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She\u2019ll be coming \u2018round the mountain when she comes, more or less, as a deep threat, but she\u2019d be better served by being kept closer to the front.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Recent form and recent figs put her squarely in the mix, so only a fool would toss her out without regard.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She\u2019s strong enough to take it to the fellas here.<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

\u00a0<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

Winter Magic<\/SPAN><\/B> [Red Ransom-Zoolander, by A.P. Indy] represents magicflute<\/I><\/B>, and he\u2019s a three-year-old on a mission here.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Since switching to the grass in February, he\u2019s never failed to pick up a paycheck in each of his nine turf starts.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He\u2019s a Grade <\/SPAN>III<\/SPAN><\/st1:stockticker> winner in <\/SPAN>New Hampshire<\/SPAN><\/st1:place><\/st1:State>, and gave way when finishing third last time in the Panhandle Derby.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>That race gave him a career-best fig, and should set him up nicely here, provided he can handle the distance: this is his first grass start beyond a mile-and-an-eighth.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He figures to press the early pace without getting to close to the flame, but as far as staying the distance, the pedigree suggests he can, but the PP lines should make one leery.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He\u2019ll need to do better at rating, but it looks like he\u2019s the only one with a degree of early foot in the field.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He\u2019s a mystery in terms of where one should expect him to be, but without the appearance of a pace to cook, it\u2019s likely he could be dictating some slow-speed chases, working to his advantage.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>A still-improving colt with more to do before recommending.<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

\u00a0<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

Swingshift Sal<\/SPAN><\/B> [Night Shift x Roberto] had a miserable Breeders Bowl weekend in <\/SPAN>Gotham<\/SPAN><\/st1:place>.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He\u2019s a click<\/I><\/B> trainee who lacked any kind of response when backing up to ninth in the BB Turf, and looks to rebound into the form that got him to second two back in the Grade I Canada Turf.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He\u2019s had a good campaign, with wins in the Grade I Prince of Whales and the Grade II Kinsho Kho Classic earlier in the year, and while recent figs have backtracked as the season wound on, he\u2019s a four-year-old who\u2019s still quite capable of running strong even this late in the year.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He likes to close without making plane reservations to the finish line, and with a lack of blazing speed in this marathon, such a tactic might be good enough to reverse his recent trend.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>In other words, toss out the BB effort, and expect a much better operation from this attempt at the <\/SPAN>Gotham<\/SPAN><\/st1:place> turf course.<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

\u00a0<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

At The Chateau(GB)<\/SPAN><\/B> [Beat Hollow(GB) x Be My Guest] has been consistent in his efforts: in the big graded events, he\u2019s always been a day late and a dollar short for saver<\/I><\/B>.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>It\u2019s been a strong r\u00e9sum\u00e9\u2026of almosts: second in the Grade I Royally Modest Cup; seventh in the Grade I Windy City Turf Classic; fifth in the Grade I Man Of War Stakes; sixth in the Grade I Coalminer Cup; fifth in the Grade I Explosive Bet Stakes; ninth in the Grade II Pan Americana Handicap; eleventh in the Grade <\/SPAN>III<\/SPAN><\/st1:stockticker> Vermont Is 4 Lovers; second in the Grade II Marcos Footwear Handicap\u2026and all of that was just in one year!\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He is a two-time listed stakes winner who likes to come from off the pace, and the pace here won\u2019t be too demanding; he might even benefit from sticking closer to the front end than normal.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>One of these days, like Jacksonport, like Federal Funds, after a lot of \u201csloppy seconds\u201d\u2026and thirds\u2026and fifths\u2026he will break through to a major win.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>His figs are fair enough to give him a shot, but whether or not he capitalizes depends on where he sets in the field on the backstretch.<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

\u00a0<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

Especially<\/SPAN><\/B> [Sadler\u2019s Wells-Sharon La, by Torrential] draws an outside post for illbred<\/I><\/B>, and makes a second start for this stable.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He\u2019s something of a surprise entrant in here, as he\u2019s only had two other turf starts: his debut, and last October, in a restricted stakes in <\/SPAN>South Carolina<\/SPAN><\/st1:place><\/st1:State>.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>But that <\/SPAN>South Carolina<\/SPAN><\/st1:place><\/st1:State> race, where he wound up third, came up a strong 101 figure, which gives him some promise for liking the surface this year.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>In 2005 he set his sights on the handicap division, where he\u2019s ranked in the top 20.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>And he almost pulled off a stunning upset in the Jockey Guild Gold Cup last out, finishing a furious second behind Obispo Town (who came back quick to be fourth in the BB Classic).\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He dominated in winning the Grade II Long Live Del\/Penn back on Memorial Day weekend, and usually prefers to be a bit off the lead.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Whether his one strong grass fig is going to hold up is a matter of conjecture, but he\u2019s bred to run on grass, and to run this far—the added ground is certainly appealing to him and his chances.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>But his dirt numbers definitely keep him in the game. \u00a0<\/SPAN>He\u2019s the \u201cX\u201d factor among these evenly matched grass horses.<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

\u00a0<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

My selections:<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

\u00a0<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/B><\/P>

  1. Krishna<\/SPAN><\/B><\/st1:place>(<\/SPAN><\/B>IRE<\/SPAN><\/B><\/st1:stockticker>)<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/B><\/LI>
  2. Brilliant<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/B><\/LI>
  3. Especially<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/B><\/LI>
  4. Heidelberg<\/SPAN><\/B><\/st1:PlaceName> <\/SPAN><\/B>Heights<\/SPAN><\/B><\/st1:PlaceType><\/st1:place><\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/B><\/LI>
  5. Extortionist<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/B><\/LI><\/OL>

    <\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

    Good luck, happy racing, and Happy Thanksgiving to one and all (whether it\u2019s Thanksgiving where you are or not)!<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

    \u00a0<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

    \u00a0<\/SPAN><\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>

    \u00a0<\/P><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    ‘Krishna’ Takes Aim At Year-End Awards, Battles The Boys In Gotham Grade II<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":123,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1195","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1195","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/123"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1195"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1195\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1195"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1195"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1195"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}