{"id":1424,"date":"2006-01-12T21:08:26","date_gmt":"2006-01-12T21:08:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blacktypebugler.com\/?p=1424"},"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=1424","title":{"rendered":"BB Classic foes reunite in Mountains"},"content":{"rendered":"

By ITCH<\/FONT><\/P><\/B>

Fatattack<\/FONT><\/I> looked to hold an insurmountable advantage during early signups for the $35,000 FLYWAKI BONANZA<\/B>, as his YEAR OF THE VOTE <\/B>out of his Catahoula <\/I>barn looked to be far and away the classiest entry.<\/FONT><\/P>

Those five points for first place became considerably tougher to get when Binzaman decided to enter SQUAL ME HALO<\/STRONG>, who finished one length behind Year of the Vote in the Breeders Bowl Classic. They were seventh and eighth, respectively.<\/FONT><\/P>

These two tower above the full, 14-horse field as far as entry value and divisional rankings. Squal Me Halo is at the top with a whopping 460 points and more than $90,000 earned per race, an astronomical figure compared to the field. Year of the Vote has 280 points and more than $30,000 per race, more than anybody in the race except for Squal.<\/FONT><\/P>

Ranked No. 6 in the classic dirt division, Squal Me Halo <\/B>is by Summer Squall out of the Grade H mare Kartago Halo. Binzaman<\/I> appears to have really caught lightning in the breeding bottle with Squal Me Halo<\/B>, as the mare’s only other offspring to start is a 3yo filly who has earned only $1,000 in eight starts and has yet to break the 70 speed fig barrier. By contrast, Squal Me Halo has racked up $1.8 million already in only 20 career starts. The winner of the Grade I Chicago Derby <\/B>and Grade I Eddie Haskell<\/B>, he led the New Yorker <\/B>to the head of the stretch before fading to fourth. Binzaman<\/I> appears to be using this race as the next step in the ladder toward form restoration, as Squal followed up his Haskell victory with subpar races in two of his next three, finishing eighth in both the Travelers Stakes and the BB Classic. He dropped all the way down into allowance ranks for the first time in 2005 last out to get back on the winning track, and takes a gradual step up here in non-graded company. This is a multiple Grade I winner, the likes of which we don’t often see here in the hills. <\/FONT>One of the Sim’s best horses in 2005.<\/FONT><\/P>

Year of the Vote<\/FONT><\/B> is ranked No. 11, and is getting respect from Drunken Morning Line Oddsmaker Charlie Hoops as the favorite at 9-2 over his rival Squal at 6-1. While Squall won two Grade I’s this year, Year won two Grade 2’s, <\/B>the Windy City Gold Cup and the Abraham Lincoln Handicap, both in Illinois. He was second in the Grade I <\/B>Kindness of Hearts. Like Squal, Year is looking to make a comeback from the BB Classic. His fifth place finish in the Grade I Topicount Special on DPCD meant the first time in his career that he’s been off the board in two consecutive races. <\/B>He’s out of the Grade C mare North Vote, who won eight of 22 career starts, including a Grade 3 and non-graded stakes at no fewer than five different distances. Fatattack had a huge year in 2005 with the catahoula outfit<\/B>, winning 33 races at a fat 27.3 percent clip. Of those, eight were stakes wins, four were graded wins, and one was a Grade I win. This is a successful graded stake horse taking a big drop into non-graded competition. Big class factor.<\/P><\/B><\/FONT>

As stated, the top two are heads and shoulders above their 12 rivals here in terms of stakes points. However, contest trainers have good chances should either not be up to a top effort. No fewer than five of the top six horses in the Flywaki Bonanza are contest horses.<\/FONT><\/P>

Qualifying third with 77 points is Ts1442’s <\/I>DIAMOND HEAD <\/FONT><\/B>out of his south40<\/I> barn. This 4yo son of the Mr. Prospector sire Diamond has risen to No. 86 in the dirt classic rankings despite only three wins and three places in 20 career starts. The crowning achievement of his career so far is a victory last summer in the Grade 2 Buckeye Derby. <\/B>He’s lost six in a row since then, finishing off the board in four of those starts. His form has to be considered suspect here, <\/B>as he was only second last out against conditioned allowance types. Also, Ts1442 <\/I>kept Diamond Head away from older competition throughout his 3yo campaign in 2005, and this will be his first start against older horses. Like Binzaman, Ts1442 <\/I>really hit the breeding lottery with Diamond Head, as his mare is a Grade H duck who only hit the board once in eight career starts and never broke her maiden.<\/FONT><\/P>

Just below with 76 points is Wassie’s <\/I>WASSIE RAINBOW G, <\/B>who is welcomed back to Old Waterford, after a long time away. Longtime West Virginia railbirds may remember the eye-popping performance this now 6yo son of AP Indy uncorked in the penultimate effort of his 4yo season, when he aired by four lengths at 15-1 in the Elk Will Stakes, earning a whopping 119 speed fig that remains tied for his career best. Rainbow G has run very well in two of his three races here, <\/B>also running a good second in a 10-furlong stake. He enters his 48th career start Saturday in razor sharp form<\/B>, having won four of his last five, and three of his last four in stakes. This is a very consistent late running stakes performer who is running at his preferred class and distance Saturday. An old maxim of handicapping says that if it’s too good to be true, it’s too good to be true. Should this apply to either or both of the tops stars in this race, Rainbow G is a completely logical choice. <\/B>The only foreseeable drawbacks may be his wide 13 post and the presence of Jocko Maloney in the irons. Actually, however, with the long run down the stretch at this distance, the post should not be a problem, and Rainbow G is catching a jockey who suits his running style. Jocko has a lot better luck with closers.<\/FONT><\/P>

Novanora wades into the West Virginia Stakes Competition with the fifth qualifier, SLEW O’TROUBLE <\/B>out of his opinora barn. Sizing up this contest group, we see a total of 13 stakes victories in the three stables, so this is an outfit with some class horses that would be no surprise to bag a West Virginia stake or two. He really bided his time with Slew O’Trouble<\/B>, a 5yo son of AP Indy. This horse was very lightly raced earlier in his career, starting only three times in both his 2yo and 3yo season, then only five times as a 4yo. Despite his limited schedule, the horse was showing promise, running big speed figs like a 108 as a 3yo. Novanora<\/I> had his horse read right, and he has done very well as a 5yo, proving himself repeatedly in non-graded stakes last year, winning two and placing in four others. Whereas the racing schedule was very light early in his career, it’s become rather heavy of late, and this is his fourth straight start on two weeks rest after making 13 starts in 2005. Perhaps Novanora<\/I> is experimenting a little and seeing how his horse likes more racing. As for his chances Saturday, the last two are not encouraging, but he may not be in as bad a form as he looks, as he won this class three back<\/B>, and may have needed a race to recover <\/B>from his trouncing along with Year of the Vote <\/B>in the Topicount Special. <\/FONT><\/P>

Another contest horse qualifies sixth. It’s INDISPENSABLE <\/B>out of the Stretch<\/I> barn, who we covered in the DPCD Classic<\/B>, which was an oddly run race. The front end collapsed completely, and the first three finishers were 8th, 16th and 18th at the first call. Picture the Monarchos Derby, only slower, and you get the idea. Indespensable ended up fourth, the best finish of any horse which had been within hailing distance of the pace. Prior to that, the horse had been <\/FONT>in razor-sharp form<\/B>, having posted two straight triple-digit speed figs at this exact distance. Showing a new-found ability to pass horses in the stretch in two races after a freshening, Indispensable<\/B> had been moving forward. Draw a line through that most recent race, and he fits at this class and distance <\/B>nicely. Charlie sees him as a serious horse, and at 8-1, he’s co-third choice with Wassie’s Rainbow G. <\/FONT><\/P>

We get all the way to seventh in the qualifying order before we get to another non-contest horse, the lightly raced DANE’S RISEN STAR <\/B>out of the Manni165<\/I> stable. Charlie gives this 5yo son of Danehill respect at 9-1 in his 20th career start despite finishing 10th and 5th in his two most recent races. Five of this horse’s seven career wins have been at this non-graded stake level, but hasn’t been the same in three starts since a long layoff during the middle of his 2005 campaign. Methinks something went awry <\/B>with this horse in that winning trip to Argentina back in 2573, when he won his second stake in a row, and third of his last five. Everything looked roses on the track, but there must have been trouble lurking back at the barn, when Manni must have found something wrong with this horse. After regularly topping triple digits with aplomb in five in a row to start 2005, Dane’s Risen Star has regressed in his last three, and gives serious pause <\/B>as to whether he’s the same horse who won those five stake races.<\/FONT><\/P>

That’s the first of four straight spoiler horses. We don’t get to another contest horse until we are in serious longshot range.<\/FONT><\/P>

Next we have Chibound2’s <\/I>I COME TO PLAY(IRE), <\/FONT><\/B>who appears to be an improving 4yo who is overlaid generously at 15-1. This horse ran his best-ever speed fig last out, topping the triple digit figure for the first time when capturing a non-graded stake going 10 furlongs. Normally needing to pass horses in the stretch, ICTP<\/B> took a big step forward last out, hitting the front by the head of the stretch, much earlier than usual, and cruising home for the win. This would be a great horse to put on the trifecta ticket.<\/FONT><\/P>

Kevoman3’s AUSTIN POWERS II <\/B>has earned a nice total of $430,000 in 28 career starts, a quick indicator of class. He was in Captsteve’s barn last year for his 3yo season, during which he finished seventh, beaten 16 lengths, in the 2004 New Yorker behind TUFF ENUFF<\/B>. After six straight poor runs, Captsteve had seen enough and put the horse int the auction. Kevoman3<\/I> made the winning bid, and dropped his horse down into conditioned allowances. Austin Powers II <\/B>began to come around, airing twice in the n2y condition, and making his comeback complete two back <\/B>when he captured a non-graded stakes in Tazmania. He got his butt kicked <\/B>last out when jumped up to Grade 3, and we’ll see if he can come right back to form off that in the drop back to non-graded company. If he makes his move, it will be late in the race.<\/FONT><\/P>

Julian’s<\/FONT><\/I> GIANT WAKI <\/B>is next. This horse is a stakes winner, but seems very suspect here Saturday at this class and distance<\/B>. He’d been having success at a flat mile in conditioned allowances, but got drilled last out when stretching out to Saturday’s 9.5-furlong distance, seventh by 12+ lengths. That’s a strong indicator that he does not like the distance, and we’re gonna say he’s a safe pitch <\/B>in this race.<\/FONT><\/P>

OK, now that we are in longshot range, we have contest horses in three of the last four.<\/FONT><\/P>

TOM’S SHINING STAR<\/FONT><\/B>, the second part of Ts1442’s<\/I> three-part entry out of his south40 barn, cuts way back in distance here, having run the full 16-furlong marathon distance last out when a distance third in a Michigan stake. I think they have to do like four laps at that bull ring to make a two-mile race. While Tom’s Shining Star <\/B>is well proven at the class, he’s a proven closer at much longer distances, and figures to be completely left at the gate Saturday. It looks like it would take an improbable total front end meltdown for this plodder <\/B>to pick up a check Saturday.<\/FONT><\/P>

Nawbo3<\/FONT><\/I> plays the longshot spoiler role with NAWS NASKRA<\/B>, who has earned only $93,000 in 19 career starts and has been soundly thumped <\/B>his only two career tries in stakes company. He’s also run seven straight speed figs under 100, and is overmatched here.<\/FONT><\/P>

TOM’S CRISPY CRUNCH<\/FONT><\/B> comprises the third part of Ts1442’s <\/I>entry out of his south40<\/I> stable. Despite his illustrious history at the Mountain Oval, earning his trainer a placing in a past West Virginia Stakes Competition with that magical 117-speed fig in the Slew the Music way back in 2209, he’s never run any good at all past 8 furlongs, and appears only a brief only pace factor <\/B>on Saturday.<\/FONT><\/P>

Wassie’s<\/FONT><\/I> CAT ACADEMY <\/B>G is getting some serious, serious props from Charlier Hoops at 9-1 despite being the 14th and final qualifier. Out of the wonderful racemare ALYACADEMY ACADEMY, who never won a graded race, but hit the board in a whopping 24 non-graded events, he’s suprisingly the best of three runners for her so far. Alyacademy’s Cat G, a 3yo filly by Giant’s Causeway eventually could be the best of the trio, already stakes placed in four career starts. Cat Academy G has earned only $76,000 in 20 career starts, and concedes an indisputable class disadvantage <\/B>here. He stretches way out here off three straight dismal finishes, and never has run this far in his life. Early pace factor only.<\/P><\/B><\/FONT>

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Fatattack, Binzaman bringing high-ranked older horses<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":225,"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-1424","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1424","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\/225"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1424"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1424\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}