There we were all 19 of us riding this jumbo horse trailer accross the sky. Some seated on bales of straw, others brushing and tending their horses to settle ’em in on our long treck to Italy. There was a blackjack game going in one corner, a crowd gathered anound a “fresh pot of coffee” in another. Several tried to sleep, but the nervous anticipation of our destination over shadowed any weariness that tried to creep in. <\/P>
“Folks..if I could have your attention”..this writer chimed up, ” I’ve got some breaking news”..”There was a 10% chance of an off-track this weekend, those odds have improved to 100% and the turf\u00a0track is now listed as yielding”. A rippled groan penetrated the group and added lines of worry and concern crossed their faces. Not a word was said as each owner\/trainer digested the news and it implications for their entries. The silence was killing me so I searched my mind for a distraction a bit of jibberish for alternate consideration. <\/P>
“For those of us engaged in our 1st Equinics” I said, “here are a few trivia tid bits about our destination, first of all, we’re bound for Rome..the track is called Capannelle, it’s the premier racing venue of Italy. The track was established in 1881 and is located in the southwest suburbs of the city and during the racing\u00a0season, it the site of the Derby Italiano and Derby Reale. The track never really established itself until a fellow called “Il Mago”, The Wizzard, showed up on the scene. Senor Federicp Tesio was “il Mago”. His 40 year dominance of Italian racing established it and\u00a0gave creedence to Italian prominance\u00a0in horse racing. He bred and raced many but is noted for ownership of such champions as Donatello II, Ribot and the undefeated\u00a0Nearco. <\/P>
It worked! You could see the changes on their faces already. They were now thinking of the possibilities, not the challenges that lie before them. “One other point I should mention…Pat Eddery, our race patron, won the Derby Italiano, at this very\u00a0track, in 1982 aboard “Old Country”. He also won the Gran Premo Di Milano at a track called San Siro outside of Milan,\u00a0on the champion “Tony Bin” that day.\u00a0I needed to get back to the article, so I hunkered down on my\u00a0bale and went back to typing.<\/P>
I was soon joined by paceman2<\/U>, a top\u00a0breeder and trainer of Krishna(IRE<\/STRONG>). “She’s the class of the field” he stated, “But she\u00a0won’t run a damn on a wet surface, I thought about the scratch option, but topicount is right..we represent the residencies in this one”. “Not an easy choice, no matter how you look at it”, I said. “Think of the racing patrons” I said..”how often do they get to see a Champion runner?..let’s see..Champion 3yr old, nominated\u00a0as Turf Female Of The Year, multiple graded stakes winner on turf and dirt and one of the fastest horses on the planet. Down Under<\/EM> Racing<\/EM> picked the right contender in her”. “Yeah” he replied..\u00a0“D. Evans has ridden her once before in a Gr.I event..she finished 2nd in the Coalminer, I’ll take the 3\/1 and be happy about it”.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/P> That got me thinking about my own entry and co-second choice, Black Tie Dancer(IRE<\/STRONG>). The folks back in Ireland<\/EM> were counting on her. Heck, she’s 6yr old trained by my dochobo stable<\/U> has 43 races under her belt. What’s she doing running at 7\/1,\u00a0against these kids, it’s a field of 4yr olds for god’s sake. But they didn’t give her that $$$ half million and she’s earned every one of her 11 victories. Z. Kentucky’s riden her well before and hell, we stole him from Magical Mia and the boots stable boys, there’s a measure of satisfactionin that alone.\u00a0One more time gal, the breeding shed is\u00a0not to far off now.<\/P> Co-second choice at 7\/1 is osstables<\/U> 5yr old Elnadim entry PJ Total Quest(GB<\/U>). She’s got the goods..$560K in earnings\u00a09 wins in 29 starts, a couple of trips over the track\u00a0and several 14f stakes romps under her belt. She’s even broken her maiden on a wet surface. “Huumm”?? A Nexis <\/EM>gal with mid 90’s speed!!\u00a0F. Marshall’s up and this one can stalk the pace or close hard and fast. Could be a payout here.<\/P> “I see that you’ve got the 06′ OSU football schedule and the\u00a0DRF with you boots,<\/U> somethings never change”.. “Magical Mia(IRE<\/STRONG>) and H Harzheim will still beat ya Doc”! responded the\u00a0wiley\u00a0sim veteran, who happens to be representing CR Racers<\/EM> in this one. ” I’ve brought her along slow..taken her through all of her conditions..even an open allowance before testing her in stakes company..she’s never\u00a0faced the likes of Katrina(IRE) or a grade\u00a0I challenge, but we’re confident”. “Confident my eye boots!..<\/U>she’s a gift a 9\/1..you got my credits..beat my football team..and your after Dancer’s fading glory and I have to quote ya do to your prominence in the sport!..That 16f turn up romp that she won by 5 in her last outing..I suppose ya going to tell me it was a fluke?” The coy smile told it all..”She’s won six in a row…and winning by huge margins, makes me think she has more to offer”..”get out of here boots<\/U>..your a bandit without the gun!”..”got my good luck charms with me too ya know…the wife and the grandbaby are asleep up in 1st class”. <\/P> here’s more trouble I thought to myself..”well hello there Don Fabman”..trainer of Getaloadofthis<\/STRONG> and owner of fab19 stables<\/U>. <\/U>\u00a0“Your pegged at 9\/1\u00a0and are about to make a killing” I said. “Doc..Doc! don’t be so harsh…it’s true..she’s hot hot hot..she’s coming off the race of her life and coming into this one ready to rumble. We’re out for bear and have the horse and rider to get the job done.” “That 105 speed rating in the Gr III should have her set..don’t you think?”..”She’s trained well and is\u00a0eating like a horse!” was his reply. ‘Another Distorted Humor prodegy makes good\u00a0I thought to myself. This one could take it all…she has a versitile running style, fresh legs and a solid professional barn in fab 19, could be photo op in the making. “Fab, good buddy..they’re playing blackjack in the back for sim credits..maybe a hand or two…”Don’t push it Doc” he barked as he strode away.<\/P> Teen double digit entries are next and there are 5 of ’em…at 13\/1..Stop The Groom T<\/STRONG> , a light grey by Runaway Groom, ships in for priceless stables<\/U>. I’m told that the Northwest Racing Circuit<\/EM>\u00a0selected her\u00a0because of her recent improving form. hijacked-ted owns the\u00a04yr old and has her “on top of her game”..her 16\/6-2-5 turf record, really doesn’t say it all. She tuned up a few weeks back with a 6 length\u00a012f stakes victory and has been clock around 3:02 for 14f. If true, she and jockey C. Indy will be a factor in the late running. She can run up close or close late, and Saturday’s yielding track my require quick changes in strategy as the race unfolds. Her versatility makes her dangerous.<\/P> Band Out <\/STRONG>Of Boston<\/STRONG>..is a 5yr old by Dixieland Band. Owned and trained by the savy racing veteran tigereyes, ie: nextbonus,<\/U> BOOB\u00a0will face the challenge of her young career. Always the competator, I’m not quite sure she has the stamina for a combined\u00a014f and yielding surface. She hasn’t competed\u00a0in stakes level competation\u00a0at distances greater than 12f, but her 34\/11-7-5 turf record and $587K in lifetime earnings says that she knows how to win. She’s the older of two stakes runners out of 8yr old brood mare Steve’s Ton. Both have enjoyed solid turf careers to date. She’ll represent The Queensland<\/EM> residency in this one.\u00a0<\/P> 16\/1 choice, Mockingbird<\/STRONG> will honor the DelPenn<\/EM> folks on Saturday. The 4yr old is by Atticus out of a Kingmambo mare. She’s comming back from a torid 3yr old campaign where she competed in 10 Gr.I events, compiling a 10\/1-2-2 record. Her connections breezed her through a 14F $7k allowance a few weeks back to re-aquaint her with her work. She won by 7 lengths and produced a 3:02 4\/5 time. Alluvial stables<\/U> is an exceptional young group who’ve garnered over $750K for their training effort, she is an outstanding example of their training prowess. They have reunited her with jockey P. Bangs who guided her to victory in the Gr.I Dur Arc Oaks. <\/P> Balinor,<\/STRONG> riden by T. Smal,l represents the\u00a0Epsomdowns Residency’s<\/EM> hope and dreams. Trained\u00a0 by the young and talented gregchilds stable<\/U>, the 4yr old Fantastic Light prodegy was claimed for “a song” just 4 starts back. Someone saw real value in her, she sports a 19\/4-4-2 turf record with $214 K in purse earnings and is now in contention for a share of a million sim bucks. “She’s built for endurance and everything suggests that she can handle the going..make no mistake she’s a roughie!”…If that’s not owner confidence!!..At 18\/1..good luck gal!<\/P> Gweneth(IRE)<\/STRONG> rounds this group out at 19\/1. Owned and trained by singhis stables<\/U>, the brown homebred\u00a0is no stranger to this distance. Her times arn’t a fast as some would like to see, but a versitile running style could\u00a0make up for time over a yielding surface. The GSR residency<\/EM>\u00a0knows enough about horses and they have nominated her for this one. her 21\/5-8-2 turf record speaks for itself. Question is???..can sophomore jockey J. Jobel bring her home for the photo.<\/P> It’s expected that pace setting Polishyev<\/STRONG> will press the pace in 6315. The tiramisu <\/U>trained lady hasn’t shown the speed ratings that’s required\u00a0to sit back and pounce..she’s no stranger to the distance but has been know to run low on energy as they run for home. She ended 05′ with a wire to wire victory, but that effort may be hard to duplicate against some of these brusing ladies. \u00a0Benelux<\/EM> has sent her to do battle on their behalf, she’s rated at 22\/1<\/P> \u00a0.<\/P> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/P> \u00a0<\/P><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Off Track To Affect Outcome<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":188,"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-1659","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1659","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\/188"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1659"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1659\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1659"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1659"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1659"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}