{"id":2588,"date":"2006-06-01T20:54:35","date_gmt":"2006-06-01T20:54:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blacktypebugler.com\/?p=2588"},"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=2588","title":{"rendered":"The &#8220;One Who Runs Fastest Over One Mile On Grass&#8221; Mile"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = \"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags\" \/><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Japan<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> has been known for many things over the years.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Turn over an electronic device, and there is a good chance that you will see \u201cMade in <st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Japan<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>\u201d.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Samurai\u2019s and Harikari?<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Japanese.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Sushi and Hibachi?<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Japanese.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Who bombed <st1:place w:st=\"on\">Pearl Harbor<\/st1:place>?<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The Japanese. <SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0<\/SPAN>What you don\u2019t see on this list is a turf course at the <st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Japan<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> race track.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>That\u2019s because it is not a well-known course.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>It does host its fair share of races, however.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>This week, it plays host to the Grade 3 <U>Kasuda Yinen Mile<\/U>, a race for all 3yo+ horses going one mile.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Kasuda Yinen, for those of you who don\u2019t speak Japanese, means exactly what you think it means.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>That\u2019s right.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Although my assignment is in <st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Japan<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>, I do not know Japanese.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>My editors assured me that I would not need it, as the language of the Sim knows no bounds.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>But, as I use my infinite wisdom (a.k.a. Google), I realize that the only times the phrase is ever used is in conjunction with previous runnings of this race.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>So, in classic MXC fashion, I will translate Kasuda Yinen on my own.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>It means \u201cone who runs fastest over mile on grass\u201d.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>So there you have it.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>A field of 9 has taken form for the One Who Runs Fastest Over Mile On Grass Mile.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>But before that, a quick look at the history of the race, which began as a $500,000 G2 in 2000, but became what it is today, a $150,000 Grade 3, the following year.<\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = \"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office\" \/><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\">The first running of the Kasuda Yinen Mile came in 2000.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>6 of the 12 runners would eventually become millionaires, but none of them could even come close to the winner of the race.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>2006 Sim Hall of Fame Inductee <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Enough Knock<\/B>, earning $7.8M in his career, blew the field away in the first running of the race.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He started off a nose behind, but quickly took the lead and drew away under a hand ride by Nate Tippins.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>A 6-1\/2 length win translated into a 120 SP, although the betting public did not see this coming, sending him off as the 4\/1 second choice.<\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\">The 2001 field may have been the most star-studded, but only 8 horses competed.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN><B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Pleasant Neck<\/B>, a dead closer, flew from 8 back at the half way point to be a mere 1-3\/4 back at the top of the stretch.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He went on to win by 4 under Eric Baldwin, earning a 111 speed figure (good enough for 2<SUP>nd<\/SUP> the year before, still 6 lengths behind <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Enough Knock<\/B>).<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>While he may have earned $2.2M in his career, however, he went off as the second choice.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The betting favorite that year was <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Manilla Mint<\/B>, who ran a dull 5<SUP>th<\/SUP>.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>However, the big attraction this year was 2006 Sim Hall of Fame Inductee <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">School Kris(GB)<\/B>, who did not perform as well as his Hall of Fame counterpart.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Off as the 5\/1 3<SUP>rd<\/SUP> choice, he got caught up in a speed duel and dropped to 4<SUP>th<\/SUP>, 6 lengths behind the winner.<\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\">2002 gave us the most exciting running of this race.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The top 4 finishers would all retire as millionaires, with <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Sweet Robin<\/B> being the most wealthy, at $1.8M.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>As the 3\/1 favorite, he would finish 3<SUP>rd<\/SUP>, 6-1\/2 lengths back.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The real battle came between stalker <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Brown Voss <\/B>and closer <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Dynaform Sir<\/B>.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Both well-known and well-respected in their time, it was <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Dynaform Sir <\/B>this time who would prevail.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>At 11\/1, he came from 8-1\/2 back to nip <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Brown Voss<\/B> by a head, after Brown Voss gained the lead at the in the middle of the stretch.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The two pulled away to earn speed figures of 119 and 118, with Seattle Mariners OF Ichiro Suzuki taking the day off to ride <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Dynaform Sir<\/B>.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Dynaform Sir <\/B>would return in 2003 to take on another full field, again at 11\/1 odds.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>This time, however, he would not run as well, finishing 7<SUP>th<\/SUP>, 11-1\/2 lengths back. Instead, another 11\/1 shot, <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Barkboy<\/B>, would take the victory in this one.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Battling a couple of Storms (<B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Storm Slithering <\/B>and <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Storm Sparky(IRE)<\/B>) for the lead, <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Barkboy <\/B>emerged at the halfway point, and never looked back.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Nate Tippins took home his second trophy in this race.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The bigger news, however, related to the 5<SUP>th<\/SUP> place finish of the 3\/1 favorite, and future Sim Hall of Famer <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Volatile Nijinsky<\/B>.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He ran a dull stalking race, even losing ground at the end of the race.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Other notables included <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Daneye <\/B>and <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">K. Wad<\/B>, who both ran poorly.<\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\">Both <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Barkboy <\/B>and <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Volatile Nijinsky <\/B>would return in 2004 to try their luck again; Barkboy to defend his title and Volatile Nijinsky to redeem himself.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>However, neither would succeed, at odds of 18\/1 and 8\/1, respectively.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Instead, the stalking trip would be the most popular, and for the first time in four years, the favorites would be the ones finishing at the top.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>7\/2 favorite <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Ziklag<\/B> would go on to win by 1-3\/4 after coming from 5 back to beat 9\/2 second choice <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">George\u2019s X Con<\/B>.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Ziklag has only won 1 race since this effort, although he has made $2.8M for his career.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Only 3 of the 14 in this field are millionaires, and they include the two repeat runners.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Several are still active, although the 2004 running paled in quality of runners to previous years.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Rob Scharf was the winning jockey.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\">Rookie jockey K. Ledwith quickly became <st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Japan<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>\u2019s premier jockey, and it was partly because of the 2005 edition of this race.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN><B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Barkboy <\/B>would return to the site of his first Graded Stakes win, but after leading for the first 4 furlongs of the 8 horse race, he faded to last, 18-1\/2 behind the winner.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He would race twice more before retiring.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Again the stalkers and closers would get the job done, as this race came down to the wire.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>In the end, <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Xtremely A Fan<\/B> would pull away to win by 2-1\/4, beating out 2\/1 favorite <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Leven Seventy Won<\/B>.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>With Ledwith aboard, <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Xtremely A Fan<\/B> came from 6 back to take the lead at the top of the stretch, and then won comfortably.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Both the first and second place runners are millionaires.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The time of the race, 1:34 flat, rivaled that of <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Enough Knock<\/B>\u2019s 2000 win and <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Dynaform Sir<\/B>\u2019s 2002 win.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>However, 2005 brought the adjustment of Speed Figures to the Sim, and <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Xtremely A Fan<\/B> earned a mere 113, besting only that of <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Pleasant Neck<\/B> in 2001.<\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\">9 horses take the field for this year\u2019s running of the Kasuda Yinen Mile, with the odds going down the list.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The favorite comes from the 1 post, followed by the second and third choices, horses 2 and 3.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Leading the field is the 43<SUP>rd<\/SUP> ranked Turf Classic older horse, <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Recoil<\/B>.<\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Recoil <\/B>\u2013 This 4yo son of Miswaki runs for the <I style=\"mso-bidi-font-style: normal\">Londoner<\/I> stable as the 4\/1 favorite.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He has not been off the board in 4 starts this year, and has missed the exacta only once in his previous 9 races.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>His last race was a career best for a Graded Stakes, in the Grade 1 <U>All Comers Stakes<\/U> over the mile turf course in <st1:State w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Victoria<\/st1:place><\/st1:State>.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Setting the pace the entire race, a game <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Xtremely A Fan<\/B> (of 2005 Kasuda Yinen fame, and the #2 ranked turf classic horse) caught him to win by a nose.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The tight race earned Recoil a 109 Speed Figure.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He has yet to come through in a graded stakes race, although he has been up against some stiff competition.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>One potential issue is that although he has run here in <st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Japan<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> 3 times, he has never finished higher than 4<SUP>th<\/SUP>.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>His one run at a mile here was one of his worst mile performances ever, finishing 7<SUP>th<\/SUP> by 6-3\/4 in an open allowance in September of last year.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He picks up jockey Charles Roser, who has about as good of a win percentage as a jockey can have (22.1% this year).<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He seems to be an all-or-nothing jockey, with only a 38% ITM percentage.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>That may fair well for this colt, however, as he seems to always run first or second.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Expect to seem him on or near the front the whole race; peaking at the right time<\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Niner Connection<\/B> \u2013 Sent out by <I style=\"mso-bidi-font-style: normal\">n2racing2<\/I>, this 4yo son of Forty Niner was based on <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Zig Zag Connection<\/B>, a multiple stakes winner on the turf.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>It appears his\/her son has found the same niche, with a record of 22:8-2-7 on the turf.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>This colt is another one who comes off of a career best run in his previous race, the <U>Sydney Mile<\/U> in New South Wales, resulting in 9\/2 odds for this race.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Although he finished 3<SUP>rd<\/SUP>, 2-3\/4 lengths behind the winner (<B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Mizzen Dizzie<\/B>, #3 ranked Turf Classic horse), it was a career fast run for him.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He sat about mid-pack in the race, and although the winner wired the field, this brown colt managed to pick up 3 lengths in the stretch.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He began the year with a 3 race winning streak, before jumping from allowances and stakes to the G1 <U>Crock of Gold<\/U>, where he finished a respectable 5<SUP>th<\/SUP>.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He tried to wire the field there, but failed, and I think his trainer has learned since then, taking him back in his previous race.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Jockey Greg Arnold will probably sit back around mid-pack in this one, and let the horses on the front tire themselves out, giving this colt a good chance.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Even if that doesn\u2019t happen, this one shows a lot of promise.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He steps back in class here from his last 2, going from Grade 1\u2019s to a Grade 3, and that should help even more; very possible<\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Gingobell<\/B> \u2013 <I style=\"mso-bidi-font-style: normal\">notturna1<\/I>\u2019s 4yo colt by <st1:City w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Pine Bluff<\/st1:place><\/st1:City> may remind you of a song when you first see his name, but he hopes to change that memory into one of a Graded Stakes winner.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>This very experienced runner (33 starts, including 7 already this year) comes in as the #18<SUP>th<\/SUP> ranked turf classic horse.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>That, however, may be on sheer number of races alone.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He started out 2006 with a first, second, and third in 3 starts, but has cooled off since then.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He has done no better than 4<SUP>th<\/SUP> in his last 4.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>His previous two starts at a mile, the <U>All Comers Mile<\/U> and the <U>Sydney Mile<\/U>, both resulted in 4<SUP>th<\/SUP> place finishes, putting him behind his competitors in this race.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He goes off as the 9\/2 co-2<SUP>nd<\/SUP> choice based off his run in the <U>Arcade Handicap<\/U>, a mile-long G2 turf race at Queensland in week 2790.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>A 109 speed figure and best run of the year resulted in a 2<SUP>nd<\/SUP> place finish, beaten 2-1\/4 by <st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\"><B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Congo<\/B><\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> (#9 ranked turf classic horse).<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>A scary trend is that in each of his last 10 races, with the exception of his win in the <U>Buddy Boy Mile<\/U> on the good turf here in <st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Japan<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>, he has lost ground in the stretch.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>I\u2019m surprised to see that he hasn\u2019t tried sprinting in almost a year, when it seems like he would be better suited in shorter races.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He picks up K. Ledwith as the jockey, which always bodes well, but I feel Ledwith may be in over his head here.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>With the two inside horses at the top of their game, this one looks to be on the downhill side; chance for lower exotics, but would prefer others<\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Three Man Colt<\/B> \u2013 I may be wrong, but I believe that <I style=\"mso-bidi-font-style: normal\">phonetrick<\/I>\u2019s 5yo son of Rahy was bred with the winnings from a Three Man competition.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>To make the win even sweeter, this one debuted as a 3yo with a 113 SP in a maiden race, blowing the field away to win by 7-1\/2.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The <st1:State w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Rhode Island<\/st1:place><\/st1:State> track was playing fast that day, as neither he nor second place runner <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Fireball Express<\/B> would match their run in that maiden.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>However, this 5yo has not disappointed.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He has picked up 9 wins in his 28 career starts, including a win in the G3 <U>Royal Calm Stakes<\/U>, an 8.5f turf race in <st1:State w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Florida<\/st1:place><\/st1:State>, 4 races back.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>This horse is a tad inconsistent, with the 108 SP he earned in that win coming in between 6 runs with Speed figures in the 90s.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>For the year, he is 3 for 7, and his is coming off of a win an open allowance in <st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Finland<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>, where he ran a 99 SP.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He didn\u2019t need any more, however, as he won pulling away by 1-1\/2.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>A 9\/1 choice in the field of 9, his mediocre recent runs have shied the betting public away from him.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>There is a thought that he may be too old, and that he is past his prime.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>To further repel the betting public, Chris Maxie has gotten the call to ride.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He has a 7.4% win percentage, and only 20% ITM.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He should be stalking the pace, and no more than a few lengths behind the frontrunners.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>However, he will have to show a little more than he has recently to get the job done; inconsistent<\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Silver Victory <\/B>\u2013 Based on <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Whipped Boot<\/B>, a stakes winner on the turf, this 5yo son of Silver Ghost has exceeded any expectations that owner <I style=\"mso-bidi-font-style: normal\">arterra <\/I>must have had based on his male-dam.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>This horse has bounced around the turf and dirt, although his one Graded Stakes win came on the turf at this distance 3 years ago.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He is coming off of a win in an 8f open allowance on the dirt of <st1:City w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Dubai<\/st1:place><\/st1:City>, although his previous race was an attempt in the G1 <U>Sydney Mile<\/U>.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He ran a poor race there, finishing 12<SUP>th<\/SUP> with a 94 SP.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>His career dirt\/turf record is 4:1-1-1, including a 2:0-1-0 record this year.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He had been fairly consistent up until his last turf race, with Speed Figures of 104, 104, and 101 in the surface-switch races.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>His previous race was his first win of the year in 6 starts, as he was able to get a nose out in front early and managed to wire the field to win by 2, earning a 99 speed figure on the good dirt.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He has tried both coming from off the pace as well as trying to set the pace.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>I doubt he will be able to set the pace in this weekend\u2019s race, but his two best races this year have been when he was on the lead at the beginning.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He does not look like he has the legs to come from behind anymore.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He goes off at 6\/1 in this race, and picks up jockey Al Blundin (8.8% win, 17% ITM) to try and guide him home; past his prime<\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Open Sez Mr<\/B> \u2013 The best of 4 children from 14yo mare <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Nurse Rusty<\/B>, <I style=\"mso-bidi-font-style: normal\">mystake<\/I>\u2019s 4yo son of Opening Verse comes into this race at 9\/1 odds.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The past performances on this guy may not look great at first glance, but they are certainly deceiving.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>His last race at this distance, an open allowance 3 starts ago, resulted in a 5<SUP>th<\/SUP> place finish and a 92 speed figure, not nearly enough to get the job done.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>However, looking at the race, it appears that something went wrong with the horse.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He lost a lot of ground in the stretch, which is not something he normally does.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>His race 5 starts back, at 10f, was clearly too long for him.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>His other three starts this year have all come at 7.5f.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>His last race, in the <U>Skillfully Jam Memorial<\/U> at <st1:place w:st=\"on\"><st1:State w:st=\"on\">New South Wales<\/st1:State><\/st1:place> was a good one, as he got beat by a very fast <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Street(IRE)<\/B> but opened up 2 lengths on the 3<SUP>rd<\/SUP> place finisher.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The race before, he earned a 96 SP.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The number may seem low, but he won by 2-1\/4 and was under a hand ride the entire stretch.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>His one other race this year resulted in a 106 SP, as he took a NW1s allowance by 1-1\/4.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>When pushed, this stalker can run about as fast as the top competitors here.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He is 7 for 22 lifetime, and this is his first attempt in a graded stakes.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Jockey Ron Duffy (6.1%, 28%) will ride; live longshot<\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">El Nino Rapido<\/B> \u2013 A 4yo son of Mineshaft, \u201cThe Fast Boy\u201d has lived up to his name so far for <I style=\"mso-bidi-font-style: normal\">oaklawn66<\/I>.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He comes into this race as the 5\/1 fourth choice, and he has been very consistent so far this year.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>In his 8 races this year, he is 3-0-3 with 2 5<SUP>th<\/SUP> place finishes.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>All 8 of his starts have resulted in speed figures between 95 and 104, and since his second race of the year, only one start has been below a 99 SP.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>His last run was 2 weeks ago in the G3 <U>Port Marshua Handicap<\/U> in <st1:place w:st=\"on\">Hong Kong<\/st1:place>.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>This colt has blistering speed, as he has been leading the way around the track in all but one of his 21 career races.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>There is no doubt that he will be out there again this Saturday, taking this field for a ride.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>His previous run at a mile came 3 starts back in the Grade 2 <U>Lone Star Mile<\/U>, where he got caught in the stretch and ended up 3<SUP>rd<\/SUP>, 2-3\/4 behind the winner with a 102 speed figure.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Also passing him in the stretch was 2<SUP>nd<\/SUP> place runner <B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Recoil <\/B>(PP #1), which may turn out to be important this time.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The \u201cBoy\u201d\u2019s two best runs this year have come at this distance, although he has never tried the track.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Rob Scharf(9.6%, 26%), winner of the 2004 running of this race, hops on board here; consistent threat<\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Sing Phyl Sing(GB)<\/B> \u2013 <I style=\"mso-bidi-font-style: normal\">sam<\/I> sends out this 4yo son of Opera House(GB).<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The 10\/1 longshot, this colt has already run 9 times this year, the most recent of which was in the <U>He\u2019s A Gay Devil Special<\/U> on week 2853 in Rhode Island.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>This race, a 7.5f turf try, ended with a victory by a head.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He earned a 98 speed figure, which is alarming for this field.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>10\/1 actually seems generous.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He has been very consistent this year on both the turf and dirt, as every start has had a speed figure in the 90s.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He comes into this race off of wins in his last two, both on the turf, and both his best runs of the year.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Ironically, his two highest speeds come in the <U>He\u2019s A Gay Devil Special<\/U> stakes.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Huh?<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Yes, apparently the <U>He\u2019s A Gay Devil Special<\/U> was run twice, once in <st1:State w:st=\"on\">Rhode Island<\/st1:State> on week 2853, and once in <st1:State w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Wyoming<\/st1:place><\/st1:State> on week 2741.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Both were contested at 7.5f on the turf, and this colt ran a 99 SP both times (winning the more recent one, running third in the prior one).<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He will try and close here from around midpack.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>His last race at this distance was the Grade 3 <U>Laffit Handicap<\/U>, where he finished 9<SUP>th<\/SUP>, 12 lengths back, in his season debut.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>His prior race, to end 2005, was his best career race, in a stakes race here in <st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Japan<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He has never come close to the race that he ran here, although it was a second place finish.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>If he can repeat that one race, he will be very competitive.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Alfred Hudson(13.7%, 32%) rides this time, and that might help, but I think his last race here was a fluke; slight chance, but highly unlikely<\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">Offstage(GB)<\/B> \u2013 Rounding out the 9 horse field is the 7\/1 4yo son of Diesis(GB).<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Owned by <I style=\"mso-bidi-font-style: normal\">clmstable<\/I>, this colt comes into the race as the #14 ranked turf sprinter.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He has not run a route race since week 2461, and has not run a mile since 2405.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>However, his owner has seen something in his last 4 races that seems to indicate a desire for longer races.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>In his last race, the Grade 1 <U>Rising Sun Spring Cup<\/U> here in <st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Japan<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> at 7f, he closed from 7 back to miss by a mere 3-1\/2 at the wire. <SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0<\/SPAN>Somehow, the race was so tight that he managed to finish 9<SUP>th<\/SUP>.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>His previous race, at 5.5f, again showed him running out of time at the finish.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>In 7 races this year, he has a record of 7:1-1-0.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>All of these have been in sprints, and most resulted in him running out of room.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He is a colt that is based out of <st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Japan<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>, having run here 4 times in his last 8 races.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He has never run better than 6<SUP>th<\/SUP> here.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Riding this weekend will be Louis Fenner (10.8%, 32%).<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>It will be interesting to see whether this career sprinter will relish the added distance or whether sprinting is his limit.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Without any real hints at this distance, it\u2019s hard to say; wild card<\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\"><U>Brief Race Predictions<\/U><\/B><U>: <\/U><SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0<\/SPAN><B style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal\">El Nino Rapido<\/B> will blaze through majority of the race.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The biggest question is how far ahead he will be, and if it will be far enough to win the race.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>My guess is no.<SPAN style=\"mso-spacerun: yes\">\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Here is my best guess at the results:<\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\">1<SUP>st<\/SUP> \u2013 Niner Connection<\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\">2<SUP>nd<\/SUP> \u2013 Recoil<\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\">3<SUP>rd<\/SUP> \u2013 El Nino Rapido<\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/P><P class=MsoNormal style=\"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt\">Live Longshot \u2013 Three Man Colt<\/P><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ok&#8230;I don&#8217;t know Japanese &#8211; But 9 Horses Compete in the Kasuda Yinen Mile<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":384,"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-2588","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2588","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\/384"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2588"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2588\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2588"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2588"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2588"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}