{"id":2782,"date":"2006-08-18T02:01:45","date_gmt":"2006-08-18T02:01:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blacktypebugler.com\/?p=2782"},"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=2782","title":{"rendered":"Going Long"},"content":{"rendered":"

Saturday marks the inaugural running of the Grade I California Turf Classic, a mile and three eighths for three year olds, and it has attracted a fine field of eleven including three of the top ten rated colts in the world.<\/P>

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The morning line favorite, however, is none of those.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Favoritism instead goes to Zanzibar<\/B><\/st1:place><\/st1:City>, a colt who has never tried a race this long before.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He did look impressive winning a Smackdown II mile his last time out.<\/P>

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Here is a look at the field:<\/P>

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  1. Strong Belwas<\/B> (Empire Maker x Caerlon) was leading the Irish Derby after 11 furlongs only to be passed by the number one rated Cortez.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The Asoiaf<\/I><\/B> (15%) trainee should be prominent throughout.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>In his last two races, both 12 furlong graded stakes, he faded a bit in the last eighth.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Distance should be perfect for him.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>5-1.<\/LI><\/OL>

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    1. Drago Dell\u2019Oro<\/B> (Medaglia D\u2019Oro x Machiavellian) has six wins in his eight starts this year for ace trainer Shadowclaw<\/I><\/B> (21%).\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Drago\u2019s only clunker was in the Grade I Derby de English where he never contended and was beaten by three he faces today (and several others).\u00a0 <\/SPAN>That was also his only try in graded company and the only race where he fell far back early.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Upset older last time in the World Traveller Challenge, but that field was far from stellar.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>On the other hand, did I mention he has six wins in eight starts this year?\u00a0 <\/SPAN>6-1.<\/o:p><\/LI><\/OL>

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      1. Two races ago Darkdoun<\/B> (Galilleo x Pientre Celebre) stretched out from allowance sprints to a 12 furlong Grade II stakes and wired a field of ten, running off to win by over four lengths.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The field was mediocre for a graded affair, but he followed that up with a show in the Irish Derby.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Strong Belwas pulled away from him after a long battle, but the Peepsclaim<\/I><\/B> (13%) trained Darkdoun established that he belongs in this level of competition.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Lots of upside here.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>6-1.<\/LI><\/OL>

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        1. Giantsbane<\/B> (Mineshaft x Giant\u2019s Causeway) got fried in a speed duel last time for trainer Sangster<\/I><\/B> (24%) in a Smackdown II stakes, and again the race before that in the Derby de English.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>There is other early speed here, so it could happen again.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The last time he ran 11 furlongs, though, he did win after a gritty battle, so he can\u2019t be ignored.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>7-1.<\/LI><\/OL>

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          1. The struggling Horsetab<\/I><\/B> (3%) stable, after watching Dalakh Mogul<\/B> (Dalakhani x Tirol<\/st1:place>) lose his last two races by a combined 32 lengths, decided to step him up into graded company.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Career highlight was winning a Lenny-bid allowance at this distance.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>That gives the barn reason to brag it up on the Forum thread heading toward infinity.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>I hope they do.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>14-1.<\/LI><\/OL>

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            1. Rainbow<\/B><\/st1:PlaceName> <\/B>Forest<\/B><\/st1:PlaceType><\/st1:place> (Teton<\/st1:PlaceName> Forest<\/st1:PlaceType><\/st1:place> x Rainbow Quest) has four wins this year, but they have all come against claimers and starters.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Others have gone from claimers to winning graded stakes, but the normally wily trainer Hellraiser<\/I><\/B> (18%) is trying to do it with one who can\u2019t seem to win a n1x allowance.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>19-1.<\/LI><\/OL>

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              1. Another trying to step up from allowance to graded stakes and to stretch out from a classic distance is Rough Azroc<\/B> (Dynaformer x A.P. Indy).\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Low speed figures and no wins at grassy routes explain the long odds for this Corka<\/I><\/B> (9%) trainee.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>This longshot does have a chance to pick up a minor piece, however.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Seems to be improving and may like the longer distance.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>14-1.<\/LI><\/OL>

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                1. Morning line favorite Zanzibar<\/B><\/st1:place><\/st1:City> (Galileo x Blushing Groom) ran a huge speed figure for trainer Peeps8<\/I><\/B> (14%) last time in winning an eight furlong Smackdown II stakes.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>This stablemate of number one rated Cortez deserves respect for his connections and his running style.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>At shorter distances he has been sitting just off the pace and pouncing late.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>If he can duplicate that style at this longer distance it looks like the way to go with a speed duel likely in front of him.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>3-1.<\/LI><\/OL>

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                  1. The Supers check in with Super21\u2019s<\/I><\/B> (26%) number three rated Good to be King<\/B> (Smarty Jones x A.P. Indy).\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The surprising thing is that King got his rating without ever winning a stakes race.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Three back he rallied past several in here in the Derby de English for a nice second, but he followed that with a lethargic effort in a Smackdown II stakes.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He had no problem dominating a restricted allowance field last time, so he seems recovered from the Smackdown debacle.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Barn has to be happy with all the early speed here and of course with uberjockey Gossett. 7-2.<\/LI><\/OL>

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                    1. On the Green<\/B> II <\/B>(Mark of Esteem x Langfuhr) faces more than four competitors for the first time this year for trainer Smokeglack<\/I><\/B> (12%).\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He hasn\u2019t been able to duplicate the 84 speed figure he earned as a two year old and goes against many who would go straight to the vet if they ran that slow.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>26-1.<\/LI><\/OL>

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                      1. The lightly raced X Commandments<\/B> (Desert King x Modern Day Moses) is the intriguing entry for longshot bettors.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>I\u2019m impressed that Randwick1<\/I><\/B> (7%) ever heard of Modern Day Moses when he bred this one.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>I haven\u2019t.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Have you?\u00a0 <\/SPAN>X beat a pretty nice field last time at ten furlongs and is improving by leaps and bounds every time.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Same stalking style as the favorite, and this race looks to reward that style.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>22-1.<\/LI><\/OL>

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                        Morning line: 8-9-1-3.<\/P>

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                        Timmn\u2019s picks:\u00a0 <\/SPAN>A few years ago I got frustrated when I picked a longshot and it ran well but did not win and I sat there with a losing ticket.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>So now whenever I like one at over 10-1 I bet it across the board.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Last week I thought a 30-1 shot had a shot and when he finished second I liked the $23.00 place payoff.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>X Commandments is exactly the type I like to bet this way.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He may not finish in the money.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He probably won\u2019t be able to handle the jump in class or the extra distance.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>But at 22-1 I can afford to be wrong.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>I pick 11-1-2-9.<\/P>

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

                        Inaugural Running of the California Turf Classic<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":432,"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-2782","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2782","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\/432"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2782"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2782\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2782"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2782"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2782"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}