Equinics \u00a02016 Dirt Marathon \u2013 Gold Medals and Golden Blankets<\/p>\n
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The Jon Eric Nash Memorial<\/p>\n
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(Excerpt taken from the Equinics 2016 webpage.\u00a0 The race is sponsored by MANO from the Pastures of Green residency.)<\/p>\n
\u201cRick died in 1975 at the age of 25. He was my brother in arms: a good man, and a good soldier.
\nWe had many good times, as only young soldiers in a foreign land can have good times.
\nSome stories must remain untold (sobering up in a German Funeral Home for one).
\nI think of Rick often, and his memory always brings a smile to my face.\u201d<\/p>\n
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
\nAge shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
\nAt the going down of the sun and in the morning,
\nWe will remember them.<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n
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And now, to the field.\u00a0 It is deep, and it is intriguing.\u00a0 3200 meters on the dirt for open 4yo+, three of which are fillies\u2026and one of them is a beast of epic proportions.\u00a0 Six G1 winners, seven millionaires, an End of Year trophy winner and his two fierce rivals who are currently unbeaten in 2016.\u00a0 There is so much going on in this race, even the sub-plots have sub-plots.<\/p>\n
Earning a medal amongst this bunch will be no small task, and quite the lifetime accomplishment, in my opinion.\u00a0 My best wishes to all competitors.<\/p>\n
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QUICK, To the analysis!<\/p>\n
Header format =\u00a0 PP#\u00a0 Name\u00a0 Stable(Master)\u00a0\u00a0 Odds\u00a0 Residency<\/p>\n
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#1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 DUKESASTER\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 adeeprock0(LIGHTNG99)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 12\/1\u00a0\u00a0 ESR<\/p>\n
The Rock knows his way around distance horses; his HOY DARK MANDU <\/b>needs no introduction.\u00a0 This guy won the G1 Hit Man (16f) and has been close on several other occasions at the top marathon levels\u2026not bad for a $75000 claim from a non-winners of two.\u00a0 He\u2019s by the late-developing Duke of Marmalade out of DISASTERPIECE<\/b>, an EOY trophy winner and three time G1 victor at 2000m for zewango1(SDMF).\u00a0 Despite the credentials, the Duke\u2019s patented late rally has been too late to threaten of late, and looks to be a superfecta filler at best in a star-studded affair.\u00a0\u00a0 He does save all the ground and that could help earn a lesser medal for the boys from New York.<\/p>\n
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#2\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 STUCK ON CARDS\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 stackedcards(KASHBARN)\u00a0\u00a0 SCR\u00a0 CC<\/p>\n
So, this is new!\u00a0 Despite being officially nominated on the Pastures of Green Equinics page, the entrant for the not-yet-dead Comedy Central residency appears with the prefix \u201cSCR\u201d where your morning line odds normally sit.\u00a0 This could be a placeholder for what should be astronomical odds \u2013 the 1 for 141 Stuperhorse has single-digit speed figures in 4 of his last 5 starts \u2013 but I\u2019m not sure who is playing a joke on whom.\u00a0 Assuming he runs (perhaps \u2018jogs\u2019 is more appropriate), he\u2019s a lock for the top of your bottom 3 trifecta. Who said there are no sure things in horseracing?<\/p>\n
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#3\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 REVERBEROCKET\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 gradeone(SUPER1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 20\/1\u00a0\u00a0 DelPenn<\/p>\n
Never question the patience of Jeff and the Super bunch.\u00a0 This DISTORTED HUMOR colt from a stakes-winning AP INDY mare needed ELEVEN starts to break maiden, and the first eight of those weren\u2019t even close.\u00a0 He got better from there.\u00a0 While not having earned Graded Placed credentials just yet, he seems a viable stakes horse with potential for good things to come.\u00a0 I think his sweet spot may be shorter than the 2 miles\u00a0 (109 SP at 12f), but that\u2019s why they call it \u2018taking a shot\u2019.\u00a0 He fits well with the 2nd<\/sup> tier of candidates today.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n #4\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 UNBRIDLED LOGIC\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 flagdown4(FLAGDOWN)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10\/1 P of Green<\/p>\n Need an advertisement for the benefits of 3yo scratch breeding?\u00a0 Look no further.\u00a0 Holy hype machine, this filly is a Runner!\u00a0 The combo of MALIBU MOON, UNBRIDLED\u2019S SONG and DAMASCUS was certainly logical.\u00a0 Making her debut in May of \u201915, she was nothing special until uncorking a vicious rally from 19 back to be 2nd<\/sup> while running out of her conditions in a September allowance at 2400m.\u00a0 Since then, she was beaten by nary a filly nor mare \u2013 6 in a row, a pair of G1 and G2 each, going away by daylight every time.\u00a0 She was shortened up last out in her first try against the boys in the G1 Razorback at 14f\u2026 and she did \u2018OK\u2019.\u00a0 Last by 19 lengths at the second call\u2026 she was \u2018beaten\u2019 a quarter length by a \u2018pretty decent\u2019 horse who happens to be the favorite today (HAACK\u2019S ROCKET<\/b>).\u00a0 And by \u2018OK\u2019 of course I mean \u201cHOLY &*#% what am I watching, a horse or a projectile?\u201d When I say \u2018beaten\u2019 I in fact mean \u201cOtto may need a change of undies, dear Lord that was too close for comfort\u201d.\u00a0 The \u2018pretty decent\u2019 horse is one win away from the HOF and has lost ONCE in his last SEVENTEEN starts. So there\u2019s that.<\/p>\n Needless to say the secret is out, the beast has been unleashed, and heaven help us all during that extra 400 meters of real estate this mare-of-a-lifetime gets today.\u00a0 I expect a battle that promises a finish to rival any in Equinic history.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n #5\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 STARS COLLIDING\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 cab31(CAB31)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9\/1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 East-West Connex<\/p>\n As if the inner post positions weren\u2019t already jam-packed with deadly closers, may I present to you this Deep Impact colt who is 5 for 6 at today\u2019s distance.\u00a0 Plenty of excuses for that first marathon defeat:\u00a0 he was only 3yo facing older, it was his first try at 3200m, he was ridden by a 10% jock from Massachusetts, and oh yeah, he lost by a half-length to OH I DON\u2019T KNOW, SOME HORSE YOU\u2019VE PROBABLY NEVER HEARD OF NAMED OTTO\u2019S ROCKET<\/b>.\u00a0 That\u2019s a pretty good listed-stakes loss.\u00a0 He sits dead-last about 20 lengths off the pace, and then he smites his opponents like they\u2019re standing still. He won the next 6, all graded (including the G1 Cayuga Lake), going away by daylight. SOUND FAMILIAR?<\/p>\n I\u2019m sorry for shouting.<\/p>\n Stars Colliding?\u00a0 Couldn\u2019t be a more appropriate name for this race.\u00a0 He\u2019s gonna be right there in the blink-or-you\u2019ll-miss-it photo finish.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n #6\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ACT OF THE EMPEROR\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 babies6(DEREKCARLSON)\u00a0 10\/1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 URC<\/p>\n I love the breeding on this multiple listed stakes winner from the Universal Racing Club (Empire Maker x AP INDY x Majestic Light).\u00a0 Derek Carlson, if that is his REAL name, saw enough to nab him out of a $35000 maiden claimer and has done little wrong since.\u00a0 He\u2019s won some lesser events but has only been the 2 mile route one time, a solid 2nd<\/sup> in the G3 Cowboy Hcp back in February.\u00a0 He\u2019s a closer but probably not a late-late-late closer like some of our other friends (see above).\u00a0 To me he \u2018feels\u2019 more like a 12 furlong horse and may have a bright future at that distance, but the book is still out on a late-developing 4yo with only 2 Graded tries to his name.\u00a0 Definitely a name to remember.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n #7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 THECATANDTHEFIDDLE\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 wetfast(WETFAST)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 12\/1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Megalopolis<\/p>\n Filly No. 2 in the race, but don\u2019t let that diminish your assessment the chances for this 4yo he-mared daughter of Kitten\u2019s Joy.\u00a0 Unraced at two, she was serviceable but not outstanding at three, kicked around the upper allowance levels this year at 4 until breaking out with a big listed win (13f) in April.\u00a0 Her last race was her best race, a very solid closing 2nd<\/sup> in the G1 Little Rock Stayer (14f).\u00a0 The competition level is cranked up another few notches, but the arrow is pointing up on a filly who has yet to extend to the full 16f distance.\u00a0 I\u2019m not counting her amongst the contenders, but I would not be shocked to see her number posted somewhere on the tote board.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n #8\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 HIT N MISS\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 dirtriot(HOUSERIOT)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 14\/1\u00a0\u00a0 EURO<\/p>\n By Medaglia D\u2019Oro out of the multiple G3 winning Deep Impact mare SMASH N GRAB<\/b>, Houseriot\u2019s HIT N MISS was always expected to be a good one.\u00a0 He\u2019s a half-brother to the Smart Strike colt RAM N RAID<\/b>, who won one of the SIM\u2019s great 3yo classic preps in 2013 (G1 VERMONT is 4 lovers) before finishing a credible 5th<\/sup> in the Bluegrass Stakes itself.\u00a0 With those bloodlines in mind, this guy was fed a steady diet of dirt mile allowances and showed promise at 2, but failed miserably in the 2014 Equinics and never cracked the Derby trail at 3.\u00a0 As with many past and future marathon champs, he woke up in a big way when stretching out to 12 furlongs and popping an unexpected 110 SP back in a September conditioned allowance race.\u00a0 Since then he\u2019s reeled in a steady diet of G3 wins, G2 placings and generally well-managed efforts, but not enough to show he can crack the G1 ceiling in this spot.\u00a0 With 27 lifetime starts in his 4th<\/sup> calendar year of racing, we may have seen the best of HIT N MISS but he certainly reached his potential. One of many who will be battling for a minor placing, and perhaps an eminent future as a he-mom.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n #9\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 HAACK\u2019S ROCKET\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 erenotto(HAACK)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 5\/1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hispano Parlante<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve been paying attention you certainly remember that this scratch-bred Awesome Again colt is the real deal, with $2.37 mil in the bank and the #1 Divisional ranking to back up all the hype I\u2019ve spewed thus forth.\u00a0 This is the kind of entrant that horseplayers strain to find flaws with (in order to bet against the chalk)\u2026 and let me tell you, they\u2019re hard to find.\u00a0 The pedigree is royal blue (Unbridled x Nijinsky II back end).\u00a0 Trainer Otto, aka HAACK is a long-time Beisbol favorite, easily a top 5 conditioner in the game and someone who would get more recognition if he sought out such accolades. This horse lost exactly once in the last 12 months, but it was his 14th<\/sup> start without an extended break, and he bounced right back with a G1 victory at the same distance next out.\u00a0 If we must pick nits, each of his four G1 victories were at 14 furlongs, so technically there is some uncertainty at this level\u2026 but he is 2 for 2 in 16f races, both listed stakes.\u00a0 I see no reason to believe he won\u2019t be on or near the lead at the eighth pole, and will fight to stave off the final surges of the deepest closers.\u00a0 He\u2019s the one to beat, but with more on the line than most could ever dream of.\u00a0 Buena suerte.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n #10\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 HIGH AND DEEP\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 wrightrams(NEXTBONUS)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 15\/1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Queensland<\/p>\n Do I really have to write about this entrant?\u00a0 There\u2019s nothing wrong with the horse, per se.\u00a0 Whatever.<\/p>\n So, once upon a time, this guy who really likes the whole he-mare thing bred Hussonet to GEMINI JEDI<\/b> (Deep Impact), who was a reasonable turf allowance horse which once won a stakes race.\u00a0 The he-foal sucked on the turf, then he sucked more on the dirt until one day (see: Magic Marathon Horse Formula) the trainer entered him going 12 furlongs and HIGH AND DEEP won real good.\u00a0 Then it happened a bunch more times.\u00a0 He\u2019s been doing, like, OK I guess, but he doesn\u2019t seem like he wants any part of these bad mama jamas(sp?)\u00a0 He has a distant 2nd<\/sup> to the very real STARS COLLIDING on his r\u00e9sum\u00e9, but no reasonable person is considering him for the top of the ticket.\u00a0 So neither will I.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n #11\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 CAN\u2019T TAKE CHANCES\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 bum(SMUBS)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 28\/1\u00a0\u00a0 Minnesota Testbarn<\/p>\n Filly #3 is also lightly raced (14 starts) and newish to the Marathon racket, though not yet as ambitious or accomplished as her female counterparts entered today.\u00a0 She mostly beat up on state-bred competition before crushing a 14f restricted allowance race, followed by some nice listed wins with a G3 placing sprinkled in.\u00a0 On the pro side, she\u2019s never tried 16f yet with a solid pedigree backside (Danehill Dancer x Dubai Destination x Lyphard), and the horse who beat her in the G3 went on to win the G1 Little Rock Stayer.\u00a0 On the con side, her speed figures don\u2019t jump off the page and she\u2019s trying G1 boys for the first time.\u00a0 G1 boys AND that beast in the 4 hole.\u00a0 CAN\u2019T TAKE CHANCES proves, in fact, that you can and should take chances – because that\u2019s what the game (and the game of life) are all about.\u00a0 It might not be true, but it sure sounds nice at the end of a paragraph.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n #12\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 CATCH MY STAR\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 harrylanlow19(HARRYLAN)\u00a0 23\/1\u00a0\u00a0 Elite<\/p>\n Harrylan acquired this Texas bred with the large-lunged pedigree (Pine Bluff x Sea the Stars x AP Indy) and earned his keep the old fashioned way \u2013 he brilliantly exploited his conditions to the fullest.\u00a0 13 of his 26 starts are wins, and all but one of them came in state-bred company.\u00a0 5 lifetime allowances, 3 starter allowances, 2 open allowances, and 3 stakes races.\u00a0 As a career goes, that\u2019s good enough for me.\u00a0 It would be unfair to say he\u2019s going full Rick\u2019s Natural Star on us \u2013 the horse HAS won eight straight, including at 16 furlongs \u2013 but it would still count as an all-time upset were he able to wire the field in his first unrestricted try.\u00a0 This STAR certainly will need CATCHing.\u00a0 I do expect him to be on the pace and in the mix with a credible effort\u2026 the only question is how much of his fully realized potential was secretly untapped. \u00a0It was once said the stars at night are big at bright\u2026 deep in the heart of Vermont?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n #13\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 COMEBACKISLAND\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 dontbetonme12(dontbetonme)\u00a0\u00a0 87\/1 \u00a0\u00a0Racing HQ<\/p>\n The cat was already out of the bag when esteemed trainer Daniel picked up this fellow after a MC25000 jaunt \u2013 he likes to go long.\u00a0 The Pleasantly Perfect colt is still Allowance N2X eligible, thoroughly beaten in an open allowance effort last out (albeit on the turf).\u00a0 Racing HQ\u2019s dontbetonme placed the winning bid when Daniel cashed out at auction less than one month ago, so this marks the first start under the new colors.\u00a0 Talk about seeing what\u2019s under the hood!\u00a0 There is still room for improvement, but that\u2019s a whole lot of improvement we\u2019re talking about to get a piece today.\u00a0 In the spirit of the Equinics, we often enter horses not so much for the chance at glory, but rather to represent our residency and share in the comradery. \u00a0I know I\u2019ve been there, and for that, I commend Racing HQ and everyone else who lines up at the post.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n #14\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 MR HARDHEAD\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 hardhead()\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 18\/1\u00a0\u00a0 Northwest Racing Circuit<\/p>\n Everything about this entrant seems \u2018highly unusual\u2019, in the best possible context that can be construed.\u00a0 First, his sire is Unusual Heat, a California-based Nureyev stallion known for speed on the turf.\u00a0 His best foal in the SIM is TENACIOUS HEAT<\/b>, who won an edition of the 2000 Guineas (1 mile on turf).\u00a0 The damsire of said unusual entrant is\u2026 Nureyev, making him a 2 x 3 inbred to a horse known for speed, or turf, or both.\u00a0 Mr. Head tried everything at 2 and 3, and won a 7 furlong sprint race as recently as November, with no clear direction as to what this horse might become\u2026 or prefer.\u00a0 So how do you follow a 7f dirt win?\u00a0 With a 10.5 furlong win, of course!\u00a0 He won or placed in 2 more similar efforts, until he was turned back slightly to 9 furlongs\u2026and posted a ridiculous 116 SP.\u00a0 I\u2019m not a speed figure guy (as you might have guessed) but a nearly 20 point spike gets my attention every time.\u00a0 So now he shows up in the longest race of all, and I can\u2019t make any sense of it whatsoever.\u00a0 He might freak on us and shock the world.\u00a0 He\u2019s more likely to contribute to a wicked pace and set it up for the Silky Sullivan flagbearers to the inside.\u00a0 Good luck in the future, MR HARDHEAD!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n #15\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 OUTBACK BORON\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 greynomad(TULLOCH)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 21\/1\u00a0\u00a0 Midas<\/p>\n Tulloch\u2019s 5yo son of Smart Strike certainly has the chops, but is a little past his prime.\u00a0 His career achievement was an impressive win in LAST year\u2019s G1 Cayuga Lake, but subsequently fell out of form and has not threatened in similar company.\u00a0 He\u2019s been perked up a bit with a return to allowance company (two easy wins) and will have 8+ weeks of rest leading into today\u2019s contest\u2026 perhaps a swan song is in the plan after 30 lifetime starts.\u00a0 If he\u2019s got anything left in the tank, we are going to see it here as he takes aim on the leaders at the 1600m mark.\u00a0 Hard to envision a scenario that gets him to the winner\u2019s circle, but he\u2019s a deserving entrant and a G1 millionaire at the end of the day.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n #16\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 OUT OF THE CLUB\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 mtk2010(mtk76)\u00a0 10\/1\u00a0\u00a0 Blazing Saddles<\/p>\n The trainer of last year\u2019s Bluegrass Derby winner shows up here with a wildly successful Korean-bred pairing of notorious blue-tailed Hansen with a nondescript Bernardini x Northern Dancer mare.\u00a0 Sometimes it pays to temper your expectations, as mtk patiently waited for this horse who could not escape the first lifetime condition\u2026until the 12 furlong race came along\u2026 and by now you should know how that works out.\u00a0 Five starts later, you\u2019ve got a horse who has won five in a row and three listed stakes, unchallenged.\u00a0 The 4yo season has not been as kind to this one, being thrashed in the G1 Razorback Route last out, but he has not been embarrassed in any of the previous efforts (third in a G3).\u00a0 Class is a bigger question than distance, though both are valid points to quibble over.\u00a0 He\u2019s one of the many here with something to prove, but with plenty of arrows left in the quiver for a pretty good archer, to abuse the analogy further.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n #17\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 LITTLE COLUMN B\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 pbcash1(lenny271)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 6\/1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 GR Simsters<\/p>\n I don\u2019t write for the BTB often, but when I do, LITTLE COLUMN B is there.\u00a0 I\u2019m fairly certain my last assignment was for the 2015 Breeder\u2019s Bowl Marathon preview (proficient roxyken, I am not).\u00a0 By pure chance I drew this card when I raised my virtual hand in volunteerment, if that is indeed a word.\u00a0 In any case,\u00a0 LITTLE COLUMN B won handily that day, and if Lenny were not Lenny he might think that a positive omen.\u00a0 The Evil Empire obviously scoffs at whimsy and eschews concepts like luck and fate, so I\u2019ll harbor no expectations based on sheer coincidence.\u00a0 The horse?\u00a0 Yeah he\u2019s good. The son of Admire Moon is typically dominant at 14 furlongs (see: Breeder\u2019s Bowl) but hasn\u2019t really tried the big 16f G1 races.\u00a0 He was not gaining on HAACK\u2019S ROCKET and was passed late by UNBRIDLED LOGIC when 3rd<\/sup> last out in the Razorback Route, but gets what looks like a positive jockey switch on the stretch to 16.\u00a0 I like that he was rested this spring, and the last was his first serious effort of 2016.\u00a0 Despite the limited data on the longer races (2 starts, one win, one third in early 2015) one has to think that Lenny is going for the gold here.\u00a0 He\u2019s in a virtual tossup with the 4 and the 6, if all of the other factors combine to work in his favor.\u00a0 I\u2019m rooting for a three-way dead-heat.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n #18\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 VASEUX\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ehteam4(vkstables)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 76\/1 \u00a0 The Eh Team<\/p>\n Hussonet gets a second entrant, for reals, in this Aussie-bred by way of Canada.\u00a0 I had not heard of Turkish based damsire Three Valleys (Diesis x Niniski) but I do know dds In The Wings, so let\u2019s call this a deeprock-esque pedigree of some intrigue.\u00a0 This fellow was predictably slow and a little on the cheap side, while being perfectly useful and competitive in the state-bred claiming ranks for most of his career.\u00a0 With maturity he has advanced to the allowance levels and has solid, if not stakes-worthy credentials at the marathon distances.\u00a0 He\u2019s always coming late and has been 1st<\/sup> or 2nd<\/sup> in every dirt start in the past 2 years.\u00a0 He may not win, but I\u2019ll bet he runs his race and puts up a respectable number.\u00a0 He\u2019ll certainly feel a little salty when he gets back to beating up on the marathoners down under.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n #19\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 TAPORIS\u00a0\u00a0 asrstar2(TENPOINT)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 18\/1\u00a0\u00a0 All Star Racing<\/p>\n I\u2019m on page nine of this thing, is that normal?\u00a0 19 is a lot of horses, and TAPORIS is a lot of horse to round out the field.\u00a0 I know this horse from his days as a 3yo turf marathon specialist.\u00a0 In the 14.5f G1 Saint Legend, he ran a game 2nd<\/sup> to eventual Breeders Bowl Turf winner WILHELM SCHMECK<\/b> (my G1 winner SWAP<\/b> was third, in case you wondered). Prior to that, his dirt victories consisted of a 5 furlong maiden race at 2, and a 10 furlong listed stake last April.\u00a0 So when TAPORIS threw a clunker in the G1 Spring Cup (Turf), tenpoint wheeled him back in the 16f G2 Baltimore Special (Dirt) and wouldn\u2019t you know it, he smoked them (including #1 DUKEASTER).\u00a0 Follow that with a 16f hot race with a 61 speed figure, and you\u2019ve got the most intriguing live longshot on the program.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure the connections were not pleased to draw the outside post, as he\u2019s most adept at using tactical speed to stalk the pace, but he could settle just behind the early speed and save ground, if simulated jockeys do that sort of stuff.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know because I still watch races on the two-dimensional \u2018old viewer\u2019.\u00a0 Or maybe I am the \u2018old viewer\u2019.\u00a0 Existential questions aside, I like this horse a lot and am intrigued as to what could happen here.\u00a0 I think we see him back in the Breeder\u2019s Bowl and perhaps in the winner\u2019s circle with a better draw.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In lieu of closing statements and an attempt to summarize or proselytize, I\u2019d like to thank you all for reading, for participating, and for playing.\u00a0 Long live the Equinics, and long live the SIM.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Equinics \u00a02016 Dirt Marathon \u2013 Gold Medals and Golden Blankets The Jon Eric Nash Memorial (Excerpt taken from<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","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-38187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38187","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\/67"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=38187"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38187\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38230,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38187\/revisions\/38230"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=38187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=38187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=38187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}