Juveniles hold on to the spotlight in Virginia this week, as we host the Ray Jackson Special. They are running a pure sprint at six furlongs, and the race is open to all two year olds. They will run on firm turf for a piece of the $50000 purse. This is the third annual running of this stakes, and it has been a springboard to the higher ranks for many of the participants. Both of the past two year\u2019s winners went on to glory with graded victories. See My Baby Jive(IRE)<\/B> proved why he was an overwhelming favorite, taking the field gate to wire in convincing fashion. It was his fourth straight stakes, including two at Grade III level. This year\u2019s race has drawn seven entrants, from prior stakes winners to unraced maidens. The odds are spread a lot wider than we saw in last week\u2019s race, with an even odds favorite, and two others close in at 5\/2 and 3\/1 odds. This disparity widens from there, backed by a 33\/1 longshot at the upper end. Two year old races rarely go as planned and there could be some money to be made for an astute bettor here.<\/P>
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PP 1) Millview Landing(KY)<\/B> Sired by Osidy, Trained by millview10. Millview Landing(KY) jumps striaght into the fire here, making his maiden debut in this race. There are nothing but wild cards here, with an unraced colt, a freshman sire, and a somewhat obscure dam sire. His sire, Osidy, has fielded 16 runners in his first season, with four winners, and one stakes winner. The bulk of his earnings have been on turf. Distance is hard to guage this early in his career, but he should field some good sprinters. On the female side, Rock Royalty has fielded only nine runners in his five years as a dam sire, with a third of them winning, none of those in stakes. Without much to gauge by, they seem to prefer dirt sprints. Millview Landing\u2019s bargain half brother gained a third place debuting in stakes. The odds are against lightning striking twice, though, and I\u2019ll pass on him here until we see him perform.<\/P>
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PP 2) Mister Bailey(NY)<\/B> Sired by Millennium Wind, Trained by mickb3. Mister Bailey(NY) makes his seventh start in this race. He has tried stakes level three times, and is still seeking his first win at this level. His first six starts have seen him go 1-1-0-1-0 record, with a best speed of 75.0 which he earned way back in his maiden debut. His last start was a five and a half furlong stakes in Puerto Rico, where he finished fourth in a field of seven. He\u2019s never been off the turf, and he has run distances between five and a half and six and a half furlongs. Millennium Wind has run about equal on dirt and turf progeny, but his last three crops have strongly favored turf. With the exception of last year\u2019s crop, they have also shown a strong sprint bent. On the dam\u2019s side we find Archway(IRE), whose crops seem to fluctuate between dirt and turf runners, with his last two crops strongly favoring dirt. They also tend to be strong routers, especially as they mature. This colt has been sliding since his second start, and his speeds seemed to have leveled off in the fifties. He showed a decent short close in his first two, but as he has moved up in class, he hasn\u2019t shown any inclination to do much of anything. Though it is still early in the stakes season for two year olds, the speeds he has been running aren\u2019t really enough to be competitive at this level. He will need a drop in class to have success.<\/P>
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PP 3) Elusive Danzer(KY)<\/B> Sired by Belong To Me, Trained by spazzyjazz. Elusive Danzer(KY) takes the gate for his fifth start here. He has one prior stakes start, with a third place finish to show for it. He boasts a 2-1-1-0-0 record in his first four starts, posting a top speed of 75.4 in his last start. That run was a six and a half furlong turf stakes in Michigan, where he finished third, caught by the deeper closers down the stretch. He has one dirt start, and it showed he may have some surface versatility, but his turf runs have been on high end tracks, and shown he is up to the challenge. He seems quite comfortable sprinting and his two wins came in his two shorter races. Belong To Me tends to throw stronger dirt progeny than turf, but he has fielded some very good turf runners, as well. They are about evenly split between sprinters and routers. Elusive Quality on the dam side, is also a strong dirt influence. Through his female lines, he has been a very consistent sprint influence, but can add some stamina. This colt\u2019s speeds have been steadily improving, and he has been in the mix in every start, in some tough venues. He has shown a good consistent short close on turf, and the step back in distance benefits him here. Has the most consistent close in the field, he will be in the mix here.<\/P>
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PP 4) The Twister(AUS)<\/B> Sired by Markane, Trained by wildwest. The Twister(AUS) will be making his fourth career run here. He boasts a stakes win and a place in his first three, earning him a divisional ranking of 28 early in this stakes season. Three runs have earned him a 2-1-0 record, and a best speed of 74.4 earned last out. His last start was a six furlong stakes in Argentina, where he ran second in a field of five. All three starts have been right at the distance he faces here on turf, and he has responded very well. His sire Markane, is a freshman out of the Red Ransom line, and his earnings have been 100% on turf. There is not really any distance to judge by yet, but his pedigree screams route. On the other side of the lineage equation we have Hamas(IRE), out of the Danzig line, whose progeny appear to favor dirt sprints overall, though has fielded some strong turf routers through his female line. This colt is another consistent closer, though he may be looking for a bit more distance. He is one of only two stakes winners in this field, and his speeds have been improving. He should crack the trifecta here, and could be a target for some of the smart money at his inflated 7\/1 odds.<\/P>
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PP 5) One Cool Storm(IRE)<\/B> Sired by One Cool Cat, Trained by madesq. One Cool Storm(IRE) hits the track for his fourth career time here. He comes off back to back wins and takes his first crack at stakes competition here. He has gone 2-0-0-0-0 in his first three, hitting a high speed of 66.3 on an off track in his last start. His last run was a five and a have furlong A2L in Connecticut where he took a field of seven wire to wire to win by a length. After sustaining a minor injury in his debut on dirt, he came back on turf, and has a pair of wins to show for it. One Cool Cat, who sired him, has been a very strong sprint influence, though he is only a third year sire. He runs about 50\/50 between dirt and turf, with last year\u2019s crop favoring turf, and this year\u2019s favoring dirt by about the same margin. His dam sire, Artax, is much more of a dirt influence, though he has some good turfers in this years crop so far. He also provides a very strong sprint influence. The boost in class is a big question for this colt, and I would have liked to have seen him try dirt again before making this jump. He likes to jump on a piece of that early lead, and has some good closers behind him who have shown better speed. He also has another half furlong over his previous long that he has to hold on. I don\u2019t see that in the cards for him here. <\/P>
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PP 6) King Kamehamerat(JPN)<\/B> Sired by King Kamehameha(JPN), trained by darnath. King Kamehamerat(JPN) has six career races under his belt, five of them at stakes level. He has one stakes win to his credit. He has posted a record of 2-2-0-1-0 in his first six, showing a best speed of 75.1 notched three starts back. His last run was a six and a half furlong turf stakes in Eastern Kentucky, where he broke hard from the gate, leaving the field in the dust, owning two and a half lengths at the wire. All six career starts have been on turf, and his only real stumble was at eight furlongs on an off track, where he didn\u2019t get the fast break he is accustomed to getting. His sire, King Kamehameha(JPN), is out of the Kingmambo line, who tends to lend a lot of stamina. In his three seasons as a sire, two of three crops have shown a strong turf preference. His oldest crop are still showing best in sprints, even now that they have some distance available to them. Up the female side we have Pentelicus, out of Fappiano, shows progeny with a slight dirt preference, but an overwhelming tendency towards sprinters. This colt has performed quite well at stakes level, generally liking a piece of the early lead, but shows some ability to close a short distance at need. He\u2019s coming into this one on short rest after what should have been a tiring start in his last. Think that fact could lead to trouble holding on late. Could round out the trifecta, but don\u2019t see him at the top end.<\/P>
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PP 7) French Dancer(ENG) <\/B>Sired by Cacique(IRE), Trained by rms. French Dancer(ENG) gets the oddsmaker\u2019s nod here in his second start. This will be his first try at stakes. He broke his maiden in his debut last time out in a six furlong turf MSW in North Florida, posting a 73.9 speed leading a field of eight home. I think much of the oddmaker\u2019s enthusiasm is due to his breeding, especially through his female lines. Cacique(IRE) is a freshman sire out of the Danehill line, fielding eighteen winners out of sixty three starters, with three stakes winners, and one that broke the graded barrier. Thus far they seem to prefer turf by a goodly margin. His dam is by Nijinsky through a Storm Cat mare, and that should add plenty of speed, along with reinforcing turf through the inbreed to Northern Dancer. He broke early in his last as they approached the half, and nearly paid for it down the stretch. He takes a big jump in class here, with only one race by which to judge him. He looks good on paper, but I find it hard to commit until I see him face stakes company.<\/P><\/BODY><\/HTML><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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