{"id":47241,"date":"2018-10-31T22:52:29","date_gmt":"2018-11-01T02:52:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blacktypebugler.com\/?p=47241"},"modified":"2018-10-31T22:52:29","modified_gmt":"2018-11-01T02:52:29","slug":"royal-navy-ship-sets-sail-towards-repeat-in-breeders-bowl-dirt-mile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/?p=47241","title":{"rendered":"Royal Navy Ship Sets Sail Towards Repeat in Breeders’ Bowl Dirt Mile"},"content":{"rendered":"

Breeders\u2019 Bowl Day One includes the Dirt Mile which will be run at 2:10:00 PM Game Time on Friday the 2nd<\/sup>.\u00a0 The first day\u2019s runners lucked out in getting fast\/firm tracks as rain will settle in over the Kentucky track overnight and soften things up for the Saturday races.\u00a0 Like all the other Breeders\u2019 Bowl races the Dirt Mile attracted a full field of fourteen including last season\u2019s winner Royal Navy Ship and third place finisher Coward\u2019s Punch.\u00a0 But there are a slew of new challengers in what is a very competitive field.\u00a0 Let\u2019s take a look.<\/p>\n

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#1 Takodana\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 16\/1<\/p>\n

Leading off this year\u2019s Dirt Mile field is one of two three year olds to make the field.\u00a0 Takodana is the more favored of the two but only slightly.\u00a0 This colt showed a tremendous amount of promise early on and ended up on the Bluegrass Derby conveyor belt this spring.\u00a0 He skipped listeds to make his stakes debut in the Buccaneeer Derby (G3) where he closed from midpack to finish second.\u00a0 Then it was on to a Derby Lock Prep in Arkansas where Takodana finished off the board for the first (and so far only) time in his career.\u00a0 After experimenting distance wise Takodana found himself going a straight mile.\u00a0 He\u2019s run that distance in his last three starts and won them all, each more impressive than the last.\u00a0 He finally got his stakes win in August when he galloped around a thirteen horse field to win by three lengths with an eye-popping 119 speed.\u00a0 He moved up to a G2 last time and improved his speed to a 120 with a nearly two length advantage at the wire.\u00a0 Takodana is a scratchbred War Front x Seeking the Gold x Awesome Again.<\/p>\n

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#2 Scat\u2019s Roar\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 6\/1<\/p>\n

According to his trainer, Scat\u2019s Roar was destined to be a miler.\u00a0 Trotter1 has developed this family and recalls the hemare to his Breeders\u2019 Bowl runner fondly.\u00a0 Cat\u2019s Roar was an Unbridled\u2019s Song x Storm Cat horse who was graded placed three times in his career (with two of those losses coming at less than a length) but all three graded runs were in dirt miles.\u00a0 Scat\u2019s Roar was from the last crop of two year olds by Scat Daddy.\u00a0 The name choice of Scat\u2019s Roar \u201cmade perfect sense\u201d recalls trotter1.\u00a0 Scat\u2019s Roar made his debut sprinting but won in his second start going a mile.\u00a0 Indeed all ten of this horse\u2019s wins have come at that distance.\u00a0 As a four year old Scat\u2019s Roar hit the board in three straight graded races topped off by the Cosmopolitan Mile behind the smart runner River of Doubt.\u00a0 Scat\u2019s Roar has really come into himself this season.\u00a0 He won his first graded stakes in the Grade Three Not Far Stakes with an eye popping 121 speed.\u00a0 Trainer trotter1 felt that he was due to bounce after that start but entered Scat\u2019s Roar in another G3 to see and he was right, his colt needed an easier spot after that big effort.\u00a0 He rebounded by taking the Cosmopolitan Mile (G1) over last season\u2019s rival River of Doubt as well as top contenders here like Angerwall and Wall I Built with another top effort of 118 speed.\u00a0 \u201chis next two starts in the Tete Galactic Dirt Challenge and an open allowance race respectively, both victories, both cherry picked preps for the BB Mile\u201d says trotter1.\u00a0 He continues \u201cWhile I respect the chances of every horse in this field, I feel if Scat\u2019s Roar gets enough pace in front of him, and I think he will, could be tough to beat here, or at least good enough to gain a share of the top three spots.\u00a0 I believe he is set up to be at his best on BB Day.\u00a0 I did my best with him, the rest is up to him and the racing gods.\u201d<\/p>\n

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#3 Dance Now\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9\/1<\/p>\n

Some horses do well off long layoffs.\u00a0 Dance Now proved he could fire big off a layoff in his first start this year, the Equinics Dirt Mile where he ran the best race of his career to win with a 117 speed.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t started since the previous November when he ran a strong second in a grade three where he ran a 118 speed.\u00a0 Most trainers would have persevered with a horse in top form but trainer scharenberg decided to point for that big race and it paid off brilliantly.\u00a0 The six year old son of Tiznow out of a Storm Cat x Forty Niner mare is one of three stakes winners for his dam.\u00a0 His form dramatically improved when he was gelded as a four year old and became a consistent stakes and graded runner.\u00a0 Dance Now bounced a bit coming out of the huge Equinics run.\u00a0 He was off the board in two graded stakes races before taking a whole five months to train just for this spot.<\/p>\n

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#4 Angerwall\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 11\/1<\/p>\n

Angerwall started the year off strong with a win in the Grade Three Jimmy Pasqual followed by a huge score in the February Stakes, a Grade One.\u00a0 This front running six year old tried to go for a threepeat in the Cosmopolitan Mile but was run down late by Scat\u2019s Roar.\u00a0 In those three races Angerwall ran speeds of 118, 115 and 115 respectively.\u00a0 His two most recent races have not been nearly as successful.\u00a0 He tried dropping back to sprints in a grade one but he failed to make the lead and faded to twelfth.\u00a0 Returning to a mile in September he found himself second early on without ever really being close to the lead and again faded.\u00a0 Angerwall was gelded in February of 2017 and seven of his twelve wins have come since that equipment change including all of his stakes and graded victories.\u00a0 He\u2019s a scratchbred son of Street Cry x Deputy Minister x Alydar.<\/p>\n

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#5 Paynterpicture\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 19\/1<\/p>\n

Paynterpicture is the other three year old in the field.\u00a0 He enters riding a three race win streak which include a listed and a grade two victory.\u00a0 The grade two \u2013 the La Holla Stakes for three year olds saw him run a career best speed of 116 and with this spot in mind he dropped down to an allowance race to prevent a bounce.\u00a0 He won that allowance in facile style with a 113 speed.\u00a0 He tends to drop about four to five lengths off the lead before pouncing on the leaders and pulling away in the stretch.\u00a0 He\u2019s by Paynter out of the grade one winning Dubai Millenium x Northern Dancer mare Mudreach\u2019s FNAS.\u00a0 Now for the really cool part.\u00a0 Last year player theduke sprung a major upset with a colt named Royal Navy Flag.\u00a0 The Gold Ship colt won by closing stoutly through the stretch to just get up at 23\/1.\u00a0 Royal Navy Flag is a half brother to Paynterpicutre.\u00a0 How cool would it be for a mare to take back-to-back running of a big race \u2013 a Breeders\u2019 Bowl race no less?!?\u00a0 Paynterpicture is coming into this spot in better form than his older brother did last year.<\/p>\n

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#6 Wobbles Cadet\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 7\/1<\/p>\n

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Trainer cadet believes he has a big chance in this race with Wobbles Cadet.\u00a0 He says he \u201cwas sweating not getting into the field sitting at 14th<\/sup> for over a week\u201d but \u201cthis guy is coming along fabulously and the morning line shows it!\u201d\u00a0 Wobbles Cadet has run a 119 speed three times in his career \u2013 all three races were run at a mile.\u00a0 One was a listed and two were grade threes and all resulted in big wins.\u00a0 The last of those wins was back in April in New York when he won the Chester West Handicap.\u00a0 Traditionally the local prep for the Cosmopolitan Mile, the Chester West often attracts very solid fields but sometimes a big win so close to another big race (the two are about a month apart) can knock a horse out which is what happened to Wobbles Cadet.\u00a0 He just missed in the Grade Two Middle Ground Mile, losing by a half length with a 116 speed behind Tales of Hearts whom he meets here again.\u00a0 Cadet\u2019s strategy after the Middle Ground was to run in a prep at 8.5f.\u00a0 He says \u201cthe last race was purely a prep to keep him fresh in my classic .80 effort, then return three weeks later and BOOM! His run at less than full effort (he finished fifth with a 114 speed) really shows he is feeling good and should get back to a 119 rating.\u00a0 I just hope its good enough.\u201d\u00a0 Of cadet\u2019s six Breeders\u2019 Bowl efforts he is most confidant in this colt to put forth a top effort.\u00a0 He has a lot of respect for Scat\u2019s Roar who will also be carrying the banner for the Empire State Residency.\u00a0 Wobbles Cadet is a son of Shamardal out of the grade three winning Carson City x Irish River mare Car Funking.\u00a0 His name was inspired by wobbler syndrome (or wobbles) a neurologic condition that gives a horse an uncoordinated gait.\u00a0 Sire Shamardal suffered from the syndrome as a young horse but went on to be a successful race horse and sire.<\/p>\n

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#7 Walls I Built\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8\/1<\/p>\n

Walls I Built was a strong three year old who turned into a great older runner after receiving the unkindest cut.\u00a0 Gelding seems to have put this horse\u2019s head on straight and his five year old campaign has been his strongest yet.\u00a0 All five of his starts have been graded dirt miles and he\u2019s hit the board in four of them.\u00a0 He scored the biggest victory of his career in the Grade Two Sand Castle Godolphin Mile in March, taking the big race wire to wire with a 121 speed.\u00a0 Interestingly the only other race he lead early on was his most recent run and that was the race where he failed to hit the board.\u00a0 He was second in the Grade One February Stakes and third in the Cosmopolitan Mile behind Scat\u2019s Roar and Angerwall after battling for the early lead in second.\u00a0 He also finished second in another G2 using a similar strategy.\u00a0 With only five starts this year he is hardly over raced and that may be to his advantage with others being a little more worn out after long campaigns.\u00a0 And he has shown that he can pop the big speeds.\u00a0 He\u2019s a scratchbred son of Congrats x Halo x Deputy Minister.\u00a0 That\u2019s a pretty classy backend and Congrats is one of my personal favorite underused sires.\u00a0 He can throw big horses in real life and he can do it in the sim.<\/p>\n

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#8 Ima So Lucky\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 12\/1<\/p>\n

Ima So Lucky has not run a one mile race since April of 2017.\u00a0 He\u2019s run seven times at that distance with only a maiden win to his credit.\u00a0 He\u2019s been knocking heads with some of the bigger names in the older division but since last November he has accounted for two grade three wins and a grade two with an average speed of 117.3 in those wins.\u00a0 All three races came at a mile and a sixteenth with the last one coming in May.\u00a0 He\u2019s only had two starts since, one in July and the next on September 1st<\/sup> and both were disappointing efforts.\u00a0 The five year old son of Lookin at Lucky out of Grade Three winner Irreversible, by Giant\u2019s Causeway x Mr. Prospector.\u00a0 He is a half brother to Empire Causeway, a three time grade one winner on the grass including one grade one win going a mile.\u00a0 Can Ima So Lucky be so lucky as to shorten up and score the biggest win of his career?<\/p>\n

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#9 Tales of Hearts\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 12\/1<\/p>\n

As mentioned above Congrats is one of my favorite value sim sires and with two runners in the Dirt Mile players might begin to see why.\u00a0 Tales of Hearts is another scratchbred by that sire with a classy Seattle Slew x Secretariat backend.\u00a0 This five year old won the first graded stakes race of his career on December 1st<\/sup> of 2017 and only ran three more times between that race and this start.\u00a0 After two unsuccessful graded tries Tales of Hearts was given over four months on holiday until he returned on September 9th<\/sup> with a big win in the Grade Two Middle Ground Mile.\u00a0 He closed from dead last that day to run down fellow entrant Wobbles Cadet by a half length with a 116 speed.\u00a0 Also finishing behind him that day were two other entrants in this spot.\u00a0 Going almost two months to this start should give Tales of Hearts enough time to recover from that massive effort.<\/p>\n

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#10 Coward\u2019s Punch\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 7\/1<\/p>\n

Coward\u2019s Punch has run in exactly one one mile dirt race in his career.\u00a0 It was this race last year and he finished a strong third, beaten only two lengths.\u00a0 All eighteen of his other races have come at longer distances.\u00a0 He\u2019s run well this year, winning two grade threes at a mile and one sixteenth and adding two seconds from six starts.\u00a0 It is difficult to say that he came into this race in better form last season when his most recent win came with a 123 speed figure attached but in 2017 he\u2019d won three graded races, including a g1 with a 120 speed.\u00a0 It\u2019s really hard to know what to make of this five year old scratchbred by Smart Strike x Nureyev x Secretariat.\u00a0 He does have some early speed but has shown he doesn\u2019t need to be on the lead from the get go to be effective.<\/p>\n

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#11 Royal Navy Ship\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 16\/1<\/p>\n

The defending champion may be 16\/1 but that is more respect than he received last year.\u00a0 Theduke\u2019s Royal Navy Ship has only run a mile on the dirt once since that big victory, instead trying both shorter and longer including a foray into the Sand Castle Classic at a mile and one quarter.\u00a0 He\u2019s also run twice on the turf this year.\u00a0 Last season he prepped for this race with a win in a turf sprint allowance and it looks like theduke tried for the same magic before the Sand Castel and again before this race.\u00a0 This year his prep was a seven and one half furlong turf race (the same as last season) but instead of an allowance he went for a Japan-bred Local Championship.\u00a0 He dominated that field, coming from mid-pack to win going away with a 114 speed.\u00a0 That was his second fastest speed this year.\u00a0 The fastest came in the Grade Two Lil\u2019 Leprechaun Mile back in July, his only dirt mile start where he finished second with a 115 speed.\u00a0 As mentioned above Royal Navy Ship is not theduke\u2019s only representative in this race and it is not the only representative for his dam Mudreachs FNAS.\u00a0 Both trainer and mare have Royal Navy Ship\u2019s three year old half brother Paynterpicture going as well.<\/p>\n

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#12 Outback Alias \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8\/1<\/p>\n

How tough is this field?\u00a0 \u201cLooking at threats there will be 13 of them\u201d says kyogle, trainer of Outback Alias.\u00a0 \u201cI guess I\u2019m like most with a runner.\u00a0 It\u2019s virtually impossible to be confident, but there won\u2019t be a bad horse in the race, so everyone is entitled to be hopeful.\u201d\u00a0 Outback Alias is a four year old scratchbred son of Giant\u2019s Causeway x Broad Brush x Mr. Prospector and the pedigrees don\u2019t come much bluer than that.\u00a0 He had a three race win streak broken in his most recent start, a nine furlong grade two.\u00a0 Prior to that he won the Grade Two Lil\u2019 Leprechaun Mile over last year\u2019s BB Dirt Mile winner Royal Navy Flag a grade three and a listed.\u00a0 His speeds were 122, 120 and 118 respectively in those races.\u00a0 Going a mile Outback Alias has a record of 7-6-1-0 with the only loss coming in a listed by a head.\u00a0 This may be the sleeper horse of the field.\u00a0 He is a miler through and through and big mile races don\u2019t come up often in the game.\u00a0 Kyogle mentions two threats specifically, Scat\u2019s Roar and Takodona but he says \u201cI\u2019d probably should wish my opposition the best of luck\u2026.but I won\u2019t!\u201d\u00a0 I don\u2019t blame him with a chance like Outback Alias I\u2019d want all the luck for myself too.<\/p>\n

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#13 Wickedsenseofhumor\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 11\/1<\/p>\n

In a field full of blue blooded scratchbreds Wickedsenseofhumor may take the cake.\u00a0 The Four year old colt is Distorted Humor x Deputy x Minister x Danzig.\u00a0 He has run exactly two races at a mile on the dirt and he\u2019s won them both but the most recent came in August of 2017 in an allowance.\u00a0 He\u2019s matured into a very nice four year old with two grade two wins on the year and a grade one second in his most recent start.\u00a0 The only trouble?\u00a0 All three of those races came at a mile and one eighth.\u00a0 His three best races have seen him run two 119 speeds and a 117.\u00a0 He\u2019s fast and he\u2019s classy but he\u2019s unfortunately caught between distances for the Breeders\u2019 Bowl.\u00a0 He has tried a mile and one quarter and been unsuccessful so the dice are rolled in the Dirt Mile to see what comes up.\u00a0 Of course Coward\u2019s Punch followed a similar path last year and finished a strong third in the gamble.\u00a0 His biggest wins have seen him go out and get a clear lead early on and put some distance between himself and the rest of the field and run them off their feet.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

#14 Exceptional Value\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 12\/1<\/p>\n

Exceptional Value sports the fastest 2018 speed of any entrant of the field.\u00a0 He ran a 124 going a mile and one sixteenth in the Grade Two Sand Dimas Stakes back in July.\u00a0 He also rana 123 in his prior run, a listed at the same distance.\u00a0 After starting his career on the turf he\u2019s been a bang up dirt runner with four wins from eight starts along with two seconds and a third.\u00a0 He was second in a G1 going nine fulrongs back in September and then ran back four weeks later to finish fourth.\u00a0 He is 3-1-1-1 in dirt mile races but all were allowance races.\u00a0 He gets his name from his dam Exceptionalism (Tapit x Deputy Minister) but also likely from a good deal on his sire Hard Spun.\u00a0 Exceptionalism was a graded placed stakes winner who did all her running on the grass.\u00a0 Her first foal is the English Channel mare Mutant Powers who has won four grade one races going a mile on the grass.\u00a0 Exceptional Value\u2019s two year old by Churchill is already a stakes winner as well.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Good luck to all!<\/p>\n

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

Breeders\u2019 Bowl Day One includes the Dirt Mile which will be run at 2:10:00 PM Game Time on Friday the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":138488,"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-47241","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47241","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\/138488"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=47241"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47241\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47242,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47241\/revisions\/47242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=47241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=47241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=47241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}