{"id":4751,"date":"2007-09-19T19:20:13","date_gmt":"2007-09-19T19:20:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blacktypebugler.com\/?p=4751"},"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=4751","title":{"rendered":"Grade 1 World Cup Turf Mile"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Grade 1 World Cup Turf Mile<\/P>

<\/P>

Hail Cesario Looks to Reign Supreme<\/P>

<\/P>

TEXAS- A strong field of 12 has assembled for the inaugural running of the World Cup Turf Mile. Carrying lofty G1 status, the World Cup races offer the chance for a select few to nab a prestigious Grade 1 win, as well as serve for a near perfect prep for the main course- the Breeder\u2019s Bowl Turf Mile in five weeks.<\/P>

Team North America\/South America looks particularly strong in this race, and is threatening at least the top two spots, if not sweep the top three. Heading a powerful four horse contingent for Team NASA is multiple Graded stakes winner Hail Cesario. One can only wonder how strong Team NASA would have been in this race had one of the original selections, Zanzabar<\/B>, had not been a late scratch. Zanzabar recently threatened the all time Sim world record for a mile on either surface with a blistering 1:33 1\/5th<\/SUP> mark in the recently run Smackdown III event. That race left him only a few hundredths off the four plus year old mark set by Eruption<\/B> in a similar restricted stakes race in 2003.<\/P>

Since this is being written before the post position draw (time constraints demand this, and I do apologize- but Roys will have me assassinated if I miss this deadline), we\u2019ll go through the runners by team instead. Some would argue, with good reason, that in a race with this much talent, post position matters little.<\/P>

TEAM NORTH\/SOUTH AMERICA<\/P>

Hail Cesario <\/B>(Seeking the Gold-Northern Dancer) <\/I>Trainer catahoula <\/I>will not have to stray far from his home to saddle up the likely post time favorite in this race, as he hails from Texas. Hail\u2026.Texas\u2026..maybe we\u2019ll be hailing Texas and catahoula after this race. The compactly and powerfully built son of Seeking the Gold is a full brother to Eclipse Award and multiple Grade 1 winner Super Gold<\/B>, and this breeding nick has proven to be particularly powerful in the Sim. Hail Cesario has certainly done his part to contribute to its\u2019 success. He\u2019s a multiple Grade 1 winner who is capable of a 110+ figure with frightening regularity. In his last four, all at a flat mile on the lawn, he\u2019s been sub 110 only once. Unfortunately for Hail Cesario, he\u2019s got only one win in those four, albeit a G1 score in the Queen Sam Stakes. Catahoula was seen swallowing his beer whole after watching Hail Cesario toss down a monster career best 116 figure in an owner restricted <\/I>race in Smackdown III, only to fall short of the aforementioned Zanzabar. That race may have taken a bit of steam out of him, as he\u2019s managed only a fourth and a third in his last two outings in the G1 Jack the Man Stakes and the prestigious Canada Mile. Nonetheless, this guy, who typically shows a blazing turn of foot coming from well off the pace, has still tossed down one solid race after another. A fast pace would help his cause, and he may just get that in this field. He\u2019s fully capable of going under the magical 1:34 mark for the mile, having done that twice in his last four races. That time looks like the benchmark for this race, and he should be primed for a top effort. Hail Cesario could be hauling around Caesar\u2019s chariot in the winner\u2019s circle after this race if he brings his A game to the table.<\/P>

WOODYNA <\/B>(Woodman-Dynaformer) <\/I>A recent switch to the grass has really awakened this four year old brown blur. After toiling on the main track for 18 of his first 19 career starts, trainer one world<\/I> made the definitive switch to the lawn, and this guy has simply exploded. After a facile allowance level score, this stalker went directly to Grade 1 company and nabbed the prize in the Newcastle Stakes at 8.5 furlongs. He has also run a 1:34 flat for this distance, doing so in a victorious and hard fought battle in the G3 High Lady Cup. Not possessed of tremendous gate speed nor the vicious turn of foot of Hail Cesario, he\u2019ll probably be placed in mid pack and just fire off one 12 second furlong after another. He\u2019ll be one of the first to get the jump on the early pacesetters, and if he works out a good trip, he can take down top honors in this field.<\/P>

SHOULDN\u2019T MATTER <\/B>(North Light-Kingmambo) <\/I>A colt by the uninspiring mare Dancing Queeny<\/B>, this three year old is the only stakes winner tossed by his dam from four foals to make it to the track. The dark brown\/bay colt is just starting to come into his own, and while he\u2019s taking a huge step up in class, he\u2019s shown that he\u2019s got tremendous upside. A G3 winner at age two for trainer seek gold, <\/I>he went through a rough stretch to begin his three year old season. He won his first two starts in listed company this year, but showed little, if any, improvement over his two year old form. He then bounced around a bit looking for his niche- he failed in multiple graded stakes, sometimes miserably, before finally landing at a distance he really seems to adore- the flat mile. He slowly showed improvement before making a huge jump up in performance three starts ago in a listed nine furlong stakes. Cut back to a mile in his next start, he tossed down a career top 106 figure in a just miss second in the G2 Fried Rice Mile, and then followed that with a grind it out third in the G1 Maudlin Cup, taking a slight step back with a 102 figure. His form cycle, while fairly even, does seem to indicate that he\u2019s ready to make another move forward on Saturday. Having never gone sub 1:34, he better step up, or by the time he launches his move in the lane, the others will be long gone. Tremendous upside to this nice looking colt, but this is a very, very tall order for this three year old. It should be noted that his two best performances have come when challenging his elders. Perhaps he\u2019s emboldened by the challenge. He\u2019s certainly got one to embolden him now.<\/P>

THE SHINING <\/B>(Beat Hollow-Silver Hawk) <\/I>Fairly lightly raced four year old chestnut has really stepped up his game in his last four starts. He\u2019s flirted with longer distances with moderate success, but is another who seems to have found a real home in mile races. After a disastrous outing in the mile and a half Artful North Stakes, where he found himself thoroughly trounced by over 30 lengths, trainer lenny27 <\/I>moved him back in distance to a mile, and the proverbial light went on. Wins in two of his last five include the G1 Maudlin Cup, where he posted a sharp 106 figure LTO. He\u2019s come perilously close to the 1:34 mark in a couple of races, and his form in his last four has never been better. Yet another midpack runner, he\u2019s going to be placed near teammates Woodyna and Shouldn\u2019t Matter in the early going. He\u2019ll be another looking to get first run around the far turn, which will be a critical juncture in this race. With so many late and mid-pack runners in the field, he\u2019ll need to save some ground at some point to be a factor late. Figures to go off as the third or so choice when the gate springs open.<\/P>

TEAM EUROPE\/SCANDANAVIA<\/P><\/B>

Who\u2019s better at turf racing than the Euros? Nobody, that\u2019s who (although the Aussies and Kiwis may argue that point). That aside, Team EUSA is a bit weak in this race, and will need a couple to step up large to figure. Only two of the four are proven graded stakes caliber horses, and the other remaining two are solid allowance horses, not having proved their mettle in graded company as of yet. But, there\u2019s a surprise in here\u2026Team EUSA may just be bringing a new found freak to the party. It\u2019ll be a long road to haul against the the other teams, but there are some rock solid types being shipped to Texas by way of Europe on Saturday.<\/P>

JOSHEBA <\/B>(Alysheba-Saint Ballado) <\/I>Four year old colt out of the G rated mare Lady Jo Ann <\/B>is the second stakes winner tossed by her; her first foal, Golden Toque, <\/B>was a two time Grade 3 winner by Seeking the Gold. Although this pedigree screams long dirt, Josheba was never more than a good allowance horse on the main track. He was switched to the grass near the end of his three year old campaign, and has been steadily climbing in the rankings ever since. He won his first stakes in a mile listed stakes, tossing down a 112 speed figure five starts back, hitting the 1:34 barrier on the nose. Two starts later, he just missed by a length in the G1 Queen Sam Stakes after making all the pace, earning a new top 113 figure. That race looks to have done something to him, and it\u2019s not good. Either trainer coroner <\/I>decided that he needed to be rated early, or he just was the victim of poor breaks in his last two. Whatever the new malady may be, it needs to get fixed, and fixed quick. Josheba is clearly at his best when he\u2019s allowed to roll right from the gate. He\u2019s got explosive early speed that can be stretched over a route of ground. Whether he\u2019s developed an allergy to the starting gate, or coroner <\/I>is insisting upon rating him, it clearly hasn\u2019t worked. In his last two, he\u2019s been a bit tardy at the break, and has quite simply spit out the bit midway through both efforts. He doesn\u2019t have <\/I>to make the lead early, but the simple fact is, he\u2019s never reached the winner\u2019s circle when he\u2019s more than 2 \u00bc lengths off the lead at the midpoint of call. With his main Team NASA rivals all wanting to come from off the pace, this would seem a perfect spot to let him roll early; he may not face that much pressure. That would seem to be his best chance. If he breaks alertly, look for a huge effort; if he gets shuffled into mid pack a couple of furlongs into the race, stick a fork in him. It\u2019s that simple.<\/P>

BRABASTORM <\/B>(Storm Cat-Sadler\u2019s Wells) <\/I>Beautifully bred four year old is the only foal that\u2019s ever going to be from the B rated he-mare Brabawells. <\/B>As many of you may recall, Brabawells was one hell of a horse. He won the G1 Movieland Futurity at age two, and accounted himself well at age three, finishing on the board in three more Grade 1 events, all on the main track. Castrated, gussied up and sent to the speed influence Storm Cat,<\/I> Brabastorm was spit out of Brabawells. After some early success on the main track at age 3, Brabastorm sort of hit the proverbial wall and was switched to the turf, where sons of Storm Cat have enjoyed a surprising amount of success. Like his daddy, Brabastorm is most effective at 8-9 furlongs. He\u2019s managed a couple of listed wins on the lawn, but has failed miserably in G1 company. Coming off a career best 111 figure (good enough for fourth- go figure-) in the owner restricted Smackdown III race, he promptly backed up badly in his next start, absorbing a brutal beat down in the G2 Fried Rice Mile LTO. His form cycle does not inspire a lot of confidence here. He\u2019s certainly capable of a big run, but once he goes in the tank, it usually takes him three races or so to round back into form. That\u2019s held for almost his entire career. So, does history repeat itself here, and he takes a pounding, or does trainer Brabant<\/I> have a trick or two up his sleeve? Like Josheba, he\u2019s clearly at his best on the lead or very close to it. He\u2019ll have to roll out of the gate, as he\u2019s shown zero ability to come from well off the early pace. He should be part of the early mix, and if he\u2019s not, that\u2019s two from Team EUSA you can stick a fork in. Will there be some strategy here between Brabastorm and Josheba? Will both be hellbent on the lead? Or will one concede the lead to the other and try and make a soft pace? Lots of questions surrounding Team EUSA\u2019s top two ranked horses in the race.<\/P>

THEATROMANIA <\/B>(Green Desert-Theatrical) <\/I>Four year old chestnut is the first of three foals out of the B rated mare Too Theatrical<\/B>. None thus far have inherited her full ability, as none have won a stakes race. The lightly raced four year old, who will make only his fifteenth career start in the World Cup, has managed to notch four of his five career wins in his last five outings. While none have been of the leave you breathless variety, he\u2019s cleared his conditions fairly smartly for trainer racer<\/I>, and while not perhaps the \u201cnext logical step\u201d, this is the direction he looks ready to proceed in. Time only matters in jail, and while he\u2019s not cracking any stopwatches with his times, his speed figures have been steadily climbing and his recent wins have all be fairly facile- often an indicator that a breakout race is looming on the horizon. Theatromania likes to sit midpack, where he should enjoy a lot of company, and make his move between the 3\/16ths and 1\/8th<\/SUP> pole. He\u2019s broken the 100 figure barrier in his last two, and looks to move forward. He\u2019ll have to improve by about eight to ten lengths to reach the winner\u2019s circle Saturday. Improbable, but not out of the question for this horse who seems to just now be finding his best stride.<\/P>

COURT ACT <\/B>(Sabrehill-Golden Act) <\/I>Obscurely bred yet strapping chestnut saw the lights finally go on in his last start. Never having run in triple digits, this former 20K claimer blew up in his last race, closing like a scalded dog to just miss in an open allowance while tossing down a career best 109 figure. He\u2019s making only his 11th<\/SUP> career start Saturday, and he\u2019s one of those huge question marks. Has he finally put it all together, or was his last race one of those once a year freak jobs? I don\u2019t pretend to know, but if he duplicates his last race, he\u2019ll have some looking over at him wondering \u201cwho the hell is that?\u201d in deep stretch. Expect to see this confirmed late closer sitting way in the back early. When they hit the four furlong marker, a lot of questions will be asked and ultimately answered.<\/P>

TEAM AUSTRALIA\/NEW ZEALAND\/FAR EAST <\/P><\/B>

FENZA is much simpler than that beast of a name. We\u2019ll stick to that. The Down Under\/Over There crew has assembled a solid if unspectacular team for the Turf Mile. Once again, this team pales in comparison that the firepower Team NASA has on paper, but like the saying goes, \u201cTHAT\u2019S WHY THEY RUN THE RACE!\u201d Races aren\u2019t won on paper- they\u2019re won on the track. At least on of Team FENZA\u2019s horses figures to compete for the winner\u2019s check. The other three will look to add some solid points to the Team totals.<\/P>

PAYCHECK <\/B>(Montjeu-Green Desert) <\/I>Three year old colt is currently the #4 ranked three year old turf classic horse. He\u2019s been highly consistent for nearly his entire career, which saw him finish a close second in the BB Juvenile Turf at age 2. The lone offspring of the G rated he-mare Robbie\u2019s Red Boy, he\u2019s far outdistanced that one in career accomplishments through only 13 races. He\u2019s already a Grade 1 winner, having captured the much sought after 2000 Guineas after a belated run at the Bluegrass Derby. He followed that up with a solid third in the G1 St. James Tavern, and his speed figs have begun to jump quickly. He prepped nicely for this race with an easy score in a listed stakes at 7.5 furlongs, posting a career best 109 figure while hardly drawing a deep breath. He\u2019s a stalking sort with a great turn of foot, and he looks to really be coming into his own right now. Although this will be his first try against older horses, he certainly looks up to the task, and a small continued thrust forward puts him squarely in the hunt in this race. Trainer deyoto <\/I>has done a masterful job bringing him along, and he\u2019s looking to improve upon the early success he showed at age 2. A win here would go a long way to erasing the memory of a near miss in the Breeder\u2019s Bowl and set him up very nicely for a return trip. In with a very, very live shot. Looks the best of any three year old in this race.<\/P>

KING OF KILMORE <\/B>(Lonhro-Snurge) <\/I>Five year old brown horse will likely be staring at his stablemate Paycheck\u2019s butt for most of this race. That\u2019s not a knock on the King, but more a tribute to the ability demonstrated by Paycheck.<\/P>

This guy\u2019s been absorbing some beatings in listed company lately, and that does not bode well for Saturday. Those 100+ figures are like a distant memory, as he hasn\u2019t popped one of those in some six races now. Might be ready for a step down in class, but he\u2019s instead been tabbed to try this route. He can come from off the pace, but is more effective when close up early. He should get that preferred trip, since there is a dearth of early speed in this race. Regardless of trip, he\u2019s going to have to turn back the hands of Father Time and reach well into himself to find his best effort Saturday, or he won\u2019t figure prominently.<\/P>

GALLANT DANCER <\/B>(Sadler\u2019s Wells-Daylami) <\/I>Well bred four year old gray is the first foal from F rated mare Flyami Theater. The latter two who followed him have yet to win a race between them. Gallant Dancer showed great promise early in his career, winning a stakes race in only his second start. He continued on with solid productivity, and has nabbed several listed stakes during his 29 race career. He\u2019s never been terribly impressive in graded company, however, with a fifth place showing marking his best graded effort. After a prolonged period of jumping into graded and non-graded races, trainer coffee <\/I>finished out his three year old season with a string of six allowance races. The drop in class gave him some much needed time to mature, and he\u2019s rewarded coffee<\/I> with a much improved ledger at age four. He\u2019s run a new career top of 109, and broken the century mark for speed figures in three of his five starts this season. He\u2019s got one stakes win to show for that, but he\u2019s been demonstrating more consistency in his efforts. He\u2019ll see some familiar foes here, particularly some from the Smackdown III restricted race, where he finished a well beaten fifth while tossing down a respectable 105 number. He\u2019ll have to improve on his career best to win this race, but all signs seem to indicate that he hasn\u2019t yet reached his bottom. In with a shot if he brings his very best to Texas on Saturday.<\/P>

STAR BROCCO <\/B>(Brocco-Mr. Redoy) <\/I>This three year old colt has his work cut out for him in a big way. Not only will he be facing his elders for the first time, he\u2019s the only horse in the field who doesn\u2019t show a 100 or better speed figure in his career. He\u2019s certainly come close, running 99 on two occasions, but that\u2019s not going to get much done in this race. Does his best running close to the pace, which figures to be fairly soft early. His last three outings have seen him improve significantly, but for Star Brocco, who\u2019s likely to be the longest shot on the board, he\u2019s going to have to improve to a level he has yet shown himself capable of to make much of dent on Saturday.<\/P>

THE PICKS <\/B>Not much speed in here, so the two front runners from Team EUSA may catch a big break early. Look for the stalkers to be very bunched up turning for home. A good trip will likely be the key here. Getting strung out wide on the far turn will probably spell doom for a bunch of runners. It\u2019s tough not to see Hail Cesario getting it done in here, but we\u2019re going to take a nice price and put Paycheck on top of the ticket, with Hail Cesario, Josheba and Woodyna battling it out for the next three spots. Paycheck looks ready to take it to the next level, and this is the time where three year olds really begin to step up.<\/P>

Good luck to all in the World Cup!<\/P><\/FONT><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Talent Abounds in Inaugural Sim World Cup<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"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-4751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4751","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\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4751"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4751\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}