Stakes action returns to Minnesota Downs this week after no added money event was put on last weeks card. This created fan outcry and after some heavy negotiations between the track management and the Derby Fever Racing Association a settlement was reached where for the next 3 weeks starting next saturday there will be 2 added money events on the minny racecards. WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE MINNESOTA DOWNS RESIDENCY THIS WEEK<\/U><\/STRONG><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/P> Well we are now onto our new message board and all seems to be working well, our next project will be getting the trainer’s contest program to work so we can resume that contest.<\/SPAN><\/P> Our most recent trainers contest ended with the winner being Doza with his Remedy Stable who earned 99 points with Wenlock finishing 2nd with his Wenlock stable (93 points) and 3rd with his Robertob75 stable (92 points). Congrats.<\/SPAN><\/P> Theo won last week’s high speed rating contest when his horse Wild Rumpus posted a 110 speed rating taking home the 200 credit prize.<\/SPAN><\/P> The previous 3 Chuckrock’s horse of the week awards have gone to:<\/SPAN><\/P> Week 3385—Winning a New Jersey stakes is about to be a huge deal in the sim. Unfortunately for PRAYER IS(OK), she won one week to early. She did however win the The A. P. NASKRA Stakes for pazfarms, of Pazzjazz fame. Week 3392—<\/FONT>4 wins in the last 5 races and 5 in the last 7. A 110 Sp over 7.5 furlongs in Iowa for her 16th career win. Lyndhurst in the remedy stable out of the Doza world. She has been fantastic recently and seemingly is getting better. she has run 39 races and I’d like to see 39 more. How about this stat, in 39 races she has only finished outside of the top 5 once. she even has a win and a show on grass. Week 3399—<\/FONT>This week’s award goes to IRON ACUMEN who ran for graywolf this past week. IA won the 8th race in Minnesota this week, a 2k NW4L claimer. The colt also was claimed away from graywolf. What made this horse win? The horse only ran 5 times for the graywolf stable, finishing in the money all 5 times. Although graywolf only got this one win from him, a spectacular claim it was, clearly earning back some nice BP. Additionally graywolf wisely ran the colt 3 time on wet dirt, something that Iron Acumen seems to like. Congrats to graywolf and Iron Acumen, and good luck in your new stable.
This weeks feature race is The Control Roll(IRE) Bonanza Stakes for fillies and mares 3 year olds and up. A field of 9 has entered the 9.5 furlongs dirt race and will be chasing for the lion’s share of the $50,000 purse.
Let’s take a look at today’s field:
1)MUDS AND SUDS—7\/1—pick4 sends this 5 year old mare out of DANZIG with a record of 23-7-2-4 and lifetime earnings of $132,435. This 1958th divisional ranked mare races for the Pierchinski Stables based at the GR Simsters. This mare was unraced as a 2 year old and picked up 3 allowance wins in her 3 year old season. She picked up 4 more wins last year including her only stakes win in The Old Plumber Memorial stakes right here in Minnesota whee she matched her previous lifetime best 107 speed rating for the 7.5 furlong dirt sprint. That was her last win as she is winless so far this year and she returns to her previous success location to try and pick up her first win in the 2007 season. Her best races have come as a closer but her 2 starts lifetime at today’s distance suggest that this may be a bit to far for this girl and she will have to break out of her recent slump to be considered a factor here today. The rider for today’s race will be Sappington (6.9%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—93.
2)KING’S DIAMOND—9\/2—maryfran sends this 4 year old mare out of RAHY with a record of 18-7-2-1 and lifetime earnings of $186,671. This 144th divisional ranked mare races out of the CR Racers residency. This mare did not race in her 2 year old season and picked up a pair of allowance wins last year. This year she picked up 4 more allowance races before winning her first stakes race 2 starts ago in The Mountain Prospect Special Stakes in Nevada where she posted a lifetime best 110 speed rating in the 9.5 furlong dirt race. She could not match that race in a Grade III start last time out so returns to the overnite stakes division this week. She is a closer who sit midpack early and seems to like this distance. The rider for today’s race will be Green (9.5%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—104.
3)BARB’S SLOW COOKER(KY)—7\/1—radarmansn sends this 3 year old filly out of SAARLAND with a record of 18-6-2-4 and lifetime earnings of $658,580. She is out of the mare DOCTOR FLAG who was 13\/73 at the track and who has 5 foals on record of which 4 are winners including 1 Graded stakes winner. This 52nd divisional ranked filly races for the Jakematt stables based over at Del\/Penn National. This filly was a 2 time stakes winner last year as a 2 year old including The Grade II Red Fish Blue Fish Stakes in Dubai. She has picked up a pair of overnite stakes wins this year including her last race in The Queen Guenevere Challenge stakes where she posted her lifetime best 106 speed rating over the 9 furlong dirt race which was against older foes as she will face today. She is a closer who likes the longer distances such as today’s race. The rider for today’s race will be Stinson (9%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—102.
4)FUNKADELIC(IRE)—11\/1—super25 sends this 4 year old mare out of GIANT’S CAUSEWAY(IRE) with a record of 26-7-1-3 and lifetime earnings of $133,171. This 885th divisional ranked mare races for super’s More Evil Than The Evil Empire stables based over at Del\/Penn National. This mare broke her maiden on the turf and also picked up a dirt allowance win in her 2 year old season. Last year she added another pair of allowance wins to her record and after struggling early this year has come on to win her last 2 starts also allowance races. She posted her lifetime best 98 speed rating last time out in a 9 furlong dirt race in PA and will be making her first stakes start since her 2 year old season today. While she has shown success in her last 2 starts racing much closer to the pace it should be pointed out that both those fields were small and with the extra starters in today’s starting grid will make it tougher for her to have the same position as her most recent starts. The rider for today’s race will be Ritorto (12%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—96.
5)AUSSIE DYNOMITE—5\/1—ldstable sends this 4 year old mare out of DYNAFORMER with a record of 26-8-5-2 and lifetime earnings of $215,225. She is out of the mare STRAWBERRY SUNDAE(IRE) who was 0\/2 at the track and this is the only foal on record to date. This 72nd divisional ranked mare races for the local Minnnesota Downs division of the Fabman stables. This mare broker her maiden in her 1st dirt start after a pair of turf starts in her 2 year old season. She added a pair of allowance wins last year and put together a 4 allowance race winning streak which was only broken when she tried a stakes start 2 races back. While she ended up 2nd in that start she bounced back to win The Stupidly For Ralph Memorial Stakes last time out posting her lifetime best 106 speed rating in the 10 furlong dirt race in Montana. This closer sits midpack early and her best results have come at the 10 furlong distance so it remains to be seen how she will handle the slight cutback in distance today. The rider for today’s race will be Ritterspauch (5.2%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—104.
6)LOVE NEVER DIE(IRE)—10\/1—toplight sends this 3 year old filly out of SINDAAR(IRE) with a record of 15-5-3-3 and lifetime earnings of $638,600. She is out of the mare ORANGE KELLY who was 1\/4 at the track and who has 5 foals on record of which 4 are winners including 1 Graded stakes winner. This 5th divisional ranked filly races for the EAAA division of the Toplight stables. While this filly broker her maiden on the turf it was not until she switched to the dirt in her 2nd start this year that she showed her true abilities. She won 4 of her first 5 starts on the dirt hilited by a win in The Grade I Bluegrass Oaks in Kentucky. She posted her lifetime best 103 speed rating while finishing 2nd in The Grade I Sister Hen Stakes in New York in June of this year over 9 furlongs on the dirt. She has not been able to reproduce the magic from this spring lately and comes back to stakes company this week after racing in a pair of allowance starts recently. This stalker\/closer hopes to be able to get back on track with this race today but she will be making her first start against older foes in this race. The rider for today’s race will be Friar (17.9%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—95.
7)MY COVER STORY—7\/2—murray2 sends this 4 year old mare out of MINESHAFT with a record of 16-8-0-3 and lifetime earnings of $298,790. This 32nd divisional ranked mare races out of the Murray1 stables based at the NWRC. This mare was unraced as a 2 year old and won her first 2 lifetime starts last year. She added another allowance win in her 3 year old season and has 5 wins this year including 3 stakes win hilited by a win in The Grade III County BB Handicap in Arizona. She posted her lifetime best 108 speed rating while winning The Del Mar Distaff Stakes in CA earlier this year over 9 furlongs on the dirt. This pace presser has shown some early speed in the past and with the lack of any real early speed in this race may end up cutting the fractions today and if she gets loose on the lead may not be catched. The rider for today’s race will be Cothill (15.1%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—102.
8)CHOPPING HILL—9\/1—meguire5th sends this 5 year old mare out of WOODMAN with a record of 42-7-11-8 and lifetime earnings of $584,547. This 26th divisional ranked mare races for the unafilliated Meguire stables. This mare was winless as a 2 year old and broker her maiden in her 7th lifetime start. She added 2 more wins in her 3 year old season including an overnite stakes victory. She picked up 3 wins including 2 stakes races last year but finshed in the top 3 many more times in her races. She is winless in 11 starts this year but has finished 2nd 6 times making her a second place wonder in her career. She is a closer who has won with speed in the past but that was usually in small 4 horse fields. She is good at the distance as she posted her lifetime best speed rating of 105 this past spring while finishing 2nd in The Grade III Bringing Up The Rear Classic in New Mexico over 9.5 furlongs on the dirt. The rider for today’s race will be Bowen (19.2%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—93.
9)BEND IN THE RIVER—4\/1—jakster sends this 4 year old mare out of DISTORTED HUMOR with a record of 32-8-11-3 and lifetime earnings of $204,600. She is out of the mare ASTRO RIVER(IRE) who was 0\/14 at the track and who has 3 foals on record of which this is the only winner so far to date. This 53rd divisional ranked mare races for the unafilliated division of Legion’s Infinity Farms. This mare broke her maiden in her 3rd lifetime start for her only win in her 2 year old season. After a 4 race stretch on the turf last year she returned to the dirt to pick up 4 more wins including a stakes win in her 2006 finale in The Air Marilyn Memorial Stakes in Deleware. This year she has picked up 3 more wins including a pair of overnite stakes races. She posted her lifetime best 106 speed rating while winning The Solar Groom Memorial Stakes over 9 furlongs on the dirt in MO and she matched that mark last time out in a 2nd place allowance race finish. She is another midpack closer in this race which may have a slow early pace due to the lack of early speed. She has had success at the 9 furlong distance suggesting the extra half furlong will not present any problems today. The rider for today’s race will be Ballard (10.1%). PROJECTED SPEED RATING—103
NOTE #5 AUSSIE DYNOMITE IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE 200 CREDIT MINNESOTA DOWNS RESIDENCY PURSE SUPPLEMENT SHOULD SHE WIN THIS RACE.<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/P>
In her 5th race the two year old won her second race. she has never been out of the money and is now the 27th rated router in the class. Her breeding is Diamond X Storm Cat X Fappiano and she has thus far shown glittering potential. Congrats!<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P>
what a fantastic mare she will make. congrats!<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P>