With eleven three year olds entered in the Breeders\u2019 Bowl Dirt Mile the race shows much youthful vigor. Somewhat logically the three older runners in the field are the only ones who are in the single digit odds but that does not guarantee that the younger runners can\u2019t move forward in a big way to secure victory here. The race carries a three million dollar purse but is not going to have championship implications for either the three year olds or the older horses. Still it is a cracking field and they should put on a show for the Friday crowd. Let\u2019s take a look at the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#1 Istana Rama 3\/1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trainer Stevesutto is very hopeful that Istana Rama will garner his first grade one in this spot. He says \u201cnot sure whether I\u2019m aiming too high here, but his last four starts have been really good\u201d and that\u2019s putting it mildly. Istana Rama (named for a resort in Bali) has been super good this year. Those last four starts (all at a mile) started with a listed win where he ran an eye-popping 124 speed. He followed that up with a third in the Grade One Cosmopolitan Mile where he ran a 116 speed and was beaten less than two lengths. Another win followed in the Grade Two Prims Memorial (118 speed) and a third in the Grade Two Middle Ground Mile (112 speed). He\u2019s been winning every other start since changing hands last November and that bodes well for this spot. He\u2019s a confirmed front runner and his trainer says \u201cone thing I know is that he will be either in front or close to it for a long way, just hope he can hang on in that final two furlongs.\u201d He\u2019s a five year old scratchbred son of Awesome Again x Smart Strike x Seattle Slew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#2 Slay That Ghost 23\/1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Slay That Ghost has only won twice in twelve starts but those two wins include the Grade One Rod Edwards Commemorative Derby back in June. The three year old was on the Bluegrass Derby trail earlier this year after running third in the Grade One Everythings Zen at a mile. He\u2019s had some success going longer (the Rod Edwards was a mile and an eighth) but he seems to be better going a bit shorter. His last race was his worst of the season in the mile and a quarter Grade One Travelers. His connections are certainly hoping that this late runner wakes up with the cutback in distance. He\u2019s a scratchbred son of Ghostzapper x Seattle Slew x Alydar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#3 Awellrespectedman 18\/1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another three year old in the field is Awellrespectedman, a scratchbred son of Tapit x Kingmambo x Storm Cat. He also tried the Bluegrass Derby run, finishing third in the Lock Prep Wooden Indian at a mile and an eighth. Without enough points for the big race he tried the turf and did not care for it but with a switchback to dirt he scored the biggest win of his career in the mile and three sixteenths Grade One Clerk of Scales Stakes back in July. He ran an impressive 116 speed that day where he sat in third early on before making a big move around the turn and winning by a length and a quarter. After finishing off the board in the Grade One Travelers he cut back to a mile in a grade two but failed to show his customary early speed and spent most of the race in seventh, where he finished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#4 Trace of Class 2\/1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Favored in this spot is Trace of Class and he is indeed a well-deserved favorite. In seven 2022 starts the slowest he has run is a 118 speed. Indeed in his last four starts he\u2019s run between 121 and 123. The gelded four year old son of Classic Empire out of a Ghostzapper x Deep Impact mare has a great deal of early speed but has shown that he doesn\u2019t need to be in front from the get go. In his last start, the Grade One Turning Point at a mile and an eighth saw his sit just off the front runner before taking over around the turn and coasting to the finish, winning by over three lengths against a strong group of graded winners. If there is a knock against this horse it is that his last three starts have come at that distance and he has never actually scored a victory at a flat mile. In fairness his best run at this distance saw him run a 123 speed when second, beaten less than a length in the Grade Three Double Barreled Mile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#5 Crooked Crown 28\/1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Crooked Crown has two graded wins under his belt but both came early on this year. The three year old won the Grade Three Scam in February and followed that up with a win in the Grade One Sand Castle Derby in March. Both races came at a mile and an eighth. He finished eighth in the Bluegrass Derby and has not finished any better in three subsequent starts. He enters off a cutback to seven and a half furlongs in the Grade Three Uncle Mo where he was also eighth with a 105 speed. His two big wins saw him sit relatively close to the early lead but he has not shown that dimension of late. He\u2019s a scratchbred son of Distorted Humor x Deputy Minister x Halo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#6 My First Gunnevera 15\/1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The #1 rated dirt three year old router is My First Gunnevera. He\u2019s got six victories on the year and those wins include the Grade Three Giant Slayer Classic in January, the Grade One Equinics and the Grade One Florida Derby in April. The latter two were both Derby Lock preps run at a mile and an eighth. He followed those wins up with a really good second in the Bluegrass Derby and then was third in the Grade One Eddie Haskell Stakes. After running off the board in the Travelers he cutback to six and a half furlongs in a listed a month ago. His connections are hoping that that sprint will sharpen him up to go a mile here. He\u2019s a gelded son of Gunnevera out of a stakes winning A.P. Indy x Mr. Prospector mare. He has good early speed and should sit just off the front runners early on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#7 Temple of Eck 22\/1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also owning six wins as a three year old is Temple of Eck. The gelding is a son of Fastnet Rock out of the Grade One winning Malibu Moon x Pivotal mare Eckankar. She was best on the turf but her own dam was also a grade one winner, this time on the dirt. Eckankar was a straight miler and while her son inherited that he also has shown a preference for the dirt although he has shown talent on the grass as well. His six wins have all come at this distance which he has run nine times. Those wins include the Grade Three Good Cow in January and the Grade One Everythings Zen in March. The late runner is entering off two runs on the turf, a listed win against fellow three year olds in July which saw him run a 113 speed and then an off the board performance in the Grade One Canada Mile against his elders in September. He did run a 111 speed in that spot which wasn\u2019t too shabby. The sim often rewards switching surfaces and his connections are hoping that is the case for this classy horse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#8 Ziebridled 17\/1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A three year old gelded son of McKinzie x Unbridled x Deputy Minishter, Ziebridled is another horse cutting back in distance. He has actually only run a mile once in his career and that was last August in an allowance where he finished third. After winning the Grade Three Gary Asher Memorial at a mile and a sixteenth in February he finished a solid second in the Grade One Wooden Indian. He finished second in hist next two starts, the Grade Two Buckeye Derby and the Grade One Clerk of Scales, run at a mile and an eighth and a mile and three sixteenths respectively. He ran a career best 115 speed in the Clerk of Scales but was well beaten in the Travelers. That was his most recent start so he\u2019s coming in off a bit more than two months rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#9 Brush of Mischief 15\/1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brush of Mischief has only won twice in eleven starts but his second win was a big one as he took the classic Middle Jewel Stakes. He won that race wire to wire beating out some very good horses including the Derby winner Nightborne. Since that race he has failed to hit the board in three starts although he did run a career best 112 speed in his last start. That race was the Grade Two Bettis Handicap for three year olds at a mile. He did have the early lead there but faded to sixth, beaten two and a half lengths. He\u2019s a scratchbred son of Into Mischief x Broad Brush x Bernardini.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#10 Smoking Steel 13\/1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The winningest three year old in the field is Smoking Steel who has won eight of his twelve races. Seven of those wins have come at a mile including his last five starts. Those races cover an allowance in January followed by a listed and then three grades. Those were the Grade Three Bluegrass Derby Trial Stakes, the Grade One Marino Mile and the Grade Two Middle Ground Mile. The last of those came against his elders including Istana Rama. He likes to sit well back early but has an amazing closing kick. His last two runs have seen him run 116 speeds back to back. He\u2019s a gelded son of Candy Ride out of a graded placed, stakes winning Malibu Moon x Deputy Minister mare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#11 Dungeon Dragon 10\/1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dungeon Dragon has the lowest odds of the three year olds. The scratchbred son of Medaglia D\u2019oro x Danzig x Mr. Prospector is also the only three year old to run a 120 speed, something he did in his most recent start. That was the Grade Two South Bend Derby at a mile and a sixteenth. He did it by sitting in eighth early on before motoring home down the stretch, winning by over two lengths. Earlier in the year he won the Grade One UAE Night of Stars at that distance and was second behind Smoking Steel in the Marino Mile. He ran a 113 there and followed it up with a third place finish (beaten just a quarter of a length) in the Grade Two La Holla at a mile and a sixteenth where he ran a 114 speed. The only knock against this horse is that he\u2019s not faced older rivals but with his killer kick down the lane and the expected strong early pace that shouldn\u2019t be a worry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#12 Broken Cielo 32\/1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The longest shot in the race is Broken Cielo, a three year old scratchbred gelding by Broken Vow x Unfuwain x Conquistador Cielo. One of the better two year olds of 2021, Broken Cielo won the the Grade Three Skeye Jameson Memorial followed by the Grade One Movieland Futurity to close out the year. Both runs came at a mile and a sixteenth and he\u2019s actually only run a mile once in this year\u2019s Marino Mile where he was well beaten. He\u2019s only hit the board once in six starts this year and that was in the Grade One Corkscrew Stakes at a mile and an eighth where he was second. His two most recent starts came in three year old restricted graded stakes at seven furlongs and he was thirteenth and tenth. He has some early speed but he\u2019s not nearly as fast as the older runners who like to be close up early on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#13 Hagridden 29\/1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hagridden was the celebrated two year old at last year\u2019s Breeders\u2019 Bowl after winning the Juvenile in spectacular front running fashion. Having already won the Grade One End of the Line Futurity it was enough to propel him to a championship and early favoritism for the Bluegrass Derby. He was undefeated in all five starts in 2021 but has failed to win in four starts this year. He was third in three of those with his only off the board finish coming in the classic New Yorker at a mile and a half, an easy toss race. His most recent start came at seven furlongs in the Grade One Prince\u2019s Knight Stakes at the end of August where he ran a career best 107 speed. He\u2019s a scratchbred son of Medaglia D\u2019oro x Unbridled x Alydar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#14 Nation of Honor 9\/1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Four year old Nation of Honor ended last season with two allowance wins at this distance and after a two month layoff he began this year with a win in the Grade One February Stakes, also at a mile. He ran a 118 speed there where he raced fifth early on before winning but almost two lengths. Since that career defining win he\u2019s been well beaten in three runs, all graded stakes at a mile. It seems as if the wheels have come off the Wyoming-bred horse. He\u2019s a son of Trojan Nation out of an Honor Code x Gone West mare.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
With eleven three year olds entered in the Breeders\u2019 Bowl Dirt Mile the race shows much youthful vigor. Somewhat logically<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":401,"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-60048","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60048","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\/401"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=60048"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60048\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60050,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60048\/revisions\/60050"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=60048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=60048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=60048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}