{"id":6850,"date":"2008-11-07T23:05:15","date_gmt":"2008-11-07T23:05:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blacktypebugler.com\/?p=6850"},"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=6850","title":{"rendered":"Coxless Down Under: $3 Mill – Ermington Pegasus Could Be Bumped"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Coxless Stakes<\/o:p><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/B><\/P>

Grade I <\/P>

A mile and one quarter <\/P>

Firm Turf <\/P>

$3,000,000 <\/P>

All horses, 3 years old and up <\/P>

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The sim\u2019s version of the Cox Plate brings a diverse bunch to the far south.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>We have some of the winningest horses in the world (CREEPSHOW(IRE), RAPID GREY<\/B>), some trying to recapture their best (STORM’S GONE AGAIN, OTTOMAN TURKS<\/B>), a dual derby winner (PORTMAN’S PERFECT(KY)),<\/B> a crack mare (TARA<\/B><\/st1:place>(IRE)),<\/B> one with a dirt-to-turf angle (LAME DUCK(GB)), <\/B>and, well, what can you say about thousands-to-one shot GEORGE W. LOSER<\/B>?\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Let\u2019s look in more detail:<\/P>

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PP\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Horse ID\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Horse\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Owner\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Jockey\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Odds\u00a0 <\/SPAN>W \/ P \/ S <\/P>

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1 58738 RAPID GREY<\/B>\u00a0 <\/SPAN>champions4\u00a0 <\/SPAN>F Moon\u00a0 <\/SPAN>5\/1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/P>

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The number 5 long turf horse is 20 for 40 lifetime.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>With a win, if my math is not mistaken, he would move past ERMINGTON PEGASUS<\/B> as the number 2 active moneyearner with nearly $11 million.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He was second in this race last year to rival CREEPSHOW(IRE).<\/B>\u00a0 <\/SPAN>In 8 starts this year, the 6-year-old has been productive but not dominating, with a win in the Grade 1 King Geoff but otherwise generally filling out the trifecta.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He still has a powerful late turn of foot and a consistent array of top speed numbers.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Beatable as a co-fave but still dangerous.<\/P>

<\/SPAN>\u00a0<\/P>

2 118844 STORM’S GONE AGAIN<\/B>\u00a0 <\/SPAN>tisgold\u00a0 <\/SPAN>R Bailey\u00a0 <\/SPAN>9\/1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/P>

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Regally-bred 5-year old (AWESOME AGAIN x STORM CAT x GONE WEST) comes in off a speedy second in an open stakes in Idaho<\/st1:place><\/st1:State>.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>That might mark a return to his form of several months ago after a few down races this summer.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He is a grade 1 winner at the distance, and one likely to make up 10 lengths in the stretch if he\u2019s on his late-running game.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He will be truly tested by this bunch to determine whether he is back in form, but a solid jock in Bailey should help.<\/P>

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3 2463 WELLS GHOST TED(WV)<\/B>\u00a0 <\/SPAN>cashstable\u00a0 <\/SPAN>S Barton\u00a0 <\/SPAN>6\/1 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/SPAN><\/P>

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Gutsy move by the breeder\/trainer to send a Sadler\u2019s Wells mare to the little-used West Virginia<\/st1:place><\/st1:State> sire Ghostly Minister, and it has paid off handsomely.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He is actually not a stakeswinner, but he\u2019s been posting speeds from 103 to 111 in stakes all year.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Sometime, he\u2019s got to break through.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>A late surge by CARBON EXTRACTOR(KY) got him last time in the Grade 2 Walnut BB, and sometimes he may be a little too close to the pace to sustain a stretch bid.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Additionally, he\u2019s been more successful at a mile or so, which means he will have to prove that the extra furlongs are within his scope.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Many questions.<\/o:p><\/P>

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4 19225 JOYOFWILD(KY)<\/B>\u00a0 <\/SPAN>turfsurf\u00a0 <\/SPAN>G Adler\u00a0 <\/SPAN>14\/1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/P>

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A 4-year-old Forest Wildcat out of a stakeswinning mare, he was looking pretty hot this summer with a second in the NY Island Cap, but hasn\u2019t really capitalized since then.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He\u2019s a pro at this distance and should keep the pace honest, but a scenario for a victory is hard to construct.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>His last-out 104 when losing a stakes by a neck is reason to hope.<\/P>

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5 61893 CREEPSHOW(IRE)<\/B>\u00a0 <\/SPAN>lenny28\u00a0 <\/SPAN>D Evans\u00a0 <\/SPAN>5\/1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/P>

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The other favorite is the number 3 classic turf horse and the number 5 active earner, with more than $7 million.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The Evil Empire has guided this Rock of Gibraltar to a 16 for 34 mark, and he has two Grade 1 victories this season at the distance.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He ran well on these grounds last month in the Coffeefields Cup, but finished merely fifth, behind place horse and returning rival PORTMAN’S PERFECT(KY).<\/B>\u00a0 <\/SPAN>There is no question that his best can be a winning effort, and a speed 105 or over is virtually assured.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>It just might not be enough.<\/o:p><\/P>

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6 78204 LAME DUCK(GB)<\/B>\u00a0 <\/SPAN>cylla2222\u00a0 <\/SPAN>P Spratt\u00a0 <\/SPAN>13\/1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/P>

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Gotta be the best ever out of retired sire Almutawakel.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He\u2019s busted out two wins recently in his first ever dirt tries, including a 107 speed last out in a 12-furlong stakes.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>His second in the Bluegrass Cup Turf is another indication of renewed life in the 13-time winner.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He\u2019s not likely to let them get too far ahead of him, and he\u2019s an interesting shot if those recent races are the true bill.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Might want a few furlongs more.<\/P>

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7 129064 SEEKING NESSY(KY)<\/B>\u00a0 <\/SPAN>rlogan\u00a0 <\/SPAN>B Ridgle\u00a0 <\/SPAN>8\/1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/P>

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Hennessy scratchbred has had three 110-plus runs this season, and that says he can get it done here if it\u2019s his day.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He\u2019s another that will be midpack early, probably not a bad place in this field.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He\u2019s been throwing a couple of moderate stinkers between every top effort, which might mean he\u2019s ready for the up part of his form cycle, since the last two were below par.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Last out was an 11th place in the Grade 2 Posh Purse in Florida<\/st1:place><\/st1:State>.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>While it wasn\u2019t a disaster, it was nothing that indicated he is ready to tackle this grade 1 assemblage.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Ridgle isn\u2019t really an asset, and NESSY will have to show that he is on the upswing against the old warhorses in here.<\/P>

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8 11283 TARA(IRE)<\/B>\u00a0 <\/SPAN>bredtosell\u00a0 <\/SPAN>S Nightingale\u00a0 <\/SPAN>13\/1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/P>

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She\u2019s the number 4 classic turf mare, and it\u2019s always nice to see good kids by Generous.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She took a long break after capping her sophomore season with a Grade 1 win (at 10 furlongs no less), and she\u2019s actually been facing the boys with regularity this season.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>But she has not been a bang-up gal at 4, with a second and a third from a light schedule.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>There is talent here, but she\u2019s mostly been spinning her wheels in the stretch since March, so it would be a surprise to see her in the exacta.<\/P>

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9 145167 T.M. RATTO(JPN)<\/B>\u00a0 <\/SPAN>drdm\u00a0 <\/SPAN>K Ryan\u00a0 <\/SPAN>24\/1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/P>

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T.M. Opera O gets some stakes horses, and here\u2019s probably his newest: he busted through in the KANGAROO MINSTREL(IRE) Bonanza on this track in September.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>That one looks like an anomaly, since he followed it up with a third in another open stakes, falling back to a 97 speed.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The stakes win was at 11 furlongs, but he seems to often do his best running in the 13th or 14th furlongs, so that could put him at a disadvantage today.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Not on my trifecta ticket.<\/o:p><\/P>

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10 123799 OTTOMAN TURKS<\/B>\u00a0 <\/SPAN>stoners\u00a0 <\/SPAN>T Myslinski\u00a0 <\/SPAN>14\/1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/P>

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Naturally, an Empire Maker product.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Stoners\u2019 entry is your 2007 Breeders Bowl Turf runner up, and before that won 6 straight culminating in two Grade 1s.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>2008 has been a struggle for the 5-year-old, however, as whenever he seems back on track in a lesser race, he gets spanked in a graded contest.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>His latest disappointment was a 5th in the Classic Turf Stakes, the Grade 1 affair in New York<\/st1:place><\/st1:State>.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>You could blame that on the yielding turf, except he\u2019s always been dynamite on the squishy stuff.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>When he\u2019s on, he\u2019s likely to gun it to the front, yielding to virtually no one \u2013 in his Breeders Bowl run, he was second only to frontrunning LEX LUTHOR.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Overall, though, I can\u2019t really see him getting it done today.<\/P>

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11 49879 GEORGE W. LOSER<\/B>\u00a0 <\/SPAN>monimonica\u00a0 <\/SPAN>B Johnson\u00a0 <\/SPAN>99\/1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/P>

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Funny, whenever I enter a modest horse in a stakes, I get rejected.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Now here\u2019s this loser, and he\u2019s run in 26 stakes, managing to beat any other horse just three times (second to last, I mean).\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Oh well, I like sire Polish Precedent anyhow.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The entries page says 99 to 1, but look at the odds on his past performances \u2013 you are more likely to get 12000 to 1 if you wager on him and he wins!<\/P>

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12 63067 TOY(KY)<\/B>\u00a0 <\/SPAN>dreaming\u00a0 <\/SPAN>N Hartel\u00a0 <\/SPAN>6\/1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/P>

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TOY(KY) is another Empire Maker, this one out of solid Danzig<\/st1:place> mare MINTIANO<\/B>.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He\u2019s been very solid in this second half of his 4-year-old year, racking up two allowances, a stakes (last month), and six triple digit speeds in a row.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>His 112 in that stakes win is actually the fastest last speed number, and he loves this distance, so let\u2019s not count him out just because he\u2019s not a graded winner.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He does have something to prove, and will need to run past some good ones in the stretch.<\/P>

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13 26819 PORTMAN’S PERFECT(KY)<\/B>\u00a0 <\/SPAN>nijinsky4\u00a0 <\/SPAN>J Kohlmorgen\u00a0 <\/SPAN>8\/1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/P>

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Indeed she is, and this guy is the first foal from long dirt maven N. PORTMAN<\/B><\/st1:place>.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He\u2019s a dual derby winner this year (Sydney, English) and knows this course well.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He won the Coalminer Cup here at the beginning of October, and came back two weeks later to be second in the Coffeefields.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He might like those mile and a half affairs better, and he could also be tired after his big 3-year-old year and two very recent grueling races.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Jockey Kohlmorgen usually doesn\u2019t hurt you.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He\u2019s an overlay at those odds unless he\u2019s tired.<\/o:p><\/P>

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14 151400 NEW NORSICA(KY)<\/B>\u00a0 <\/SPAN>hydrogen\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Bi Clark\u00a0 <\/SPAN>19\/1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/P>

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The sophomores are stuck on the outside again (I\u2019ve seen that before), and this young Dynaformer is just getting rolling.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He brings a light 9-race resum\u00e9, but his last was a Grade 2 triumph on this continent at this distance.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Generally he tracks the leaders, and he\u2019s usually a bear in the stretch.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>It\u2019s just hard to tell if he belongs in this company or he might regress against a fierce field of 14.<\/P><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

LAME DUCK(GB)? GEORGE W. LOSER? Probably not.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":173,"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-6850","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6850","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\/173"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6850"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6850\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6850"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6850"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6850"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}