<\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/P>Menzoberranzan set the pace last year and led the entire race until the last furlong when Sake overtook her for the win.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She is back this year to defend her title, as well as third place finisher Flammen Sehen and fifth place finisher Vaanda.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Most trainers had a busy few weeks shipping their horses half way around the world and preparing them for the DPCD VIII The Penn Test in Pennsylvania.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>I had a 5 hours plane ride, so I did a little research on the field for the 12 furlong test on the turf.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Today\u2019s race has attracted many of the top ranked long turf routers in both the 3 year and older female divisions.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>And the trainers list reads like a who\u2019s who of sim trainers.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>There are some older mares whose names we won\u2019t be forgetting soon, like Wicked Wench and Mon Coup, and some fresh 3 years olds who are starting to make a name for themselves.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Let\u2019s take a look at the field:<\/o:p><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/P>\u00a0<\/FONT><\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>PP 1 \u00a0\u00a0<\/SPAN>VIN DENIAL (KY) \u00a0<\/SPAN>\u00a0<\/SPAN><\/B>(VINDICATION x SADLER\u2019S WELLS x KRIS S.)\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>bred <\/B>and trained by thethumb3 <\/B>(The Empire \u2013 Bored to Death, 22%)\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Odds:\u00a0 <\/SPAN>13 to 1<\/o:p><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/P>First we have Vin Denial, a 4 year daughter of Vindication.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She is definitely an early speedster and there are quite a few in the race, so she will have a fight for the lead.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Her inside post position should be beneficial for getting a good start out of the gates.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>And she is going to need a great start to grab that lead because all of her 11 career wins have come wire to wire.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>What is impressive is that most of her recent races have been at an even 2 miles and her speed figures have been comparable to horses racing 10 to 12 furlongs.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>At the end of the day I think Vin Denial might be joining the Million Dollar Club, she is just $90,000 shy.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>My biggest concern for an in the money finish for her is the decreased distance.\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/o:p><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/P>\u00a0<\/FONT><\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>PP 2\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>COZZY COCOA (KY) \u00a0<\/SPAN>\u00a0<\/SPAN><\/B>(COZZENE x SWAIN (IRE) x MIESQUE\u2019S SON) bred and trained by nyrangers\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/B>(Smokeglack Stables, URC REZZZZ, 12%)\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Odds:\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>18 to 1<\/o:p><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/P>Cozzy Cocoa is one of only 4 horses in the field coming into today\u2019s race with a stakes win last out.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>That race was Cozzy Cocoa\u2019s first stakes win and first triple digit speed factor with a 106.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Trainer Smokeglack, prominent member of the Universal Racing Club and 80\u2019s music chat room trivia master, has been patient with her training.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>After her first 4 unimpressive starts she raced in a maiden claimer, but has been showing steady, albeit slow, improvement since then.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She has tried graded company once before, but this is still a jump in class for her and she will be sandwiched in the middle of the not only the forth (Vin Denial) and second (Sake) ranked long turf fillies and mares, but she is boxed in by number 3 (Mon Coup) and number 1 (Kantia) as well.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>I think she has what it takes to races at this level, but is definitely in a tough spot for this race.\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/o:p><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/P>\u00a0<\/FONT><\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>PP 3\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>SAKE (KY)\u00a0 <\/SPAN>\u00a0<\/SPAN><\/B>(DYNAFORMER\u00a0 <\/SPAN>x DANZIG x ALYDAR) bred and trained by 2tohold <\/B>(More Evil Than The Evil Empire!, 15%)\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Odds:\u00a0 <\/SPAN>5 to 1<\/o:p><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/P>Sake is here to see if she can take home the Penn Test title again this year (called the Penn Oaks last year and limited to only 3yos).\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She went into last year\u2019s race as the favorite and won in 2 minutes 30 seconds.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>This year Sake, a scratch bred daughter of Dynaformer, is the second favorite.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She won two G1s late last summer, but those were her only wins since the Penn Oaks.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She is trained at More Evil Than The Evil Empire!, represents the Bargain Bred Racing Series and is one of three fillies sent by the Super stables.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>In her last two wins she has run just off the pace and top Pennsylvania jockey, J Piotrowski, will need to take into consideration that she is surrounded by the early speed and to save some for the stretch.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She is looking good for another win here. <\/o:p><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/P>\u00a0<\/FONT><\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>PP 4 \u00a0\u00a0<\/SPAN>MON COUP (IRE)\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/B>(MONTJEU (IRE) x KINGMAMBO x SEATTLE SLEW)\u00a0 <\/SPAN>bred and trained by lasthope1 <\/B>(Dixiedotco Racing, 26%)\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Odds:\u00a0 <\/SPAN>10 to 1<\/o:p><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/P>Superstar Sim trainer Dixiedotco has entered Mon Coup representing Pastures of Green.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Mon Coup was the winner of the Breeders Bowl FM Turf in 2008, in what may unfortunately be the height of her career.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She has only won 2 since then, one G3 in February and a conditioned allowance last out.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Early in October simmers race to use her dam, Grade A mare Seattle Hit, although Mon Coup is her only graded winner.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>In most of her wins Mon Coup was a late runner, but last out she was part of the early speed.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Going back to a late running style might be helpful in this field with a lot of early speed.\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/o:p><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/P>\u00a0<\/FONT><\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>PP 5\u00a0 <\/SPAN>KANTIA (JPN)\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/B>(ALKAASED x SHAPREN UP (GB) x RIVERMAN) bred and trained by bellissimo <\/B>(Rafa Stables, 14%)\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Odds:\u00a0 <\/SPAN>3 to 1<\/o:p><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/P>Kantia is the morning line favorite and one of two horses sent by Rafa Stables, who are representing Minnesota Downs.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Kantia is not only the number one ranked horse from Alkassed\u2019s first crop of horses in 2007, but she is number one in the long turf older fillies and mares division.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>And she carries an impressive race record.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Of her 20 turf starts she has won 11 times and only finished out of the money 3 times and that was just barely out of the money in 4th<\/SUP> place.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Kantia is also a 4 time graded winner, but a grade one win has eluded her so far.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She has an extraordinarily impressive resume and she looks to be in good form coming into this race.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Her last three races were against the boys, so I expect a good race from her here against the girls.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She is also the only horse who didn\u2019t have to travel halfway around the world for this race; she was already in the states.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She is the first of our late runners and she is hoping all the early runners wear themselves out fighting for the lead so she can cruise past them in the stretch.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She looks tough to beat.\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/o:p><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/P>\u00a0<\/FONT><\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>\u00a0<\/FONT><\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>PP 6\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>VEGAS FREAK (KY) \u00a0<\/SPAN>\u00a0<\/SPAN><\/B>(EMPIRE MAKER x SHARPEN UP (GB) x GREY DAWN II) bred and trained by lenny11 <\/B>(The Empire \u2013 Slightly Less Evil Everyday, 22%)\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Odds:\u00a0 <\/SPAN>26 to 1<\/o:p><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/P>In post position 6 we have the first of our 3 year olds and the second entry from The Empire.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Vegas Freak started strong and hasn\u2019t slowed down.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>In her 11 career starts she has won 6 and earned almost a half a million for The Empire.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Earlier in the week while researching the field I noticed The Empire\u2019s motto was \u201cSlighly Less Evil Everyday\u201d.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The Empire is still winning at an impressive 22%, so the trainers of all the horses left in the dust may disagree that it is slightly less evil everyday.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>I wouldn\u2019t know how those trainers feel because my horses aren\u2019t left in the dust behind The Empire\u2019s winners, they are left in the dust of the horses left in the dust of the horses left in the dust by Lenny\u2019s horses.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Later on in the week after Vin Denial was entered (post position 1) I noticed that The Empire had changed the motto again to, \u201cBored to Death\u201d.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>I guess if I had to watch my horses win over and over again I would be bored too.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Anyway, back to the horse at hand, Vegas Freak.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She is the 2009 winner of the G1 Adelaide Oaks where she put up her career high speed of 99.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>I think she can break the century mark here, although this will be her first time racing against older horses and there are some pretty intimidating older horses her today.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She is a long shot here, but I think she has a very bright future, unless she dies of boredom.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/o:p><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/P>\u00a0<\/FONT><\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>PP 7\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>GAI (KY)\u00a0 <\/SPAN>\u00a0<\/SPAN><\/B>(CRYPTOCLEARANCE x SADLER\u2019S WELLS x HABITAT) bred and trained by Tulloch\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/B>(Tulloch Stables, 11%)\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Odds:\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>9 to 1<\/o:p><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/P>Gai flew past 9 other horses last out and was crowned winner of the G3-The Flying Filly.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Trainer Tulloch entered her here in an attempt to win her first Grade 1.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She is the second graded winner out of game dam My Island Home and is ranked second for Cryptoclearance\u2019s 2006 crop. \u00a0<\/SPAN>Gai has been alternating between triple digits speed factors and wins or close finishes with uninspired races and she needs the break that pattern if she wants to be in the mix here.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She is also going to find a lot of competition in the stretch.\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/o:p><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/P>\u00a0<\/FONT><\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>PP 8 \u00a0<\/SPAN>\u00a0<\/SPAN>FLAMMEN SEHEN (GER) \u00a0<\/SPAN>\u00a0<\/SPAN><\/B>(MONSUN(GER) x IN THE WINGS (GB) x SHIRLEY HEIGHTS)\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>bred and trained by reacher <\/B>(Given Stables: Fire and Blood, 23%)\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Odds:\u00a0 <\/SPAN>13 to 1<\/o:p><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/P>Next we have a 4 year old scratch bred daughter of Monsun.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Like Gai next to her, she has been in an alternating pattern of wins and poor showings.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Unlike Gai though, she is due for a win according to this pattern.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She raced here last year and finished third.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She also finished behind Sake in the 2008 Breeders Bowl FM Turf Distaff.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Flammen Shehen had an amazing 3 year old campain, finishing in the money in all but two of her turf starts and winning stakes and graded stakes (G2 and G1). \u00a0\u00a0<\/SPAN>Since then she has been inconsistent, but she definitely can win in the class and at this distance.\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/o:p><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/P>\u00a0<\/FONT><\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>\u00a0<\/FONT><\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/P>