The six furlong Grade One Firebird Stakes will be run this Sunday and, as one of the first grade ones for two year olds on turf it traditionally attracts an interesting field. This year is no exception as among the fourteen entrants we have only one prior graded stakes winner and three entrants who are still maidens. Several of the runners have as few as two starts including the favorite. There is a good mix of high profile sires including two each for Kingman and Extreme Choice but also stallions that are a good value who are perhaps a bit underused in the game. Let\u2019s take a look at the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#1 Molar 15\/1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molar\u2019s sire Starman is an interesting value play in the game. He was a group one winning sprinter from an unheralded Machiavellian line who retired to a modest fee of 10,000 Euros. But his first foals hit the track last year and set it on fire. He was the leading freshman sire in England and Ireland, siring 41 individual winners (second only to Wootton Bassett) including 11 black type runners and four group winners including group one winner Venetian Sun. That prompted his stud fee to quadruple to 40,000 Euros this year. In the game he has only produced one stakes winner so far but expect that to change \u2013 and soon. Molar could even be the one to break through at the graded level for Starman. He\u2019s made four starts and has gotten better each time he hits the track. In January he was third on debut but that race came over a good turf course. He returned two months later to be second after running eleventh of thirteen early on to be beaten by just three parts of a length. He broke his maiden next out by sitting more midpack before galloping down the stretch to win by two lengths with an 82 speed. He returned in an allowance and while his win margin there was smaller he had to rally from further back. This is a big field for him to navigate if he gets too far behind but there\u2019s a lot to like from this colt. He is out of a grade three producing Holy Roman Emperor x Red Ransom mare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#2 Extreme Shades 7\/1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Extreme Shades is the first of the two Extreme Choice horses in this field. Extreme Choice is one of the leading sires in Australia and also one of the most expensive. Extreme Shades is the first foal out of a graded placed War Front x Tapit mare who herself is the daughter of a grade two winning dam. That mare, Shades of Life has produced one grade one and two grade two winners from seven foals to race. Interestingly the grade one winner did so going two miles on the dirt as an older runner and while the extended family does lean more route there are members who have sprint and two year old form. Extreme Shades is undefeated in two starts. He broke his maiden at the end of April by sitting just off the early pace before moving authoritatively to win going away by almost two lengths. He returned in mid-June to win an allowance, running in similar style but increasing his winning margin to over three lengths. He ran an 82 speed in that second start and it is easy to imagine him moving forward off that race here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#3 The Wild Rovers 8\/1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The second Extreme Choice in the field is in the next gate. The Wild Rovers is out of the graded placed stakes winning No Nay Never x Storm Cat mare Wild Rover Storm. She was all turf sprint and her two year old form was excellent and included a listed win over males. Second dam Sounds of Thunder was not much of a racer but in the shed she produced four grade one winners and a grade two winner which propelled her into the Hall of Fame. Her best foal is the Wootton Bassett mare And That\u2019s It who was a grade one winner as a two year old but who excelled as a three year old sprinter on the lawn and earned an End of Year Award in 2026 in that division. The Wild Rovers broke his maiden on debut in March by closing from midpack to win comfortably. His last two races have both come in grade threes and he has failed to fire in each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#4 Never Ever Ever 6\/1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our favorite is the scratchbred No Nay Never x Dansili x Nureyev colt Never Ever Ever. That pedigree certainly screams turf sprint speed and specifically No Nay Nevers tend to be very precocious. This season alone he has already produced four stakes winners, one graded from his two year old crop. Never Ever Ever has only made two starts so far. He was second on debut after battling for the early lead and tiring slightly in the stretch losing but just a neck in March. He returned to the races at the end of May and again was part of the early pace but this time put away his competitors and went on to win by almost two lengths while running an 84 speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#5 Argyle Tower 16\/1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Autumn Sun is a younger sire in Australia whose progeny have just dominated at the races. A number of sim players lobbied to have him upgraded in the game and while he was never rated poorly you can expect big things in the future from this son of Redoute\u2019s Choice. His son Argyle Tower is based on a grade three winning Union Rags x Kingman hemare who scored his biggest win routing as an older horse. Third on debut in February, Argyle Tower tried a listed in April and was a solid second in that five furlong event, sitting well off the early leaders before making a mild move late while running a 79 speed. He followed that up with an unplaced effort in a grade two. He will really have to step things up to break his maiden in this spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#6 Sounds Johnny 11\/1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like Argyle Tower, Sounds Johnny is still a maiden and also a son of a lesser known (but moving up) Australian sire, in this case Farnan. Farnan was an excellent racer who won five of eight starts including the prestigious Group One Golden Slipper. He sired eight stakes horses from his first crop of two year olds and is currently the leading second crop sire in Australia. His stud fee is $77,000AUD. The son of Not A Single Doubt is most famous in the game for siring the amazing sprinter Unfarnan who is in the Hall of Fame. Sounds Johnny is out of the grade two winning Snitzel x Storm Cat mare Sounds of Crumb. Like The Wild Rovers his second dam is the Hall of Fame mare Sounds of Thunder. Sounds of Crumb won her first three starts as a two year old including a grade two while sprinting on turf. She often took on males in her career including being graded placed against them. In the shed her best foal is her three year old Yogi Has Crumbs by Little Big Bear who was third in this race last season before taking a different grade one later on. Sounds Johnny was second on debut in February where he rallied from last. He was fourth in a listed and most recently was second, beaten just one length in the Grade Three Triple P where again he was well back in the field early on. He ran an 82 in that spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#7 Sort of Power 14\/1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tassort is an interesting stallion. He made only two starts in his career and was second in the Group Two Silver Slipper. He had enough talent but perhaps more importantly pedigree to earn a shot at stud. He\u2019s a son of Brazen Beau out of the Exceed and Excel mare Essaouira. She produced Alizeee who won three group one races and over $3millionAUD as well as millionaire group one winner and sire Astern as well as several other stakes horses. Tassort has proven the faith his connections had in him as he was second leading freshman sire in Australia and has already sired several group winners including a group one winner. Sort of Power (out of a Snitzel x Unbridled\u2019s Song mare) would be his first sim stakes winner. Second dam Extended Power is in the Hall of Fame as both a racer and broodmare. She was an End of Year Award winner who has produced two End of Year Award winners although the family leans towards dirt. Sort of Power was second by a head on debut after battling for the early lead. He moved straight into stakes company next out and sat midpack before closing to finish second again while running an 80 speed. Most recently he was a non threatening fourth in another listed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#8 Fleetwood Carlyle 20\/1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fleetwood Carlyle is a son of Declaration of War, a solid Japanese stallion. He\u2019s a son of War Front and in the game has produced multiple grade one winners including an End of Year Award winner. Fleetwood Carlyle is out of the graded placed stakes winning Rock of Gibraltar x Storm Cat mare Elite Rock who has yet to reproduce herself at stud. He won his first two starts four days apart in January and has never been off the board in five starts. He has been third in his last two starts both of which came in listed stakes. In each run he tried to lead the field on a merry chase but tired late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#9 Ankylocephalus 9\/1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dawn Approach is another solid stallion who has produced many grade one winners and an End of the Year Award winner in the game. The son of New Approach has already produced two stakes winners (including Ankylocephalus) this year from just twenty two starters. He\u2019s a very good value play who can get you quality runners. Ankylocephalus is the second foal for an I Am Invincible x Pivotal mare, the first also being a stakes winner. This gelding won his first two starts by open lengths going wire to wire. He made his debut in March and a month later took his listed. Most recently he was second by just a half length in the Group Two Norfellow Stakes. In that spot he sat fourth early on before closing stoutly down the lane and running an 85 speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#10 Supersonics Man 8\/1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our first Kingman baby is Supersonics Man. Kingman was Europe\u2019s Horse of the Year in 2014 and has done nothing but excel as a sire. He was the third fastest sire to 50 stakes winners behind only Frankel and Danehill. He currently stands for a fee of 125,000 Pounds. Supersonics Man is based on a Frankel x I Am Invincible hemare who himself was based on a grade one winning hemare named Sonicd Shock Wave. That colt was grade one placed as a two year old before winning at that level as a three year old in a turf sprint. Continuing a theme Sonic Shock Wave is a son of Sounds of Thunder. Supersonics Man broke his maiden on debut going wire to wire in February. He was off the board in a listed in March before winning at that level in May. His listed win saw him battle for the early lead before putting away his rivals and winning by a length and a quarter while running an 83 speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#11 Under Investigate 12\/1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under Investigate is a son of Bivouac a young Australian son of Exceed and Excel. As a racer Bivouac won three times at the top level and as a sire he is among the leading second crop sires. He already has two group one winners to his credit and his career is just beginning. In the game he already has sired two grade one winners and this season he has added a grade three winner. Under Investigate is out of an Animal Kingdom x Danzig mare. He is two for two in his career winning a HOT race in April and then returning to win an allowance in June. In that spot he sat midpack before blowing away the field to win by five lengths with an 86 speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#12 Reeford 14\/1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reeford is a son of Alabama Express who was a group one winner on the racetrack and a multiple group one winning sire at stud. The son of Redoute\u2019s Choice\u2019s best foal is Australian Champion Treasurethe Moment. In the game he is still seeking his first graded winner but it is likely that he has been boosted from his initial rating based on his real life results. Reeford is out of a Daiwa Major x Cape Cross mare. After being well beaten on debut he\u2019s won his last two starts, a maiden in April and then an allowance in May. In his maiden score he sat just off the early lead before breaking away from the pack and demolishing the field by four lengths with an 81 speed. His allowance win saw him wire the field but he was pushed every step of the way and he only hung on to win by a half length.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#13 Road to Fargo 7\/1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Road to Fargo is a son of Pinatubo, a young son of Shamardal who was a two year old champion who won twice at the top level at that age. As a sire his best foal is a group two winner but he gets a very strong 14% black type performers to runners and his star seems to be on the rise. Road to Fargo is out of the stakes winning Quality Road x Forty Niner mare Clara Fargo who has produced one other stakes winner from just four foals. Road to Fargo has more wins than any other runner in the field (indeed even more than some others have races). He\u2019s won four of five starts with one second including a listed win two starts back and the Grade Two Norfellow Stakes in his most recent start. All of his races have seen him go to the front from the get and it has been a very successful style. His last two speeds of 85 and 87 put him on top in this field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#14 Repeating the Same 9\/1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The only filly in the field is this daughter of Kingman based on a Dubawi x Galileo hemare. She comes from the same family as grade two winning turf sprinter Picking Your Fight and grade one winner Northern Red. After two disappointing races to begin her career Repeating the Same had a breakout run in her most recent start. That June maiden saw her go to the front early and never look back, winning by a smashing ten lengths with an 86 speed. That race seemed to come out of nowhere so it\u2019s difficult to tell whether it was a fluke or a sign of her coming into her own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Good luck to all!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The six furlong Grade One Firebird Stakes will be run this Sunday and, as one of the first grade ones<\/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-75847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75847","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=75847"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75847\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":75849,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75847\/revisions\/75849"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=75847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=75847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=75847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}