{"id":7651,"date":"2010-01-07T23:52:36","date_gmt":"2010-01-07T23:52:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blacktypebugler.com\/?p=7651"},"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=7651","title":{"rendered":"Race : Narrowly Missed Stakes – Grade III – $100,000"},"content":{"rendered":"

Only eleven starters will line up for the Narrowly Missed Stakes<\/I>, but it looms as a really interesting race, as evidenced by the early market. Of the eleven lining up, the form of nine of them is good enough to see them rated in single figures. Second longest in betting, at 10\/1 is Quandry<\/B>, who also makes a solid case for consideration, while even the outsider, Edgeley Park,<\/B> has a recent win over this distance, and in a handy time. Million dollar earner, Armstrong<\/B>, at 9\/2, will carry the favorite followers money, and he meets a field full of strong opposition.<\/P>

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The Narrowly Missed Stakes<\/I> is a $100,000 Grade 3 contest to be run over seven and a half furlongs on a superb dirt surface in Illinois<\/st1:State><\/st1:place><\/P>

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Let\u2019s get to that early market:<\/P>

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9\/2 \u2013 Armstrong<\/P>

5\/1 \u2013 Deputy Ed<\/P>

6\/1 \u2013 Nobody Panic<\/P>

7\/1 \u2013 Fontaine Blue<\/P>

8\/1 \u2013 Pine<\/st1:PlaceName> Bay<\/st1:PlaceType><\/st1:place>, Daddy\u2019s Storm<\/P>

9\/1 \u2013 Explore, KY Wildcat<\/P>

10\/1 \u2013 Quandry<\/P>

21\/1 \u2013 Edgeley<\/st1:PlaceName> Park<\/st1:PlaceType><\/st1:place><\/P>

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We\u2019ll look at the field in betting order<\/P>

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9\/2 \u2013 # 11 \u2013 Armstrong \u2013 <\/B>The oldest and most experienced campaigner in the event, this seven year old, million dollar earner, warrants his place at the top of the betting, through a lifetime of quality performances, although he\u2019s never raced better than he is right now. Although this field is full of fast sprinters, many of them are registering impressive speeds against lower opposition. This bloke\u2019s last two wins were against ungraded company, but he won a Grade 3, his first Graded trophy, just half a dozen starts back, and he lines up here off a close third in the G1-The Ireneo Lequisamo<\/I>, two weeks ago. Top form, a class horse and a top jockey will combine to create every chance of victory for Paddy<\/B>\u2019s son of Afleet<\/I> from the \u2018G\u2019 rated mare Brittany Too<\/B> (Irish River \/ Secretariat<\/I>).<\/P>

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5\/1 \u2013 # 2 \u2013 Deputy Ed \u2013 <\/B>Racing in arguably the best form of his career, this six year old scratchbred son of Eddington \/ Forty Niner \/ Deputy Minister<\/I> has had his last five starts over the same trip as he faces here. He\u2019s won two of them, and run second and third in two others. Add to that, the fact that he\u2019s registered triple digits in each of his last half dozen, and we have a consistent runner who is bound to pose a serious threat once again. Looking for question marks, he\u2019s never contested a Graded event in his thirty nine trips to the track thus far, so that remains a significant step to take. But it\u2019s impossible not to be impressed with that ungraded victory in Arkansas<\/st1:place><\/st1:State> back in early October. In a field of ten, he won convincingly, registering a speed figure of 115. The crystal ball says this will be won in sub 1.28. This horse is capable of producing that time on a fairly regular basis. Breeder \/ trainer Joenova<\/B> has secured the services of a most capable rider and the barrier draw has been kind. <\/P>

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6\/1 \u2013 # 6<\/st1:Street> \u2013<\/st1:address> Nobody Panic \u2013<\/B> The thing that impresses with the first look at the form guide, is his recent form over the trip he faces today. Three starts at seven and a half furlongs on the PP formpage have him taking the money on each occasion. Interestingly they are the only three races he\u2019s ever contested at this trip so Goldnmarlin<\/B>, his third trainer, has obviously found the key. Or did this runner just need a change of scenery? A magnificent pickup in a 20k claimer, after basically looking nothing better in his first dozen or so runs, this superbly bred scratchbred son of Giant\u2019s Causeway \/ Mr. Prospector \/ Nijinsky II<\/I> has registered triple digits in each of his dozen for this latest (and surely last) owner. He still has a minor question mark surrounding Graded ability, but he\u2019s got the breeding, the speed and he\u2019s stakes placed. It will be no surprise if he keeps his perfect seven and a half record intact.<\/P>

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7\/1 \u2013 # 5<\/st1:Street> \u2013<\/st1:address> Fontaine Blue \u2013 <\/B>The most lightly raced runner in the field, this Bighoss<\/B> bred and trained five year old has plenty of things in his favor. He\u2019s a Graded placed, dual stakeswinner in an event which features a lot of fast horses, but not a lot of horses who\u2019ve established their speed against Graded quality opposition. Patiently prepared, he worked his way through the classes consistently, gradually improving as he went along. While most of the others have reached a (admittedly high) plateau, this bloke looks as if he may still have improvement to come. I\u2019m particularly taken by his most recent outing. Motoring home over seven furlongs for second in the G3-Strong Leader<\/I>, the extra half a furlong may be all he needs, especially considering he won his one and only previous try at the journey. A son of Awesome Again<\/I>, he\u2019s the only progeny (Why?) of Touch Me<\/B>, a half million dollar earning, Graded winning daughter of A.P. Indy \/ Danzig<\/I>. Expect another big run this week<\/P>

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8\/1 \u2013 # 9<\/st1:Street> \u2013<\/st1:address> Pine<\/B><\/st1:PlaceName> Bay<\/st1:PlaceType><\/B><\/st1:place> \u2013 <\/B>This lightly raced seven year old lines up for his tenth consecutive run over this seven and a half furlong trip. The bad news is that he\u2019s won only two of those previous nine. The better news is that those two wins came from his last three outings, establishing his current formline. It\u2019s simply impossible to totally discount the chances of a horse which has won eight times at this trip, especially given that three of those wins came against black type opposition. He\u2019s a son of Sligo<\/I><\/st1:PlaceName> Bay<\/st1:PlaceType><\/I><\/st1:place>, from Bluff Bite<\/B> (Pine Bluff \/ Habitat<\/I>), an \u2018open\u2019 mare with three progeny, all carrying black type. Elranchoti<\/B> is the third, and most successful trainer of this runner. The horse loves this trip, he\u2019s registered triple digit speed ratings at each of his last eleven starts, and he\u2019s won two of his last three. He needs to establish himself as a Graded runner, but he shouldn\u2019t be far away.<\/P>

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8\/1 \u2013 # 10<\/st1:Street> \u2013<\/st1:address> Daddy\u2019s Storm \u2013<\/B> The youngest horse in the race, and the only four year old, this graduating runner makes his first step into Graded territory after establishing his credentials impressively at the lower levels. A winner of his last two, he\u2019s the only runner to be able to make that claim, giving his current formline added impetus. Breeder \/ trainer Kk1039<\/B> was content to allow him to thoroughly mature as a two and three year old, not venturing into the black type ranks until start number fourteen in September last year, and not stepping up to the next rung until now. If you\u2019d like more positive data, he\u2019s tried the seven and a half furlong journey three times before, winning on every occasion. More than half way down the betting order, the form of this scratchbred son of Scat Daddy \/ Two Punch \/ Storm Cat<\/I> simply underlines the depth of this field. He\u2019s a genuine chance.<\/P>

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9\/1 – # 3<\/st1:Street> \u2013<\/st1:address> Explore \u2013<\/B> Yet another with hard to fault formline, and yet another with a proven love of this distance. Stable connections are sure to be lining up to support their charge, as he\u2019s a most enticing price, and there\u2019s nothing on the formpage to suggest his form is inferior to that of his opposition. Do we look for question marks? I guess that\u2019s our job. Did the trainer really think so little of him that she\u2019d risk him for a tag? And not just once\u2026but twice. Very brave, Topicount<\/B>! OK. So we\u2019ve got an ex-claimer. Winner of a starter allowance just three starts back. This field should be far too hot. But it\u2019s not! We\u2019ve already suggested that 1.28 will be competitive, and he won that starter in faster time. Class may be a query, but he\u2019s not the only one tackling the Graded waters for the first time. A son of Seeking The Gold<\/I>, from Traveller<\/B> (Exchange Rate \/ Roar<\/I>). Mum was a multiple stakes winner who banked three quarters of a million. This bloke could close the gap a tad this weekend. If you like him, he\u2019s at generous odds.<\/P>

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9\/1 \u2013 # 7 \u2013 KY Wildcat \u2013 <\/B>The price looks more than enticing given that this runner has won four of his last five, two of them over this trip, and has never raced in better fettle. There are a couple of reasons why the oddsmakers are being so generous. He\u2019s not the most consistent runner in the event, this is his first run in Graded company, and his times are a tad shy of some of his opponents. Let\u2019s take those minuses one at a time. Inconsistent; Maybe once, but he\u2019s won four of his last five. Lack of Graded experience; That puts him on a par with most of the others. Not fast enough, well, he\u2019ll need to run 1.28, but those two 110 and 111 runs recently just about equal that requirement. Nope. If you like Asta<\/B>\u2019s son of Bluegrass Cat<\/I>, go right ahead and bet. His Grade two winning dam GD\u2019s Olympic Star<\/B> (Forty Niner \/ Sadler\u2019s Wells<\/I>) has already produced three stakes placed offspring. Perhaps it\u2019s time for that elusive black type winner.<\/P>

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10\/1 \u2013 # 4<\/st1:Street> \u2013<\/st1:address> Quandry \u2013<\/B> Finally into double figures, and with nine horses ranked above him in the betting, connections may have a right to feel out of their depth. And if we only look back at the most recent races they may be right. But is he hopeless? Far from it. He\u2019s a multiple stakeswinner, with an impressive ten from thirty strike rate. He\u2019s got no Graded form, but there are others ranked above him who have less. Some with less black type experience, and some who\u2019ve tried and failed multiple times at the higher level. Rocket33<\/B> Bred this one from scratch, reasonably inexpensively, using the blood of Officer \/ Boston Harbor \/ Cee\u2019s Tizzy<\/I>. As he closes in on half a million dollars, he\u2019s proven to be a most astute breeding. I\u2019m concerned with his most recent form, and cannot suggest him with confidence till we see a turnaround, but, at his best, he\u2019d give supporters a good run for their money.<\/P>

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21\/1 \u2013 # 8<\/st1:Street> \u2013<\/st1:address> Edgeley<\/B><\/st1:PlaceName> Park<\/st1:PlaceType><\/B><\/st1:place> \u2013 <\/B>The longest priced runner in the race, and by a substantial margin, on recent form you wouldn\u2019t give him any chance. His last four speed ratings have all been sub100, while he\u2019s ling up against runners boasting a dozen consecutive triple digits. He\u2019s also a perennial runner-up, which bodes badly in a field of this depth. He\u2019s won only three from thirty, despite racing against weaker, and was nowhere to be seen at his only run in Graded company. Now let\u2019s try and find the positives. We have to go back to Eastern Kentucky<\/st1:place> last March. But that was the last time he tried this trip and, although it was just a conditioned allowance, he won impressively in a time which could nearly be competitive here. I wouldn\u2019t put my money on a repeat, but if Boxerwood<\/B>\u2019s scratchbred son of Alderberan \/ Kris S. \/ Afleet<\/I> can recapture that run, he may run the race of his life<\/P>

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Summary: <\/B>Eleven runners. Nine strong chances, one fair chance and a roughie who\u2019s not completely hopeless. I could end up looking foolish here. Anyway\u2026.here goes<\/P>

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Fontaine Blue<\/B> \u2013 Will relish the final hundred yards<\/P>

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Daddy\u2019s Storm<\/B> \u2013 Loves the trip.<\/P>

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Armstrong<\/B> \u2013 You don\u2019t win a million without being good.<\/P><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Armstrong Heads Tight Illinois Market<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":453,"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-7651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7651","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\/453"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7651"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7651\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7651"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}