{"id":7776,"date":"2010-02-11T22:36:03","date_gmt":"2010-02-12T03:36:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blacktypebugler.com\/?p=7776"},"modified":"2013-12-09T00:23:23","modified_gmt":"2013-12-09T05:23:23","slug":"oldbtb_1-18","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/?p=7776","title":{"rendered":"Shining Sea Sprint (written by Monte)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><head><title>Untitled Document<\/title><meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=iso-8859-1\" \/><\/p>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--.style2 {\tfont-size: xx-large;\tfont-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;}.style3 {color: #FF3300}.style4 {color: #666666}.style5 {color: #0099FF}.style7 {font-size: xx-large}.style11 {font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif}.style12 {color: #FFFF00}.style13 {color: #009966}.style14 {color: #FFCC00}.style15 {color: #FF6699}.style16 {color: #99CCFF}.style17 {color: #9933FF}.style18 {color: #999999}.style19 {color: #00FF00}.style20 {color: #996633}.style21 {color: #EE0000}.style22 {color: #9999FF}.style23 {color: #000099}.style24 {color: #006633}.style26 {color: #FF33FF}--><\/style>\n<p><\/head><body><span class=\"style2\"><span class=\"style3\">1<\/span> <strong>19-1 <\/strong><\/span><span class=\"style11\"><strong>SIMHISPANO- Haack\u2019s Mom(KY) homebred 5yo mare<br \/>Maria\u2019s Mon x F-rated Our Tombs (Easy Goer x Nijinsky II)<br \/>20-10-1-3 291K career earnings<\/strong><br \/>Mrhaack (23.1%- 50%) enters a lady to try and beat the boys for Sim Hispano glory.One thing is for sure is her form is as good as it ever has been with her ona very nice four win streak that is on the line. For a 5yo she has been lightlyraced with only 20 career starts, but now Mrhaack has a fresh mare that is betternow than ever. Haack\u2019s Mom will not be close early and should be far backas she is a dead closer which sets up nicely with all of the speed present. Shehas only had three starts at the six furlong distance, but has managed to wintwo out of the three. The one troubling aspect that I do see is in her four attemptswith graded company she was closing, but not nearly fast or early enough andwas never really a factor. Her career best speed figure is a 109 at 6.5 furlongslast time out. There might be a chance of a bounce this week, but the fact thatthis is only her 21st start leads me to believe she can throw another decenteffort out. With all that being said I think this girl is a little out matchedthis week and any finish in the top half of the field would be a bit surprising.Can she win? I don\u2019t think so, but she could get up for some money if shefires big.<br \/>Best speed-109<br \/>Best speed at distance- 106<br \/>Race trip- deep closer<br \/>Predicted finish- bottom half I\u2019m afraid <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"style11\"><span class=\"style7\"><span class=\"style18\">2<\/span> <strong>28-1<\/strong><\/span><strong>OHIO- Prado the Irish(IRE) homebred 6yo horse<br \/>  Daylami x G-rated Xtreme Verse (El Prado x Kris S.)<br \/>  29-8-5-3 213K career earnings<\/strong><br \/>  Biggredd (16.1%- 40.9%) sends out this grizzled veteran to represent the Ohio  residency. In the past this guy was capable of some big efforts, but his form  right now is pretty poor with only two wins in the last year. This will be  Prado the Irish\u2019s first foray with graded company, and has not yet captured  a stakes win. His best stakes effort was four months ago when he made a late  run to get up for third. When he is running his best race look for him to be  off the pace, but not too far back. He should be about mid pack if he can run  with this group early which might be a stretch. I don\u2019t think that six  furlongs is his best distance as he is only one for six. He seems to like a  bit more ground like around seven furlongs. The one bright spot is that he  has thrown out a 111 speed figure and if he can muster an effort close to that  this week he might surprise a few folks. At only 29 starts he should still  have some tread on the tires and a big effort would not be shocking. <br \/>  Best speed-111<br \/>  Best speed at distance- 103<br \/>  Race trip- mid-pack closer<br \/>Predicted finish- bottom half, he needed an off track to have a shot<\/p>\n<p class=\"style11\"><span class=\"style7\"><span class=\"style5\">3<\/span> <strong>13-1<\/strong><\/span><strong> MINNESOTA DOWNS- CK Ridgemont High(KY) scratch homebred 6yo horse<br \/>  Aptitude x Secretariat x Alydar<br \/>  39-8-14-6 444K career earnings<\/strong><br \/>  Ckstable2 (9.8%- 28.4%) brings an interesting one in this week. This guy has  now had two major paradigm shifts in his racing. Early in his career he was  exclusively on dirt and was not moved to the turf permanently until his thirteenth  start. All the while he was doing all of his racing between eight and ten furlongs.  Then little less than one year ago Ckstables2 tried a sprint and made the change  permanent about seven months ago. This will be his second try at graded company  on the turf. His previous tries early in his career were on the dirt routing  so they have little relevance here and we can safely throw those races out.  His second place finish in a GII at five furlongs tells me he can run with  this crowd. We should see CK Ridgemont High around mid pack or a bit further  back. He is a closer that can\u2019t get too far back and has the ability  to stay somewhat close if the pace isn\u2019t too hot. It will be hot this  week. Last race out at 7.5 furlongs he tied his career best speed figure of  110 which could lead to a bounce. This horse is the real wildcard in this race,  and I have no idea what to expect. He has zero starts at this distance and  only three at less than seven furlongs. <br \/>  Best speed- 110<br \/>  Best speed at distance- N\/A<br \/>  Race trip- mid-pack closer<br \/>Predicted finish- 7th, but a better finish certainly could happen<\/p>\n<p class=\"style11\"><span class=\"style7\"><span class=\"style12\">4<\/span> <strong>14-1<\/strong><\/span><strong> ALPINE TURF CLUB- Alpine Medicine(ENG) scratch homebred 5yo<br \/>  Medicean x Habitat x Turn-To<br \/>  16-8-2-3 237K career earnings<\/strong><br \/>  Justeng (14%- 37.1%) shows up at British Columbia with a real big shot. This  very lightly raced five year old is a bit of an off track specialist and there  is no rain in the forecast this week. He has yet to race with graded company,  but does have three stakes wins to his credit. His form right now is very good  and has a legit shot, but I think the firm turf course hurts a little bit.  I am not positive that six furlongs is his best distance but that should not  big that big of a factor since he is two for two. I would expect to see Alpine  Medicine up near the front in a stalking position about two or three back.  His best performance came two races back at the six furlong distance on a good  turf course. He popped a 110 then and that same performance gives him an opportunity  to spring the huge upset. His breeding is tailor made for this type of distance  on turf so all things point a performance that might just surprise a few folks.  One factor that might be the most critical is the lack of racing with graded  horses so far. It is very difficult to win that first graded race, and to try  in a Grade I with a 20 horse field might be asking a bit too much. The fact  is he was due to move up to graded stakes and a shot in the Equinics simply  can\u2019t be turned down<br \/>  Best speed- 110<br \/>  Best speed at distance- 110<br \/>  Race trip- stalking two or three back<br \/>Predicted finish- 4th, but first shot in a graded stake might hurt<\/p>\n<p class=\"style11\"><span class=\"style7\"><span class=\"style13\">5<\/span> <strong>9-1<\/strong><\/span><strong> VERMONT- Highside(IRE) scratch homebred 5yo horse<br \/>  High Chaparral x Irish River x Kingmambo<br \/>  31-10-4-7 1.1 million career earnings<\/strong><br \/>  Firfight (11.9%- 33.8%) is up next with their Breeder\u2019s Bowl winning  sprinter that is part of the class of this field. This guy is certainly no  stranger to graded races as this will be his ninth start with five top three  finishes and two wins. As accomplished as Highside is though, his form has  been pretty bad since the Breeder\u2019s Bowl and is showing descending speed  figures in every race since. This will be his 32nd start so there is that possibility  that he might have lost a step or two, but I would not call that a ton of starts  either. Regardless of the cause, Firfight needs to get this one turned around  this week for him to have any shot to bring a win for Vermont. This will be  only be his second start at the six furlong distance, although he has a second  place two back at the distance. Let us look at his best race to see what he  needs to do this week for a good finish. In the BB last fall he sat second  the whole race about \u00be of a length back and took over at the top of  the stretch and won pretty easy firing a career best 117 speed figure in the  process. This is probably the same scenario he needs for a win. At seven furlongs  he tends to show more speed and will get to the front, but at less than seven  he has not yet shown real take your breath away speed that can get him up front.  He should be close, but not on the front. After all of this one\u2019s accomplishments  I don\u2019t think he can get it done right now. The descending speed figures  and his lack of finish tells me he needs a bit of a freshening or a drop to  allowance company to get his swagger back. There are a ton of great horses  is this race and this is another that I can\u2019t pick, but certainly sports  a resume that says he can win. <br \/>  Best speed- 117<br \/>  Best speed at distance- 108<br \/>  Race trip- up close stalking should be within two early<br \/>Predicted finish- 9th, but if he finds his old form watch out<\/p>\n<p class=\"style11\"><span class=\"style7\">6 <strong>14-1<\/strong><\/span><strong> MINNESOTA DOWNS- Rattlin\u2019 Rebel(KY) scratch    homebred 6yo horse<br \/>  Perfect Soul x Caro x Majestic Prince<br \/>  32-10-7-5 374K career earnings<\/strong><br \/>  Buckbean (18%- 48.5%) brings just another multiple stakes winning sprinter  to BC this week, surprise surprise. This field is scary good and he should  be in the mix at the end. This will be his seventh run with graded company,  and has one win and one top three finish to put on his resume. While this guy  does not have the flashiest speed figures in the field by any stretch, he consistently  is there at the finish having no finishes out of the top four since September  of 2008. That is pretty darn impressive. His form at the moment is good with  three wins in his last five starts. Unlike a lot of the horses this week, six  furlongs is what he likes, and in showing that he will be making his 16th start  at the distance. Of the speed horses, Rattlin\u2019 Rebel is probably the  speed of the speed and should be on the engine early and gunning on the lead.  Making the lead has never been a problem, but finishing has been with a ton  of second place finishes just getting caught at the wire. One other thing that  people might want to pay attention to is the fact that this guy has yet to  get a single non maiden win in a field of more than ten. The jock might have  to use this one up a bit to get to the lead in a twenty horse stampede that  this is, so he might be a bit compromised at the end. In his best races he  has shown the ability to get lone leads and hang on, but I don\u2019t think  we will see anybody get an uncontested lead this week. <br \/>  Best speed- 110<br \/>  Best speed at distance- 106<br \/>  Race trip- on the engine, gunning for the lead<br \/>Predicted finish- 6th, might be a bit used up towards the end<\/p>\n<p class=\"style11\"><span class=\"style7\"><span class=\"style14\">7<\/span> <strong>28-1 <\/strong><\/span><strong>COMEDY CENTRAL- Pit of Despair(KY) scratch homebred 4yo colt<br \/>  Unbridled\u2019s Song x Blushing Groom x Seattle Slew<br \/>  23-4-4-4 108K career earnings<\/strong><br \/>  Cmd2001 has shown up at BC this week with a very versatile runner that doesn\u2019t  seem to mind what surface or distance you throw him in, just so long as he  gets a shot. This will be only his third run with graded company with one non  threatening third place. Of the closers in the field he likes to come from  the clouds which has worked well at seven panels, but has not shown the same  ability to close at six furlongs. His form right now is very sharp with his  career best speed figure of 110 coming in his last race at seven furlongs.  This guy might bounce off of that huge effort, and combine that with this not  being his ideal distance it could be a long day for Pit of Despair. I do see  two stakes wins on this one\u2019s resume, but they were both at seven or  longer and that is going to make this extra difficult. Cmd2001 could try a  home run and give the jock instructions to get closer to the lead early on,  which I think is the only way he has a shot. In his best race which happened  to be his last race he was actually nine back at the beginning of the turn  and passed ten horses to get up for a narrow victory. If he tries that this  week he is going to find that the race is already over when he starts to pick  off horses. This is only a four year old, so there is still room to improve  which he needs to do for any chance this week.<br \/>  Best speed- 110<br \/>  Best speed at distance- 91<br \/>  Race trip- deep closer, will be coming from the clouds<br \/>Predicted finish- bottom half<\/p>\n<p class=\"style11\"><span class=\"style7\"><span class=\"style15\">8<\/span> <strong>16-1<\/strong><\/span><strong> DELPENN- Super Risk(IRE) homebred 4yo colt<br \/>  Danehill Dancer x F- rated Storm\u2019s Fury (Fusaichi Pegasus x Storm Cat) <br \/>  19-8-4-1 1.4 million career earnings<\/strong><br \/>  Wistful0 (15.7%- 38.1%) brings just another royally bred graded stakes winning  colt into the Equinic\u2019s fray. Out of his nineteen starts, eleven have  been with graded company where he sports one win and five top three finishes.  The one thing that really stands out with this guy is his ability to run his  race in full fields. In his last race he ran a very nice second in a GI with  a 19 horse field along with a ton of nice efforts in 14 horse fields. I would  no expect this guy to be intimidated in the least. The one thing I don\u2019t  like that huts his chances this week are the lack of six furlong results. From  all appearances, this guy looks like a miler or seven furlong specialist, but  he certainly has the class and the experience to perform. His last and only  start at six furlongs was way back in his fourth race, and since has been doing  most of his racing at around a mile. He does show the ability to win from off  the pace, but his best efforts are from a close up stalking position. I am  not sure he can stay all that close this week with the true sprinter speed  he is going to see for the first time. His best effort was his last race where  he got a fast closing second place in a GI at seven furlongs. The pedigree  I see here looks like he could certainly sprint and I do think he has a shot  this week, but I really think that seven furlongs is more in his wheelhouse.  The form is very good right now with his top five speed figures coming in his  last five races. The fact is that we are now seeing the best that this one  has and that could be enough to get into the mix and have a say in the outcome. <br \/>  Best speed- 112<br \/>  Best speed at distance- 77, although this was as a 2yo<br \/>  Race trip- close up stalker<br \/>  Predicted finish- 8th, could really like sprinting, and if he does he couldsurprise<\/p>\n<p class=\"style11\"><span class=\"style7\"><span class=\"style16\">9<\/span> <strong>20-1<\/strong><\/span><strong> STATE- Tskan Kee Ho(KY) homebred 5yo horse<br \/>  Gone West x G-rated A Giant Danzig (Giant\u2019s Causeway x Danzig)<br \/>  14-8-2-0 256K career earnings<\/strong><br \/>  Mattress (17.2%- 44%) is bringing a very lightly raced five year old that looks  ready to fire a big race. His form is pretty good as of late with the only  graded victory coming two races back in the GIII Zeppelin cap running his best  speed figure of 110 in the process. The front of the field should see this  guy among its members as he has controlling speed that is tactical as well.  He has enough true speed to get out front at five furlongs, so if he wants  the lead he can certainly get it. I don\u2019t think that is the plan as his  best races find him setting just off the pace and pouncing down the lane. There  is a lot of tactical speed in this race and if no one wants the lead he could  certainly take charge. His last race in a GI he didn\u2019t fire at all and  ran a disappointing ninth with a poor 99 speed figure. While this race looks  bad it was kind of expected with a career best 110 in a GIII the race prior,  a bounce was probably unavoidable and makes that race a throw out. <br \/>  Best speed- 110<br \/>  Best speed at distance- 110 <br \/>  Race trip- on the lead if soft pace, stalking if hot pace<br \/>  Predicted finish- 5th, another one that could win if things go his way<\/p>\n<p class=\"style11\"><span class=\"style7\"><span class=\"style17\">10<\/span> <strong>13-1<\/strong><\/span><strong> MIDAS- Red Banana(IRE) homebred 4yo colt<br \/>  Red Clubs x D-rated Banana Brio (Storm Cat x I Am The Game)<br \/>  16-7-1-2 2.1 million career earnings<\/strong><br \/>  Chiknsmack (10.7%- 37.9%) brings yet another lightly raced horse into the mix.  If there is one thing we can all learn from the horses in this race is that  running horses every two or three weeks is not how you develop good stakes  horses. Light, well meant schedules are how you get to the big races. So for  all of you trainers that burn your horses up in their two and three year old  seasons are probably never going to get to the big races for older horses.  So let us take a look at Red Banana now that my editorial rant is over. This  guy certainly is competent at six furlongs, but most of his monstrous performances  have come at slightly longer distances, and that will be a factor in this race.  The same speed he shows at seven furlongs seems to be missing at shorter distances  and he needs to be in the hunt early to have a legit chance. His best race  came two back at the GI DCPD VIII The Penn Dash. He beat many of the horses  in that field that are here this week as well, but that race was at seven furlongs.  The 110 he posted in that race was only his third best speed figure so he can  improve from that effort and he will need to. Of his 16 career starts he has  only been out of the top five once, so he can not be dismissed easily, but  I don\u2019t think he can beat the top horses at six furlongs. <br \/>  Best speed- 116<br \/>  Best speed at distance- 103<br \/>  Race trip- up front stalking<br \/>Predicted finish- 10th, needs just a bit more distance<\/p>\n<p class=\"style11\"><span class=\"style7\"><span class=\"style4\">11<\/span> <strong>14-1<\/strong><\/span><strong> NW RACING CIRCUIT- In My Blood(IRE) homebred 4yo colt<br \/>  Holy Roman Emperor x C-rated Nexis Song (Unbridled\u2019s Song x Northern  Dancer)<br \/>  15-9-1-1 1.1 million career earnings<\/strong><br \/>  Stevemunoz (16%- 45.4%) has a very loaded very talented four year old that  impresses the heck out of me. With nine wins from only 15 starts it is very  hard to not love this guy\u2019s chances this week. He is coming off of a  very impressive GI win last time out with a speed figure of 109 which might  be enough this week if he is able to duplicate that effort. His best speed  is that 109, but has been able to repeat that effort three times. I really  think he might be coming into his best form and a step up would not be shocking,  in fact I am sort of expecting it. Another factor to put on the plus side for  this one is that nine starts at six furlongs, with four wins and no finishes  out of the top four in any of them. This is another one of the speed balls  that can get the lead if he wants it although he can win from just off of the  pace as well. The charge out of the gate may dictate where this one sets up  shop, but I think he will be just off in a stalking position. We see a grizzled  veteran of graded races with ten of them under his belt already. He has but  two wins in them, but one of those was a GI where he bested two of this week\u2019s  other participants. I love the pedigree, I love the form, I love the set up  for this one on Saturday, and I think we see a win. <br \/>  Best speed- 109<br \/>  Best speed at distance- 109<br \/>  Race trip- on the lead or just off of the pace<br \/>Predicted finish- 1st <\/p>\n<p class=\"style11\"><span class=\"style7\"><span class=\"style19\">12<\/span> <strong>12-1<\/strong><\/span><strong> EAAA RACING- Galaxy of Gold(IRE) scratch homebred 5yo horse<br \/>  Galileo x Dansili x Grey Dawn II<br \/>  31-7-11-3 856K career earnings<\/strong><br \/>  Racer (14.8%- 42.9%) brings yet another royal bred to BC with a big shot this  week. This guy spent the majority of his early career on the dirt but made  the switch permanently late in 2008, and the rest has been history since. He  has had some lowlights in his career running for a 40K tag in October of 2008,  but has improved steady since that low point. He has nine starts at six furlongs  on turf, so I know he can handle this distance, and he has been knocking on  the door as of late. His one graded win back in October of 2009, but that was  at seven furlongs. He has two second place finishes in graded stakes so he  certainly can run with this crowd and I think he is sitting on a big one right  now. His top performance was four back in a GII at seven furlongs and the plan  was pretty simple. Get to the lead and stay there, and that is exactly what  happened. Look for that same game plan this week. Many of the horses in this  race will get out front if nobody else wants to be there, but his guy wants  to be there and has the speed to make it happen. Look for him to be on the  engine early. This guy\u2019s resume is not quite as flashy as some of the  others but his first or second place finishes in his last five races tell me  he is in great form and has the speed to get it done this week or certainly  be in the mix late. <br \/>  Best speed- 110<br \/>  Best speed at distance- 108<br \/>  Race trip- on the lead, needs to get it to have a shot<br \/>Predicted finish- 2nd, don\u2019t think he can quite hold on<\/p>\n<p class=\"style11\"><span class=\"style7\"><span class=\"style20\">13<\/span> <strong>24-1<\/strong><\/span><strong> UNIVERSAL RACING CLUB- Loud Talkin\u2019(KY)    scratch homebred 4yo colt<br \/>  Ghostzapper x Forty Niner x Storm Cat <br \/>  11-4-2-1 132K career earnings<\/strong><br \/>  Hamster (14.6%- 41.5%) brings in a pretty green four year old this week that  might be just a little be a little over his head. He did run his career best  speed figure last race out with a 106 and a win, but the distance was 7.5 furlongs.  This will also be his first run in graded company which does not bode well  for a horse that has been racing in short fields for the most part as of late.  He does have one stake win on his resume and that was at this week\u2019s  distance of six furlongs only two races back, but the speed of 103 will not  get it done this week. This guy is a deep closer that might be nine or ten  back in this race and could pass some tired horses, but he might also get 15  back and never really get running. I think that this guy\u2019s best days  are ahead of him, and a bad finish this week doesn\u2019t mean too much. In  both of his only two starts at six furlongs he passed a ton of horses late  and he might be able to do that this week as well. <br \/>  With only being his 12th start a big jump up in performance would not be unheard  of, but a 20 horse field in his first graded try might be asking a little to  much at this time. <br \/>  Best speed- 106<br \/>  Best speed at distance- 103<br \/>  Race trip- deep closer, will be nowhere near the front early<br \/>Predicted finish- bottom half, not quite ready for this<\/p>\n<p class=\"style11\"><span class=\"style7\"><span class=\"style21\">14<\/span> <strong>22-1<\/strong><\/span><strong> IRELAND- Blood of Kingu(IRE) scratch homebred 5yo horse<br \/>  Galileo x Rock of Gibraltar x Ela-Mana-Mou<br \/>  21-8-5-2 310K career earnings<\/strong><br \/>  Kartago (17.1%- 47.4%) brings in a five year old that is not in the greatest  of form at the moment, but has had some success in graded company in the past  at this distance. He is having his fifth try with graded company this week,  but does show one win. In August of last year he scored his only graded win  in the GIII Mute Button where he stalked an early pace took over at the end  of the backstretch and posted a career best speed figure of 109. Any effort  that does not duplicate that career best will not end well for him this week.  Six furlongs looks to be his best distance of very close to it, but his race  last out in a GII at six furlongs has a lot to be desired finishing a non threatening  8th, and was never really a factor. His best races have come on the lead or  just off and I just don\u2019t think he has the speed to get to the front  with this crowd of stars. If he can get to the front he has a shot, but that  is a very big if. <br \/>  Best speed- 109<br \/>  Best speed at distance- 109<br \/>  Race trip- Wants to be on the lead, but don\u2019t think he can get there<br \/>Predicted finish- bottom half <\/p>\n<p class=\"style11\"><span class=\"style7\"><span class=\"style20\">15<\/span> <strong>11-1<\/strong><\/span><strong> BENELUX- Urko\u2019s King(IRE) homebred 4yo    colt<br \/>  Sadler\u2019s Wells x G-rated Take a Look at Me (Kingmambo x Roberto)<br \/>  16-9-3-1 1.0 million career earnings<\/strong><br \/>  Urko1 (14.7%- 44.3%) brings in a four year old with a very nice four year old  with a strong resume that is capable of anything. This horse poses quite a  dilemma for my prediction skills. He is perfectly capable of winning this race  but his efforts since last year\u2019s BB are not inspiring very much confidence.  It looks like Urko has seen the same trend and has kept him on the sidelines  since mid December in attempt to freshen him up. How will he respond off of  that rest? Does he need a race? Many questions that I don\u2019t have a good  answer for. His last race he was very flat which is a pattern that horses coming  out of the BB sprint seem to be showing in this field. In his races where he  fires he is either on the lead or very close to it, but never got involved  at all in the last race which was a GI. This will only be his fourth start  at sic furlongs, but his second place finish in the BB says that is not an  issue. I would expect him to amongst the plethora of stalkers that will be  following the first flight, but make no mistake he needs to be close. If you  see this guy slip three or four back early, forget it, it\u2019s over. If  he finds his old form he could be there, but I think he needs a race off of  his time off.<br \/>  Best speed- 115<br \/>  Best speed at distance- 105<br \/>  Race trip- near the front, depends on if he fires or not <br \/>  Predicted finish- bottom half, but no huge shock if he is much better than  that<\/p>\n<p class=\"style11\"><span class=\"style7\"><span class=\"style22\">16<\/span> <strong>17-1<\/strong><\/span><strong> EAST-WEST CONNECTION- Tobyhanna(KY) homebred 4yo colt<br \/>  Perfect Soul x H-rated Lady Carpenter(Gone West x Alleged)<br \/>  20-12-5-0 835K career earnings<\/strong><br \/>  Luiet60 (15.8%- 39.6%) brings in a well-protected four year old that has not  faced top flight competition in quite a while. He is riding a six race winning  streak, but against only allowance company in very short fields. I have no  idea why, since he has a GI and GIII wins on his resume. His last race in stakes  company was in July of 2009 and his last graded race was in February of 2009.  I think that he is not really a sprinter as his only route race was on an off  track which he seems to dislike. A mile might be very much to his liking and  at his young age an experimental race would not be a bad idea. He has a pedigree  to go plenty long, and probably should be tried again at some point. When this  guy runs his race, he almost always does, he should be pretty far of the pace  and closing like a rocket, but I think with this crowd he is going to be a  lot further back than he is used to and won\u2019t really start running till  this is over. To have a shot he needs to stay within seven or eight lengths  back early, any further back and I don\u2019t think he has a shot. This is  a very talented horse that has been protected in allowances races, and that  will do him no favors this week. <br \/>  Best speed- 107<br \/>  Best speed at distance- 107<br \/>  Race trip- deep closer, will be coming back from the next zip code <br \/>  Predicted finish- bottom half, don\u2019t think he can stay close enough earlyto be a factor<\/p>\n<p class=\"style11\"><span class=\"style7\"><span class=\"style23\">17<\/span> <strong>14-1<\/strong><\/span><strong> BLAZING SADLES- Covet(ENG) homebred 4yo colt<br \/>  Dansili x G-rated All I Want (Giant\u2019s Causeway x Forty Niner)<br \/>  17-4-6-2 1.3 million career earnings<\/strong><br \/>  Rtribbett (16.3%- 43.5%) has a well decorated four year old this week that  could finish anywhere. He is racing as well as he ever has at the moment, but  I am not quite sure his best race will be quite good enough. This will be his  11th start in graded company with two wins and five other top three efforts.  He has shown the ability to be in almost every race he is in, but he only has  two starts against older horses and his last one was not a good one. There  was no reason for him to lose in a conditioned allowance race last out as the  odds on favorite. I think that six furlongs might be a bit short for him as  seven furlongs and a mile seem to produce a bit better results. His best races  he is generally a mid pack closer that can be further back, but not too far.  His best race came two back at the GI DPCD where he closed to a close third  place. He did not win but that was a big effort against older horses for the  first time running a 108. I do like the fact that he has not been protected  and has made the majority of his starts n full fields which is a huge bonus  this week. I really have no idea what to think of this guy this week. How bout  this I\u2019ll pick him low and he can shock us all (it won\u2019t be shock  to see a huge race)<br \/>  Best speed- 109<br \/>  Best speed at distance- 105<br \/>  Race trip- mid pack closer<br \/>Predicted finish- bottom half, but has the ability to do much better<\/p>\n<p class=\"style11\"><span class=\"style7\"><span class=\"style24\">18<\/span> <strong>9-1<\/strong><\/span><strong> GR SIMSTERS- Tatsu(KY) homebred 5yo horse<br \/>  Ghostzapper x E-rated Mother of Dragons (Storm Cat x Mr. Prospector)<br \/>  27-12-5-3 1.8 million career earnings<\/strong><br \/>  Given (21.3%- 54.4%) is bringing in a fully loaded beast to BC this week. That  looks to be well set up with a GI win two back and an easy allowance win last  time out. This is where good trainers separate themselves from the rest. Given  has had his eye on this race and set him up perfectly for him to run his best  race. This guy made his first five starts on the dirt and was very successful  with two wins out of only five starts, but given decided that was not quite  good enough. In his three year old debut he made the switch to turf and has  not looked back since. He has four starts at six furlongs and of those four  he won the GI King Kong sprint running a very nice 113 speed figure in the  process. This will be his 10th race in graded stakes with three wins to report.  The one thing that I do find a bit troubling is the fact that he has never  won a race from anywhere but the lead. He simply has to have it, but the good  news is he can get there. This is probably the speed of the speed and should  be able to dictate the race from up front. Unlike many front runners he only  runs fast enough to get the lead and has never shown a propensity to open up  huge margins thus conserving energy. I like this guy\u2019s current form and  the nice set up race at five furlongs. <br \/>  Best speed- 114<br \/>  Best speed at distance- 113 <br \/>  Race trip- Should be leading them all<br \/>Predicted finish- 3rd, but certainly can win\u2026easily <\/p>\n<p class=\"style11\"><span class=\"style7\"><span class=\"style18\">19<\/span> <strong>16-1<\/strong><\/span><strong> QUEENSLAND- Top Notch Hero(KY) scratch homebred 6yo horse<br \/>  Distorted Humor x Capote x Cure The Blues<br \/>  49-13-7-7 460K career earnings<\/strong><br \/>  Johnhoward (11.1%- 30.7%) brings in the most experienced horse of the 20 sporting  49 career starts. However, after changing barns twice in the last year and  a half via claim, he is racing better than he ever has, but that might not  be enough anyways. This veteran of the track spent the majority of his early  career on dirt and only made the permanent switch only a year ago. He seems  about equally talented on either surface, with six furlongs a distance he can  run at. This will be his 7th graded start with a win all the way back in his  first try way back in his three year old season. Every try since then has been  on dirt with poor results with his best finish 7th. He is another deep closer  that might find himself a mile back early with no shot. This is a very nice  horse and a very nice claim but I just don\u2019t think he can run with this  crow any longer. <br \/>  Best speed- 110<br \/>  Best speed at distance- 106<br \/>  Race trip- deep closer<br \/>Predicted finish- bottom half<\/p>\n<p class=\"style11\"><span class=\"style7\"><span class=\"style26\">20<\/span> <strong>15-1<\/strong><\/span><strong> HONG KONG RACING CLUB- Materialistic(KY) scratch homebred 5yo horse<br \/>  Aragorn x Lammtarra x Herbager<br \/>  27-6-8-2 416K career earnings<\/strong><br \/>  Stormrun (10.2%- 40.7%) brings in his stakes winning five year old that needs  to improve quite a lot to have a shot in this race. The races to look for that  give this one some hope are the back to back graded stakes races four and five  back. In both of those races he was flying at the end finishing a nice second  and fourth, but only beaten combined one and a half lengths. Those two races  tell me he has an outside shot, but his effort in the GI King Kong tells me  he has no shot. He fished a weak 7th not really closing on a pretty hot pace.  The GIII the race prior to the King Kong was also a flat effort. When he runs  his best race he is about six off of the lead and makes one late run. He has  shown the ability to run with this class of horse, but not consistently. He  does have a shot, but needs a big form reversal to even get in the top half  of the field. <br \/>  Best speed- 109<br \/>  Best speed at distance- 104<br \/>  Race trip- mid pack closer<br \/>Predicted finish- bottom half, form<\/p>\n<p><\/body><\/html><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Untitled Document 1 19-1 SIMHISPANO- Haack\u2019s Mom(KY) homebred 5yo mareMaria\u2019s Mon x F-rated Our Tombs (Easy Goer x Nijinsky II)20-10-1-3<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":297,"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-7776","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7776","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\/297"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7776"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7776\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17031,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7776\/revisions\/17031"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7776"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}