The Grade I Double F Memorial will be run at New Jersey this weekend, with a prize pool of $250,000 up for grabs. A quick review of the field sees a lot of runners with a lot of early speed drawn to meet each other, with most preferring to stalk the lead from close up and then make their runs on the home turn. A hot pace is expected from the get go, and the field will be likely to be bunched right up, which could send the wider drawn runners out onto the middle of the track to make their runs home.<\/p>\n
PP1 ETHICS PARADOX(KY) (GIANT’S CAUSEWAY (IRE) x GULCH x SEATTLE SLEW) gradetwo 7\/1
Versatile sprinter who has won graded stakes on both turf and dirt. After 34 of 35 starts on turf, and being a winner of two Grade 1s, his career took a shift onto the dirt and he quickly added two more graded wins to his impressive resume. Firstly, he took out the Grade III Cracked Peanuts Sprint, and then followed it up with victory in the Grade I Binger Handicap. Since then he hasn\u2019t been able to go on with it, two starts ago he finished 12th in the Foregone, and then last start he was 9th in the Grade III Scottsdale BB Stakes. He will go well back in the field and be charging home, and after two disappointing runs in a row, is sure to be on the rebound here and looking for improvement.<\/p>\n
PP2 TRIPLE DARKNESS(KY) (UNBRIDLED’S SONG x MR. PROSPECTOR x SEATTLE SLEW) racer 14\/1
3yo sprinter on the rise, who steps up in class after dismissing the opposition at his first try against older runners in the URC Breeder\u2019s Bowl stakes. That win saw him build on his increasingly impressive recent record, scoring in 4 of his last 5 races, including the last two at stakes class. A lot will be asked of him to continue with that same improvement and beat this elite field, but his SP110 last time out has shown he will be in the mix. Should settle in the back half of the field, with so many here going to press for the early speed, and will be finishing off strongly.<\/p>\n
PP3 NEAR THE KNUCKLE(KY) (DAYJUR x KINGMAMBO x STORM BIRD) gipper 7\/1
Has finished in the first two in 15 of his last 19 starts, since being picked up in a claimer with a $10k tag. The change of stables had an immediate impact and his career was turned around, with his new trainer concentrating on running him in sprints only. Most recently, he followed TRIPLE DARKNESS(KY) home, having been paired with him throughout the early going, but was just found wanting over the final furlong to be beaten a length. Before that, he just missed by a head in the Iceberg Grade I in New York. Had struggled to match his allowance performances with his stakes performances early on, but his last 3 starts have shown he is up to this class. Go close again.<\/p>\n
PP4 STORM SMACK(KY) (STORM CAT x A.P. INDY x DANZIG) mtkgrs3 5\/1
This 4yo has really lifted his act since he flopped 4 starts ago in the Three Bender Grade I in California. Firstly, he met a small field in the Saddlers Gone West Memorial, and he went back to the tail of the field before storming home to win with an SP of 112. He improved on that at his next start, when he led all the way in the Mine Trader Stakes, and ran an SP 115. Last time out he kept up the trend and beat a field of 13 in the Grade III The Strong Leader after stalking the speed, notching an SP of 117. The drop back in distance is of slight concern as he has not won over 6f before, but he has shown his versatility and his class in the last 3 starts and is shooting for a record SP here if he keeps improving.<\/p>\n
PP5 A PERFECT YEAR(KY) (PLEASANTLY PERFECT x FORTY NINER x SUMMER SQUALL) 8\/1 brightvalr
Comes here following on from his Breeder\u2019s Bowl disappointment, when he found the pace a bit too slick and was unable to find a close enough position early on. He weakened in the stretch to finish 10th, but only 4 \u00bd lengths off the winner. Before that, he again was found wanting in the Prospect\u2019s of Gold Stakes, when he bounced to run 3rd with just a 98 SP. Three starts ago was a better effort, when he took the early lead and held on in The Old Name, a Grade I, just failing to go all the way, beaten into third place by less than a length with an SP of 109. Will again want to be sitting up on the speed, and if he has things his own way, he could figure in the finish.<\/p>\n
PP6 CRANKY SQUIRREL(KY) (MARIA’S MON x A.P. INDY x MR. PROSPECTOR) isitingood 4\/1
The top ranked dirt sprinter in the sim, is the deserved morning line favourite to start here, coming off his top effort in the Breeder\u2019s Bowl, where he ran home strongly to beat all but one home. Again, he fell just short two starts ago in the Blazing Sevens Stakes when he beat all but one home. It was his brilliant effort three starts ago that saw him rocket to the top of the sim rankings, when he charged home from mid-field to win going away in the Grade I, The Foregone. His best results have come when he hasn\u2019t drifted too far back in the field, so it helps that he has the best jockey for this track on his back, as there are no real back markers here, and the speed is likely to be right on early. He is again the one to beat.<\/p>\n
PP7 HARNESS THE POWER(NY) (PATRIOT ACT x JUDGE COSTA x TOPSIDER) latekick 15\/1
This modestly bred 4yo is not to be under-estimated, he is the winner of over $500k in earnings, and a recent winner of 4 allowance races in a row. His most recent speed figures have been impressive, notching up a 108 and a 103 at his last two starts, when beaten by the same horse in allowance company. He has achieved his best results when he is able to lead early and dictate the speed, so look for him to bounce out of the gates with pace here, otherwise, he may be struggling to match it with this hot field.<\/p>\n
PP8 TALKIN’ BASEBALL(KY) (GRAND SLAM x CLEVER TRICK x PRIVATE ACCOUNT) esagin 9\/1
The 18th ranked dirt sprinter in the sim, who is another that comes here through the URC Breeder\u2019s Bowl stakes, where he started as the favourite, but after leading and being pressured throughout, faded badly to run 13th. Prior to that he was the all the way winner in the Blazing Sevens Stakes over 5 furlongs, when he pushed out to a commanding lead and was unable to be caught in the stretch, running an SP of 111 to beat home CRANKY SQUIRREL(KY). Again he led in the Grade I The Foregone, but was run down to finish 5th, this time beaten by CRANKY SQUIRREL(KY). He tends to throw in the occasional disappointing effort, but then can follow it up with another huge run. Will have a lot of competition for the early lead, but he should be in at least the top 3 at the turn. He is a Grade I winner, and is right in this despite his bounce last time out.<\/p>\n
PP9 JOY BLUES AND SLEW(KY) (KITTEN’S JOY x CURE THE BLUES x SEATTLE SLEW) bentley 7\/1
The 19th ranked dirt sprinter in the sim has come through a few of the same lead up races as his rivals here, but has just fallen short at his last 3 starts. Most recently he led the field in the Last Groom T Cap, and was able to hold all off but for one late closer who over ran him from the tail. Before that he pressed for the early speed in the Grade I The Iceberg, and ended up being swamped by a swarm of fast finishers, but still managed to stay within one length at the wire, in 5th place. Three starts back, he settled a little too far back as to what he is accustomed in the Grade I The Foregone, and was never a factor, finishing 9th. Was a Grade III winner at his start before that, and has some big SPs to his name. Is looking for a return to the winner\u2019s list, and will be another who will push up on the early speed and be hard to beat again.<\/p>\n
PP10 STAIRWAYTOPARADISE(KY) (PINE BLUFF x DYNAFORMER x TOM ROLFE) sparadise 7\/1
Top liner, who only races against the best, his last 11 starts have been in Grade I company, but trainer sparadise has given him a nice rest between most races, and has had results to prove this has worked. This will be only his 6th start for 2010, and he comes here after a respectable 5th in the Breeder\u2019s Cup sprint. He led the field in The Iceberg in New York, but got into a speed duel and ended up just fading at the last furlong to finish a close up 6th. Before that, he ran a shocker in the Binger Handicap, disappointing for a 10th place finish. Is a winner of the Universal Speed Restricted and the Double F Memorial in the last 12 months. Will look to go forward early and is due for a bit of luck.<\/p>\n
PP11 EVIL EPIDEMIC(KY) (UNBRIDLED’S SONG x MILL REEF x HALO) lenny27 12\/1
Inexperienced young sprinter on the rise, who has demolished 2 good fields at stakes level at his last 2 runs. Last start, he stalked the early speed in the GRSimsters Championships – Dirt Sprint, and then was too good in the stretch, running away to win by a length in his first outing against open age company. Before that against his own age group he was also too good, when he shared the lead early and then pinched a winning break on the home turn to hold on to score by \u00bd length, running an SP of 113. Yet to finish off the board on dirt, and as his name suggests, he is part of the Evil Empire stables run by lenny. Steps up in class, but his last 2 runs suggest he is well up to it.<\/p>\n
In a tough race, it is hard to go passed CRANKY SQUIRREL(KY), who if he pulls off another big win here, is likely to win an eclipse award at the end of the year.<\/p>\n
ETHICS PARADOX(KY) is going to finish strongly from the back, and as there is so much early speed, he could be the one finishing over the top near the wire.<\/p>\n
Good luck to all trainers!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Top Sim Dirt Sprinters line up for speed battle<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":177,"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-8699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8699","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\/177"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8699"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8699\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}