This week in Kentucky sees the running of the Grade I Braulio Baeza, a race with a prize pool of $500,000. This is the first running of the event which sees a field of 7 contest for honours over 10 furlongs on the dirt course.
The race has attracted several top runners of the sim, including the winner of last month\u2019s 2010 Breeder\u2019s Cup Classic, DISTORED STORM(KY).
There will be a hot pace set out front, with 3 usual front runners to contest the early lead, and the rest of the field will drop off and attempt to close in late.<\/p>\n
PP1 GO GENTLE(IRE) (DYLAN THOMAS (IRE) x MILL REEF x NORTHERN DANCER) saver 7\/2
Been racing in red hot form of late, notching SPs of 115 and 112 at his two most recent starts, but just failing to get over the line. Firstly, in the Grade 1 Jockey Guild Gold Cup, he got into an early speed duel but couldn\u2019t get to the front, finishing in 3rd place, and then last time out in the NUMBERONESON Special where he led by over 10 lengths, but was run down late, to again finish 3rd. Hit a purple patch as a 3yo, stringing together 11 wins from 12 starts against allowance class, and as a 4yo he has picked up a listed stakes and the Grade III Wikipedigree.org Challenge. His best results have come when he manages to open up a big lead, and he will have some competition for front runner honours here, but if he can start well enough, he could break through for his first Grade I win.<\/p>\n
PP2 THIS COLD BLACK(KY) (UNBRIDLED’S SONG x ALYDAR x NORTHERN DANCER) sdmf5 4\/1
4yo mare up against the open class here, she is likely to go back in the field and make a late charge down the stretch. Has put together some very healthy speed figures lately, having not dropped below SP107 in her last 8 starts. Last time out she came from third last in the Breeder\u2019s Bowl Distaff to finish within 1 \u00be lengths, having been close to 11 lengths behind at the second call. Before that, she was just edged out after another fast finish, to miss by \u00bc length in the Grade I The Great Dame. Proved far too strong, when she again came from back in the field, to hit the front half way down the stretch and come away to win by over 3 lengths in the Grade I The Personal Sign. Very consistent type, who rarely runs a bad race, so has to be considered a chance.<\/p>\n
PP3 SEVEN MORE DAYS(KY) (GIANT’S CAUSEWAY (IRE) x KRIS S. x BLUSHING GROOM(FR)) fromtheu 9\/2
Fast finishing effort last start, but just missed a place on the board in the GRSimsters Championship Classic. Before that he stalked the leaders and closed in late to dash right away to score by 2 \u00bc lengths in the Grade II Windy City Gold Cup. Three starts ago he got too far back in the Upstate BB Stakes, and failed to make any impression finishing worse than midfield. A winner of over $1.2 mil in stakes and a career best SP of 115, he cannot be ruled out here despite his tendency to mix his form.<\/p>\n
PP4 DISTORTED STORM(KY) (DISTORTED HUMOR x STORM CAT x MILL REEF) latinlover 3\/1
The Breeder\u2019s Bowl Classic winner from last month, has finished in the top 2 placings at 9 of his last 11 races, to take him up to the 2nd top ranked dirt classic runner in the sim, and less than one point from the top spot. Last start saw him drop right back to next to last, but power through the field and win with authority by 2 \u00bd lengths in a dominant display. Before that, he went back to absolute last and then charged home, but found one too strong, finishing 2nd in the Grade II The Last Chance. Went up to 11 furlongs at his previous start and did not have his usual big finish, weakening out for a down the track finish. Is looking for another big win here to take him to the top of the sim rankings, and he is the one to beat again.<\/p>\n
PP5 SONS OF ANARCHY(KY) (SMART STRIKE x NUREYEV x HALO) willyam13 7\/1
Stablemate of SEVEN MORE DAYS(KY) who will have a completely different race tactic, most likely going forward to try for the lead. His last two starts have both been disappointing, where he has run into a faster beginner and not reached the lead, and subsequently been beaten before the home turn on both occasions. Three starts ago he led into the stretch, but was again run down, to finish 4th in the Grade III The Washington Drive. His career best SP of 113 came before that, when he got out to an 8 length lead, but was swamped late to finish 2nd in the Grade III The Day of Dominion. His best runs have come over 10 furlongs, and although he doesn\u2019t quite have some of the credentials his rivals have here, on his best form he could be a chance.<\/p>\n
PP6 THE OIL RULES ALL(KY) (UNBRIDLED’S SONG x SEATTLE SLEW x NORTHERN DANCER) tao 6\/1
Despite 27 of his 31 starts being on turf, this Grade I winner has never been unplaced on dirt, with a 4 2-0-2 record. Last start he came from a long last and got to within \u00bc length of the top ranked classic turf 3yo in the Grade III The There You Are in Japan. Before that he was a runaway winner after having trailed the field by over 15 lengths at the second call, charging home to score by 2 \u00bc lengths in the Grade III The Harry Potter. The last time he ran on a dirt course, he was placed 3rd in an allowance with an SP of 95, but it was over the possibly too long distance of 13 furlongs. Despite his apparent preference for turf, he has demonstrated some versatility, and can\u2019t be ruled out.<\/p>\n
PP7 WHERE DO I SIGN(KY) (GIANT’S CAUSEWAY (IRE) x GONE WEST x MILL REEF) mtklaz 9\/2
Massive run last start in the Grade III The Stubborn Pheasant, when he led early, drew away by 6 lengths at the top of the stretch and held on to win by \u00bd length with an SP 117. Before that he was outgunned after having set the pace in the Grade I The GoodyGood, and prior to that he was just pipped late by a fast finishing back marker in the Grade II Insulin Cap, running an SP 110. Only unplaced on dirt once in 8 starts, and has never run an SP less than 101 since he switched from turf after his first 3 starts. Will have some fierce competition for the early lead, but has never been in second place at either the first or second call in any of his career starts, so will be tough to head off again. Sure to make his presence felt for a long way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
DISTORTED STORM(KY) goes for top rank position<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":219,"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-8742","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8742","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\/219"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8742"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8742\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8742"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8742"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8742"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}