{"id":9857,"date":"2011-12-21T21:05:23","date_gmt":"2011-12-21T21:05:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blacktypebugler.com\/?p=9857"},"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=9857","title":{"rendered":"Is My Destiny Destined to Win Topicount Special?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A special weekend is here featuring a series of DelPenn end of year champion stake races.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>And one of these special races is the Topicount Special, a race that has been on the race card in Delaware since 2003.<\/o:p><\/FONT><\/P>

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This race was originally run at a distance of 10 furlongs in 2003 with a purse of a cool million buckos.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>In 2006 it was stretched to 12 furlongs, but this would not last as the following year it would be rolled back to the mile and a quarter distance, however, the purse would be doubled to two million.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>In 2008, the race would be run in New York and the distance was again increased to 12 furlongs.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>This would be the only time that the race would be run out of Delaware.\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/o:p><\/FONT><\/P>

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Last year, the event would draw the fewest entrants ever to the race, with only four runners showing up and competing for a purse of a million, the amount being cut in half.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>My Destiny raced last year in this race, was sent off as the favorite, and finished second in the short field.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He looks to make amends as he returns for another shot and is one again established as the favorite.<\/o:p><\/FONT><\/P>

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This year, the race undergoes another change, the purse has been increased after complaints of last year\u2019s drastic reduction and owner\u2019s pretty much boycotting the event.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The purse is now at $1.5 million and owner\u2019s are sending their horses to the track.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The race is open to all horses age three and up.<\/o:p><\/FONT><\/P>

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1. Whispered Secrets\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>9-1<\/SPAN><\/o:p><\/FONT><\/P>

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With this horse, you have the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Starting with the good, Whispered Secrets has won four of his nine starts during the 2011 campaign,\u00a0 <\/SPAN>which includes three non-graded stake events.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The best speed coming in the March running of the Lt. Vast Dirt Stayer, 11 furlongs with a speed of 110.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The bad\u2026after each good outing, Whispered has been putting in a bad one.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The ugly\u2026he usually finishes well back, not even being a factor.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>So how will he do?\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He comes off a nice second, closing hard and missing by under a length with a speed of 104 in the Chanting War Inventational.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>This tends to add up to a disappointing outing this time should this trend hold true.<\/o:p><\/FONT><\/P>

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2.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Crystal Meth\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>9-1<\/SPAN><\/o:p><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/P>

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At the age of five, Crystal Meth is making his very first stakes appearance of any kind.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Relatively lightly raced this year, Crystal has a record of 2-2-2 in the six starts he\u2019s made, all with allowance company.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Four of these races have speeds over 100, topping out at 107 in September, where he finished second by two lengths.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>His last race was an easy win as the 1-10 favorite, posting a speed of 92 for the race that he won by three lengths.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The speed probably would have been higher if he had any serious challengers in the race.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He has potential to take the win here, but I\u2019d like to see how he handles the stake level first before throwing money at the cashier.<\/o:p><\/FONT><\/P>

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3.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Nametag Fiasco\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>6-1<\/SPAN><\/o:p><\/FONT><\/P>

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Nametag Fiasco is likely to be the front runner early on in this race.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He\u2019s won 10 of 21 career starts with three victories coming this year.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Nametag peeked with\u00a0 <\/SPAN>his speed numbers last winter, hitting speeds of 105 in November, 116 in December and 111 in January before cooling off.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>This past November, he finished fourth in the Disco Mark with a speed of 105.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>If he really is a winter runner, this race could be a big speed figure for this first-time grade starter.<\/o:p><\/FONT><\/P>

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4.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Indian\u2019s Kiss\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>6-1<\/SPAN><\/o:p><\/FONT><\/P>

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In nine starts this year, Indian\u2019s Kiss has hit the board three times, with one victory.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>\u00a0<\/SPAN>The win came in an allowance race, on a sloppy track.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>While finished fourth in the GR Simster\u2019s 2011 Championships last month, it should be noted that he missed by 3 strides, closing from 14 back in a field of 20 and speed of 107.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>An off-track may be more to his liking, however, still has potential and goes back to 12 furlongs, where he finished second in his only run at this distance in June.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Could be a surprise factor.<\/o:p><\/FONT><\/P>

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5.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>My Destiny\u00a0 <\/SPAN>\u00a0\u00a0<\/SPAN>2-1<\/SPAN>\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/o:p><\/FONT><\/P>

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Beaten favorite in this race last year, finishing second, returns for another shot to gain a victory.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>My Destiny has been on the board in every race during 2011, with a record of 4-2-4.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>In his last start, he finished second in the Breeders\u2019 Bowl Dirt Marathon relinquishing the lead late in the 14 furlong route.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Picked up nice win in the G3 The Premier scoring a speed of 109 for 11 furlongs as only graded win this season in four tries.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>This son of Empire Maker has done well over his career, wining nearly 25% of his starts and on the board about 75% of his races.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Serious contender in this race.<\/o:p><\/FONT><\/P>

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6.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Hold Onto Nothing\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>6-1<\/SPAN><\/o:p><\/FONT><\/P>

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2011 has been a good year for Hold Onto Nothing, who has mustered a record of 3-6-2 in 12 starts, most of the race in fields of six or less.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The one race that he has been off the board this year was his sole career start in a stake race, finishing well back with a speed of 95.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Over his last four starts, he\u2019s hit 102 three times and most recently, a speed of 107 which is his career best.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>That speed does show promise coming into this event, but his poor effort in the non-grade stake race is enough to scare me away.<\/o:p><\/FONT><\/P>

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7.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Red Wood Man\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>4-1<\/SPAN><\/o:p><\/FONT><\/P>

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This colt has been consistent in hitting speeds of 100 or higher throughout his 12 starts in 2011.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>However, he\u2019s only been able to muster two wins, coming in the later half of the season, with non-grade victories coming in the Obispo Town Dirt Route (10.5f) in July and his only 12 furlong start in November in the Exeter Furniture Dirt Stayer.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The November race he won by a neck and a speed of 101.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Red Wood has nice late speed, and has finished lower than fourth only twice this year.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The mile and half distance should be ok for him and look for a better speed number in this race.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>May not win, but could factor into exotic wagers.<\/o:p><\/FONT><\/P>

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8.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Mehrunes Dagon\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>9-2<\/SPAN><\/o:p><\/FONT><\/P>

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Four times this season, Mehrunes Dagon has hit a speed of 108 in his races, which is his career high.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>He has won five of 10 starts this year, ranging in distances of 9 to 12 furlongs.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>These wins all came in allowance level races, however Mehrunes has finished third twice in stake races this season.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/SPAN>This one could be the pace setter in the race but will need to be at very best as this six-year old will be making his very first grade level stakes appearance. <\/o:p><\/FONT><\/P>

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My Destiny is my choice in this race as he has a class edge against this group and comes off a second, facing tougher in the Breeders\u2019 Bowl race last month.\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/o:p><\/FONT><\/P>

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I\u2019m gambling that Nametag Fiasco likes running in the winter and this work to his favor, possibly finding the wire first, getting my second choice.<\/o:p><\/FONT><\/P>

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Third spot goes to Red Wood Man who seems to be very reliable in popping out those 100-speed numbers.<\/o:p><\/FONT><\/P><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Purse Increase Attracts Larger Field<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":363,"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-9857","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9857","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\/363"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9857"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9857\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9857"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9857"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9857"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}