Two days ago, I posted my selections for January 30th and 31st. Now, it is the first day of February, and the Triple Crown Trail seems just a little bit clearer now, a result of several interesting races over those two days.
To start off, I'll wrap the races I discussed in my last post, concerning a couple of allowance races, a grade II stakes, and one maiden race. I shall start with the race I was looking forward to the most, and how it ended up being not quite the race I expected it to be.
The race was an allowance race on Sunday at Gulfstream Park. My selection was Pulsion, a son of Include who was using the race to prep for the Fountain of Youth Stakes. Another horse I was watching closely was Drosselmeyer, a son of Distorted Humor who broke his maiden by six lengths going one mile at Churchill Downs. Either one had an excellent chance of winning.
Things changed on the day of the race, however. Pulsion was scratched for reasons I do not know. Hopefully, there is nothing seriously wrong with him. The biggest problem is that this interrupts his schedule, and will leave him without a prep for the Fountain of Youth, unless he was to be entered in a race for tomorrow or something like that, which seems highly unlikely. If so, it will be extremely hard to figure out how he compares with Buddy's Saint and some of the other Florida colts should they meet in the Fountain of Youth.
Now, back to the allowance race. With Pulsion scratched, Drosselmeyer was sent off as the heavy favorite. Jet Settin Papa was the early leader, and he cut out fast fractions before fading to finish last. Best Actor and No Shenanigans raced close to the pace, while Drosselmeyer and Prince Will I Am raced towards the rear. Moving up the backstretch Drosselmeyer moved up the fence to snatch fourth place as Jet Settin Papa retreated. Prince Will I Am was still far back. Turning for home, Drosselmeyer swung three wide and moved into the lead, as Prince Will I Am came from the rear. At the finish, it was Drosselmeyer by two, Prince Will I Am second, and Best Actor third. And so Drosselmeyer gets the satisfaction of winning his prep for the Fountain of Youth, and I get the satisfaction of picking the winner of the race.
Race #2 on my last post was another allowance race at Gulfstream Park, this one being on Saturday. My selection was Afleet Express, with General Maximus to finish second, and Family Holiday to run third. The results of this race: General Maximus first, Afleet Express second, and Family Holiday third. Close, but not quite what I'd hoped. It appears as though Afleet Express needs a bit more distance, and I look forward to seeing him run at a mile.
Race #3 was a maiden race at Gulfstream Park. I knew nothing about the field and glancing over the entries I selected The Director to win. However, he finished second; I know none of the details.
Race #4 was by far the most pleasing race of the day, to me anyway. It was a seven furlong, grade II stakes race at Gulfstream Park. Heavily favored was She Be Wild, winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies last year. As well as this, she was declared Champion 2yo Filly of 2009, so her credentials were good. However, as I mentioned two days ago, the race seemed like it was filled with the possibility of upset. I just didn't think that She Be Wild was going to run her race, although I wasn't sure why. So, after thoroughly examining the horses in the race, I selected Bickersons to win. So imagine my excitement when I saw the results of the race and realized that Bickersons had won by seven lengths at odds of 9-1! She Be Wild finished fifth, so I was right about her not being ready to win. According to her jockey, She Be Wild handled the dirt fine, but the distance was too short for her. It looked to me as though She Be Wild was tiring at the finish, so I'm still trying to figure that one out. Perhaps She Be Wild was too close to the pace? It didn't seem that way, but who knows. At any rate, Bickersons won, and I am pleased.
A race I did not discuss was the WEBN Stakes at Turfway Park, and the reason for this is that I was only vaguely aware that it was being run. The winner of the race was Kera's Kitten, sent off at 6-1. He won in wire-to-wire fashion by 2 1/2 lengths over Slewzoom and Lucky Chuck. Now, it seems that the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes could be a good spot for Kera's Kitten to head next, followed by the Lane's End Stakes as a final prep before the Triple Crown, should his connections decide to continue along the Triple Crown Trail with him.
In other Triple Crown news. . .
Hopeful Stakes winner Dublin is still down at Oaklawn Park, and his breathing problem has been corrected. The Southwest Stakes will be his next race, followed by the Rebel Stakes and the Arkansas Derby, should all go well. I am very excited, since I am very excited about this colt and did not forget him, even when he turned in poor efforts in the Champagne and the Iroquis. I'm confident that we'll see the real Dublin return very shortly.
Workouts over the past two days are as follows. . .
Super Saver, on January 31st, worked four furlongs in :48 4/5 handily at Palm Meadows.
Rule, on January 31st, worked a five furlongs in 1:01 4/5 handily at Palm Meadows.
Eskendereya, on January 31st, breezed five furlongs in 1:02 2/5 at Palm Meadows.
Interactif, on January 31st, breezed five furlongs in 1:03 2/5 at Palm Meadows.
Discreetly Mine, on January 31st, worked five furlongs in :59 1/5 handily at Palm Meadows.
Make Music for Me, on January 31st, worked five furlongs in 1:01 somewhere, probably Hollywood Park.
Crisp, on January 31st, worked six furlongs in 1:13 4/5 somewhere, probably Hollywood Park.
La Nez, on January 31st, worked five furlongs in :59 3/5 somewhere, probably Santa Anita.
Caracortado, on January 31st, worked six furlongs in 1:12 2/5 somewhere, probably Santa Anita.
Ranger Heartly, on January 31st, worked five furlongs in :59 somewhere, probably Santa Anita.
Franny Freud, on January 31st, worked four furlongs in :48 2/5 somewhere, probably Santa Anita.
Domonation, on January 31st, worked five furlongs in 1:01 somewhere, probably Santa Anita.
Letsgetitonmon, on February 1st, breezed four furlongs in :51 4/5 at Fair Grounds.
Stay Put, on February 1st, breezed five furlongs in 1:01 at Fair Grounds.
Sidney's Candy, on February 1st, worked six furlongs in 1:12 2/5 handily at Hollywood Park.
Tiz Chrome, on February 1st, worked five furlongs in :59 1/5 handily at Santa Anita.
American Lion, on Febraury 1st, worked five furlongs in 1:00 handily at Santa Anita.
posted by Keelerman
Showing posts with label She Be Wild. Show all posts
Showing posts with label She Be Wild. Show all posts
Monday, February 01, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
TRIPLE CROWN COUNTDOWN ---- JANUARY 30th, 2010
Just one week ago, two new contenders for the Triple Crown emerged on to the scene, with Winslow Homer and Ron the Greek both emerging victorious from two different grade III prep races while defeating highly regarded colts in the process.
Now, on January 30th, even though there are no large stakes races for three year old colts, there are still several fascinating races today and tomorrow that could have a big impact on the Triple Crown Trail.
The big one that I am most looking forward to is an allowance race on the 31st, down at Gulfstream Park. The big horse here is Pulsion, a son of Include, whom I had actually selected to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last year. I felt certain that someone would upset favored Lookin at Lucky. Pulsion himself had finished a nice, closing second to Lookin at Lucky in the Norfolk Stakes just prior to the Breeders' Cup. In the end, someone did upset Lucky, but it was not Pulsion, who finished eleventh. However, he emerged from the race with a large cut and had to be taken out of training for several weeks. And so for the past several months, I have been watching the entries for races in California, assuming that Pulsion would find a race out there somewhere. So imagine my surprise when I see that he has been in Florida for some time, aiming for the Fountain of Youth!
So anyway, the allowance race is a mile and an eighth, two turns, although the race will start very, very close to the first turn. Although Pulsion has never run on dirt, he did work six furlongs in 1:12 flat at Gulfstream, so that seems to say he'll like it okay. His main contenders appear to be Drosselmeyer, a son of Distorted Humor, who broke his maiden by six lengths in a one mile race at Churchill Downs. If he is in the same class as Pulsion, no one knows. We will find out on the 31st.
Also in the race are Guys Reward and Best Actor. Guys Reward is coming off a fast closing fifth in a stakes race on the turf, and prior to that he ran second to Maximus Ruler in a one mile allowance race at Churchill Downs. Maximus Ruler just recently finished second to Ron the Greek in the LeComte Stakes, so Guys Reward seems ready to run a big one. As for Best Actor, he won a maiden race at Gulfstream Park on January 7th. A son of Rock Hard Ten, he is now proven on this track, but he's going to have to really step up to take on the competition here.
The second race that will bear watching is a six furlong allowance race, also at Gulfstream Park, on Saturday. The main entry I'm looking at here is Afleet Express, a son of Afleet Alex who caught my attention when he broke his maiden first time out on December 5th in a six furlong maiden race at Aqueduct. I thought to myself, "Not a terrible time, I like his sire, (Afleet Alex) and boy do I like his name!"
And so I've followed him to some extent since then. After working five furlongs in :59 2/5, he seems ready to go. He is already proven in the mud, so even if a hurricane was to suddenly appear over Gulfstream Park and drop thousands of gallons of water on to the track, he should be fine.
The main challenger for Afleet Express appears to be General Maximus, who has made only one start, and that was in July of last year. Still, he won that race by four lengths, going the five furlongs in :57 2/5, and earned a 93 Beyer Speed Figure. So if he can lay off that long and still run a top race, he could very well claim the victory.
Also in Saturday's race is Family Holiday, third in an allowance race last time out, Peace at Dawn, fourth in that same race, Windy City Cat, who has won his only race so far, at Hawthorne, and Octavo, who has been fairly consistent. Any one of these horses appears capable of pulling off the win. Family Holiday will wear blinkers, which he did not wear in his last race.
Another race on Saturday's card is a one mile maiden race. Although I know next to nothing about the field, I think that The Director looks really good here and should run huge. Perhaps the Fountain of Youth is in his bright future.
And now we come to Sunday's Forward Gal Stakes, a grade II race at Gulfstream Park for three year old fillies. The distance is seven furlongs, and the big name here is She Be Wild, the Champion 2yo Filly of 2009 and winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The biggest question with her is whether she can translate her fine synthetic form to dirt, a surface she has never tried before. She has been working well however, going four furlongs in :47 1/5 at Gulfstream Park, Julien Leparoux, who rode her for the first time in the Breeders' Cup, will ride her again here.
Still, as I examine the race, I seem to smell an upset. She Be Wild will be carrying four to six pounds more than her twelve other rivals, and in a field that large, there is always the possibility of getting stuck in traffic, or getting caught in a speed dual, or any of the other factors that can change the outcome of any race.
Those who have the best chance of upsetting She Be Wild include Richiegirlgonewild, who just recently upset the Old Hat Stakes at this same track, wiring the field at odds of 31-1. Still, the Old Hat Stakes was at six furlongs, and the extra furlong in the Forward Gal Stakes may just catch up to her, as the possibility of her getting a clear lead to slow the pace with seems very unlikely.
Others who have a shot at the race include Joanie's Catch, Criolla Bonita, Romantic Hideaway, Touching Beauty, Cascading, Ailalea, Si Senora, Carphonic, Sister Resistor, Bickersons, and Liam's Dream. Of those, Cascading seems to have some good early speed, as does Bickersons. Ailalea appears to have an excellent chance at this race. She has already won a grade III stakes at Aqueduct going a mile, and with the amount of speed there seems to be in this race, her stretch running style could very well get her there.
Of course, if I was to pick a longshot who seems to have a better than average chance, I would go with Bickersons. She seems to have some ability, despite her tenth place finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.
So, my final thoughts are that the race appears to be wide open, but I like that chances of She Be Wild, Bickersons, Richiegirlgonewild, and Ailalea. I think that one of those will win the race.
posted by Keelerman
Now, on January 30th, even though there are no large stakes races for three year old colts, there are still several fascinating races today and tomorrow that could have a big impact on the Triple Crown Trail.
The big one that I am most looking forward to is an allowance race on the 31st, down at Gulfstream Park. The big horse here is Pulsion, a son of Include, whom I had actually selected to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last year. I felt certain that someone would upset favored Lookin at Lucky. Pulsion himself had finished a nice, closing second to Lookin at Lucky in the Norfolk Stakes just prior to the Breeders' Cup. In the end, someone did upset Lucky, but it was not Pulsion, who finished eleventh. However, he emerged from the race with a large cut and had to be taken out of training for several weeks. And so for the past several months, I have been watching the entries for races in California, assuming that Pulsion would find a race out there somewhere. So imagine my surprise when I see that he has been in Florida for some time, aiming for the Fountain of Youth!
So anyway, the allowance race is a mile and an eighth, two turns, although the race will start very, very close to the first turn. Although Pulsion has never run on dirt, he did work six furlongs in 1:12 flat at Gulfstream, so that seems to say he'll like it okay. His main contenders appear to be Drosselmeyer, a son of Distorted Humor, who broke his maiden by six lengths in a one mile race at Churchill Downs. If he is in the same class as Pulsion, no one knows. We will find out on the 31st.
Also in the race are Guys Reward and Best Actor. Guys Reward is coming off a fast closing fifth in a stakes race on the turf, and prior to that he ran second to Maximus Ruler in a one mile allowance race at Churchill Downs. Maximus Ruler just recently finished second to Ron the Greek in the LeComte Stakes, so Guys Reward seems ready to run a big one. As for Best Actor, he won a maiden race at Gulfstream Park on January 7th. A son of Rock Hard Ten, he is now proven on this track, but he's going to have to really step up to take on the competition here.
The second race that will bear watching is a six furlong allowance race, also at Gulfstream Park, on Saturday. The main entry I'm looking at here is Afleet Express, a son of Afleet Alex who caught my attention when he broke his maiden first time out on December 5th in a six furlong maiden race at Aqueduct. I thought to myself, "Not a terrible time, I like his sire, (Afleet Alex) and boy do I like his name!"
And so I've followed him to some extent since then. After working five furlongs in :59 2/5, he seems ready to go. He is already proven in the mud, so even if a hurricane was to suddenly appear over Gulfstream Park and drop thousands of gallons of water on to the track, he should be fine.
The main challenger for Afleet Express appears to be General Maximus, who has made only one start, and that was in July of last year. Still, he won that race by four lengths, going the five furlongs in :57 2/5, and earned a 93 Beyer Speed Figure. So if he can lay off that long and still run a top race, he could very well claim the victory.
Also in Saturday's race is Family Holiday, third in an allowance race last time out, Peace at Dawn, fourth in that same race, Windy City Cat, who has won his only race so far, at Hawthorne, and Octavo, who has been fairly consistent. Any one of these horses appears capable of pulling off the win. Family Holiday will wear blinkers, which he did not wear in his last race.
Another race on Saturday's card is a one mile maiden race. Although I know next to nothing about the field, I think that The Director looks really good here and should run huge. Perhaps the Fountain of Youth is in his bright future.
And now we come to Sunday's Forward Gal Stakes, a grade II race at Gulfstream Park for three year old fillies. The distance is seven furlongs, and the big name here is She Be Wild, the Champion 2yo Filly of 2009 and winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The biggest question with her is whether she can translate her fine synthetic form to dirt, a surface she has never tried before. She has been working well however, going four furlongs in :47 1/5 at Gulfstream Park, Julien Leparoux, who rode her for the first time in the Breeders' Cup, will ride her again here.
Still, as I examine the race, I seem to smell an upset. She Be Wild will be carrying four to six pounds more than her twelve other rivals, and in a field that large, there is always the possibility of getting stuck in traffic, or getting caught in a speed dual, or any of the other factors that can change the outcome of any race.
Those who have the best chance of upsetting She Be Wild include Richiegirlgonewild, who just recently upset the Old Hat Stakes at this same track, wiring the field at odds of 31-1. Still, the Old Hat Stakes was at six furlongs, and the extra furlong in the Forward Gal Stakes may just catch up to her, as the possibility of her getting a clear lead to slow the pace with seems very unlikely.
Others who have a shot at the race include Joanie's Catch, Criolla Bonita, Romantic Hideaway, Touching Beauty, Cascading, Ailalea, Si Senora, Carphonic, Sister Resistor, Bickersons, and Liam's Dream. Of those, Cascading seems to have some good early speed, as does Bickersons. Ailalea appears to have an excellent chance at this race. She has already won a grade III stakes at Aqueduct going a mile, and with the amount of speed there seems to be in this race, her stretch running style could very well get her there.
Of course, if I was to pick a longshot who seems to have a better than average chance, I would go with Bickersons. She seems to have some ability, despite her tenth place finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.
So, my final thoughts are that the race appears to be wide open, but I like that chances of She Be Wild, Bickersons, Richiegirlgonewild, and Ailalea. I think that one of those will win the race.
posted by Keelerman
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