June 2008
We’ll have a busy month ahead, with stakes races for everyone, I think.
First is the High Grade Handicap for three year olds – a great spot for OAKEN BUCKET, where he has the rail and is the favorite.
Code:
Race #8 High Grade Handicap Purse $50,000 (Finished)
5 Furlongs on Dirt Total 7 Horses
for 3-year-old colts base weight: 125
Track: Fast Rain: None Wind: 8 MPH Purse: $50,000
Apprentice jockeys allowed 2 extra pounds
Winner of <18K Purses in last 12 months allowed lbs,
Winner of 18-30K Purses in last 12 months allowed lbs,
Has finished first or second in all of last 3 races +2 lbs
HORSE JOCKEY WT. ODDS NUM ST. 3/16 3/8 Str Fin
Oaken Bucket Coyle 119 2.20 1 2 1 1¼ 1 2¾ 1 4¼ 1 ¾
Key Race Cutro 114 4.80 7 1 2 ½ 2 1 2 1½ 2 2¼
Goalpost Crane 119 5.10 4 4 3 3 3 6¼ 3 6¼ 3 4¼
Guiding Beam Higgi 119 4.90 3 3 4 ¾ 4 nk 4 ¾ 4 3
Supreme Senator Bhadu 119 8.10 5 5 5 ¼ 6 2¾ 6 3¼ 5 ¼
Bloomin Glory Merri 119 6.10 2 6 6 1¼ 5 1¼ 5 2 6 4
President Alan Frase 119 8.50 6 7 7 7 7 7
Time of Race: 0.21.7 .45.2 .58.4
He never gets more than a length or two clear, but he does hold on for the win here, going wire to wire in under 58 and a half. Good showing.
TALL MEASURE gets another turf stakes, this time the $70,000 Jack Rabbit Handicap. How can we not like his chances – he has been unbeatable on the grass thus far. MISSOURIFREIGHT is in here, as is 4yo FRINGE BENEFITS and SCOTSWOMAN – this is a very, very tough field.
Code:
Race #8 Jack Rabbit Handicap Purse $70,000 (Finished)
5 Furlongs on Turf Total 10 Horses
for 3 year olds and up base weight: 125
Track: Fast Rain: None Wind: 7 MPH Purse: $75,000
Apprentice jockeys allowed 2 extra pounds
Females allowed 3 lbs.
3 year olds allowed 3 lbs.
Winner of <18K Purses in last 12 months allowed lbs,
Winner of 18-30K Purses in last 12 months allowed lbs,
Has finished first or second in all of last 3 races +2 lbs
HORSE JOCKEY WT. ODDS NUM ST. 3/16 3/8 Str Fin
Tall Measure Coyle 124 3.70 2 9 1 nk 1 3 1 4¾ 1 3
Crash Aloft Bacin 122 6.90 10 2 2 1½ 2 3¾ 2 2½ 2 ½
MissouriFreight Maste 119 8.50 8 5 3 ¼ 3 1 3 2¾ 3 1
Fringe Benefits Mcroe 122 6.40 1 7 5 ¾ 4 1¼ 4 2¾ 4 5¾
Scotswoman Addid 122 6.90 4 1 6 ½ 6 2 6 3¼ 5 2
Largo Gregg 122 7.40 5 4 4 ½ 5 1 5 nk 6 3
Soverign Grace Feden 119 8.80 7 8 8 2¾ 8 3¾ 8 3¾ 7 1
Racing Fanny Kenne 122 7.30 6 3 7 ½ 7 1 7 1 8 2½
BostonTeaParty Hoy R 122 12.80 3 10 10 9 ¾ 9 1¼ 9 ¼
Freeway Halo Badoi 122 14.70 9 6 9 nk 10 10 10
Time of Race: 0.21.1 .43.5 .56.1
I’m used to seeing MISSOURIFREIGHT get in front by three or four lengths, but my guy put her well behind here, as TALL MEASURE once again rolls on the grass and dominates from the front end. Another great performance from him, a 109 speed figure – the highest I’ve seen from any of my horses to date.
On June 21, we have MIGHTY EMPEROR running in the King Cole Stakes – a $60,000 sprint race at 6 furlongs. He’s been a little overshadowed by the breakthrough from TALL MEASURE – but has still been running well this year.
Code:
Race #8 King Cole Stakes Purse $60,000 (Finished)
6 Furlongs on Dirt Total 9 Horses
for 3 year olds and up base weight: 125
Track: Fast Rain: None Wind: 0 MPH Purse: $60,000
Apprentice jockeys allowed 2 extra pounds
Females allowed 3 lbs.
3 year olds allowed 3 lbs.
HORSE JOCKEY WT. ODDS NUM ST. 1/4 1/2 Str Fin
Fringe Benefits Mcroe 125 6.30 1 7 2 2¾ 2 5¾ 2 7¾ 1 ns
Bell Collins Kandi 122 7.10 8 1 1 1¼ 1 ¾ 1 1¼ 2 7½
Mighty Emperor Coyle 125 7.10 3 5 3 1¼ 3 2¾ 3 2¾ 3 3¾
Neurological Ewaid 120 5.50 6 3 5 1½ 4 ¾ 4 1½ 4 1
She's Worthit Desir 125 5.30 9 2 4 nk 5 1¼ 5 ¼ 5 ¾
BostonTeaParty Hoy R 125 6.80 2 9 8 nk 6 ¾ 6 2 6 1¾
Freeway Halo Badoi 125 7.60 4 4 7 nk 7 2 7 3¼ 7 4¾
Call Me Olmed 122 7.70 7 6 9 9 8 ¾ 8 3
Pinetail Bay Micha 108 6.90 5 8 6 nk 8 nk 9 9
Time of Race: 0.21.3 .44.5 1.09.1
He cannot catch the top two, but holds on for a money spot once again. Not bad.
I decide to give OAKEN BUCKET a shot in the Big City Jim Stakes, against older company. He may be outclassed, but he’s the freshest horse we have right now and this beats sitting it out completely. He almost certainly cannot beat HEAD OF STATE, but gets a shot for some money here.
Code:
Race #8 Big City Jim Stakes Purse $80,000 (Finished)
7 Furlongs on Dirt Total 10 Horses
for horses and colts 3 years old and up base weight: 125
Track: Fast Rain: None Wind: 7 MPH Purse: $80,000
Apprentice jockeys allowed 2 extra pounds
3 year olds allowed 3 lbs.
HORSE JOCKEY WT. ODDS NUM ST. 1/4 1/2 3/4 Str Fin
Lively Messenge Frog 125 6.50 4 6 6 ns 3 2½ 2 6¾ 1 1¼ 1 nk
Head Of State Kenne 125 5.60 5 1 1 ns 1 ¼ 1 ¼ 2 16 2 12
Ephiphany Bach 125 10.30 3 10 10 6 1 6 1½ 4 ¼ 3 1¼
House Approval Keple 125 10.10 8 4 4 ns 5 ¾ 5 ¼ 7 2 4 1¼
Golddigger Buckl 125 9.10 10 3 3 ns 9 1½ 9 1¾ 9 ½ 5 nk
Tax And Spend Mosse 125 8.60 7 7 7 ns 8 nk 8 ¾ 8 1¼ 6 1
Oaken Bucket Coyle 113 3.40 2 2 2 ns 4 1¼ 4 ¾ 5 ½ 7 ns
Quiet Celebrity Hanni 120 8.70 6 9 9 ns 7 nk 7 ½ 6 nk 8 ½
Evening Rain Arche 125 9.70 9 8 8 ns 10 10 10 9 3¼
Whata Joe Celan 125 9.30 1 5 5 ns 2 ½ 3 4½ 3 1 10
Time of Race: 0.21.2 .43.3 1.21.6
About what I figured – he (and most of the field) was way outclassed by the winner, while HEAD OF STATWE dropped back to the pack. My guy was in the mix, but faded a bit – I think 6f might be his limit, really. I probably should have run EMPEROR in this race – he might have had a shot to grind out a money finish.
LAUGHING EYES has a real shot in the Misty Isle Stakes, for $80,000 against distaff company only. Pretty tough field, even without MISSOURIFREIGHT.
Code:
Race #8 Misy Isle Handicap Purse $60,000 (Finished)
5 Furlongs on Dirt Total 8 Horses
for fillies and mares 3 year old and up base weight: 125
Track: Fast Rain: None Wind: 0 MPH Purse: $60,000
Apprentice jockeys allowed 2 extra pounds
3 year olds allowed 3 lbs.
Winner of <18K Purses in last 12 months allowed lbs,
Winner of 18-30K Purses in last 12 months allowed lbs,
Has finished first or second in all of last 3 races +2 lbs
HORSE JOCKEY WT. ODDS NUM ST. 3/16 3/8 Str Fin
Laughing Eyes Coyle 122 6.60 2 8 3 ¾ 3 4½ 2 1½ 1 ¾
Circle Of Truth Fawks 122 5.60 5 3 2 1¼ 2 ¾ 1 ¾ 2 2
Kissing Bandit Hilla 122 5.30 6 1 1 1 1 ½ 3 6¼ 3 ½
Sleeping Beauty Feden 122 5.00 4 6 5 ¾ 5 2 5 2½ 4 4
Pete's Orchid Nisky 122 5.40 8 7 6 ½ 6 ¼ 6 ½ 5 nk
Starglo Dream Bach 122 7.50 3 2 4 ¼ 4 ½ 4 nk 6 2¾
Sizzling Sun Culli 122 6.80 7 4 7 2½ 7 1¾ 7 1¼ 7 2½
Dream Girl Hodas 122 4.80 1 5 8 8 8 8
Time of Race: 0.21.1 .44.1 .56.2
I’m a bit surprised as she makes her move along the rail, and takes the front in the final furlong. Good effort, and one of her biggest wins to date. A sizzling 108 speed figure speaks well for her, also – perfect spot, I guess.
A very good month of June – we took down a few stakes races, earned some nice cash, and kept on rolling.
Our run at Blue Rock Downs (April-June) has been sensational – we’ll have to see if our guys like the surface as well at Ashbourne, where we will be all summer long. It’s a notorious speed-favoring track, so that might work well for our short races.