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Wednesday, December 28, 2005

Wednesday Night Notes - Dec 28

- Bobby Frankel’s Ramsgate (Runaway Groom) had drawn some attention with his maiden win, a seven furlong win in 1:22 3/5 and a snappy final furlong of 11 4/5 seconds. Doesn’t take too much when one of the top trainer sends out a nice-looking two-year old to get a little Derby buzz going. Jay Privman mentioned him here; Haskin advised us to watch out for this one; and our own Walter from Las Vegas was so impressed that he placed a small Derby future on him.

So it was with much anticipation that Ramsgate went to the post as the 8-5 favorite at Santa Anita on Wednesday, and even more disappointment that he faded badly in his first try around two turns. On the other hand, the winner, Wanna Runner (El Corredor), won his second two-turn race in as many tries after two sluggish sprint efforts. This colt is out of a mare by Mt. Magazine, an unraced son of Mr. Prospector, who is a half sister to stakes winners Time Limit and Miss Indy Anna. Since he’s trained by Bob Baffert, I’m sure he’ll get a mention in Haskin’s next Derby column. Also disappointing in the race was second choice Refinery (Victory Gallop), who ran 4th at 2-1.

- A maiden race scheduled for Aqueduct on Thursday shows that not all the interesting late season two year old races are in California or Florida. In the third race, at six furlongs, Achilles of Troy and Hither Lane are the morning line favorites based on good prior efforts, particularly the latter, a half brother to stakes winner Day Trader coming off a solid second in his debut for Christophe Clement. But there are several well-bred first-timers here.

Causeway’s Storm (Giant’s Causeway) is out of the stakes winning West By West mare Gold From the West, a half to stakes winners Lake Music and Fifth Overture; he goes for sharp debut trainer Tom Bush. Napoleon T N T (Grand Slam), making his debut for Kiaran McLaughlin, is out of a Dehere half sister to Kentucky Oaks winner Lite Light; and he hails from an illustrious female family tracing back directly to La Troienne, his 7th dam. His 4th dam is Admiring, a foundation mare in her own right - this is the family of Derby winner Sea Hero, Hero’s Honor, Mozart, Congrats, and one of my all-time favorite race mares, Glowing Tribute.

Their He Goes (Silver Deputy) is a $500,000 yearling out of a Seattle Slew mare, and a half to winners Dorchester County and Easy Red. He ships in for Anthony Dutrow, whose shippers have been sharp recently – two winners (including 14-1 Toy Thief) and two seconds in his last four. But his brother Richard has perhaps the most interesting of all the colts making their debut here. Discreet Thievery (Cat Thief), besides having a cool name, is a half-brother to Belmont winner Commendable. That means that his second dam is Killaloe, the dam of Fappiano, and this is also the family of Keeper Hill and Clabber Girl. Dutrow popped his last first timer, Johnny Utah at 9-2, before the break. Discreet Thievery is 6-1 in the morning line, but I think he’d be very attractive at 9-2 in here, which would reflect both some tote action and decent value in a tough juvenile race that wouldn’t look out of place on a hot day upstate in August instead of a wintry day before a few spectators at the Big A.

4 Comments:

Anonymous said...

...i wouldn't say that Ramsgate "faded around two turns"...sure, he was disappointing, but there were some extenuating circumstances, me thinks...looked like he stumbled a bit leaving the gate, and lost early position...then he ran up into some traffic on the backstretch, and apparently something happened to him at that point, because he was virtually eased thereafter...he just seemed to run FAR too poorly for it to have been a distance issue...for my part, i bet Ramsgate @ 9/5, but thankfully cancelled my ticket when he dropped to 6/5 right before post-time...as for Refinery, i was having trouble watching both horses, but he seemed to have been forced wide around the first turn and lost some position there, then just petered out in the lane after making a moderate middle-move...again, i didn't get a real good look, but i was certainly expecting more out of him...

...coupla points of interest...first off, another higly-regarded Mandella 2yo, Presidential Cause, is entered in tomorrow's 5th race, a 1 1/16 mile maiden race...that one had been working head-up with Refinery going into their respective debuts, then ran a good second behind Ramsgate at seven furlongs...he certainly wasn't flattered by either of those two today, but he WAS flattered by Mandella's come-backing older stakes winner The Tin Man...you see, Presidential Cause had worked a mile head-up with The Tin Man on Dec 16, and The Tin Man came out of that drill to win today's 6th, a high-level allowance race on grass...that certainly bodes well for Presidential Cause's chances tomorrow...he a well-bred sort too, being by Giant's Causeway out of a Deputy Minister mare...i'm looking for a nice effort out of him, may even bet him if the price is right...

...secoondly, i just read that My Miss Storm Cat is "probable" for Saturday's La Brea Stakes...and what's more, there's reportedly a 14-horse field lining up!!...she may be a bettable price after all...if that isn't good enough news, i read a blurb in today's Form, saying "The La Brea is led by Leave Me Alone, winner of the Grade 1 Test Stakes at Saratoga in August, and Pussycat Doll, the winner of two minor stakes this year"...no mention of My Miss Storm Cat...is it possible she won't even go favored???...suffice to say, i'm looking forward to Saturday...

Anonymous said...

...Presidential Cause has been scratched...so much for that...

...two corrections...i mentioned the other day that My Miss Storm Cat "has Breeders Cup winner written all over her"...from a talent stand-point, i stand by that (even if she doesn't stretch out well, i could still see her winning the Sprint)...problem is, i did some digging on her last night, and it appears she's not BC-nominated...so unless i'm mistaken, she'll have to be supplemented for any kind of Breeders Cup try...also, i said she was by Storm Cat, which isn't true...she's by Sea of Secrets, out of a Meadowlake mare...Sea of Secrets is a son of Storm Cat, so i guess that's where the name comes from...

Alan Mann said...

Seems to me that we should get a bettable price on My Miss Storm Cat; looks like a tough field shaping up.

Anonymous said...

...just got a look at Saturday's entries, and POINT OF IMPACT has been entered in Race 6, a 12-horse maiden sprint @ 5 1/2 furlongs...he's drawn a nice outside post...in the La Brea, MMSC has drawn the 2-hole...