Post by Ripley on Jul 2, 2014 15:19:13 GMT -5
With the horse population and barn population picking up, we are left to wonder how exactly the rest of Year Fourteen will progress. Better older horses are staying in training and the population of three year olds appears to be a wave coming on to take the older horses. We still have several three year old restricted series to go, but fall is in the air and our minds are turning to the Breeders’ Cup.
However, because three year old races are so important let’s begin with the remaining chapters. We have the Canadian Triple Crown, the Triple Sprint Tiara, the Triple Sprint Crown and the Triple Sprint Turf Crown and the Green/Red Mile Series. Hard to believe there is so much ground to cover, but the sprinter crowns and tiaras basically take us right into September.
Obvious Turf Sprinter Crown horse is Demonic Desires. He is on fire at the moment, though he was halted in his tracks by Cross My Heart in his first venture out of the three year old restricted races. It was a thrilling match up and one that bodes well for both horses, for at the moment they are each other’s worst enemy. There is a distinct possibility they will be joined by another WCS/SOPS duo in the form of Paranormal Hunter and Innocent Passion. Innocent Passion just simply cannot escape the wrath of the turf sprinter fillies at Witch Creek Stable. She was beaten a length by Paranormal Hunter in the Monrovia Stakes, but she’s been known to turn the tables on a certain coal black filly a time or two. While Demonic Desires faces an easier task in the Triple Sprinter Turf Crown, Paranormal Hunter’s future rests in the Green Mile Series. Already she will face off with Acantha and Duchess Stakes winner In The Spotlight, but this time she will do it as a grade one. She appears to be the standout in the turf fillies department, if you completely ignored the filly domination of the Turf Triple Crown by Dare To Impress and The Devil’s Hourglass.
And lurking in behind all of these turf runners is Flying Solo who is quietly ascending to the top of older male turf sprinter title. He’s been on a role and recently took down last year BC Filly and Mare Sprint Champ Ventura in the Seashell Cup Grade One Turf Sprint.
It appears that the older turf mare division is lacking, but we’ve been spoiled in that department with the likes of Sillenia, Alluring Assault, Dazzling Dame and Flawed Princess. I believe the three year old fillies have a real chance to upset the older turf mares. Italian Ice, last year’s Canadian Triple Crown winner, and Wish Upon A Star are the most likely horses to point for the turf series at The Wire. Bella Luna, last year’s Turf Triple Crown winner, looks to be back on her upswing and remains the most threatening individual in this division while strictly pointing for major races at Green Horse Fields. Other up and comers could be Daddy’s Overdraft, National Treasure, who is looking to rebound after a so-so Turf Triple Tiara, The Devil’s Hourglass and Dare To Impress and the aforementioned individuals pointing for the Green Mile.
Several people are wondering who exactly will be the one to dethrone the current king in racing, Mastermind. Forbidden To Fly and Innocent Passion are the only ones to have done so, but on their terms on surfaces and at distances they prefer. I can’t pick out a very threatening name right now from the three year old dirt sprinters as they are all very even. Crowned Queen is back, but she did so against fillies who have talent and are likely to catch up before Breeders’ Cup time, Optimus Unstoppable, stunning winner of the Boys’ Party still has a ways to go before he can be mentioned in the same breath. Mourning Passion was momentarily halted by Reflected In Water and Supernatural and Alucard fell to those same fillies in the Dr. Fager Red Mile. It appears the only horses who stand a chance are Forbidden To Fly and the aforementioned Ventura. I am rather enjoying the rivalry of the last two races and look forward to more from the powerful duo and look forward to Ventura entering the tangle.
Moving on to long distance horses, there is no denying Eternal Phantom owns the key to throne right now. Year Twelve’s Horse of the Year has not vanished and actually looks like she could be on the verge of taking another title home. With important victories in the Clark Handicap and Sweet Stalker Memorial Stakes, her second place finish to now retired Hokum in the Spring Dawn Treader Cup, Eternal Phantom appears to be head of the class. It will not be an easy title to achieve though as not far behind her is heavyweight Red Herring who appears to be muscling his way to the top of the older male division. While he does not have the victories just yet, he could be one to watch when he makes his return off the small break. Born To Impress, who has not been out very much this season, also will be looking to unseat the queen. He does had two important victories, but he has a lot of catching up to do. Intrepid is not without a representative either. Nightshade appears to be nearing her best form with back to back victories in the Kirsten Jade Cup and South Pacific Handicap.
Nightshade is not the only one making a return to public eye, Paradise Island turned in a paid workout when thrashing outmatched opponents in the June Turf Stakes. The bay mare is most remembered for her Triple Tiara victories and she is obviously making her comeback. It is not clear where these last two horses will go, but they do have powerful shadows in the form of three year old fillies. Battle Wings, newly anointed grade two filly Reflected In Water and Restricted Access are champion caliber fillies and it appears that Nightshade and Paradise Island will have their hooves full. If you add in Supernatural and Bellefire, it appears we could be in for a Breeders Cup Distaff for the ages.
The colts are a whole different story. With Red Herring, Born To Impress, GS Supercharged and Lusitania’s Soldier being the guard of the kingdom, it looks like In Front, Limited Edition, Mourning Passion (again), and Anodyne could be the army ready to take them down. All four colts have shown their hard-knocking talents on the Triple Crown trail and boy are they fore-boding. While Limited Edition waits for a chance to take on older horses, the remaining trio are still running in restricted races and biding their time to take down what has to be the top three year old colt. Mourning Passion is likely to continue in the Red Mile series while Anodyne and In Front duke it out on the Canadian Triple Crown trail. If all four of them point for the Hollywood Gold Cup and Honorable Stakes, it will be a fireworks show. In the long distance dirt division, I believe the three year olds have what it takes to dethrone the older horses.
Silent Fury and Frozen Motion left a huge void when they retired at the beginning of this season. Only Infinite Warcry remains and he is doing a very impressive job at that. The black son of Jessie James has reached old levels of fame and is the only horse at the moment who is staving off the charge. What charge… well I’m not quite sure yet. Only Majestic Hero, Call Of The Wild, Ode To Glory can be named as absolute distancechallengers and knowing Infinite Warcry’s past, I’d say they aren’t that challenging. Samhain recently took a grade three victory in the Seashell Cup, but he has a ways to go. Warning: Samhain and Call Of The Wild appear, at least to me, the most likely to improve in this male division. Royal Cadenza is most comfortable at middle distances and the most impressive turf male other than Infinite Warcry. Infinite Warcry’s got a tight hold on his own gender/age/distance group. Infinite Warcry may find his biggest competition in the filly forms of The Devil’s Hourglass, Dare To Impress and older mare Bella Luna. I will be interested in following this division, but I cannot decisively pick which age group will win out. Infinite Warcry and Bella Luna are fierce distance representatives, but Dare To Impress and The Devil’s Hourglass are not slouches. And with dark horses such as Samhain and Call Of The Wild… who knows what surprises we are in store for.
Next article will be focusing in on the eclectic two year old division and a further investigation into the older fillies and mares who call the turf their domain.
