Last year around this time, the Al Stall trainee Blame had only a listed stakes to his name. One year later, he is a multiple Grade 1 winner and possibly the favorite to win Horse of the Year. Blame made his graded stakes debut in the Super Derby where he finished second behind Regal Ransom. That would also be the site of his last loss. The question is can Apart get revenge for his now highley successful stablemate? If he wins the Super Derby, he will.
Like Blame, Apart is trained by Al Stall (he is owned by one of Blame's co-owners as well). Also like Blame he enters the Super Derby off 5 starts and a stakes win (the Super Derby Prelude in his case). Most importantly he could be peaking at the right time. The distance shouldn't bother him, as I think a mile and eighth will be in his scope.
The one thing that might have him finishing second in this year's Super Derby is that Prince of Wales winner Golden Moka is among the entires. He upset Big Red Mike who had won the Queen's Plate as well as Hotep the full brother to last year's QP winner Eye of the Lepoard. This will be Golden Moka's first start in the US (he ran once in Canada and was a star down in South America). He is undefeated, but this will be the toughest set of horses he's ever met, and I think Apart can beat him. It should be a very intersting Super Derby to say the least.
Rachel,
ReplyDeleteHow 'bout APART fighting against the karma surrounding GOLDEN MOKA and his paralyzed part-owner Rene Douglas?
As for the BLAME/APART comparisons, I believe they end with the owner and trainer. APART seems very light on the bottom of his pedigree. Check out the pedigree analysis on BLAME from my post prior to the Super Derby last year if you have the chance (http://amateurcapper.blogspot.com/2009/09/saturday-graded-stakes-headlined-by.html).
I'm not sure there's much karma around Golden Moka. Right now him and Apart have listed stakes next to their name (remember the Prince of Wales is restricted to CAN breds, so while it has the quality of a G1 in history it can't be graded due to a Country restriction), I think in the long run of the two Apart will be more accomplished.
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