In September of last year, you could have claimed a then Listed Stakes winning Peace Rules filly by the name of Izzy Rules for $40,000 and then again in November for the same amount (it should be noted that both of these races where Allowance/Optional Claimer, but she was in for a tag both times). December the price went down to $20,000 (this was a straight Claimer race). Then again, who knew that she would turn out to be possibly one of the fastest mares in the sprint division this year. With her win in Sunday's Las Flores, Izzy Rules joined a select, but talented group of horses who have come from claiming races to graded stakes victories. The claimers make up most of the races in the US, so that is even more impressive. Lets take a look at some famous horses who have stamped their names into history (Note: Most of these horses where put into claiming races more then likely because it was the only race available and to begin their careers. Still, they where in the race, so I will feature them). :
Blind Luck (Pollard's Vision): Yes the great rival of Havre de Grace started her career in a claiming race. She made her debut for $40,000 at Calder and just smashed the field by winning 13 1/4 lengths. She was then privately sold to her connections that raced her the rest of her career. Of course she went onto win the Kentucky Oaks and Alabama on her way to 3yo Filly honors.
She Be Wild (Offlee Wild): Her debut at Arlington was for $40,000 as well. All she did was turn that into an almost undefeated 2yo season that ended with a win in the BC Juvenile Fillies. That lead to an eventual 2yo Filly Championship. Unfortunately she had two poor starts as a 3yo, and was subsequently (and quietly) retired after failing to recover from an injury.
Charismatic (Summer Squall): Who knew that a former $62,000 claimer (once at Hollywood, the other time at Santa Anita) would turn out to be a Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, and finish third in the Belmont? Obviously he wouldn't be with us today though if it wheren't the efforts of his jockey, the late Chris Antley after his injury in the Belmont. Charismatic would be named the Horse of the Year long with picking up 3yo Champion Colt/Gelding honors in 1999.
Rapid Redux (Pleasently Perfect): The lone non-stakes winner in this group, he had been running in claiming races since 2009 as a 3yo. Since late 2010, all he has done is win. 22 races straight breaking a North American record (19 straight wins) that was shared by New Mexico superstar Pepper's Pride and the legendary Zenyatta.
John Henry (Ole Bob Bowers): Much like Izzy Rules, John Henry was already a stakes winner by the time he made his claiming debut. While Affirmed and Alydar where taking all the spotlight, he was struggling in claiming races down at the Fair Grounds and then Belmont. Once those two retired, John Henry was able to shine. Not only did he win 2 Arlington Millions (finishing second in between the two wins), he was named Horse of the Year twice (the second time being the oldest horse to win the title). The hotheaded gelding is often mentioned in the same breath with 2 other greats Kelso and Forego.
Willieconker (IRE) (Pyrus): He began his career in Europe doing okay there, but prob. not a stakes quality horse. He was claimed this past August at Del Mar for $40,000 (in the same race stakes winner Kelly Leak was claimed for the same price, sadly he continues to struggle in claiming company). He was second in the Arcadia earlier this year, and just last week he was able to turn the tables on the winner of that race, Mr Commons, to win the Kilroe.
Stymie (Equestrain): $1,500 was all it took to claim him in his 3rd start. When he retired in 1949, he was at that time America's leading earner with a little under a million dollars. A 2 time winner of the Met Mile, he also won the Whitney.
Subsidy (Mr. Prospector): He is the most royally bred horse on this list. By one of the greatest sires around out of a sister to the great Inside Information. However, in the US he won $51,530 while running his claiming races at Delaware Park and Philadelphia Park (now Parx). He made his name in South Korea by winning their most prestigious race the Grand Prix winning over $1,000,000 Kwon ($889.798 US according to Google). To read more about him you can click here.
Chamberlain Bridge (War Chant): He started his career in maiden claimers and has won almost every single time that he's been entered for a tag. Those times have also resulted in him being claimed twice in his career. Still he is one of the best turf sprinters in the US, winning the BC Turf Sprint. A bit of a rough patch as of recently, but he looks to be on the upswing again with a win in December and recently a runner up finish. Both races at the Fair Grounds.
Calibrachoa (Southern Image): Plucked from a Aqueduct claiming race for $40,000, he was put straight into stakes company by his new connections. It payed off as he finished in the top three with the exception of a 5th place finish in the Vosburgh last year. Last weekend he defeated BC Dirt Mile winner Caleb's Posse in his defence of the Tom Fool.
Megahertz (GB) (Pivotal (GB)): The little ball of dynamite began her career in struggling claiming company in France. The lightbulb went on when she arrived in the States. I did a post on her for Thorough Chat that you can find here.
Lava Man (Slew City Slew): One of the greatest Cal breds of all time, the richest claimer of all time, one of only 2 horses to win the Hollywood Gold Cup 3 times in a row and you could have had him for a little as $20,000. When he was claimed for $50,000 out of Del Mar, it was the last time he saw the claiming ranks (although he was entered for a tag in an Allowance/Opt. Claimer for $100,000 when he was struggling a little bit). After that, he started a journey that led him to not only the three HGC wins, but wins in the Big Cap and the Pacific Classic as well. He is the first horse to win a G1 on three different surfaces (turf, dirt and synthetic) and he is one of the richest Cal breds (I think only Tiznow has more then he does). While he ran poorly outside of California, as well as being retired, unretired (with controversy), and retired again, he still hold a place in peoples hearts.
I want to thank a few people for helping me get some of these names into the list. You can follow them all on Twitter by their Twitter Handles:
@sidfernando
@JoshD3173
@korearacing
Showing posts with label She Be Wild. Show all posts
Showing posts with label She Be Wild. Show all posts
March 13, 2012
January 5, 2010
Early Oaks Picks
Last week I gave my early Derby picks, this week I'm doing the same thing, but with the Kentucky Oaks. Again I'll only be doing this once a month.
5. Bella Medaglia (Medaglia d' Oro): Just finished second in an allowance on Sunday, but broke her maiden pretty impressively at the Fair Grounds in December. My guess is she is Tiffany Lass or Silverbulletday bound. It helps that she is by the defending Oaks sire.
4. Biofuel (Stormin Feaver): If it wheren't for bumping with Negligee in the Juvenile Fillies, she might have won. The big concern is that she never has been on dirt, however she has beaten one of the best well bred now 3yo's in North America in Cascading (AP Indy out of a Storm Cat mare who is a 1/2 sister to Jazil, Casino Drive and Rags to Riches and a 3/4 sister to Man of Iron) up at Woodbine. Cascading turned around and won a stakes race in her next start. Biofuel's owner has won the Oaks before with Proud Spell, can he do it again with her.
3. She Be Wild (Offlee Wild): It's wierd when you put the Juvenile Fillies Champ at #3. Unlike Vale of York though she was not a flukey winner. Like Biofuel, she has yet to run on dirt, but that will change as she is prepping in Florida. The big reason why she is at #3 is that numbers 1 and 2 had two of the most impressive proformances late last year that I've seen as two year olds in a while.
2. Quiet Temper (Quiet American): It's been 12 years since Real Quiet "The Fish" won the Kentucky Derby, since then Quiet American has been known as the broodmare sire of Bernardini. However this could all change with Quiet Temper. She won the allowance race on Sunday that Bella Medaglia was in and previously won the Delta Princess. The same connections as Swift Temper, look for her to make noise this winter and spring.
1. Blind Luck (Pollard's Vision): Like I said in the Early Derby picks, of all the now 3yo's who started their careers at Calder last year. This could be the best one of them all. Although I don't think she will win the Eclipse Award for 2yo Filly (She Be Wild is your most likely winner), that's okay. The past 3 winners of the Oaks (Rags to Riches, Proud Spell and Rachel Alexandra) all did not win the Eclipse at 2, (Dreaming of Anna, Indian Blessing and Stardom Bound where the winners. The 3 Oaks winners did win the Eclipse at 3 however (Rags and Spell already have their awards, Rach's award was a slam dunk by the time Tom Durkin said on the Bravo Oaks coverage "She won by 20!"). She more then likely will be following the Rags to Riches route to the Oaks which she most likely will end up, dispite being #4 on my Derby list.
Look out for: Awesome Maria (Maria's Mon)
Again these are just early picks, the Oaks is a bit more diffacult to have a standout as the fillies IMO don't get as much coverage. The only two horses who really stood out the years that they won where Rags to Riches and Rachel Alexandra. We'll have to see where these fillies go until the final day in April.
5. Bella Medaglia (Medaglia d' Oro): Just finished second in an allowance on Sunday, but broke her maiden pretty impressively at the Fair Grounds in December. My guess is she is Tiffany Lass or Silverbulletday bound. It helps that she is by the defending Oaks sire.
4. Biofuel (Stormin Feaver): If it wheren't for bumping with Negligee in the Juvenile Fillies, she might have won. The big concern is that she never has been on dirt, however she has beaten one of the best well bred now 3yo's in North America in Cascading (AP Indy out of a Storm Cat mare who is a 1/2 sister to Jazil, Casino Drive and Rags to Riches and a 3/4 sister to Man of Iron) up at Woodbine. Cascading turned around and won a stakes race in her next start. Biofuel's owner has won the Oaks before with Proud Spell, can he do it again with her.
3. She Be Wild (Offlee Wild): It's wierd when you put the Juvenile Fillies Champ at #3. Unlike Vale of York though she was not a flukey winner. Like Biofuel, she has yet to run on dirt, but that will change as she is prepping in Florida. The big reason why she is at #3 is that numbers 1 and 2 had two of the most impressive proformances late last year that I've seen as two year olds in a while.
2. Quiet Temper (Quiet American): It's been 12 years since Real Quiet "The Fish" won the Kentucky Derby, since then Quiet American has been known as the broodmare sire of Bernardini. However this could all change with Quiet Temper. She won the allowance race on Sunday that Bella Medaglia was in and previously won the Delta Princess. The same connections as Swift Temper, look for her to make noise this winter and spring.
1. Blind Luck (Pollard's Vision): Like I said in the Early Derby picks, of all the now 3yo's who started their careers at Calder last year. This could be the best one of them all. Although I don't think she will win the Eclipse Award for 2yo Filly (She Be Wild is your most likely winner), that's okay. The past 3 winners of the Oaks (Rags to Riches, Proud Spell and Rachel Alexandra) all did not win the Eclipse at 2, (Dreaming of Anna, Indian Blessing and Stardom Bound where the winners. The 3 Oaks winners did win the Eclipse at 3 however (Rags and Spell already have their awards, Rach's award was a slam dunk by the time Tom Durkin said on the Bravo Oaks coverage "She won by 20!"). She more then likely will be following the Rags to Riches route to the Oaks which she most likely will end up, dispite being #4 on my Derby list.
Look out for: Awesome Maria (Maria's Mon)
Again these are just early picks, the Oaks is a bit more diffacult to have a standout as the fillies IMO don't get as much coverage. The only two horses who really stood out the years that they won where Rags to Riches and Rachel Alexandra. We'll have to see where these fillies go until the final day in April.
November 30, 2009
Predicitions for the Eclipse Awards
Yes they aren't given out till January, but here are my predictions for this year's Eclipse Award winners except for Horse of the Year. I'll give my explination on why I'm not choosing that catagory at the end.
2yo Female- She Be Wild (Offlee Wild)
A filly who raised from what I call the "ugly ducklings" (maiden claimers) to "beautiful swans" (stakes races), this filly started her career in a 40k maiden claimer, finished second in a G1 before winning the BC Juvenile Fillies. She also got a bit of luck on her side after California's top filly Mi Sueno suffered a career ending injury and New York's best filly Hot Dixie Chick skipped the BC after winning the Spinaway up at Saratoga. Her trainer Wayne Catalano is no stranger to training top fillies, as he also trained 2006 BC Juvenile Fillies winner Dreaming of Anna (Rahy).
2yo Male- Lookin at Lucky (Smart Strike)
Normally the BC Juvenile winner would win this award, however this won't be the case this year. With the winner of the race, a Euro who will be wintering in Dubai, Lucky gets it as he won 2 G1 races and was undefeated until the BC. His form over to dirt should not be a problem as his big bro is G2 winner Kensei (Mr. Greeley).
3yo Female- Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d' Oro)
Dear Eclipse voters,
If one Rachel Alexandra Morrison-Jackson is not an unanimous champion, then I think you should lose your voting previliges
Love a Rachel Alexandra fan
Just kidding ;). In all seriousness she should be unanimous dispite Careless Jewel (Tapit) coming on mid-Summer and winning the DE Oaks and Alabama. Rachel this year did something that no female could do, win the Woodward. And she did it fighting off Macho Again (Macho Uno) and Bullsbay (Tiznow). Plus she became the first female to win the Preakness in 85 years, the second female to win the Haskell and she almost broke the 2 track records (Belmont and Monmouth). All this after she romped home by 20 1/2 lengths in the KY Oaks.
3yo Male: Summer Bird (Birdstone)
Really known as the "Other Bird" from after the Derby until his Travers win. Still to become the first horse since Easy Goer to take the Belmont, Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup in the sam year is quite an accomplishment. Unfortnally with his career no in doubt, we may never know how good he exactly is.
Older Male: Gio Ponti (Tale of the Cat)
Really he wins this by default, as this was one of the worst older male classes in a while. However, the good news is he's coming back next year and hopefully we'll see him in the Classic again (I also think he'll do fine on dirt).
Older Female: Zenyatta (Street Cry (IRE))
Dear Eclipse voters,
If Zenyatta Mondatta Moss is not an unanimous champion, then I think you lose your voting previligies.
Love a Zenyatta fan
Just kidding (again) ;). Like Rachel, if Zen is not unanimous it would be a shame. After all she did become the first female ever to win the Breeders' Cup Classic. This in her first try against the boys, in her final race ever (there hasn't been an "offical announcement", but Jerry Moss did say that the Classic was her final race).
Male Sprinter: Zensational (Unbridled's Song)
This is one that is really up in the air and could come down to who did more this year. While Kodiak Kowboy (Posse) will have his supporters, but this guy was just wow all year. His downside is he did finish 5th in BC Sprint to a longshot, and he did retire before he really hit his prime.
Female Sprinter: Informored Decidsion (Monarchos)
It pains me to say this girl deserves it, but she does. I'm sorry, I never could get on board with her, to me she just seems to be a synth specialist. It's really a shame that Music Note (A.P. Indy) wasn't in the BC F/M Sprint as I think she would have won going away. Keep an eye on Sara Louise (Malibu Moon), next year though as she could be a huge factor.
Turf Female: Ventura (Chester House)
This is another up in air situations, but it reality it comes down to this girl and Goldikova (IRE) (Anaaba). And since the 2 time Mile winner is coming back to try for three in a row, I would love to see Ventura get it. She lost by a nose to Gio Ponti, got two tough beats by Informed Decidsion, however was able to beat the boys in the Woodbine Mile and just wrapped up her career in the Matriach. I'm not 100% sure if she'll take it, but I sure hope so.
Turf Male: Gio Ponti (Tale of the Cat)
Had he been in the Turf instead of the Classic, he would have been America's best hope. He won 5 G1's in a roe from a mile to a mile and half. Including outside of of the Turf, the biggest race in the Arlington Million.
2yo Female- She Be Wild (Offlee Wild)
A filly who raised from what I call the "ugly ducklings" (maiden claimers) to "beautiful swans" (stakes races), this filly started her career in a 40k maiden claimer, finished second in a G1 before winning the BC Juvenile Fillies. She also got a bit of luck on her side after California's top filly Mi Sueno suffered a career ending injury and New York's best filly Hot Dixie Chick skipped the BC after winning the Spinaway up at Saratoga. Her trainer Wayne Catalano is no stranger to training top fillies, as he also trained 2006 BC Juvenile Fillies winner Dreaming of Anna (Rahy).
2yo Male- Lookin at Lucky (Smart Strike)
Normally the BC Juvenile winner would win this award, however this won't be the case this year. With the winner of the race, a Euro who will be wintering in Dubai, Lucky gets it as he won 2 G1 races and was undefeated until the BC. His form over to dirt should not be a problem as his big bro is G2 winner Kensei (Mr. Greeley).
3yo Female- Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d' Oro)
Dear Eclipse voters,
If one Rachel Alexandra Morrison-Jackson is not an unanimous champion, then I think you should lose your voting previliges
Love a Rachel Alexandra fan
Just kidding ;). In all seriousness she should be unanimous dispite Careless Jewel (Tapit) coming on mid-Summer and winning the DE Oaks and Alabama. Rachel this year did something that no female could do, win the Woodward. And she did it fighting off Macho Again (Macho Uno) and Bullsbay (Tiznow). Plus she became the first female to win the Preakness in 85 years, the second female to win the Haskell and she almost broke the 2 track records (Belmont and Monmouth). All this after she romped home by 20 1/2 lengths in the KY Oaks.
3yo Male: Summer Bird (Birdstone)
Really known as the "Other Bird" from after the Derby until his Travers win. Still to become the first horse since Easy Goer to take the Belmont, Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup in the sam year is quite an accomplishment. Unfortnally with his career no in doubt, we may never know how good he exactly is.
Older Male: Gio Ponti (Tale of the Cat)
Really he wins this by default, as this was one of the worst older male classes in a while. However, the good news is he's coming back next year and hopefully we'll see him in the Classic again (I also think he'll do fine on dirt).
Older Female: Zenyatta (Street Cry (IRE))
Dear Eclipse voters,
If Zenyatta Mondatta Moss is not an unanimous champion, then I think you lose your voting previligies.
Love a Zenyatta fan
Just kidding (again) ;). Like Rachel, if Zen is not unanimous it would be a shame. After all she did become the first female ever to win the Breeders' Cup Classic. This in her first try against the boys, in her final race ever (there hasn't been an "offical announcement", but Jerry Moss did say that the Classic was her final race).
Male Sprinter: Zensational (Unbridled's Song)
This is one that is really up in the air and could come down to who did more this year. While Kodiak Kowboy (Posse) will have his supporters, but this guy was just wow all year. His downside is he did finish 5th in BC Sprint to a longshot, and he did retire before he really hit his prime.
Female Sprinter: Informored Decidsion (Monarchos)
It pains me to say this girl deserves it, but she does. I'm sorry, I never could get on board with her, to me she just seems to be a synth specialist. It's really a shame that Music Note (A.P. Indy) wasn't in the BC F/M Sprint as I think she would have won going away. Keep an eye on Sara Louise (Malibu Moon), next year though as she could be a huge factor.
Turf Female: Ventura (Chester House)
This is another up in air situations, but it reality it comes down to this girl and Goldikova (IRE) (Anaaba). And since the 2 time Mile winner is coming back to try for three in a row, I would love to see Ventura get it. She lost by a nose to Gio Ponti, got two tough beats by Informed Decidsion, however was able to beat the boys in the Woodbine Mile and just wrapped up her career in the Matriach. I'm not 100% sure if she'll take it, but I sure hope so.
Turf Male: Gio Ponti (Tale of the Cat)
Had he been in the Turf instead of the Classic, he would have been America's best hope. He won 5 G1's in a roe from a mile to a mile and half. Including outside of of the Turf, the biggest race in the Arlington Million.
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