Brewer Divisional Rankings - Now with 2 Year Old Rankings!

Updated Top 5 rankings of horses in each division at Emerald Downs. I have included a Top 5 ranking for all 2-year-olds but did not separate them by gender until we get more 2-year-old races under our belt.

Before we begin, I want to address a few rumors about my blog. I have been asked by a few people about the jokes in my blog and whether I am drunk when I am writing these. The answer is an unequivocal NO:

It's actually Cabin Fever that causes such delusional writing. As the wife is upstairs binge watching The Good Wife, The Bachelorette, or some English crap with some guy named Mr. Darcy in it, I am downstairs in the Man Cave with this thing:

Can you blame me?

Older Males

(1) (Last Ranking #4) Stryker Phd – Took down the Budweiser Handicap in impressive fashion and got a 97 Beyer. Pretty good for the first start of the year. Finished second in last year’s Longacres Mile. My prior issue with this horse was that he only had two career wins. Now that he came off the bench with a win I am less concerned about his abilities to hit the line first. Washington's best chance in the Longacres Mile. I recently wrote an article about the broodmare Striking Scholar which you can read here:

http://www.militaryhawk.blogspot.com/2014/06/broodmare-of-week-striking-scholar.html

Here is a picture of Stryker Phd who was a $40,000 WTBOA Purchase:


(Terra Lee)

(2) (Previously Ranked #1) Mr. Bowling – Finally lived up to my expectations with a nice 2nd in the Budweiser Handicap.  Ran 4th in the Governor's Handicap. This horse is a Grade III winner of almost $275,000. 

(3) (Last Ranking #3) Jebrica – He finished 4th in the Budweiser although I expected better from him as the distances stretched out. He ran second in the Governor's Handicap before the Budweiser. $15,000 WTBOA Purchase. Here is a picture by Terra Lee of Jebrica:

(4) (Previously Ranked #2) Why Not Be Perfect - Going to forgive him a little for the Budweiser performance. His action made me believe he hated the track condition. Also, there is a chance that he bounced a little off of such a good performance in the Governor's Handicap being that it was the first start of his career. 

(5) (Unranked) Hudson Landing – Looks like he will be up here for a while getting ready for the Mile. Hudson had some traffic issues in the Budweiser and I am not sure he enjoyed the track. This is a solid warrior who deserves another chance. 

Others:  Finallygotabentley (Went to California), Canadian Horses (Assumed they were just coming here for the Budweiser and we may not see them again until the Mile) Absolutely Cool (Last workout was May 12th so….), Scat Daddybaby (finally back on the work tab with two works this month ), and still my Dark Horse Pick for this division is Perfect Night (full to Wasserman who just finished second in an Allowance Optional Claiming race against Polish Dollar), Disruption (Nice win after a long long break)

Older Females

(1) (Last Ranking #1) Stopshoppingdebbie – The Queen. Enough said. For more about her family, see my previous post regarding Taste the Passion:  

http://www.militaryhawk.blogspot.com/2014/05/broodmare-of-week-taste-passion.html

(2) (Last Ranking #2) Blueberry Smoothie – Love this horse. She gets the #2 ranking over Goin to the Window because she was taken a little out of her element last race. She went to the lead rather than coming off the pace like she usually does. Still think she is a sliver better than Goin to the Window. Earlier in the meet, she got up for a nice third in the Hastings Handicap beating out Goin to the Window. I also discussed her pedigree in the blog link above because she is related to Stopshoppingdebbie.

(3)  (Last Ranking #4) Goin to the Window – Ran an excellent second to the Queen of Emerald last race, but I got the impression Window was never going to pass her. If it wasn't for her stablemate she would have 3 more Stakes wins. She finished 4th in the Hastings prior to the Legislator's Handicap. 

(4) (Last Ranking #3) Madame Pele – Ran 4th to the NW Farms triumvirate in the Legislators. Ran a  fantastic second in the Hastings Handicap to break that trio up but she had a recency edge which she no longer has. $14,000 WTBOA Purchase.

(5) (Last Ranking #5 "Dark Horse Pick") - Tabled with Gold won a Allowance Optional Claiming Race on May 17th and came back to run 5th in the Legislators and then won a $50,000 claimer on Sunday. My Dark Horse Pick in this division is coming around nicely. She won't ever beat the Top 3 but will be a good upper level claimer. 

      3 Year-Old Colts

(1) (Last Ranked #1) Del Rio Harbor – Won an Allowance race against the likes of Strawberry Dawn, Kenai King and Redsolocup in an impressive (1:03.65) to start his year. I kept him #1 after his 3rd in the Auburn Handicap because I thought that strategy for the race and the ride was odd. He proved me correct when he was allowed to run this weekend in the Coca Cola Handicap. Always thought he was better than Noosito and he proved it. Great ride by Mitchell.

(2) (Last Ranked #2) Noosito – Won the Auburn Handicap by 5 but then finished second in Coca Cola on the stretch out. A duel-stakes winner now, I expect Noosito will get better as the distances get longer. $55,000 WTBOA Purchase. Noosito at the WTBOA sale (picture taken by Terra Lee):

(3) (Last Ranked #4) Mebossman – The son of Peaceful Wings won a Maiden Special Weight ("MSW") on April 27^th. He ran a good second in the Auburn Handicap and then a disappointing 4th in the Coca Cola Handicap. He will do better as the distances get longer. $15,000 WTBOA Purchase. Here is an excellent picture from Terra of Mebossman as a baby with her mom Peaceful Wings:

And Mebossman now:

(4) (Unranked) Charlie Thomas – A new shooter for the Spooners. Closed really well to get 3rd in the Coca Cola Handicap, albeit versus a really fast pace.  Showed he can run on dirt and will get better as he gets used to Emerald Downs. 

(5) (Last Ranked #5) My Chief - Been smoking up the track versus 3 year olds but when he had to face older horses, including Disruption on June 14, the party was over. I will forgive the loss because of how hard it is for 3-year-olds to take on older horses right now. Here is a picture of him at WTBOA 2011 where he sold for $5,000 to Preston Boyd:  

3 Year-Old Fillies

This division is still difficult to figure out. A few things. City by the Bay who won the Seattle Handicap was up here for only one race so she does not make the rankings. The fourth place finisher Lotta Attitude is also down south.  The other problem is that there is only one stakes race for 3-year-old fillies sprinting so I don't know what to do with a horse like Chu and You’s who is great at sprint distances but a question mark at the mile race coming up on Sunday. For now:

(1) (Last Unranked) Find Your Spot - Top spot up for grabs but I ended up going with Find Your Spot based on (1) the last furlong of her 6.5 Furlong race on June 14th and (2) beating better competition down at Santa Anita. Was unranked before because she has not raced yet. Sudden Departure won the King County Handicap at a Mile so I am not worried about the distance or class on the dam side. Looked like she was striding out in the last Furlong of her previous race.     

(2) (Last Ranked #3) Chu and You – She was clearly the best 2-year old filly on the grounds last year. Seattle Handicap second place finish made up for her two prior poor starts. Tons of speed but the question now becomes distance.  Her full brother was able to win the WTBA Lads at a mile. The question is who is going to challenge for the lead? City by the Bay is gone, Lotta Attitude had some speed but is now gone. My Last Sweet Pea turned into a closer last race. If Avadiva goes in this race there is some speed but she backed out of the race easily before having a decent gallop out in the race against Find Your Spot. 

(3)  (Last Ranked #1) Strawberry Dawn – She won an Allowance race by 8.5 lengths on April 13, 2014, running the 5.5 Furlongs in 103.08. She came back in an allowance race against the boys, including Del Rio Harbor and ran a respectable 4^th. I expected better in the Seattle Handicap. The pedigree can handle the distance and I still have faith in this horse. 

(4) (Last week #5) Belladiva - Finished second to Lotta Attitude in the AOC race. And also ran behind Strawberry Dawn in an Allowance race on April 13, 2014. Although this horse has some speed, the pedigree suggests she will be even better on the stretch out so we will see how she performs in route races later on. She got left at the gate in the Seattle Handicap and was not in her usual position right off the pace but rather had to come from last. I expect better this weekend. $5,200 WTBOA purchase. A picture of Belladiva by Terra from the sale:

(5) Dark Horse Pick - This spot is reserved for the winner of the 4th race on Saturday. The winner of this race will likely be at the top of the division by year's end.

Outside Looking In: My Last Sweet Pea surprised me with her 3rd place run in the Seattle Handicap. By Grindstone, she should stretch out nicely and her gallop out was really good in the last race.  Sunpenny I expected better from last time. I hope that I can move her back into the Top 5 soon because I like but for now… (sorry, Steve). Timeless Pleasure won a Maiden Option Claiming last weekend but faltered in the Find Your Spot race. The stretch back out to a mile will help. Quiet Wisdom has the pedigree for the stretch out.  looks to be a better horse as things stretch out. Charismata (also waiting for a stretch out but not entered in the stakes race this weekend). Red Ran Back finally broke the maiden and we could see in a stakes race. 

Two Year Old Rankings

(1)  Trackattacker - The obvious #1 choice as he got a 74 Beyer and broke the track record. Not bad. Again, A picture of Trackattacker as a baby taken by Terra Lee: 

 If you would like to learn more about the family, please see my blog entry on Eclatante located here:

http://militaryhawk.blogspot.com/2014/06/broodmare-of-week-eclatante-sponsored.html

(2)  Forte Feroce  – Won last Sunday’s Maiden Special Weight race in 51.78, finishing the last 2.5 Furlongs in 29.45.  This is the first winner for Grasshopper. Expecting better things from this horse but tough division with Trackattacker in it. 

            (3) Seeking the Light - Ran a 57 Beyer and was an impressive winner for Blaine Wright.   Purchased for $29,000 as a yearling, she has a good future ahead of her based on my review of the replay of the race. Seeking the Light ran the 4.5 Furlongs in 50.88 and the last 2.5 Furlongs in 29.31.

(4)  Dancing with Effie – John Parker bought me lunch so I am ranking his horse 4th. Actually,  this horse ran a good second to Seeking the Light. Ran the 4.5 Furlongs in 51.52 and the last 2.5 Furlongs in 29.93.

(5) Search is Over - Looking forward to his next race. This horse ran a very good race in his first out despite getting a low Beyer. He closed the last 2.5 Furlongs in 28.53, which was the fastest last 2.5 Furlongs in the race. If you review the race, he closes very well on the rail after being last for most of the race. I expect this horse to be a winner as the races stretch out.

Outside Looking In: Andiamo Deb's stride is fantastic if she can get it going which is hard to do at 4.5 Furlongs. She needs a stretch-out but will be a force to be reckoned with when she does. She is also gigantic so I will nickname her Hodor. 

Always Love Your Animals, 

Will

Broodmare of the Week - Striking Scholar - Sponsored by Brewer Thoroughbreds, Demolition and Construction, LLC

After a week of Royal Ascot, World Cup, drafting morbid legal documents, some sickness and taking down a shed in the backyard, I am back to having some time to write about the events of the last two weekends at Emerald Downs. Going to be doing a little catch up this week.

Broodmare of the Week is sponsored by Brewer Thoroughbreds, Demolition and Construction, LLC. You see my operation now not only breeds, pinhooks and races horses, but I also now specialize in demolition and destruction of backyard sheds. I took down the shed in my backyard last week to put in a turf course for cat races. Check that, my father-in-law took down the shed in the backyard last week. I was more like his sidekick, his Mini-Me if you will.

You see, I am a very handy person. I bought my first screwdriver at the age of 35. At the age of 37, I returned said screwdriver because I needed a Phelps screwdriver instead of a Flathead screwdriver. Named after Olympic Champion swimmer Michael Phelps, the Phelps screwdriver was created……Hold on, I am being told by my Editor that it is actually a Phillips screwdriver. Ok, so I am not handy, but most ladies would say I look good with a tool belt on. Some pictures of the demolition:

(I am Thor!)

(The "finished" product).

The most frightening part of taking down the shed was the joy in my wife's face as she was taking the sledgehammer to the side of the wall. It was the happiest she has been since the wedding.  She is hard person to make angry, but I realized she is way too good with a sledgehammer. I should do the best to make her the happiest wife of all time.

If my death ever becomes a game of Clue, we know two of the three pieces: Mrs. Brewer with a Sledgehammer.  Up to you decide where it took place, but another hint is that I don't have a Conservatory:

Broodmare of the Week goes to Striking Scholar based on her son Stryker Phd's demolition of the field in the Budweiser Handicap. He won the race after a 6-month plus layoff, so Larry and Sharon put a good foundation into him to get him prepared for this race. His May 18th workout of 5 Furlongs in :59 was a perfect primer for the race.

Leslie Mawing took Stryker off the pace and to the outside in order to insulate himself from having any dirt kicked in his face. He started to make his move around the turn and was easily passing horses. At the top of the stretch the field was putty in his Stryker's hand. Even though he duct in a little in the stretch he did not lien in on anyone and he still won by 3 lengths and bolted down a 97 Beyer (that one was a stretch). With that kind of performance off a layoff, the owners were beaming in the winner's circler after the race.

Unfortunately, Stryker is gelded so he cannot be a stud. Conformationally he has a nice frame and I shutter to think what kind of year this horse can have. (Enough construction puns?)

Let's talk a little about this fledgling broodmare Striking Scholar.  By the fantastic sire Smart Strike and out of Degree (Vanlandingham), Striking Scholar was purchased for $14,000 by John Becker at the 2005 Keeneland yearling sale.

Smart Strike needs no introduction.

Striking Scholar's dam Degree was a $200,000 purchase at the 1989 Keeneland September Sale. Degree won over $50,000 in her career and was purchased by Halvorson Bloodstock as a broodmare in foal to Flatter for $7,000 at the 2005 Keeneland November sale. This purchase was likely prompted by Halvorson's purchase ion 2002 of Home School, a daughter of Degree, who was in foal to You and I. That ended up being an astute purchase as the You and I foal ended up being Schoolin' You  Champion 2-year-old in Washington. Degree ended up being a good broodmare but a better "broodmare of broodmares" as her two best contributions to Washington racing were the unraced Home School and the unraced Striking Scholar.

Striking Scholar has produced three foals to date. Two starters to date and two stakes winners: the aforementioned Stryker Phd and also Madame Pele.

Stryker Phd is a 2009 foal by Bertrando. Purchase for $45,000 at the 2010 WTBOA Sale, Stryker Phd has won over $155,000 and is our best chance to bring the Longacres Mile trophy back home to a Washington-Bred. Some pictures of Stryker Phd taken from the awesome Terra Lee (please someone tell her to start her own photography business).

Here is a picture of Stryker C.A.T.

Madame Pele was Striking Scholar's 2010 foal. Purchased by Kamaaina Thoroughbreds for $14,000 at the 2011 WTBOA sale, Madame Pele has won over $120,000 to date. By Salt Lake, Madame Pele won last year's Comcast Sports Network Handicap on Washington Cup day. She recently finished second and fourth in two very tough older filly and mare stakes races to the Northwest Farms horses. She is the best older Washington-Bred filly or mare that I can think of right now.

Striking Scholar did not have a foal in 2011 or 2013. Her 2012 foal was Rachae Leigh. By Stormin Fever, this filly was purchased by Mona Hour (the same owner as Stryker Phd) for $32,000 at the 2013 WTBOA sale. Rachae Leigh has yet to workout, but I am looking forward to seeing her run, as I am sure we all are.

Char Clark entered Striking Scholar in the 2013 mixed portion of the sale in foal to Stormin' Fever. The Hansens purchased Striking Scholar for $36,000, a fair price considering her son had just finished second in the Longacres Mile two days before. Unfortunately, the Stormin Fever foal she had this year died. I wish the Hansen's better luck with this good mare in the future. It is still a great purchase for their broodmare band.

Always Love Your Animals,

Will

Emerald Downs Two-Year-Old Analysis and I Become a Horseman.

Pretty exciting when 2-year-old racing starts mainly because I proclaim myself Master of Emerald Downs’ two-year-old racing.

Also, I now officially proclaim myself a horseman or horseperson. You see in the paddock on Sunday, One Horse Will Do Corporation had two horses in a 2-year-old race in post-positions #1 and #6. The owner and trainer were standing with the #1 horse in the paddock, so I stood in for #6 (because I am a nice guy and want people to know how important I am) in the paddock. When Rocco “Sizzla” Bowen came out I gave him the instructions I always give him: “Ride like it is the Barbados Gold Cup.” Rocco then asked me if I was going to leg him up since nobody else was there. In what must have been a real boost of confidence for him, I answered “It is the left leg, right?” (It’s called horsemanship, look it up). Although I was nervous, I didn’t kill one of my favorite jockeys (Ronald Richard is one of my favorites too) and plan on legging up every horse from now on. 

Since I am a horseman now and Rocco and I are the same height I figured I am going to give up blogging and my law license and become a jockey. I am 5’3” I just need to lose about 42 pounds and there are plenty of jockeys who started their career when 40 was staring them in the face, right?

Purpose of this blog is to briefly look at where we are with our two-year-olds at this point. Not that many horses to examine but good to review at this point. This is not a ranking but rather an evaluation based on my review of the replays.

First, let’s look at the colts and geldings and their Beyer Speed Figures so far this year:

Colts/Geldings

(1)  Trackattacker (Beyer 74) – Not just attacking the track, but attacking the track record in his race.  He finished the last 2.5 Furlongs in 27.80. The chasm between his Beyer number and the next highest (49) means he will be the heavy favorite in the first two-year-old Stakes race of the year. A picture of Trackattacker as a baby taken by Terra Lee: 

His sister Nancy Wake won last weekend. If you would like to learn more about the family, please see my blog entry on Eclatante located here:

http://militaryhawk.blogspot.com/2014/06/broodmare-of-week-eclatante-sponsored.html

(2)  Forte Feroce (Beyer 49) – Won last Sunday’s Maiden Special Weight race in 51.78, finishing the last 2.5 Furlongs in 29.45.  This is the first winner for Grasshopper:

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/85710/first-winner-reported-for-grasshopper

(3)  Private Boss (Beyer 47) – By El Dorado Stallion Private Gold, Private Boss improved his Beyer from 25 to 47 in his race on June 8^th. Running 4.5 Furlongs in 51.44.  

      (4) Preachinattheforum  (Beyer 34) – Won the first 2-year old race of the year and was the first     winner for Preachinattheforum from his Washington crops. 

 

(5)  Moonee Beach  (Beyer 32) – After watching the replay you can see that this horse made a good strong middle move in the race against Forte Feroce. Clearly a talented horse. This horse severely cut off the third place horse and there was no objection or review at all.

      (6) Search is Over (Beyer 28) – This horse ran a very good race despite the Beyer and the result.   He closed the last 2.5 Furlongs in 28.53, which was the fastest last 2.5 Furlongs in the race. If you review the race, he closes very well on the rail after being last for most of the race. I expect this horse to be a winner as the races stretch out.

     (7) Moby (Beyer 42) – Beyer went down from his career high in his race last Sunday. Finished 9 lengths behind Trackattacker when earning that 42.

Fillies

By my count, there have only been 2 races for 2-year old fillies. One MSW and one $25,000 Maiden Claiming race. Except Fine Red Wine, the fillies listed below came out of the same Maiden Special Weight race last weekend. 

(1)  Seeking the Light (Beyer 57) – Very impressive winner for Blaine Wright. Purchased for $29,000 as a yearling, she has a good future ahead of her based on my review of the replay of the race. Seeking the Light ran the 4.5 Furlongs in 50.88 and the last 2.5 Furlongs in 29.31.

(2)  Dancing with Effie (Beyer 44) – Ran the 4.5 Furlongs in 51.52 and the last 2.5 Furlongs in 29.93. She ran the entire race with Seeking the Light but could not put that horse away. Likely maiden breaker soon.

(3)  Nicole Michelle (Beyer 44) - Ran the 4.5 Furlongs in 51.53 and the last 2.5 Furlongs in 29.52. Daughter of Zensational was always in contention but could gain ground on the winner.

(4)  Andiamo Deb (Beyer 43) – She is a huge filly and has a really nice stride but it took her a while to get into that stride. When she did she finished the last 2.5 Furlongs 28.68 which was impressive. Definitely will benefit from a stretch-out.

(5)  Dancing with Debbie (Beyer 35) – Ran the 4.5 Furlongs in 51.93 and traveled the last 2.5 Furlongs in 30 seconds.

(6) Fine Red Wine (Don’t have access to Beyer) – Ran a very good race on June 8 in a Maiden $25,000 race. Ran the 4.5 Furlongs in 51.96.

Always Love Your Animals,

Will

Sunday Picks for Emerald Downs

It's late but I am posting this so I can go see my children tomorrow morning:

Love my Ferrari.

People are sometimes critical of the cards at Emerald. But you can't complain about the racing this weekend. They did an excellent job.

Sunday's Picks. Again, they are in order of preference and I will asterisk a horse that I believe could offer good value.

Race 1 Sunday:

(1) Sunshine in Rio - Normally don't like to bet 3-year-olds versus older horses this time of year but this race in an exception. Rio has some good speed, which he was not able to use last race while pressing 4 wide. Likely the favorite. I have no real clever thoughts on this race

(2) Mister Messenger - Comes back after an 8-day rest after running a decent race at a lower level. Seems to be in good form which matters most with these types of horses.

(3) Tax Enough - An Awesome Again in for $4,000. Ok. Cuts back to 6 Furlongs and should be able to close and pass most of these horses in the stretch.

Race 2 Sunday:

Working every day to get better at these type of claiming races, but I am stronger in the higher class races. Still, I watch these races very closely.

(1) Buds a Flyin - Won by 4.5 lengths two races back at the same level. Put up a good fight in the race at a higher level last time. Drop down should help. C-Flo stays with this horse rather than taking the mount on Mr. Top Kat.

(2) *Always the Same - Really like the fact that this horse is cutting back from a mile to 6 Furlongs. Last time at a sprint distance Rocco "Sizzla" Bowen was able to sit in 5th and close. I really like this horse on the cutback.

(3) Dancing Yodeler - The Emerald Racing Club horse looks to have a decent shot in this race. Second off the layoff and showed some good speed last time. The only question is whether he can sit off the pace, which is likely to be hot, like me.

Race 3 Sunday:

Very interesting and exciting race. Good pedigrees.

(1) The Search is Over - By the underrated sire Sightseeing (who passed away), this horse has put in some very solid works. Like the chances on this one. 59.1H work sticks out.

(2) *Moonee Beach - This is an interesting horse. Was not put in the WTBOA sale, but now ends up not only with the Harwoods, but Elttaes Stable also partially owns this horse. I don't think Elttaes would get involved in a horse like this unless the horse had some serious talent. Barn is very successful with Harbor the Golds and first timers. Finally, the go-to rider for the barn goes with this horse rather than Fusaichi Pegasus horse on the outside.

(3) *Forte Feroce - Interesting to see a Texas-bred here from Grasshopper. Out of a Dove Hunt mare. This barn does not win with first time starters, but the works at 3 and 4 Furlongs are some of the best among this group.

I like Take Revenge's pedigree, but Fu-Peg out of a Broad Brush mare screams a little more than 4.5 Furlongs. Follow this horse as things stretch out.

Race 4 Sunday:

(1) Sanibel Harbor - Seems like it is time for her to break the maiden. The smallish filly has both speed and the ability to come off the pace. Been knocking on the door.

(2) Quiet Wisdom - Finished two lengths behind Sanibel Harbor in the last race. By Pulpit out of a Empire Maker mare, she might enjoy more distance like her stablemate Timeless Pleasure did in winning a 8 Furlong Maiden race. Still enough quality to finish in the top 3.

(3) Thats What It Is - Very good race at first asking. The horse that beat her in the last came back and finished third in the stakes race so that is a sign that this filly has some talent.

Race 5 Sunday:

Another race that is open because they are not writing N2Ls for 3-year olds. 4 of these fillies have only a maiden win, so I am going to focus on the two horses that have beaten winners before.

(1) Tricky Person - Has good speed and cuts back to the distance she won her N2L for back in early May. Finished second in open company last time versus Point Da Harbor.  Has the experience and ability.

(2) Simba's Sis - Won a $40,000 N2L last year and has raced at a much higher level than the rest of the horses in the field. Now back to easier company, she should be right there at the end.

(3) Nancy Wake and Bake - Toss up between her and Mini Candy for the third spot.

Race 6 Sunday:

(1) Ruler of the Tribe - This horse is just better and Metz is doing great with shippers from the South. Tons of speed and fitness. Possible single.

(2) Premo Jewel - Appears to be the second best horse in this race and her form suggests she is moving forward rather than backwards. Good enough for second.

(3) Pete's Glory Girl - Hell, I don't know. Had a wide trip last time but he is fighting Yodeling for 3rd.

Race 7 Sunday:

Ok, I have been too chalky for my liking for my picks for Sunday so far. So I give you:

(1) *Perfect Night - He should be higher odds than most of the horses in this race. Hoping for a nice speed duel. Perfect post position to sit back and make one move on tired horses in the last furlong.

(2) More Strawberries - Hard to pick a horse who just broke his maiden when he is running against horses who have won 13 times but I liked his 2014 debut. Markle has been smart giving this horse a nice rest to avoid any bounce. Should be ready for a good effort.

(3) Edge Forward - This horse has been running against solid open company. Picked this horse over the others because of his versatility.

Race 8 Sunday:

(1) Rocky's Quest - This horse is very good at this distance. 11 Starts with 5 wins, 2 seconds, and 3 thirds. Like this hard trier and I am throwing out the first race of the year where Scat Daddybaby got away from everyone. Gets the best jockey on the grounds.

(2) Fist Full of Green - Showed his affinity for a Mile in his last race. Can sit off of Dogleg Left or Dare Me Devil and make a move similar to last time.

(3) *Dare Me Devil - This horse runs like he would prefer two turns. His last two races, he was wide on the turn. In this race he will get good position sitting second or third and will not be as wide around the turn. Expecting some improvement.

Race 9 Sunday:

(1) Hudson Landing - This horse has been running against better down south and has won at Emerald Downs. Good trainer will have him prepped for this. Good spot for him because you can't beat Summer Hit at Golden Gate right now.

(2) Mr. Bowling - Last chance Mr. Bowling. Last chance.

(3) Jebrica - Always runs his race but he hasn't won very often in 2013 and 2014. Have to respect and like this horse. Old warrior.

Race 10 Sunday:

(1) *Indagreenandbeyond - Taking a stand against everyone's single (Suddenly Adele). This is a soft bunch so I think a first timer could win this race. Trainer is decent with firsters. There appears to be a lot of lifetime maidens here.

(2) Suddenly Adele - Will be the heavy favorite and understandably so. Good speed and gets to sit on the outside of horses if anybody else decides to go, but they won't. This horse is just faster than the rest. Probably gate-to-wire but at 3/5.

(3) *Free Entertainment - Ok, City Zip out of a Dynaformer mare in for $5,000. Um, something is odd. Filly is crying for turf at some point. Hopefully pedigree shows up at some point.

Saturday Picks for Emerald Downs

Kudos to Emerald Downs for putting together two really good cards this weekend. Here are my picks for each of the races on Saturday. Sunday picks will be sent tomorrow morning. I will put them in order  that I think they are likely to win and put an asterisk by horses I think is a decent value play.

Before we begin let's look at how many entries our local stallions have in this weekend's races:

Harbor the Gold - 11 starters
Cahill Road - 8 starters
Raise the Bluff - 4 starters
Trickey Trevor - 4 starters
Nationhood - 4 starters

Race 1 Saturday:

(1) Zoomzoomania - Second off the bench so has a right to improve. Best race of his career was in the slop so look at the track condition before you invest. I expect massive improvement from this horse as he showed he was capable of getting close to better horses last year.

(2) St. Nicholas Becky - The likely favorite. She ran well at this condition last time after dropping from Maiden Special Weight races. Should show some decent speed.

(3) *Grindster - You will get decent odds on him for a 6 horse field. I like the fact that he paired up his best Beyer number from last year, 45, with a 46 in his first race this year. This is usually a sign that a horse is about to improve a significant amount. Given almost a month off,  he avoids the bounce.

Race 2 Saturday:

Three of the horses in this field are eligible for N2L, but that would require they would have to face older horses, so instead they are taking their chance against other 3-year-olds who have already beat winners. I will focus on the multiple winners.

(1) Tribal Mystic - Horse has won three times versus tougher competition and is coming off a win. Should be a strong favorite. Has the ability to win going to front or stalking. Good post position to see what the others on the inside will do. Sit and pounce.

(2) Colton's First - Been racing against much better. Crushed N2L at Turf Paradise last time before running against much stronger at Santa Anita. Metz is solid bringing horses from the south.

(3) Wedgey Time - The half a furlong cut back will help his chances. But he has been beaten by Tribal Mystic already and I can't see him turning the tables.

Race 3 Saturday:

Full disclosure, I am a partial owner of #3 Perhaps a Pie so I will exclude analysis on her.

(1) Andiamo Deb - A few things that favor this horse over the others in a very competitive field. First, the dam Chedoodle has produced the likes of Mike's Man Gold and No Flies on Doodle. Second, her works are better than most. 59.8 Breezing and the 46.8 Handily from the Gate. I will take K-Swag's horse on top.

(2) Seeking the Light - Blaine Wright is very good with first-time starters. This horse has had a trio of good works. Paid 29K for the horse. I expect this horse will get better with distance but may have the capability of winning now.

(3) Luck Out - Best bred horse in the field. By Lookin At Lucky out of a Quiet American mare. According to DRF Lookin At Lucky has won 4 of 7 with first-time starters. Barn knows how to get the most out of their two-year olds.

*Dance with Effie. Last weekend Fine Red Wine won a 25K maiden race for this barn. Fine Red Wine and Dance With Effie appear to have worked out together three times with Dance with Effie winning the May 16th work. I was fooled last weekend and, well you know…..

Race 4 Saturday:

Important to look at the conditions of this race. "For Fillies Three Years Old Which Have Never Won A Race Other Than Maiden, Claiming, or Starter OR Which Have Never Won Two Races OR Claiming Price $25,000."3 of the 5 horses have not beat winners yet, where Find Your Spot and Lexie Arleen fit these conditions perfectly. These are well-placed horses.

(1) Find Your Spot - Three-time winner but still fits the conditions. Her wins were a Maiden Race, a Starter Allowance race, and a Claiming Race (Optional Claiming 80k at Santa Anita). This is a good filly who was a good purchase at the WTBOA Sale for $10,000.  Good work on May 22. Has the pace help she needs.

(2) Lexie Arleen - Another horse with three wins but fits the conditions. Won a Maiden Race, a Starter Allowance race and most recently a Claiming Race. Distance is not an issue for this horse.

(3) Timeless Pleasure - Nice win last time. The cut back means she will likely be closing, but the race sets up for that. Two Curlins in this race. This sire is beginning to show some muscle with Stopshoppingdebbie and Palace Malice, but he was bred to some pretty good mares early on so this should be expected.

Race 5 Saturday:

(1) Rezar - Been facing better in an open $5,000 company. Now drops in class after running sub-1:10 6 Furlong races. Only one win in the last 12 starts is a concern but should not be ignored.

(2) Da Ruler - Ran the race of his life last time after getting stuck in the starting gate (he was declared a non-starter), he comes from 14 lengths back to get up for second. This is a horse who excels when on the lead. I expect he will break much better and be in closer position.

(3) Honour Family - Dronen has been having a good meet and this horse has shown capability of putting up numbers which are competitive with the likes of these horses.

Race 6 Saturday:

(1) Mo's Flashy Date - The choice in this race based on his recent form. Been running 6 Furlongs in under 1:10, which is good enough to beat most of these.

(2) *Buddy Dave - Been running against much tougher and with a little speed in this race he should be able to close from the back. Hopefully, the rail will open up at some point because he has lost plenty of ground going wide lately.

(3) Snooper Dauper - Didn't run a step last time against stronger competition but now comes back against weaker and this horse has shown decent form. One of many I could have picked for 3rd.

Race 7 Saturday:

(1) Cantcatchme - Good record for this Harbor the Gold gelding. Just got beat by Kenai King in his last race and that horse will likely show up in the next 3-year-old stakes race. Losses to Kenai and My Chief are not bad losses to have.

(2) Stikine Slough - Another Harbor the Gold with some speed. Coming out of a the Auburn Handicap where he set a slow pace but still couldn't hold on. Now the blinkers are on so I wonder if we will see even more speed.

(3) Orito - Orito could sit off a fast pace and pounce here. Ran against and beat older horses in his last race so that win is better than it looks. I expect good things from this horse in the future.

Race 8 Saturday:

(1) I Keep Saying - Tough older horse who has much better numbers than others in this field. The bonus with I Keep Saying is that he has shown the ability to come off the pace which he may need to do with My Chief and Country Rules in the race.

(2) Country Rules - Won a nice Optional Claimer last time in 1:02.72. This horse has good potential to keep rolling.

(3) My Chief - Undefeated horse comes in off of two good wins. However, he is jumping up to face older horses for the first time. He is also forced to go a furlong longer. Will be interesting to see how he holds up.

Disruption is a talented horse but I am worried about the one work in the last 36 days.

Race 9 Saturday:

(1) Miner's Night - Been running faster fractions than the others in this race. Dropping down from Maiden $8,000 to State-Bred Maiden $5,000, which will help.

(2) Alaazwho - Most upside of any of these horses so a very likely winner. Richard gets back on. The question is whether the extra furlong helps or hurts?

(3) Drop Volley - Next best horse in the field, I think. Hard to figure this race out. Drop Volley has shown some potential.

Broodmare of the Week - Infernal McGoon Non-Sponsored by Warm 106.9 FM

Broodmare of the Week – Infernal McGoon sponsored by Warm 106.9 FM.

First, happy opening day of World Cup. Someone is really excited:

Ok, why you ask is the Broodmare of the Week non-sponsored by Warm 106.9 FM? Well, it is simple. A few weeks ago, a friend of mine texted me and said “Is that you on the Emerald Downs radio commercial?” I replied that it was not likely. Then people from my soccer teams started asking the same question. Then I got more texts from other people asking about it. Some of wife’s friends asked if it was me. After some investigation, it was discovered that they were all listening to Warm 106.9 FM and heard the following commercial (provided by Sophia McKee of Emerald Downs' fame to me today). I am the third person speaking (just hit Download): 

http://sites.google.com/site/mediafilesbrewer/mp3

My mom always said that I have a face for radio. 

Please no autographs when you see me at the track this weekend. I am really big in France right now but this type of publicity is over the top. 

I don’t listen to 106.9. When I went to the 106.9 website they had pictures of Taylor Swift and Jonathan Mayer to represent the type of artists they play. That is way too hard core for me. I prefer me some Yanni, especially when live at the Acropolis:

Infernal McGoon is the Broodmare of the Week for two reasons: (1) The Saturday feature race was won by Hetty, a daughter of Infernal McGoon and (2) because I say so.

Infernal McGoon, born in 1999, is currently owned by Dale Mahlum, who’s famous for being a former State Senator for the great State of Montana. By Wekiva Springs out of Flame McGoon (Staff Writer), The Senator, through Halvorson Bloodstock, purchased Infernal McGoon in foal to Lawyer Ron for $29,000 at the 2008 Keeneland November sale.

Before we discuss Infernal McGoon more in-depth, let’s take a trip back in time to look at her mom, Flame McGoon. By the prolific Staff Writer out of Wicca (Noble Table), Flame McGoon was a Multiple Stakes Winner as a two-year-old.  She earned over $139,000 in her racing career. 

Flame McGoon Race record:

http://www.equibase.com/profiles/Results.cfm?type=Horse&refno=1087117&registry=T

After her race career was over, Flame McGoon was put in the Czechmate Stable broodmare band. Besides Infernal McGoon, Flame McGoon’s most successful offspring was her first foal, Tank McGoon, who won over $142,000 during his career (or approximately 2,800,000,000.00 Vietnamese Dong if you are traveling there soon. It's called the exchange rate. Look it up.)

Infernal McGoon was foaled in 1999. Infernal McGoon was purchased at the 2000 WTBOA sale for $57,000 by Jody Peetz, who's famous for being famous (sort of like the Kardashians). Here is a picture (provided by Jody) of Infernal McGoon with Jody as a yearling at the sale:

Just looking at those jeans I question whether the sale was in 2000 or 1984?

One more look:

(Note to self: I no longer have a racing partner)

When interviewed for this excellent piece of journalism, Jody explained that she was named Infernal McGoon because the filly bit her “on the arm as a yearling." But "really after that she was great to be around. Had a good mind.”

Infernal McGoon more than justified her purchase price as she was a Multiple Stakes Winner at 4 winning the Emerald Breeders’ Cup Distaff and the Belle Roberts Stakes. In her career, she earned over $153,000. Her last two races were respectful runs at Keeneland and Churchill in Allowance races.

Here is a great picture of Infernal from Duane Hamamura, who is greatly missed and took some of the best pictures you could ask for: 

Here is a link if you want to review Infernal McGoon’s entire career:

http://www.equibase.com/profiles/Results.cfm?type=Horse&refno=4677774&registry=T

Infernal McGoon’s broodmare career got off to a slow start. Bred to Deputy Commander and Sky Classic twice, she had no success. Then she was bred to Lawyer Ron and put in the Keeneland November sale where she was purchased by The Senator. The resulting foal was a beautiful chestnut filly who was put in the 2000 September Yearling Sale. Guess who purchased her? None other than Jody Peetz for $30,000. Named Talk to My Lawyer, she turned out to be another astute purchase as she was named champion two-year-old filly in Washington after winning the Gottstein Futurity. She ended her career with a win in the John and Kitty Fletcher Stakes. She won almost $90,000. Here is the link to her career: 

http://www.equibase.com/profiles/Results.cfm?type=Horse&refno=8615337&registry=T

Talk to My Lawyer is now on to her next career as a broodmare in the Griffin Place broodmare band. She had a foal by Flatter earlier this year and was bred back to Harbor the Gold. Some pictures of Talk to My Lawyer and her Flatter baby taken by the talented Terra Lee (along with the picture above):

Infernal McGoon’s next foal was a Cahill Road filly named Hetty. Purchased for $23,000 by Jack Fabulich at the 2010 WTBOA Sale, Hetty has earned over $33,000 to date and won the feature race last Saturday leading to this blog post. Being a Cahill Road, she may be on to bigger and better things in the future.

Infernal McGoon’s 2011 foal was a Matty G filly named Matty McGoon. Matty McGoon has made only one start on May 31 in a Maiden Special Weight race.

Infernal McGoon did not have a foal in 2012. In 2013, Infernal McGoon had a Smoke Glacken filly, which is scheduled to be sold in the 2014 WTBOA Yearling Sale. Possibly a Grey? 

Infernal McGoon is expecting or has already had a Harbor the Gold this year.   

Always Love Your Animals,

Will