btbms Equinics 2008-

14/1 � I like this breeding. Limehouse has produced some decent turfers and Hannah�s Muse began his career with a simple gate to wire job that we all hope to see when sending our juveniles out for their first outing. The form was franked when the runner up that day went on to win a Stakes event and HM followed suit the very next week in taking the City Wrapping Handicap stakes. But just as all seemed to be going to plan, he suffered his first defeat in the English Tarbash Stakes where he was used up too early in a speed dual and faded to fourth in the stretch. I think he will go on to prefer the longer trips next season but with all the speed in today�s race, he may need to change tactics and be patiently ridden to be effective.

21/1 � As with many juvenile events at this time of year, the morning line handicapper seems to have plucked a figure out of the air�and he might just have got this one completely wrong! He cut his teeth in a couple of low to mid level Maidens and then was asked to raise his game in Stakes company. He duly obliged, taking the Pink Groom Challenge from the fast finishing A Proud Kirby who recently franked that form with a Stakes victory of his own. He might not have the most fashionable parentage but I have plenty of well-bred donkeys who are staying home this weekend!

7/1 � Out of a superbly bred mare who just didn�t quite cut the mustard on the track. That certainly can�t be said of this Cacique colt even after only a couple of starts! He duked it out on debut and outstayed a full field, recording a very respectable 77 speed figure before being thrown in at the deep end in the Grade 3 Coventry Stakes. He sat nicely on the shoulder of the leader til about half way and then showed a serious turn of foot to pull away from a field that contained 3 previous Stakes winners. He�ll be difficult to beat today.

29/1 � Longshot of the race but last time out he had both Carpins and Thebarabara River in behind in a Grade 2 race. He looks like he has quite a bit to find with Awesome Twofive on that running and there is nothing in the form that makes me think he can overturn that result�but this is the Equinics! There isn�t a single horse taking part that won�t be �up for it� and in his first two races, Kahyasi Won was certainly �up for it� as he went gate to wire without seeing another horse! He is likely to jump out early again in this and that will at least give trainer trazi4u a few furlongs of shouting at the screen�and who knows? This is the Equinics�

17/1 � Out of a modest mare, Red Sparky has a 100% record. A comparatively late starter, with his debut coming at the end of May, he soon put together back to back victories with a small Maiden followed up by a decent looking Stakes win in the Pro Rear Bonanza. The latter was very impressive as he ran down solid Stakes winner Cloud Force and kicked away. The morning line odds of 17/1 are once again on the generous side as this one looks to keep the clean sheet.

17/1 � Aptly named colt � if you were going to try for an out and out turfer, you could do a lot worse that this combination. He has had a rigorous introduction to racing, running on a 4-5-4 week schedule in the Alpine Turf Club Babies� Series. He comes into this off just 4 weeks again and he may be due a well earned rest following the Equinics! It is always difficult to judge how good a horse is likely to be when the competition remains the same but this one has shown a taste for the winner�s circle with 2 from 4 (and a couple of places in the other two races). He has the running style that is probably needed today � sitting just off the pace and looking to quicken in the straight � but his speed figures may be found wanting.

11/1 � Another well-bred mare who seemed destined for the breeding shed despite her mediocre career. She was paired with one of the better first year turf sires to produce this handsome colt. His debut race was a minimum field restricted allowance race where he failed to get up by just a head. He was then entered into a modest looking Maiden where he dispatched them in some style with a well timed run. The saying goes � �they can only beat what�s put in front of them� � and whilst that may be true, he�ll be facing some serious competition today. There�s another saying that starts with �if they�re good enough��

26/1 � A well thought out breeding that in itself deserves some success on the lawns. He has plenty to find with three others in the field but on the plus side is that he had Dutch Double (who has subsequently gone on to win in Stakes company) in behind 3 back. That may not be much encouragement but I think this one will mature into a decent router in time and even if today is not his day, there will be plenty more winning days ahead.

12/1 � Out of a Stakes winning, graded placed mare and sired by one of my favourite horses (although his sim status seems to belie his efforts on the track), derby winner Authorized (and that�s the English version pronounced darby!). After running a little green on debut and mistiming his run, he only managed second but the form stands up as the winner has gone on the win a Stakes event. He broke his duck in a residency restricted Allowance but he did it in style, flying out of the clouds to make up almost 5 lengths in the straight and then kick away to win by two! And whilst his Stakes debut ended in defeat, I feel that he might have been using the race as a prep (I know because the winner that day was my own No Cause For Alarm who was supposed to be having a workout and came back �Lay Off� to end his own chances of Equinics glory!). Don�t write this one off � he may have something in reserve.

20/1 � Note to self � a mare�s breeding is not necessarily a reflection of her ability. This mare is of decent stock, but not something you could call royal blood. But one thing she did know how to do was win races � 13 of them in total! She was never a world beater but with earnings close to a quarter of a million, she was no slouch either. Her freshman Sire has hardly been prolific and Dutch Double looks to be the best so far. He made an inauspicious start to his career when he seemed to get everything wrong and plodded home one-paced. He then discovered his true form when taking a liking to a bit of cut in the ground as he ran down a small but decent looking bunch in his second MSW. The step up to Stakes company in the Mat Joker challenge looks good but there were only 3 others in the race and although the speed figure (79) looks OK and his late closing has been developed further, he is likely to be found out at the business end of this one. I REALLY hope I�m wrong � because this is the one that runs for my own residency!

9/1 � Half-brother to Graded winner, and top 10 sophomore router Spartiate, this one has class stamped all over the pedigree�but it also says �best over longer trips�. But all that is to come � for today, we look at current form and THAT says one run � one win, coming from mid-pack to run them down in the stretch for a comfortable 1 and a half length maiden victory. I have been around the sim for a couple or three years now and although my loyalties are with the EAAA residency, I hear on the grapevine that these GR Simsters are pretty good � and I�m certainly not going to be foolish enough to write off their chances! He could be anything at this stage of his career but I fully expect to see him contesting the Guineas next year!

22/1 � Holds the dubious honour of being the last horse in this field to lose his maiden tag. Of course, theoretically that means this one is on the up and up and indeed his speed figures have shown improvement with each race. What�s more impressive is that 2 back, he finished 4th in a residency restricted Stakes race � just a quarter of a length behind subsequent graded winner Bang Bang. If he reproduces that sort of form, he has to be considered. LTO he finally gave away his maidenhood and stood tall in the winner�s circle announcing his rite of passage.

9/1 � Had this race taken place in June, the punters would have been all over this like the proverbial rash! Up until then, 24 different opponents had seen only his rear end as he took his first 3 races by the scruff of the neck and saw them off without ever being headed. The last of these 3 races was the Grade 2 Little Ones Juvenile where he quickly dispensed with 3 of today�s field. And as is so often the case, along comes a big event (and the Smackdown IS a big event � ask any of the participating residences!) and suddenly it all falls apart�or does it? Was the jockey told to ease up if anything went past him? No � we�re talking Smackdown!! I fancy he will reverse the form with Marcus Anratticus but whether he is strong enough to fend off all-comers for the lead, remains to be seen.

12/1 � It took 3 attempts and a patch of damp grass for this one to find the winning touch. He likes to drop towards the back of the pack and come flying down the stretch but he hasn�t quite got his timing right up to now (with the exception of his maiden win). Last time out, he was representing the Minnesota residency in the Smackdown over 7 furlongs and he showed signs that he could make a decent miler in the future. In fact, I think the drop back to 6 furlongs today may be more of a hindrance to his progress. I think he will be charging at the business end of the race but he might find the winning post arrives a few strides too soon.

12/1 � Some classic turf lines throughout the pedigree, this one looks to have a nice future ahead of him. He has raced exclusively on the New York track and after breaking his duck at the second attempt, he disposed of a 5 horse field in the Caliber Ridge Memorial Stakes in less than convincing fashion. Still, a win is a win and the records will show him as a Stakes winner at the very least. He is likely to sit just off the pace, along with half the pack, and take his chances in the closing stages. He looks well prepped for the race and if he improves at the natural rate of things, he could be a danger to the fancied runners.

7/1 � Take a superbly bred Grade 1 winner and introduce her to the masterful Kingmambo and the resultant offspring is likely to be a bit special. Mommy won half a dozen Graded Stakes and a baker�s dozen regular Stakes amassing a very healthy $1.6 million in the process but only one of those wins was a sprint. Mambo Hunter eventually found the winning formula at the third attempt and although the winning distance of 3 lengths is quite impressive for a 6 furlong race, the field wasn�t the strongest. He will be part of the wall of horses attacking the winning post but might just be outpaced by some of the natural sprinters. If you can get an ante-post bet on for next year�s European classics, take it!

24/1 � I spent a good 20 minutes trying to pronounce the name of this one and decided that Barbara will suffice! His dam was a Graded placed, dual Stakes winner but she showed a marked preference for longer routes. With the addition of Barathea to the pedigree, I would suspect that the son will take after the mother and will come into his own next year when the long turf events begin. In the meantime, he won quite nicely on his debut and repeated his stalking style in the Tolerant Car Memorial Stakes to make it 2 from 2. His latest race was a step up to the Graded ranks in the Little Ones Juvenile but this proved to be a step too far as he didn�t get close to the shoulder of the leader and even though he stayed on well, he was one-paced throughout. Has a bit to find with the winner that day, Awesome Twofive.

10/1 � I have to admit to a twinge of jealousy when I saw this one. The number of horses who break their maiden in Graded company can be counted without removing your shoes and socks! Once again, we have a nicely bred Grade 1 winning mare crossed with a top quality turf Sire to produce a very decent horse. Surprisingly, the dam preferred the main track but The Beast Enters has had a great start to his own career on the green stuff. I dare say that trainer qwikvett1 will give him a run out on the dirt one day but whilst he is producing this kind of form on the lawn, it may be a way off. His debut saw him run subsequent Smackdown winner, Big Whiskey to within a couple of lengths and that puts him right up there with a few of today�s runners. His follow-up race was the G3 Norfellow Stakes where he put away a decent looking field after sitting on the shoulder of the pace maker. I like this one a lot!

So, there we have it. Eighteen dreams with three medals and only one Gold. I�m going to put my handicapping skills on the line by forecasting the finishing order: