By post time of the race, the clouds and occasional sprinkles had given way to spotty sunshine. The main track was official listed as good as the race was ruled off the turf earlier that morning which resulted in several key scratches, my choice and Morning Line favorite Si Si Mon Amie among them. With her gone and the race moved off the turf, there was no stopping Mizzcan'tbewrong from seizing both favoritism and the race.
When the gates sprung, Paul Nolan surged to the front on Mizzcan'tbewrong but was quickly overtaken from the outside by Fabulous Babe. I remember Fabulous Babe from last summer at Canterbury when she shipped in from Arlington and completely devastated local hero A.J. Bakes by 16 lengths with a crushing move in the turn and down the lane. An early stalker who displayed nice early turn of foot in her seasonal debut here losing to the scratched Couple Whiles, seized the lead early and opened up two and a half lengths as they traveled down the backside. Mizzcan'tbewrong was content to stalk the pace until she stole Babe's move at the top of the turn and overtook her. Nolan had her cruising through the lane and she pulled away to win by almost five while Fabulous Babe managed to hold on for second. Defending Lady Canterbury champion Quiet Queen was third.
This was Mizzcan'tbewrong's second consecutive stakes win after capturing the Reluctant Guest at Arlington last month. Mizzcan'tbewrong (Mizzen Mast-Something Wicked-Chimes Band), trained by Richie Sherer and owned by Last Call Racing Partnership, was claimed for $32,500 at Arlington in September of last year and so far in 2009 has earned over $130,000 including the HBPA Mile Victory. That's the type of claim we all dream of making.
The crowd at Canterbury was happy with Nolan's victory on another level as well. A perennial crowd favorite, he was also Canterbury's "Saturday Classic Jockey of the Day". If the chosen jockey of the day wins two races on the card, Canterbury Park rolls back Pepsi and Miller beer prices to 1985 Canterbury Downs levels. That's $1 Pepsi and $1.50 Miller beer for your reference. Nolan came through on the even money favorite in the feature and aboard Tytus in the previous race sending the crowd to the concessions to help him celebrate the victory.
Showing posts with label Minnesota HBPA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Minnesota HBPA. Show all posts
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Minnesota HBPA Mile Stakes Preview - UPDATE
Tomorrow a dozen fillies and mare will go a mile over the Canterbury turf course contesting the $50,000 MNHBPA Mile Stakes. The weather could be a bit problematical overnight as showers and thunderstorms are expected to pass through the area overnight. While post time promises to be dry for the fans, there is no guarantee that the turf course will be dried out sufficiently to be labeled 'firm'. With that in mind, let's take a look at the field.
1. Quiet Queen (Hebert) - Shipping in from Arlington, this seasoned vet has been out of the money in each of her three starts of 2009, all of them Stakes. The mile is obviously her best distance and looking back to 2008 she blew in here and just nipped the field in the $100,000 Lady Canterbury Stakes.
2. Slide On Bye (Molina) - A winner last out at Prairie Meadows in claiming company, her only try on turf at Remington late last year was dismal. Her two tries in Stakes company did not turn out well either. This may be too much for her.
3. Nijinsky Ballet (Ferrer) - A turf lifer, she still fits the NW2 other than condition. Her prep in an allowance at Indiana Live was fair and it looked like she need it. She should improve second out, but probably not enough to catch the likes of these.
4. Couple Whiles (Butler) - Fizzy Pop's stablemate, she's had a nice start to her 2009 campaign with two wins and a second in five starts. She likes the distance and loves the turf, but there are some stakes winners in here that she may be a cut below.
5. Lindsey's Wish (Kanel) - She broke her maiden first out and came right back with a win in the Goldfinch Stakes at Prairie Meadows last year at three. She's had three turf starts where she's picked up one allowance win at Hawthorne.
6. Mizzcan'tbewrong (Nolan) - Claimed for $32,500 in September she's been fantastic ever since. She's won three times on dirt and turf (yielding...something to keep in mind, perhaps) won a stake and finished second in the Bayou Handicap at the Fairgrounds. Third back off the layoff and coming off a 94 Beyer winning a stakes at Arlington.
7. Winters Bell (Williams) - First try on the turf for this Prairie Meadows shipper. She may have found herself too tough a spot with these.
8. Cape Cod Bay (Bell) - This gal took a long time to break her maiden, but has reeled off two in a row at Churchill and Arlington. The Arlington win was a NW1 Other Than, but it was over the turf and at this distance. Perennial top jock Bell gets the call.
9. Royal Highland (Eikleberry) - Decent Beyers from claiming races in KY and IL. Third back off the layoff.
10. Si Si Mon Amie (McKee) - First back off the layoff she was a half length from winning the Decoration Day Handicap at Mountaineer. She ships in here going the same distance and shows a great bullet work at Arlington before coming northwest.
11. Positivelycharming (Goodwin) - Won first back after short layoff in a $62K Optional Claimer at Arlington. If she steps up after that, she could be a factor.
12. Fabulous Babe (Stevens) - A close second in her seasonal debut behind Couple Whiles, and then came up empty in the slop in the Hoist Her Flag Stakes.
Mizzcan'tbewrong looks to be the speed in this race but both Postivelycharming and Fabulous Babe looks like they'll want to prompt the pace as well. Several are capable of rating off the pace though the most prominent of the stalkers - Lindsey's Wish and Cape Cod Bay - may be out of their element here. I think Si Si Mon Amie will be coming late and if she can step up just a bit off that return trip, she'll be under the wire first. If the race has to come off the turf, I'll be watching and not wagering!
My picks:
1. Si Si Mon Amie
2. Mizzcan'tbewrong
3. Nijinsky Ballet
UPDATE - MN HBPA Mile: Off the Turf
Thanks to a consistent overnight rain with no real hope of sun until first post, racing has been taken off the turf. This has resulted in scratching Couple Whiles, Si Si Mon Amie and Positivelycharming. I think that the light now shines very brightly on Mizzcan'tbewrong whose last race was a monster 94 Beyer in the Reluctant Guest Stakes that was taken off the turf at Arlington. Sure, it was over synthetic, but she also won over the dirt at the Fairgrounds in a $62,000 Optional Claiming race that was also taken off the turf. I think she's the winner here, but her odds will be prohibitively low to wager. I will enjoy watching it, but not wagering on it.
1. Quiet Queen (Hebert) - Shipping in from Arlington, this seasoned vet has been out of the money in each of her three starts of 2009, all of them Stakes. The mile is obviously her best distance and looking back to 2008 she blew in here and just nipped the field in the $100,000 Lady Canterbury Stakes.
2. Slide On Bye (Molina) - A winner last out at Prairie Meadows in claiming company, her only try on turf at Remington late last year was dismal. Her two tries in Stakes company did not turn out well either. This may be too much for her.
3. Nijinsky Ballet (Ferrer) - A turf lifer, she still fits the NW2 other than condition. Her prep in an allowance at Indiana Live was fair and it looked like she need it. She should improve second out, but probably not enough to catch the likes of these.
4. Couple Whiles (Butler) - Fizzy Pop's stablemate, she's had a nice start to her 2009 campaign with two wins and a second in five starts. She likes the distance and loves the turf, but there are some stakes winners in here that she may be a cut below.
5. Lindsey's Wish (Kanel) - She broke her maiden first out and came right back with a win in the Goldfinch Stakes at Prairie Meadows last year at three. She's had three turf starts where she's picked up one allowance win at Hawthorne.
6. Mizzcan'tbewrong (Nolan) - Claimed for $32,500 in September she's been fantastic ever since. She's won three times on dirt and turf (yielding...something to keep in mind, perhaps) won a stake and finished second in the Bayou Handicap at the Fairgrounds. Third back off the layoff and coming off a 94 Beyer winning a stakes at Arlington.
7. Winters Bell (Williams) - First try on the turf for this Prairie Meadows shipper. She may have found herself too tough a spot with these.
8. Cape Cod Bay (Bell) - This gal took a long time to break her maiden, but has reeled off two in a row at Churchill and Arlington. The Arlington win was a NW1 Other Than, but it was over the turf and at this distance. Perennial top jock Bell gets the call.
9. Royal Highland (Eikleberry) - Decent Beyers from claiming races in KY and IL. Third back off the layoff.
10. Si Si Mon Amie (McKee) - First back off the layoff she was a half length from winning the Decoration Day Handicap at Mountaineer. She ships in here going the same distance and shows a great bullet work at Arlington before coming northwest.
11. Positivelycharming (Goodwin) - Won first back after short layoff in a $62K Optional Claimer at Arlington. If she steps up after that, she could be a factor.
12. Fabulous Babe (Stevens) - A close second in her seasonal debut behind Couple Whiles, and then came up empty in the slop in the Hoist Her Flag Stakes.
Mizzcan'tbewrong looks to be the speed in this race but both Postivelycharming and Fabulous Babe looks like they'll want to prompt the pace as well. Several are capable of rating off the pace though the most prominent of the stalkers - Lindsey's Wish and Cape Cod Bay - may be out of their element here. I think Si Si Mon Amie will be coming late and if she can step up just a bit off that return trip, she'll be under the wire first. If the race has to come off the turf, I'll be watching and not wagering!
My picks:
1. Si Si Mon Amie
2. Mizzcan'tbewrong
3. Nijinsky Ballet
UPDATE - MN HBPA Mile: Off the Turf
Thanks to a consistent overnight rain with no real hope of sun until first post, racing has been taken off the turf. This has resulted in scratching Couple Whiles, Si Si Mon Amie and Positivelycharming. I think that the light now shines very brightly on Mizzcan'tbewrong whose last race was a monster 94 Beyer in the Reluctant Guest Stakes that was taken off the turf at Arlington. Sure, it was over synthetic, but she also won over the dirt at the Fairgrounds in a $62,000 Optional Claiming race that was also taken off the turf. I think she's the winner here, but her odds will be prohibitively low to wager. I will enjoy watching it, but not wagering on it.
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