California-  Turn up the music, pour another drink and let's get this party started!  A dozen distaffers take to the dance floor for the Grade 1 $300,000 Original Margarita Invitational.   They'll have to find enough groovy dips, spins, twirls, and cha-cha steps to last nine furlongs over the main thoroughfare.   Who shall score highest for the Margarita's "Dancing With The Starlets" prize?  Raise the curtain and strike the lights -- gather 'round your computer monitors, Sim gamers, and get ready to vote for your favorites at the betting window too!  Here we go.......

 

Stretch and Grandstand Delight (5/1) pair up for our first dance team.   Grandstand Delight is sure to please the crowd as always -- she's climbed the Horse Ranking charts to #19 recently.  Last year, the Rock Hard Ten damsel was a Grade 2 and Grade 3 winner in lil' filly jitterbug competition.  She's all grown up now though and hit the board recently in big dances.  Good thing she didn't fall down in the Mike Fallen & Can't Get Up(G2) last month.   Boy, that would've been a disaster, but Stretch kept his prize filly on her feet.   The duo from DelPenn National swished and swashed to a 3rd place prize.   Don't count this couple out if they fall behind early -- they like to finish in a late flurry.    

 

Richard a.k.a. Vett from the Northwest Racing Circuit absolutely wants to win the Margarita, because boy oh boy, he sends out not one or two, but THREE horses in this contest.  Sheesh!   He'll been sleeping on his feet by the time longshot Porn Starr takes to the floor.  =)   First up, Richard saves the opening act for his #5-ranked filly, Mind Eraser (5/1).  The Dubai Destination gal has already bankrolled over $1.2 million in prize money.   She was gallant winning ribbons in the Equinics last season as well as the rich DPCD Distaff.  She additionally put forth a flawless coup-de-grace in the Jump Town(G2) for hopscotchers.  Mind Eraser hasn't missed a beat this year either, hitting the board versus males notably two starts ago.  This princess awaits a superb perofrmance for a Grade 1 trophy.  Hopefully she'll rally a bit forward of midpack.

 

Kornsnake (5/1) took a similar route for Vett.  The royally bred Sadler's Wells daughter also performed admirably versus males earlier this season, finishing 4th in Diplomat Way(G1).   It's exciting to see a lady out shutterbug the boys and the effort might've taken a bit out of Kornsnake too, seeing her fade a tad when returned to distaffer company in the Vermont 4 Lovers(G1) last month.  Perhaps she missed her new boyfriends, who knows?  The frontrunner specializes in fast, fast, wickedly fast speed dancing.  She's like a blur with all her twirls and tap dances.  Vett better check her speed early and save some energy for a grand finale down the lane! 

 

It's pretty obvious what kind of dancing Porn Starr (25/1) specializes in.  Uh oh, but the BTB is a family site!  Ha!  Good thing that Porn Starr has little chance of winning here -- I don't have to embarass myself then describing her moves.  Regardless, the Empire Maker daughter is way past her prime.   Once upon a time, she was a graded bombshell at ages 2 and 3.   However, she's far from a blonde-baby knockout nowadays.  Perhaps Vett wants to ensure a razzle dazzle pace with this ALW bunny.  

   

Nothing but modern dance for Smelly Green Stuff (6/1) and Inzamam.   You know, where the flip-flop around a green cardboard box, holding blue recycling bags, all the while calling it "Save Our Green Earth Dance" or something silly that makes ya go, "huh?"  Yeah, that's the ticket!  Lucky for us that Smelly Green Stuff is an entertaining performer.  The Green Desert 4yo won the Be Forewarned(G3) two starts ago in smashing style and appeared on the ball again in the Ouchy Nips(G3) albeit losing by a whisker LTO.  Inzamam has to watch not to set this filly loose to early -- Smelly Green Stuff has to prove she can last 9f.  Time to step up and join the distaffer party!     

 

A perfect pirouette is the goal for Graupoint (6/1) and trainer Xanderman.   Graupoint always strikes a tall handsome figure similar to her papa, Point Given.   The 4yo filly beat older mares late last year in the County BB(G2) but kind of missed some pace to run at in subsequent listed company.   She's back in primetime though, ready to show her new skills.   This closer's a lot better than her recent form indicates.  You gotta love a contestant who's hungry to get back into the limelight.   Belle-of-the-ball material at 6/1!

 

Donrawl01 and Crank Caller (6/1) get ready to phone in their legitimate votes.   These two have been on a hot streak of late, thrillling audiences everywhere by winning 6 of their last 7 events.  You should've seen their rendition of the Macarena in the Mike's Fallen(G2)!  Or how 'bout a modern take on the Mashed Potato when they led the field by a mile in Ohio listed company?  Rumor has it that they will theme their entire number Saturday on The Twist with a bit of Phoney Baloney and Electric Slide thrown in.  One things for certain, Crank Caller and her trainer will be out front right at the bell -- hopefully they'll enjoy a furlong less in this round. 

 

You wouldn't expect anything but ancient war dances from Maintain (8/1).   After alll, she is a daughter of War Chant and so she's got Monster Miler attitude in her blood.   Indeed, Pedro1975 and Maintain specialized in miler numbers for the most part recently.   They won in listed company over 8.5f, performing a yum-drum, wattcha-tacka-wacka chief dance that brought the house down.  The pair was absolutely menacing in a track-restricted ALW LTO too, intimidating the competition with a 112 SP# punchout.   Great undercard form then over 9f in her last, but can she elevate her routine to the main event?  Chumbawumba, wallop gallop, RUN!

 

It wouldn't be a dance comp without a premier breakdancer:  Street Buda (12/1).   The 'Buda and trainer Lacostra have always been crowd-pleasing moonwalkers, finishing pretty darn close at the listed level in assorted events.   By Street Cry, Street Buda finally hit the pavement like a spinning tornado in her last start, bringing home top money over 9.5f.  She's a solid gold 4yo who perhaps needs to find one distance and stick with it.  I dig her for maybe some minor money at best.   In all likelihood though, Lacostra will probably be singing, "Street Buda, yeah, that's my one / She's just a filly and I thought she would've won / But the 'Buda just cannot run / Oh nooooo.... heaaAAy!"  Just joking, Lacostra.  :)

 

We'll see the very best honkytonk square dancing from Pm2 and Saddling Wells (15/1).  The duo boot, scoot, and boogied at the listed level late last year, earning some nice pocket change with a couple of board placings.  Saddling Wells is a 6yo granddaughter of the great Sadler's Wells and she's yippee-eye'oed in her day, attending her 34th lifetime hoedown this week.   She's used to the quick line dances around one turn though and tries to be effective over the mighty nine.   Total underdog, but she'll be ready to grab a partner and dosey-doe.

 

Trotnirish will both compete with Tony Kubek (18/1), a 4yo daughter of Mr Greeley.  Pete (Trot) and Paul (Irish) of course are masters of the Irish Riverdance.  Lots of fancy toe-tapping and feet-pounding-in-place all to the tune of "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling."  St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner and I hear they and Tony Kubek (herself a multiple ALW winner and heroine of a CR Racers Stakes) will dance a special jig in hopes of capturing all the luck for themselves tomorrow.  Tony Kubrek though needs to grow up in a hurry -- she's not very experienced at the line dances with only 10 starts in her shamrock cap.  Regardless though, top o' the Saturday morning to ye's!

 

Romp, stomp, clapitty clap!  Fear Me Coming (21/1) and Pincay know all about that Stomp craze on Broadway.   It's the shoe-pounding, ear-cracking, fall-through-the-floor battle-royale that gets Fear Me Coming ready to test her foes to the wire.   The 4yo filly by War Chant wears some shiny shoes and knows how to use those hooves.  That is, over the grass.   Fear Me coming switches over from turf dancing where she finished 2nd last year in the splendid QE2 Challenge(G1) over Saturday's distance.   She's 1-for-4 lifetime over the sand.   Can she stomp, chomp, plomp her way to dirt surface fame?   Odds are against her in this reaching spot.  Tap, tap, STOMP!

 

 

Snowchief's Picks:

 

I really like Grandstand Delight or Mind Eraser to capture all the votes.  The former figures to receive plenty of pace up front to do her late flurry.  Ditto for Mind Eraser, but she can sit a bit forward in midpack if she wants to.  

 

Smelly Green Stuff is another probable, but must prove she can run superior over 9f.    I like Graupoint to snare a bigger share of the purse, but don't know if she can snare all the marbles just yet.  Kornsnake's tough, but tired after a vigorous schedule?  Possible Mind Eraser might be tired too -- racing versus males takes a lot out of the fillies -- they gotta run faster.    Crank Caller shortens up and we'll see if she's indeed G1 material -- has a lot ot prove.

 

Win:    Grandstand Delight

Place:  Graupoint  

Show:  Kornsnake 

 

Good luck everyone!