$1,500,000 Grade I King Kong Vase by palatine
on
Thursday, December 10, 2009 at
8:20:25 PM
Breeding bragging rights on the line for Ireland and Kentucky
Saturday's Grade I King Kong Vase seems to be a showdown of two mighty breeding nations. The ten horse field includes five Kentucky breds, four Irish breds and one filly holds Japan's lone hope. This is a quality field, that includes four top twenty turf distance stayers. All must bring their best running shoes to finish their year with a bang and not a whimper. Here's the field from the rail out. #1 Rich Uncle(KY)- pokemyeyeo- H Harbert- 9/1... Has yet to win a race since a minor stake in Nebraska last December when putting up a lifetime best 114 number. Best finishes this year have been against Grade II and III's. This Point Given 4yo has done most of it's running on the front end, yet has a tendency to fade in the stretch. Has finished third twice in two tries at todays distance. #2 Funky Robot(IRE)- sjaydan- P Smith- 25/1... This 5yo by Montjeu ran second in the Grade I Sine Nomine earlier this year and is lightly raced with only six starts in 2009 and may be fresh to run a good one. Has run three straight at two miles without success and now drops back to what may be his best distance as he has a 5-2-2-1 record at twelve and thirteen furlongs. He will have to run a lifetime best to pull off the upset here. #3 Christchurch(KY)- kevoman3- R Rice- 6/1... 4yo son of Dynaformer has earnings of $1.8 million in winning nine of twenty lifetime. Has certainly run a very solid campaign, since March has run with nothing but Grade I and II company, with his last being in the Breeders Bowl Turf where he failed to run finishing up the track. Won the Grade I Man Of War in New York and the Grade II The Nikki Show in Japan. This kevoman3 runner has consistently put up excellent numbers however, in his last two he has tailed off a bit and looks to regroup here. This is one that seems to like a quick pace up front in order to showcase his late turn of foot. Take notice he was beaten twice by lone speed lately and I believe he gets a pace to run at Saturday. A definite player. #4 Campobello(IRE)- bearfan- D Aldridge- 14/1... 4yo by Holy Roman Emperor has shown at times to show the talent to be given a chance in Graded company yet, in his three tries vs top quality he has thrown in some of his worst races. Has only an allowance win on his resume this year with three money finishes in minor stakes. Drops back from fourteen furlongs and might find this distance more to his liking. Needs to run near his best to win this. #5 Proud Souls(KY)- desperado3- T Brewer- 3/1... The highest ranked horse(#3) in the field is the one the field will have to run down as they turn for home. 4yo son of Awesome Again makes it simple, gates open he goes to the lead and says catch me if you can. Yes he has been beaten three in a row yet, his record of 13-7-3-1 with $3.8 million in the bank shows it has taken a fantastic race to beat him. Grade I winner of both the Kakarazuka Kinen Cup and King Geoff and Queen Beth's Emerald Stakes this summer. Second in the Gr.I Ark de Comicdog followed by a third in Gr.I Breeders Bowl Turf. I have nothing but respect for a runner that takes on the best race in race out. The one to beat. #6 Divine Strike(IRE)- waremblem3- C Shinkle- 9/2... 4yo son of Holy Roman Emperor certainly loves this twelve furlong distance. His four best lifetime numbers have all come at this trip, with his last being his best at 113. Although not always getting the job done Divine Strike has a tremendous late kick that makes him a serious threat in any race he enters. A win here puts him into company with the best distance turfers of the sim and sets him up to have a tremendous 2010 campaign. #7 High N Deep(Jpn)- burnin- V Perryman- 5/1... The lone filly of the race hails from a place not named Ireland or Kentucky. 4yo daughter is the first to be foaled by burnin's excellent runner Dynahigh(IRE), a twelve time stakes winner, including one Grade I and three Grade II's and over $1.4 million. She hasn't found her best stride of late in two runner-up finishes in Grade III's against distaff competition. She has faced males twice with her best finish in the Grade III City of Gold, where she finished second in a field that included five $1 million earners. In that race she beat the horse directly to her outside here who came back later in the year to take home the Grade I Coffeefields Cup. Her lone graded win this year was in the Grade II Epicenter, she seems to have tailed off just a bit since then and needs to step it back up to earn the win spot. #8 Gormenghast(IRE)- ceclaim21- P Kelly- 5/1... Grade I Coffeefields Cup winner finished well beaten last out over the Japan oval. Prior to that this one had been on fire winning three in a row, all with an improving speed figure. Has been on the board in eighteen of twenty two starts on the turf. Came into his own during the summer of '08 and has just kept on nicely with very few hiccups. Danehill Dancer 4yo absolutely has a chance with his best effort. #9 Not So Cheap(KY)- elcheapo- Di Thomas- 8/1... 4yo Forestry colt has had a solid campaign winning the Grade II Grand Prix in France at 1 1/2 miles and the Grade III Sage Stakes at two miles. When he has tried Grade I company he ran very well with a second in the Ackland in New Zealand, a third in the King Geoff and Queen Beth's Emerald Stakes at Berkshire and a fifth in the Ark de Comicdog at Paris. A solid threat with his best race. #10 Distorted Colony(KY)- jrogue2- C Baxter- 13/1... 4yo Distorted Humor colt must step it up to his Grade III Marcos Footwear winning level to compete here. Has faced top company in his past two in running sixth in each. Needs his best ever to win here.
program selections 5. Proud Souls(KY) 6. Divine Strike(IRE) 7. High N Deep(Jpn) 8. Gormenghast(IRE) handicappers selections 5. Proud Souls(KY) 3. Christchurch(KY) 6. Divine Strike(IRE) 4. Campobello(IRE)
