Sit back relax by iant
on
Thursday, January 07, 2010 at
1:25:30 PM
Wicker Sofa Stakes
Race ID:4190.5014
Wicker Sofa Stakes Grade III Six furlongs Fast Dirt $750,000 All horses, 4 years old and up
We are in Japan this week for a dirt sprint. I have looked at graded races in Japan and cannot find a race that relates to it. There is a dirt sprint at the end of the month this maybe the same race but I cannot be sure. Interestingly only four people took up a licence to have horses raced in Japan. One a Malaysian business mans the others Sheikh Mohamed, Princess Haya and the Sheikh’s eldest son.
This year Japan is opening it’s top races up to foreign horses it will be interesting to see how many horses run. The prize money is very good. In the sim I believe that to run in the races you should have at least 8 Japan bred horses in your stable of ten. The same rules that would apply for those who have a licence to race in Japan.
FRUITFULL BOUGH (KY) TIZNOW x VICTORY GALLOP x LANGFUHR
It is suprising this horse is a sprinter given his sires and dam sires record at stud. Tiznow is starting to build up a decent record at stud with older horses. They also do well on artificial surfaces, which could bode well for him in the future. The are plans for the Breeders Cup to have a fixed base on an artificial surface. This likely means Keeneland when the building work is completed. This horse has run poorly in his last few starts. He was doing well at stakes level before that. You have to wonder after 37 races and turning six that wear and tear is catching up with him. A big improvement is required to be involved in this race.
YOU KNOW WHY (IRE) WESTERNER x STORMIN FEVER x WESTERN WINTER
This horses sire was an out and out stayer who was best at 2 1/2miles. He was a tough horse and is a national hunt stallion at Coolmore his chances of siring a dirt sprinter are about the same as finding the worlds highest mountain in Holland. The evidence of this horses record is that he is far better over further and is on the upgrade. The limited evidence suggest he wants at least f to show his best. He is overlooked as a selection in this race.
SIRIUS ATTITUDE FORTY NINER x SECRETARIAT x NIJINSKY II
This is another horse who’s breeding suggest he is no dirt sprinter. His sire is one of those sires who was and as a dam sire still is massively overrated in the sim. He has only had nine graded winners since 2000. That bears no reflection on his sim ability he is a very second rate sire. His damsire record has nineteen about two a year. He obviously needs a major downgrade in the sim. This fellow has been running very well of late. He won a grade 3 stakes race last time. He needs to repeat that to have any chance in this race. He has place prospects.
POURING RAIN (KY) E DUBAI x OGYGIAN x DR. FAGER
This horse has won his last two races. This is a massive step up in class. The good news is he is lightly raced which should help as he may have improvement in him. He will need it to be a factor in this race. His sire is nothing special in real life but gets the odd decent horse. E Dubai’s dam sire Lord At War does deserve a lot higher profile in the sim though.
SMART OFF (KY) SMARTY JONES x DANZIG x DEPUTY MINISTER (CAN)
This horses sire has been a flop of massive proportions at stud. He now should be not much better than a skid sire going forward and has no future as a stallion in Kentucky he may do ok in a poor state in the USA. This horse has a very good record and was graded placed in his last start on an off track. His speed figures of late give him a very good chance in this race unless he bounces of his last two very high speed figures which could well happen. If it does not he has good prospects of being in the money.
DOM PYRO (KY) SMOKE GLACKEN x A.P. INDY x EL PRADO (IRE)
This horses sire had three graded winners in 2009. He has had twelve graded winners all told for a sire at stud as long as he has been that is nothing special. He has had no horses that have made the international rankings and has to be considered a third division sire. The horse has a good record and has won a very good percentage of his races. His speed figures have been good of late as well. He looks to be the type of horse to do well as a four year old. This time of year sees horses coming through the ranks and this fellow could well be one of those. He has decent prospects of making the frame.
TALKIN' BASEBALL (KY) GRAND SLAM x CLEVER TRICK x PRIVATE ACCOUNT
Grand Slam is a sire who does better in the sim than real life. He has covered lots of mares and only fourteen graded winners is very poor. He had a sole grade 2 winner in 2009 and a downgrade is very much required in the sim. This horse has run very well in his last two races now back at sprint distances. He is a sprinter that was aimed at the classics last year. That may well be against him in the long run. He though does set the standard and there is no obvious reason he should be in the mix in this race.
K'S SAMITIER (KY) GIANT'S CAUSEWAY (IRE) x MACHIAVELLIAN x DANZIG
This horse is an off track monster. Giant’s Causeway has done well at stud but his best crop as many Coolmore sires was his first. He is probably in the wrong place as his best runner shave been on turf. This horse ahs the speed figures to be a threat here. If he can produce his off track speed figures here he would be a major threat in this race. If his last run was he off run that would eb a an added bonus.
GOLDEN CONCERN (OK) CONCERN x SEEKING THE GOLD x AL NASR (FR)
I know nothing about the sire. He has had no world wide grade 1 winners. In fact I can see no graded winners ever. He obviously is a skid and should be rated as such. The dam sire had an excellent year in 2009 in the USA as a broodmare sire. This horse runs well in allowance races and the trip alos looks on the short side as well. It would be a major surprise to see him in the shake up in this race.
ZIHUATANEJO (KY) GONE WEST x COX'S RIDGE x RAJA BABA
Gone West was one of many high profile sires who dies or were retied last year. Many were over rated in the sim like he was and in a way it is a good thing as it may Mike’s task of lowering stakes winning percentages easier. This horse can run very good speed figures and won a graded race in his last start after a terrible and strange run the time before that. It depends on which horse turns up but if he is on his game he has a good chance of making the frame here.
HELLBILLY (KY) STORM BOOT x SAUCE BOAT x NIJINSKY'S SECRET
Storm Boot’s record has not been great in real life. His sim record was far better and he obviously was overrated as many US based sires have been in the sim. This horse has only won five races and has not won since 2008. His speed figures and race record make it hard to see him being a factor in a race like this and he is apssed over for selection in this field.
As for my selections;-
1 K’s Samitier seems to be on the upgrade and has good speed figures 2 Talkin’ Baseball high class horse with the race record to back it up 3 Dom Pyro looks like a nice improving horse for 2010
