By Laurie Ross
Tracksideview.com

Ratings are assigned according to how a horse compares to the rest of the field in a given race. They are based upon pedigree strength, precociousness, surface preferences, speed and stamina influences, and the horse’s works or previous races.

RATINGS:
*           Not optimal for this horse
**         Below average talent
***       Average talent
****     Superior talent
*****   Graded stakes winning talent
***       For sprint and distance both – falls into miler category

Saturday, September 13, 2008– Belmont
Futurity Stakes. (G2)
7 Furlongs | Open | 2 Year Olds Stakes | Purse: $250,000
HIGH MESA (Sky Mesa – Significant Tri, by Irish Sur) Sire won Breeders’ Futurity (G2), Hopeful S. (G1) currently stands eighth on second-crop sire list.  He imparts speed to his offspring. Dam sire was a Grade 2 winner at age two. His only black type was Significant Tri.  Dam earned almost $200,000 in her career. He threw 3 bullets in his last works.
Precocity: ****     Dirt:  *** 
Sprint:  ***            Route:  ***  

KENSEI (Mr. Greeley – Private Feeling, by Belong to Me) Speedy sire is an anomaly.  Despite being a sprinter/miler on dirt, he has sired two European and one Australian champion and gets winners on any surface and distance. Dam sire also is versatile, getting dirt sprinters to turf routers.  Dam is a half to Grade 3 winner, Grand Charmer, grand dam of multiple graded stakes winner Wait a While. Third dam is Grade 1 earner, Sharp Belle. Despite the versatility of his sire and broodmare sire, Kensei has more speed than stamina in his pedigree (second dam is by swift Clever Trick). He should be able to carry his speed past a mile, but classic distances are suspect.
Precocity: ****   Dirt:  *** 
Sprint:  ***          Route:  ***  

FLYING PEGASUS (Fusaichi Pegasus – Lilly Capote, by Capote) World-class sire is versatile, getting winners at all distances and on all surfaces. Swift dam sire won the Grade 1 Norfolk and Breeders Cup Juvenile.  He sired talented sprinters, Boston Harbor, Capote Belle, Agincourt, Aeneas, Buffythecenterfold, Matty G, etc.  Flying Pegasus’ full brother, Mythical Pegasus, was third in this race last year. He also is a half brother to stakes placed America’s Storm and to the dam of stakes placed Lilly Carson. Stakes winning dam earned more than $265,000 in 13 starts. Second dam also was a stakes winner.  Flying Pegasus has plenty of speed in his pedigree and should carry it past a mile.
Precocity: ****   Dirt:  **** 
Sprint:  ***          Route:  ***  
FRIESAN FIRE (A.P. Indy – Bollinger, by Dehere) Sire is an international stamina influence. Talented dam sire was a Grade 1 winner at two. He spent most of his career in Australia and Japan. He’s best known for siring champion mare, Take Charge Lady, and sires Grame Hall and Soto.  His offspring can be win early types and improve as they mature. Dam is a Grade 1 earner of more than $600,000 in Australia. Second dam, Bint Marscay, earned more than $1,000,000 in Australia. Friesan Fire will do better as distances get longer.
Precocity: ****    Dirt:  *** 
Sprint:  ***           Route:  ***  

GONE ASTRAY (Dixie Union-Illicit, by Mr. Prospector) Gone Astray gets speed from Dixie Union and a ton of class from his Phipps family breeding.  Dam is an unraced daughter of champion, Inside Information and three-quarter sister to Grade 1 winner, Smuggler.  This colt gets mud influences from grandsires Dixieland Band and Mr. Prospector.  Gone Astray has blazing speed and now that he’s had a start, should be very formidable. He was third in his debut going 5½ furlongs in the slop at Saratoga on July 23.
Precocity: ****     Dirt:  **** 
Sprint:  ***            Route:  ***  

GIROLAMO (A.P. Indy – Get Lucky, by Mr. Prospector) Sire is an international stamina influence. Girolamo has the RF factor (Rasmussen Factor inbred to superior female within five generations) to Glamour through her son Poker, (sire of My Charmer, grand dam, male tail line of A.P. Indy) and Intriguing, Girolamo’s fourth dam.  Also, third dam is Blue Hen, Numbered Account. Girolamo  has serious speed and class. On paper, he is a major stakes winner.
Precocity: ***        Dirt:  **** 
Sprint:  ****          Route:  ****  

CHARITABLE MAN  (Lemon Drop Kid – Charitabledonation, by Saint Ballado). While he was talented enough to win the Grade 1 Futurity Stakes and place in the Champagne Stakes, Belmont winner Lemon Drop Kid’s offspring usually need some time to mature and generally prefer races longer than a mile. They also are strong over the turf. Grade 2 winning dam sire was a very good producer, siring such offspring as St. Liam, Captain Bodgit, Ashado and her full brother, Sunriver. He was a full brother to Glorious Song, 1980 champion older female and Canadian Horse of the Year, and Devil’s Bag, 1983 champion 2-year-old colt. His progeny generally need time to develop. Dam is a stakes placed winner of $85,640 and this is her second foal. Fifth dam is Blue Hen (superior female), Too Bald.  Charitable Man won’t be particularly precocious and will want a longer distance, perhaps on turf.
Precocity: ***   Dirt:  *** 
Sprint:  ***        Route:  ****  

WHO DO I LIKE?
FRIESAN FIRE
GIROLAMO
GONE ASTRAY

Matron Stakes (G2)
7 Furlongs | Fillies | 2 Year Olds Stakes | Purse: $250,000

DOREMIFASOLLATIDO (Bernstein-Consider It Done, by Green Dancer) Irish Grade 3 miler’s progeny can win early.  Dam sire was a Group 1 winner in Europe and a noted broodmare sire.  Most of his winners won from six to 10 furlongs on the grass. Dam is a half to stakes winner Lillys Affair. Third dam was multiple graded stakes winner Top Corsage. Doremifasollatido won her second race going five furlongs at Belmont on July 4.   She’ll have no problem with the distance and should also be an exceptional turf filly.
Precocity: ****   Dirt:  *** 
Sprint:  ***          Route:  ****  

ON THE MENU (Canadian Frontier – Don’t Trick Her, by Mazel Trick) First-crop sire has 13 runners, and 3 winners.  He did not race at two, but was a sprinting graded stakes winner at age five. On the Menu is his top earner.  Dam sire was a graded stakes winning sprinter. He sires sprinter/milers. Dam is a half sister to Grade 2 winner Tiffany Diamond and Another Vegetarian, dam of grade 1 winner Sweet Talker.
Precocity: **   Dirt:  *** 
Sprint:  ***     Route:  **

MISS OCEAN CITY (Mineshaft –Madam Lagonza, by Kingmambo) Sire is a known stamina influence and his progeny generally need time to mature. Dam sire is one of the top turf sires in the world. Dam is an unraced half to two stakes winners and this filly is a half sister to turf route stakes winning Woodlander.  This filly has an interesting “mirror image” pedigree. Mineshaft has Seattle Slew over Mr. Prospector in his second generation.  Madam Lagonza has Mr. Prospector over Seattle Slew in her second generation. She also has three Blue Hens (superior females) in her second generation. Despite all of the close inbreeding, this filly should have some speed, but be better as distances get longer and do well especially on the turf.
Precocity: **     Dirt:  *** 
Sprint:  ***       Route:  **

ARGYLE PINK (Sky Mesa – Majesty’s Crown, by Magesterial) Sire won the Grade 2 Breeders’ Futurity and Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes. He is currently eighth on the Second Crop Sire List.  He imparts speed to his offspring.  Dam sire was a Group 2 winner in Ireland.  He sired a limited number of black type progeny. His most accomplished offspring, Lost Kitty won the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity and Grade 2 Del Mar Debutante.  Argyle Pink is a half sister to sire Smoke Glacken and Smokey Glacken, two multiple graded stakes sprinters and Capote’s Crown, a stakes placed sprinter. Others in her immediate family include Rouse the Cat and talented Crown of Thorns, winner of the Robert B. Lewis Stakes. Argyle Pink is by a swift sprinter from a classy sprint family.
Precocity: ****      Dirt:  *** 
Sprint:  ****           Route:  ***  

HEAVENLY VISION (Forestry, Holy Bubbette, by Holy Bull) Sire is a Grade 1 winning sprinter known for precocious speed. His offspring include sire Smoke Glacken and talented Discreet Cat. Dam sire was a fast multiple graded stakes winner and is a versatile sire getting winners on all surfaces. Dam is a half sister to two graded stakes runners. Heavenly Vision has the RF factor (Rasmussen Factor inbred to superior female within in 5 generations) to Aspidistra through her son, Dr. Fager and daughter Ta Wee (both in the fourth generation, or 4×4).  This filly should have decent speed up to a mile. 
Precocity: ***    Dirt:  *** 
Sprint:  ***         Route:  ***  

OBSEQUIOUS (Fusaichi Pegasus – User Cat, by Storm Cat) International sire is versatile, getting winners at all distances and on all surfaces. World-class dam sire will be a breeding influence for decades to come. Dam is an unraced half sister to an Irish Group 3 stakes winner.  This filly is a full sister to Cumin, third in a Group 3 (Eng) sprint turf race. Second dam, User Friendly, was an English turf star, winning the English, Irish, Yorkshire Oaks, St. Ledger and Grand Prix de Saint Cloud, all Group 1 races. As one would expect given her sire and dam sire, Obsequious has class and speed top and bottom and should be able to run on every surface.
Precocity: ****      Dirt:  **** 
Sprint:  ****           Route:  ****  

PERSISTENTLY (Smoke Glacken – Just Reward, by Deputy Minister) Sire won the Sapling, Grade 1 Hopeful, Grade 3 Tyro Stakes and was 1997 Eclipse Champion Sprinter Dam sire was a precocious Grade 1 winning 2-year-old and is a noted broodmare sire. Phipps family bred dam is a half sister to multiple Grade 1 turf star Good Reward and sire, Pure Prize.  Second dam is outstanding race mare Heavenly Prize. Third dam, Oh What a Dance, produced, along with Heavenly Prize, Grade 1 winner, Oh What a Windfall, Grade 1 placed Dancinginmydreams, the dam of recent Grade 1 turf winner, Dancing Forever. Fourth dam is Blue Hen, Blitey. Persistently gets good speed from her sire and tons of class and stamina from her female family. She has wonderful brilliant speed and can carry it past a mile. DP = 8-1-6-1-0 (16) DI = 3.00   CD = 1.00 – GSV = 68.55
Precocity: ****       Dirt:  **** 
Sprint:  ***              Route:  ***  

SAINTLY ROSE (Graeme Hall – Pinta, by Carson City) Sire is ranked 11 on the Third Crop sire list. He gets precocious sprinter/milers. His daughter, Emmy Darling was third in the recent Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes. Dam sire was the Broodmare Sire of 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro and is a brilliant / intermediate Chef de Race. He produced speedy sprinters and milers. (Carson Hollow, City Zip, Cuvee, etc.).  Saintly Rose is a half sister to graded stakes winner Rojo Toro. She should have speed up to a mile.
Precocity: ****       Dirt:  **** 
Sprint:  ***              Route:  *** 

WHO DO I LIKE?

DOREMIFASOLLATIDO
PERSISTENTLY
OBSEQUIOUS
LS – SAINTLY ROSE