Laurie Ross
tracksideview.com

IRON MAIDENS
September 27, 2008 – Turfway Park
Kentucky Club Juvenile Stakes

RATINGS:
*          Not optimal for this horse
**        Below average talent
***      Average talent
****    Superior talent
*****  Graded stakes winning talent

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.

Since it’s inception in 1994 the Kentucky Cup Juvenile and its counterpart, the Fillies Juvenile, have produced some excellent runners. Boston Harbor, Editor’s Note, Point Given, Repent, and Vindication all went on to bigger and better. The 2005 winner, Stream Cat, is entered in today’s main event, the Grade 2 Kentucky Cup Classic.   Ken McPeek and D. Wayne Lukas are tied with three wins each in the Colt’s Juvenile.  Four trainers are tied with two wins apiece in the Kentucky Cup Juvenile Fillies race.

KENTUCKY CUP JUVENILE FILLES (listed)
6 Race |1 Mile (All Weather Track) | Fillies | Purse: $100,000

BOLD UNION (Dixie Union – Bold World, by Fortunate Prospect) Precocious sire won the Grade 2 Norfolk, Grade 3 Best Pal, Hollywood Juvenile Championship, and was second in the Grade 2 Del Mar Futurity.  He is considered a good synthetic track sire.  Dam sire was a Grade 3 winning sprinter and sired sprinters. He’s currently enjoying retirement at Old Friends in Kentucky. Dam is a Grade 3 winner and won a division of the Florida Stallion Stakes at age two.  Bold Union won the Astoria at five-and-a-half furlongs in her start but finished a weakening fourth in the Adirondack. She’s had two live works at Turfway.
Precocity: ****  Synthetic: ***
Sprint:  ****      Route:  *** 

SUGAR MOM (Monarchos – Plenty of Sugar, by Ascot Knight) Brilliant Kentucky Derby Winning sire’s runners generally do best at a mile and up and he is a good synthetic-track sire. His offspring can win early if there is precocious speed in the dam’s family. Canadian bred dam sire, a son of Danzig, produced mainly turf routers and is an excellent synthetic track sire.  Grade 1 placed dam earned almost $800.000.  This female family produced Group 1 winning sire Shaadi and international sire, Mr. Greeley. This filly has five races under her girth and destroyed an optional claimer field by 12 lengths at Arlington going 1 1/16 miles on Sept. 5.  Note that she has won beyond this race distance and ships in for the connections of Dreaming of Anna.
Precocity: **   Synthetic: **** 
Sprint:  ***     Route:  ****

COMPLICITY (City Zip – Scorched, by Dixieland Band) Speed influence City Zip is currently fifth on the Third Crop Sire List. He gets talented win early types that keep winning at the highest levels throughout their careers and his son, Run Away and Hide, was an impressive winner of this year’s Grade 2 Saratoga Special.   Dam sire won at two and is a known synthetic-track sire. His daughter, Placia de Amor was recently second in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante and is entered in today’s Grade 1 Oak Leaf Stakes.  Complicity is a half sister to the dam of multiple graded stakes placed A to the Croft and to the dam of Canadian Derby winner, Footprint. Her third dam is Blue Hen, Exclusive, grand dam of Affirmed and Genuine Risk.  Complicity won her debut at Ellis Park by a nose going five-and-a-half furlong after breaking in the air. She shows no works over a synthetic track, but her pedigree suggests that she should handle it without difficulty.
Precocity: *** Synthetic: *** 
Sprint:  ***     Route:  *** 

BELIEVE IN ME (Milwaukee Brew – Supah Gem, by Gold Meridian) Sophomore sire is ranked fourth on the Second Crop Sire List and his stakes winning daughter, Ginger Brew, is a winner on Polytrack. Dam sire, a son of Seattle Slew, was a Grade 3 winner in Ireland. All of his black type winners were fillies and he is the dam sire of Japanese graded stakes winner, Symboli Kris S.   Dam is a Grade 1 winner who earned over $400,000 in 24 starts. Believe in Me broke her maiden in her fifth race when stretching out to a mile at Presque Isle Downs.
Precocity: **  Synthetic: *** 
Sprint:  ***    Route:  *** 

MEGALICIOUS (Songandaprayer – Katie Mclaury, by Centrust) Sire gets precocious sprinter/miler types on all surfaces. Dam sire raced in England and didn’t win a stakes race but is the dam sire of stakes winner, Surf Cat. Megalicious is a half sister to stakes winning sprinter, Abbondanza. Dam is unraced, but all of her foals are winners. Megalicious has a good sprint orientated pedigree. She won her debut at Saratoga by a head after going five wide on Aug. 28. She’s had two live works at Churchill since then.
Precocity: ****  Synthetic: ***  
Sprint:  ***        Route:  **  

JULIET’S SPIRIT (Exchange Rate – Juliet’s Way, by Farma Way) Sire gets all types, from win early (Rated Feisty) to turf runners (Zee Zee). Dam sire was a multiple Grade 1 stakes horse and included the Grade 1 Hollywood Futurity among his many victories.  He sired durable stakes winners Rob N Gin and Don’tbotherknocking. Juliet’s Spirit is a half sister to stakes placed sprinter Gleaming Elegance. Third dam is the good producer, My Bupers (family produced Japan Group 1 winner, Heart’s Cry, multiple stakes winners My Juliet, Stella Madrid and Super Quercus). Juliet’s Spirit is unbeaten in her three starts over the Woodbine Polytrack and most recently won the Ontario Debutante by a head. She had a stamina work on Sept. 16.
Precocity: ****  Synthetic: ****
Sprint:  ***        Route:  *** 

SAXXY ROSE LEE (Bernstein – Lena Rose, by Canaveral) As noted earlier, sire is a good synthetic track producer. Dam sire was a stakes placed sprinter and produced three stakes placed runners. Saxxy Rose Lee has a very modest female family with few winners.  She won her debut going six furlongs at Ellis Park, then faded to fourth in a State bred stakes race going the same distance last time out. She’s had a three furlong and four furlong breeze since then and no works over the synthetic surface.
Precocity: ***  Synthetic: ***  
Sprint:  ***      Route:  **

WESTLINE (Gone West – Servaline, by Storm Cat) Sire is known for fast precocious babies and is a world class sire. He is a good synthetic track producer. Dam sire is also an international sire. Dam is a half sister to champion Excellent Meeting.   Third dam, Close Control, was a Blue Hen. Breeder’s Cup sires Doneraile Court, Peaks and Valleys and Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Open Mind were produced from this family. Westline won her third start going five-and-a-half furlongs at Presque Isle Downs. She followed up with a fifth place finish after stumbling at the start in the River Downs Bassinet.  She had a stamina work at Churchill on September 16.  Her best two races have been on Tapeta, so I expect she’ll do well over the Turfway surface. She had the class to win at a shorter distance but will be much better going a mile or longer.
Precocity: ***  Synthetic: ****  
Sprint:  ***      Route:  ****

DREAM EMPRESS (Bernstein-Chinese Empress, by Nijinsky II) Irish Grade 3 miler’s progeny can win early and this sire is a good synthetic track producer.  Dam sire is a classic/solid chef de race. Dream Empress comes from a solid female family.  Her Grade 3 stakes winning dam is a half sister to Grade 2 winner Possible Mate and Homewrecker, dam of stakes winners Cat’s At Home, Honor the Hero, Prenup, Giant Wrecker, Capitalimprovement, and also Marital Spook, the dam of Yonaguska. Others in this family include Grade 2 handicap horse Guided Tour, Halo Homewrecker and Cherokee Spook.  Dream Empress won her second start when she stretched out to a 1 1/6 on turf at Saratoga. She’s had three live works over the Keeneland surface since then. Bred for distance, a mile is probably as short as she will want to go.
Precocity: ***   Synthetic: ***   
Sprint:  **         Route:  **** 

WHO DO I LIKE?

JULIET’S SPIRIT is unbeaten in three starts and will be the likely favorite. I don’t know how strong her competition was in Canada, so let’s try to beat her.  DREAM EMPRESS put it all together going 1 1/6 on turf last time out and shows very good works over the Keeneland surface.  SUGAR MOM also won last time out going 1 1/6 at Arlington. Her trainer doesn’t ship for the scenery.   BOLD UNION shouldn’t be ignored as she has been running against the best in the East.

KENTUCKY CUP JUVENILE (G3)
8 Race |1 1/16 Miles (All Weather Track) | Open | Purse: $100,000

SIR BUBBA (Five Star Day – Shiroyama, by Seattle Slew) Sire was a graded stakes winning sprinter, produces sprinters and he is a known synthetic track sire. All of dam’s offspring have raced. Third dam, Heather Road, produced multiple stakes winners Bullintheheather, Heatherten, and is the grand dam of Soldiers Dancer. Sir Bubba won his third start going five-and-a-half furlongs at Turfway on Sept. 3 after switching barns and has recorded a five-furlong work since then.
Precocity: ***   Synthetic: ***
Sprint:  ***       Route:  ***

GRESHAM (Seeking The Gold – Alexi Dancer, by A.P. Indy) Sire was a Grade 1 winner at three and a product of Phipps family breeding. His offspring are better as they mature and prefer longer distances over any surface. Dam sire is an international stamina influence and is a good synthetic track sire.  Second dam, Pike Place Dancer, won the Kentucky Oaks and is a half sister to sire Petionville.
Gresham has the RF (Rasmussen Factor, inbred to Blue Hen (superior female) to My Charmer on his dam’s side through Seattle Slew, sire of A.P, Indy, and through his dam sire, Seattle Dancer. Gresham won his second race, going six-and-a-half furlongs at Arlington. He’s had a good pattern of works in preparation for this race. Todays distance suites his running style and stamina oriented pedigree.  
Precocity: ***   Synthetic: ***
Sprint:  ***       Route:  ****

PROUD JEFE (Proud Citizen – Besige, by Polish Numbers) Sire is the leading Second Crop Sire. His offspring win early and he gets winners at all distances and on all surfaces. He is represented by this year’s Kentucky Oaks winner, Proud Spell, and River Proud, who was third in the French Two Thousand Guineas.  Dam sire was bred and owned by the Phipps family. He is the sire of a number of durable horses, including Make Mine Vodka and One Eyed Joker. Second dam, Psyched, was a grade 3 winner and Grade 1 placed. Proud Jefe has the RF factor (Rasmussen Factor inbred to superior female within in five generations) to Natalma through her son, Northern Dancer and his full sister, Arctic Dancer.   Proud Jefe has more stamina than speed influences in his pedigree and should prefer a route of ground.  He ran evenly while racing four wide in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special to finish fifth in his last race.  He has never run on a synthetic track.  
Precocity: ****   Synthetic: *** 
Sprint:  ***         Route:  ****  

RETAP (Tapit – Free Spin, by Olympio) Sire won the Grade 2 Laurel Futurity at two and carried his speed 1 1/8 to win the Wood Memorial the following year. He is second on the First Crop Sire List and he is becoming a good synthetic track sire. Dam sire was a Grade 3 winner at two and won up to 1 1/8 miles and finished second at 1 ¼ miles. His runners are win early types on any surface. Retap has a modest female family with no black type in the first two generations, but his third dam was a minor stakes winner. Retap finished second in the Mountaineer Juvenile to Terrain, recent winner of the Arlington-Washington Futurity. Previously, he had three steady works at Arlington, so that, coupled with his pedigree leads me to believe he will handle the synthetic surface.
Precocity: ****   Synthetic: *** 
Sprint:  ***          Route:  *** 

TAR BEACH (Sky Mesa – Quichesterbahn, by Broad Brush) Sire won the Grade 2 Breeders’ Futurity, Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes and currently stands third on the second-crop sire list. His son, Terrain was declared the winner of last week’s Arlington-Washington Futurity after disqualification.   Dam sire was underrated and one of the few sires left from the Domino line (Broad Brush descends directly from Domino along his male tale line).  Second dam, Christiecat was a multiple graded stakes winner.  Third and fourth dams are Blue Hens. (Toll Both and Missy Baba) A.P. Indy and Summer Squall are descendants of Missy Baba, and she can be found at top and bottom of this pedigree, albeit several generations back on the sire side.  Tar Beach won his second race by a neck at Saratoga going seven furlongs. He fired a bullet four furlongs at Keeneland on Sept. 13.
Precocity: *** Synthetic: *** 
Sprint:  ***     Route:  ****  

DA BEAR FACTS (Congaree – Impending Bear, by Farma Way) Sire is currently seventh on the Freshman Sire List. He won from a mile to 1¼ miles. His runners are winning on all surfaces and will improve even more with maturity and longer distances.  Dam sire produced hard knocking winners. Dam is a stakes placed earner of over $255,000 and there are several minor black type runners throughout the pedigree. Da Bear Facts broke his maiden in his fourth start after stretching out to a mile at Presque Isle Downs. He’s had two steady works since his Aug. 24 race.
Precocity: **  Synthetic: *** 
Sprint:  ***    Route:  ****  

WEST SIDE BERNIE (Bernstein – Time Honored, by Gilded Time) Irish Grade 3 miler’s progeny can win early and he is the sire of impressive Grade 2 Matron Stakes winner Doremifasollatido. Precocious dam sire won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Grade 2 Arlington-Washington Futurity and Grade 2 Sapling Stakes. He carries Damascus in his second generation and Princequillo in his third, both sources of stamina. Dam was unraced and this is her first foal, but second dam was a minor stakes winner. Multiple stakes winners Hey Hazel, Patriot Love and Riley Tucker were produced by this family. West Side Bernie won his debut, 1 mile 70 yards at Monmouth despite stumbling at the start. He worked a bullet five furlongs at Turfway on Sept. 8.
Precocity: *** Synthetic: *** 
Sprint:  **       Route:  **** 

JUST LIKE BISCUIT (Sligo Bay – Evitas Song, by Conquistador Cielo) Sire was a Grade 1 winner on turf up to 1½ miles and is ranked seventeenth on the second crop sire list. His runners are mainly turf routers. Dam sire won the Grade 2 Saratoga Special and a year later was one of Woody Steven’s Belmont winners. Dam earned over $50,000 in five starts. Others produced from this family include sires Ogygian, Hounor and Glory, Fappiano, Belmont Stakes winner Commendable and the talented Keeper Hill.  Fifth dam is Blue Hen Cequillo. Just Like Biscuit has similar breeding (Sligo Bay out of a Conquistador Cielo mare) to Cradle Stakes placed Bourbon Bay. Just Like Biscuit has been slow to mature, which is to be expected given his stamina oriented pedigree. He has the most experience in this race, (nine starts) and finally put it all together when switched to the turf in his second to last start, going a mile at Ellis Park.  He finished fourth in the Cradle Stakes going 1 1/6 on turf. He has never raced on a synthetic surface.
Precocity: **   Synthetic: ***
Sprint:  **       Route:  ****

WHO DO I LIKE?

WEST SIDE BERNIE has experience going long and won despite a poor start. GRESHAM has one of the best pedigrees in the race, won over a synthetic track and has live works coming into this race. RETAP was beaten 1¾ lengths by a next out graded stakes winner and has a couple of good works over the synthetic surface. His sire’s offspring (think Stardom Bound) have been winning left and right.