Y15 December Week Four

[S u N f r O s t ~]

BREEDERS CUP FILLY AND MARE SPRINT
I would like to preface results by saying that this was an incredibly difficult race. These mares were even across the board and it was nobody's race from start to finish.

With that...



win Allouette Divine
place Sophie's Voice
show Reflected In Water
fourth Lilith Wind

Allouette Divine stood out to me. Her workout was beautiful and I thought she was primed to take this race. Sophie's Voice has always been an extremely talented mare, but this became Divine's race after I examined both horses in detail. Reflected In Water is a brilliant filly. However, I felt as though this sprint was not as good a fit for her as perhaps the Dirt Mile or the Distaff. The top two were just slightly more speedy at the seven furlongs. Her experience was enough to hold out over Lilith Wind. Lilith Wind is an impressive filly, but faced three very experienced horses today. I love her, always have liked her, but the top three had the edge. It was a very, very close race all around.

[*Ripley*]

BREEDER'S CUP DISTAFF*
9F D 3yo+ Fillies/Mares Only G4+
Win. Restricted Access (head bob)
Place. Shenanigans
Show. Flaming Confidenza
Fourth. Battle Wings

Restricted Access has been on a war path the latter half of the season and she's been campaigned thoroughly to go for this victory. Restricted Access and Shenanigans exchanged several bumps through the length of the stretch, but the smaller voice was more determined. Shenanigans got the head bob before and after the wire and really may be something special as an older mare. Kenny, you've done an incredible job with this one.

Flaming Confidenza's experience at this distance paid off. She's been running solid races, but the cut back in distance from her recent marathon runs had Denza fresh and ready to roll. Battle Wings hung on gamely, but she seems to have faded into the background of this older mare division.

[creativecause]

BREEDER'S CUP MARATHON*
Win: Sweet Inferno (head bob)
Place: Anodyne
3rd: Saintly Touch
4th: Coco Cabana

Sweet Inferno narrowly got her revenge on Anodyne in this years Breeders' Cup Marathon. These two hooked up from the start and didn't bother looking back. Saintly Touch didn't seemed to be as tough of a competitor as the top two, but I saw him having enough to hold off a closing Coco Cabana. 

[*Ripley*]

BREEDER'S CUP TURF SPRINT*
6.5F T 3yo+ G5+
WIN. Demonic Desires (head)
PLACE. Call Me Crooked
SHOW. Manhattan Royalty

Manhattan Royalty was forced to take up a leadership position in this race by the other two runners. Call Me Crooked and Demonic Desires waited patiently to strike and from the homestretch on, it became a battle of ferocious wills and pure speed.



Sammy: I think Manhattan Royalty would have had better luck if he'd run in more HOTY races throughout the season. I think it would benefit him to come back another season and get a chance at a full season as an older turf sprinter.

[Kenren]

BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE FILLIES*
WIN Hellfire
PLACE Adrasteia
SHOW Quick Silver
fourth Enrapture

Hellfire put forth the effort of the year to overcome a lack of pace to catch the free-running Adrasteia just before the wire. It was the type of performance that truly shows a budding superstar - I'm very excited to see what Hellfire does from here! The other three fillies are phenominal, but I couldn't see them stopping her. It was a tough call between Quick Silver and Enrapture - not because they are poor contenders, but because they are both such good ones. But after careful consideration, this is how it played out. Congrats, Cruisey!

[S u N f r O s t ~]

BREEDERS CUP FILLY AND MARE TURF SPRINT
win Tears of an Angel
place Silver Serendipity
show Taboo

Tears of an Angel has been too dominating this year to be denied in this race. I could see Silver Serendipity upsetting her as she has in the past, but on BC day this mare brought it all to the table to successfully defend her title in this race.

Deciding between Silver Serendipity and Taboo has been crazily difficult. This placing has been why my results are a couple days later than when I said I was judging this race - I was switching them back and forth every time I came back to judge this race again. Today, I've settled on this order. They are both crazy fast and crazy talented, but I decided Silver Serendipity was slightly sharper at this point in time based on her hammering efforts in the Senior Turf Sprinter series and her rock-solid, only-HOTY races performance of the last couple of months. If I had to separate these two, it would be by a nose. So so close.

Cruisey, if I were you I would totally run your mare another season. She has improved so rapidly that I can see her absolutely dominating next season. I'd love to see her and Taboo duking it out - they seem like a great old vs. new rival pair to me. But if you retire her too, I get it, I'd be rushing to breed her too lol.

Ripleykins, I love Taboo. She's getting better month by month and I cannot wait to see her take over this division in Year Sixteen.

[Isabelle]

BREEDER'S CUP SPRINT* - 6F D 3yo+ G4+
*FANFARE* Annnddddd here we are ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this year's Breeder's Cup Sprint! In this race we will see the best six furlong dirt runners go head to head for the ever coveted Cup. The post parade has just begun, let's take a look at our competitors. In first position today we have Rules of Passion drawing gate one, this sibling of Passion Heart's is a four year old with three wins this season, and I hear this is the final race of her career and she is going in as the underdog in this race. Following her is Venture who drew gate two. This race is also this mare's final race, and boy what a season with nine wins so far, all of them HOTY caliber, and she is going in as the favorite. Next up on the parade we have Optimus Unstoppable, who I hear almost didn't make it this year but we sure are glad to see him. He's had seven wins this season and this is his first Breeder's race. Rounding out our four gate group is Aquatic Addiction, this Shiver Me Timbers son is fresh from his ninth win for the season earlier this month and could be the biggest threat to our favorite.

As they gate up Rules of Passion and Optimus Unstoppable seem to be giving the ground workers the most trouble . . . and . . . and . . . nope once more around for Passion . . . and they are all four in the gate. We're just waiting on-

AND THERE THEY GO! THEY'RE OFF AND RUNNING with all four breaking well but OH Optimus Unstoppable about clipped Ventura in his race across the field to take the lead by half a length on the rail. Ventura is behind him, jockey seeming cautious after the near collide, with Rules of Passion on her hip and Aquatic Addiction holding a length back from Ventura. As we pass the first turn these six furlongs are going by fast! Optimus is pushing harder at the lead with Venture switching gears, she is closing the gap despite the front runner's gas pedal. Passion is trying to keep up with the other female of the group and Aquatic Addiction hasn't seemed to make his move yet, keeping up with the others but still hanging at the back.

AND HERE WE ENTER THE FINAL FURLONG! Optimus is flying wildly towards the finish with Ventura pulling even with him. Here comes a blinding blur as Aquatic Addiction make his move from the back and Passion is trying to hold her place in the pack! They're in the final push and Ventura takes the lead! Optimus has dropped to second . . no third! Ventura is a length ahead! Here comes Aquatic Addition on the outside with a massive kick to his pace! Passion is falling back as Optimus tries to gain back ground. Ventura is still pulling away and Aquatic is steam rolling . . . AND WE'RE PAST THE WIRE! Congratulations to an outstanding performance by all our competitors!

FIRST VENTURA (length)
SECOND AQUATIC ADDICTION (half a body)
THIRD OPTIMUS UNSTOPPABLE
FOURTH RULES OF PASSION

Rules of Passion: I feel she just did not have the experience to pull a win off here today against what she was up against. I see you already have a foal for her next year but I think another full season of racing would have really pulled her up further in her career. I hope she throws some nice foals for you!

Optimus Unstoppable: I'm so glad you were able to keep him in Kenny, he's had such a great year. I went back and forth between him and Aquatic for second for quite some time, and I just felt that Aquatic had a stronger last half of the season that gave him more of an edge. I hope you keep him at least for half a season next year, I think he's way overdue for some HOTY wins right off the bat.

Aquatic Addiction: You have an outstanding boy here Cruisey, he's had an amazing season with a great second half there, with his winning streak I felt it put him just above the group for second. I believe I've judged with him before, and I always felt impressed by your progress with him. He's going to make some awesome foals!

Ventura: Miss Frosty, she just simply earned this win. Whenever I think of her I just think of an ultimate battle horse, she's such a fighter. I loved being able to work with her this season, and I didn't really even realize she's an Impresario baby until today, she just always seemed to stand out on her own merits enough that I hardly looked at her breeding up close. Congrats!

[creativecause]

Breeders' Cup Turf
Win: Abastor
Place: Pandora (nose)
Show: Ode To Glory (head)
4th: Handsome Tabby

Abastor has had such a solid season and this was his race from start to finish today. Pandora ran her heart out but she couldn't catch him today. Ode To Glory didn't strike me as being able to upset this group today. Handsome Tabby, I have always like this horse, I had the pleasure of working with him at one point too. lacee you've done great with him. However against these horses I really didn't see him winning. With how the pace set up and the amount of class he was facing in one race today, I didn't see a win coming out of this one.

[Cruisey]

BREEDER'S CUP MILE*
WIN Spotlight Pride [head]
PLACE Call of the Wild
SHOW Night Goddess
fourth Bowen Arrow

Spotlight Pride has been absolutely fire at the mile distance this season and managed to narrowly beat out his older counterparts. Call of the Wild managed to get a late kick just to stick length and a bit in front of Night Goddess. Call of the Wild has been impressive in the older turf series this season, and rallied from his 4th place in the World Colt Cup for this second place finish. While Night Goddess has been more nonchalant with her wins, she had the class and speed to come from behind to keep her 3rd place run from Bowen Arrow. You have a great horse in Bow, Kenny, and he did put up a valiant fight. He's been doing well at the mile distance, but in the end someone had to place out of the money and unfortunately it was Bow. 

[Cavallo]

BREEDER'S CUP FILLY AND MARE TURF*
10F T 3yo Fillies/Mares Only G4+

WIN Impress the Moonlight (nose)
PLACE In The Spotlight (neck)
SHOW Beautiful Liar (whisker)
4th Dare to Impress

This field was horrendous to judge. It was such an even playing field and in the end I saw Impress the Moonlight pulling it off today. She's had a stellar year and she was going for the crown this year. Well done. The rest of the field to be honest, any of them could have taken this, but I didn't see In the Spotlight allowing to be pushed out of second and she pushed to get a neck on a rallying Beautiful Liar who was determined after her Beverly D. race.

[Cavallo]

BREEDER'S CUP JUVENILE TURF SPRINT*
6F T 2yo G5+

WIN Artemis' Glory (length)
PLACE Optical Illusion (1/2 length)
SHOW Melodious (whisker)
4th Sugar Demon

What a tight group of turf sprinters! With Optical Illusion, Sugar Demon and Melodious battling for the lead, Artemis was poised for victory here and she took it with class! She allowed them all to tire one another out and then she bolted to the win in fashion. You got a great turf sprinter there Rips. Optical was gunning after Artemis, but she had already started a roll that was uncatchable. Nothing wrong with Melodious and Sugar Demon here, but i couldn't see them besting the top two. All will have stunning careers ahead of them.

[Kenren]

BREEDER'S CUP CLASSIC*
WIN Nightshade
PLACE Limited Edition
SHOW Flashpoint
fourth In Front
fifth Speak Easy

We all knew this race was going to be killer, at it was. Nightshade has done nothing wrong this season, and she is finishing the season with the same flare she has shown throughout. She was untouchable, and rightly so. There was very little separating the other horses, but when you put the best horses together, there have to be horses to finish on the bottom. In Front is phenomenal and I obviously love him, but I saw his stablemate getting one over on him this time around. Speak Easy has done very well this season, and in other years he may have placed higher, but the older horses just held him at bay. It's such a strong classic field this year, and I love it! Congrats to Cav and Nightshade!

[creativecause]

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
Win: Scintilla (neck)
Place: Cyclonaria (nose)
Show: Lady Timeah (head)
4th: Awestruck (nose)
5th: Sweet Mimosa

I hate judging juvenile races.... -.-

I really liked Scintilla's set up today to spring a huge upset here over Cyclonaria and Lady Timeah. The rest of them it was so difficult to place  I swear I have gray hairs by now. Awestruck stuck me as being able to outrun Sweet Mimosa due to her HOTY experience being higher. The bottom two didn't quite have the class of the top three, but they're set up well for a great three year old season (duh). 

[Cavallo]

LK, Sammy, creativecause, Holly, Isabelle or rendezvous.

Could one of you please grab the last race please so we can move to Y16 events.

[Isabelle]

BREEDER'S CUP JUVENILE TURF* - 9F T 2yo G5+
FIRST Like A Lady
SECOND World Dominion
THIRD Notorious
FOURTH Santana's Legend
FIFTH Melusine

There were no middle runners in this field, so there was a clump of Santa's Legend, Like A Lady, and World Dominion together at the front with Notorious and Melusine a few lengths behind. I feel Lady had a great set up for this race, and I just felt it was her race today. World Dominion gave her a run for her money for sure, and Notorious had a good close. Santana's Legend just couldn't hold the lead wire to wire against the three placers this time. Frosty it killed me to put your girl here it really did Two year olds are incredibly hard to judge, and I think the top three had more experience than her this year and Santana was fighting so hard at the end to regain the lead she couldn't get past him.

*I believe Notorious has an incorrect date on his record, it says he won the Gorgeous George Stakes Dec. W4. I was unable to find the race so I can't verify the correct date but I assume it's a page typo