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Field of Twelve Vying for the Baltimore Crown

Original article written by Paul Heinrich posted 14 years 3 weeks ago

Twelve accomplished horses enter the gate in Baltimore tonight for the 25th running of the SIM Baltimore Crown, the second leg of the SIM American “Triple Crown”. This race features 8 newcomers to the Triple Crown Classic series, with 4 returning from last weeks battle in Louisville.

Gerry Hardie’s colt Flames (Oak Park x Wedon’tneedwords [Chesapeake Bay]) was the talk of the SIM this week, putting on a dazzling performance charging from the back of the pack in Louisville. Flames entered Louisville off a G1 win in the New York, New York stakes, but enjoyed over 3 weeks of rest before that prep, so he should be fresh enough to be a serious factor here. He may not appreciate the drop in distance, which is the big concern here. His fitness is undoubted here, but if he shows discomfort early on, he may be at risk of running out of room at the wire.

The obvious second choice here is West (Loki Dynasty x Baby [Kentucky Trophy]), Karie McBrian’s second legitimate Triple Crown threat in 3 years, following renowned half-brother East. West made as big a move as anyone coming down the stretch in Louisville, but again, this race moves down slightly in distance. The big question is if he is able to learn from the last race and move up sooner, or if we’ll have to wait for Long Island for him to make his big mark. His schedule is also a bit of a concern, as this is his 5th race in 8 weeks dating back to last season. He may be due a bounce.

Speaking of tired horses, Bill Oelrich’s Steward’s Cup Juvenile winner, Beyond the Stars (Sun Raider x End of the Stars [End Result]) never really got comfortable last week in Louisville, and it’s tough to expect him to improve off that performance. This colt has heart though – he fought through the rather obvious fatigue, and was one of the horses making a big move down the stretch. Can he pull that off again? It might be asking too much.

Black Ferrari (Loki Dynasty x Vindictive [Vindication]) is the final Louisville entrant wheeling back, and is probably the longest shot of the four. Unlike the others, Faith Powers’ charge was moving back down the stretch, which may mean he will actually appreciate the drop in distance more than the others. He will have to have learned a lot from that effort to improve off his 6th place finish.

The best of the new blood is headed by John Slotman’s Dubai import, Desert Longshot (Giacomo x The Last Sahara [Five Circles]). This is no longshot in Baltimore. Giacomo is one of the premier sires for this race, and even The Steward has noted holding him out for the Crown was a shrewd move. He hasn’t beaten anyone in particular, which plays against him here, but he has the pedigree and the class to be a huge factor.

Steve Martinelli’s Desert Magic (Radee x Desert Heat [Mr. Prospector]) is perhaps THE perfect horse for this race. He sports the sort of “hybrid vigor” you really like to see in this race. He’s half to both Long Island Classic champ, Desert Nomad, and top miler sire, American Baby. The only issue here is his prep schedule. This horse is almost certainly not fit enough to win this racing having done nothing from a training or racing perspective for 4 full weeks. Look out for this horse later in the year, though.

Bill Dietch has a good mid-range shot with Think Legendary (Loki Dynasty x Like Thinking [Serena Success]). This horse has had an off-the-beaten-path prep schedule since finishing a dull 6th in last year’s Steward’s Cup Juvenile, opting to forego a shot at the derby early on, and even dipping south of the border for the G2 Mexican Derby 2 ½ weeks ago, which appears to be an excellent move. This horse is likely both very fit, and well rested, and with his pedigree, he could be one to watch here.

Eric Nalbone’s World Record (Braveheart x Shoogle [A.P. Indy]) is in a similar situation. Nalbone decided fairly early on to give his top 3 fillies a shot at the Derby this year, which has left the door open for World Record to prep at his own pace for the Crown. He rewarded Nalbone with a lightning performance in the Chicago Derby, scoring an ideal 85 speed figure 2 ½ weeks short of the derby. The mare’s progeny has been inconsistent, with one star, and a number of disappointing offerings, so the class may be suspect. But this Hall-of-Fame trainer has the colt in a position to succeed.

Tom Mudgett’s Iditarod (Loki Dynasty x Onenottobeforgotten [Gentlemen] comes in on 3 weeks of rest after an easy allowance, though he did put in a gallop for fitness 9 days before the race. This horse has talent, but no stakes wins yet, and only one OTB finish in a stakes race, running second to Black Ferrari as a juvenile. This is the kind of horse who probably needs more foundation to be a factor, but he does have the talent to pull an upset if the race goes his way.

Jonathan Bolt’s Kindly (Out of Kindness x Spectacular Dream [Saga]) is an interesting dark horse here. The sire is suspect as a classic sire, though he himself showed little problem handling the classic distances. Kindly should get a good dose of stamina from the female side, at least enough for 9 ½ furlongs. This horse is a half-brother to Canadian Derby and Arcadia Derby champ, The Odyssey’s End, so you have no reason to doubt the class here. The only real question is whether or not he’ll handle the distance, and of course the race progress.

It’s tough to back a maiden winner in a race like this – and this race features two. Of course, it’s also difficult to dismiss an entry by Jolene Danner or Hall-of-Famer Jon Xett. Xett’s Underdog (Frisco Kid x Premier [Herkemayah] may be aptly named, but count him out at your peril. Running second to Beyond the stars in the Kentucky Blue Stakes is a great foundation builder, and he’s had the extra rest to perhaps make up those 2 lengths. He will probably need to make up more to win this race, however. Danner’s charge, Standout (Life Worth Living x Risk Yourself [Loki Flame]) finds himself as the longest shot in the field, having yet to win a race on dirt. He can’t be completely dismissed either, however, on the basis of pedigree alone, as a half to the great Seek Thrills. Also of note, this horse trailed Underdog in the Kentucky Blue by just a half length.

The Baltimore Crown is always interesting, as it’s difficult to predict which horses will wilt from the heat of the Triple Crown Trail, and which will relish it. The pick from this section has John Slotman’s Desert Longshot coming home first, holding off a charge from Flames and West, with World Record and Kindly rounding out the money spots. Good luck to everyone!


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