Picks and musings for 031014 by Harry S. Watnik 8 tracks 72 races At first glance Ring Weekend, the gelding who looked very efficient in winning the Tampa Bay Derby, seems an oddity, after all his broodmare sire array reads >Cryptoclearence, a Florida stallion mainstay>Belmont, French bred, & heretofore unseen by me in a stakes winners papers, >Pall Mall, a turf type, and a classic winner in 1958->The Phoenix, winner of the Irish Derby in 1943, stemming from the remarkable 16-A ff which is home to monumental broodmare Plucky Liege!- The all-important 5th dam of front running stylist Ring Weekend, is England bred Pretty Half, a twin by Denturius, whose sire was French bred Gold Bridge, himself inbred to famed Orby, the latter hero of the English and Irish Derby’s of 1907- but all this European “stuffing” is in all likelihood secondary to Ring Weekend, being a son if somewhat altered, by leading progenitor Tapit- The ff for Ring Weekend, are crew 3-O -the contingent of Caro, Blandford and Boban- Ring Weekend, is inbred to Met Mile hero and chef de races Fappiano, one of Mr. Prospector’s best sons in the stud- as far as sire Tapit, is concerned; he seems to show up whenever there is big money on the line- Tapit, sports a dosage diagram of exemplary stature >13-11-16-2-2 his offspring are many and talented, certainly Careless Jewel, and Hansen, ring a bell- was Ring Weekend, any less impressive than other front runners of recent weeks, Samraat, or Uncle Sigh, or California Chrome? They all seem to coalesce like scrambled eggs- and the 2014 classic season seems to be more about who is not running than who has- Which brings to conversation Honor Code, whose set to renew his racing career this week at Gulfstream Park I believe- and another look at him (paper wise) is warranted- if I may- seems to me that the horses who have been winning these early “Derby” preps are not the ones who will be on the official sign when it goes that way the first Saturday in May in Louisville- as good as Samraat, and California Chrome, and Ring Weekend, have looked, it just doesn’t jibe that they will survive the big G1 races ahead- Honor Code > Ap Indy x Serena’s Cat x Storm Cat -is an impressive opening line- the family female overall are straight “7” and Vale of York, is remembered as one of the tribes better citizens- Honor Code, won the Remsen Stakes in the Big Apple and his 3rd dam is all-star race mare Serena’s Song, a luminary who may have made it to the Kentucky Derby starting gate in 1995- ??- Grand Reward, a useful sire is part of her broodmare legacy; as is Harlinton, and Sophisticat - anyhow, Honor Code, steps up to the plate with a dosage panorama >10-12-20-0-0 and a dosage index of 3.20 and his GSV rating is computed to 75.80 a very hefty figure- and let us look at the GSV ratings of our last half dozen Kentucky Derby winners- Honor Code >75.80 2013 Orb > 67.85 2012 I’ll Have Another > 59.88 2011 Animal Kingdom > 59.40 2010 Super Saver > 66.80 2009 Mine That Bird > 58.80 2008 Big Brown > 75.53 Of course there is much more to it than abstract mathematical hocus pocus - the idea that California Chrome’s dam is inbred to Numbered Account, may be a cosmic occurrence which will land the San Felipe Stakes hero in Disneyland when the shouting is over - certainly Samraat, is as smooth as Ricardo Montlebon at a singles dance- Honor Code, will be watched as closely as a pickpocket in Rome when he steps out for his seasonal debut- I like him, as he is inbred to mightiest of all steeds and on my Mt. Rushmore along with Moses, Lincoln, Babe Ruth & Voltaire - chestnut champion triple crown winner of 1973 Secretariat 3x4- Aqueduct 1-3 2-1e 3-3 4-4 5-6 6-8 (50-1ML) 7-1 8-1 9-5 Beulah 1-4 2-5 3-2 4-6 5-2 6-1 7-3 8-7 Louisiana downs 1-2 2-1 3-3 4-3 5-2 6-2 7-5 8-8 Mountaineer 1-6 2-5 3-2 4-2 5-1 6-1 7-6 8-5 9-1 Parx 1-6 2-1e 3-2 4-3 5-7 6-5 7-3 8-5 9-1 Sam Houston 1-5 2-2 3-3 4-1 5-4 6-7 7-3 8-6 9-1 10-10x1 Turf paradise 1-7 2-2x4 3-6 4-2 5-1 6-7 7-9 8-2 9-3 Will Rogers (opening day) 1-3x10 2-3 3-2 4-7 5-3 6-2 7-1 8-7 9-5 10-3 hsw
Posted on: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 08:58:21 +0000
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