What Are The Available Polls And Rankings?
A good place to start
is the World Thoroughbred Championships Poll for the TVG Sprint Division
(updated September 26, 2005). This list is compiled by a panel of
prominent international journalists and handicappers.
1. Lost
In The Fog (108)
2. Woke Up Dreamin (97)
3. Pomeroy (80)
4. Greg's Gold (62)
5. Battle Won (59)
6. Mass Media (31)
7. Unfurl The Flag (27)
8. Wildcat Heir (24)
9. Dons Six (14)
10. Kelly's Landing (10)
A few items of interest concerning this list: There are no fillies
or mares on the list. These are all U.S. based sprinters. This
is an independent list from the
World Thoroughbred Championship Divisional Point Standings.
Here are the
World Thoroughbred
Championship Divisional Point Standings
for the TVG Sprint Division
(updated September 26,
2005).
The
World Thoroughbred Championship
Divisional Point Standings
is a Breeders Cup Championship Day qualification tool invented by
the NTRA (National Thoroughbred Racing Association) in conjunction with
Breeders Cup Limited.
1. Lost In The Fog (32)
2. Battle Won (20)
3. Sensibly Chic (20)
4. Acey Deucey (18)
5. Bank Audit (18)
6. Happy Ticket (18)
7. Mass Media (16)
8. Commentator (14)
9. Woke Up Dreamin (14)
10. Molto Vita (12)
In this list Sensibly Chic, Acey Deucey, Bank Audit, Happy Ticket and Molto Vita are
fillies or mares.
The
World Thoroughbred Championship
Divisional Point Standings
determine which horses are automatically eligible for a Breeders Cup
Championship race.
A maximum of 14 starters are allowed in
each Championship Day race. If more then 14 horses are entered then
the race is "oversubscribed." This is where the Breeders Cup points
system kicks in. During the year, horses that finish first, second,
or third in Graded stakes races earn points. More points are earned
in Grade 1 events than in Grade 2 events. For example, a winner of a
Grade 1 race earns ten points, while a winner of a Grade 2 race earns six
points. The number of points a horse has is critical when a race is
oversubscribed. The first seven positions in an oversubscribed field
are ranked based on the point system. These seven get to run based
on their points. The last seven positions are determined by a
combination of points earned and the opinions of an expert panel.
This provides a "buffer zone" to allow late bloomers to get a chance to
race against their peers.
The World Thoroughbred Championships Poll
is a better indicator of the top contenders than
The World Thoroughbred Championship
Divisional Point Standings because
it is not dependent on a rigid point system.
Who Are The Players ?
Most conversations start and end with the
brilliant sprinter
Lost In The Fog. His record is
an unblemished 9 victories in 9 starts. He has a Grade 1 victory to
his credit, the King's Bishop Stakes at Saratoga, on August 27, 2005.
He won his only race at the Breeders Cup 2005 host track, Belmont Park,
the Grade 2 Riva Ridge at seven furlongs on June 11. On that day,
however, he was tested by the courageous
Egg Head,
who came up lame afterwards.
Lost In The Fog
sports Breeders Cup quality speed figures, and he deserves
recognition, but he his not invincible.
Another talented sprinter is the improving
Battle Won .
Battle Won
languished in Optional Claiming races until he returned from a
lengthy freshening lasting November 2004 to May 2005. Charles Simon
trains
Battle Won
and he is to be commended because
Battle Won
is now performing at a championship level. He won the Grade 2
Churchill Downs Handicap May 7 in his second start after returning.
He was a spirited second to
Kelly's Landing
June 25 in the Grade 3 Aristides B.C. Handicap at Churchill Downs.
Kelly's Landing
set a track record on that day. On July 31, 2005,
Battle Won
finished second to the surprise winner
Greg's Gold
in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Handicap at
Del Mar.
Battle Won
is a legitimate threat in the Breeders Cup Sprint October 29.
Woke Up Dreamin
is a popular choice among West Coast racing enthusiasts. Trained by
Bob Baffert,
Woke Up Dreamin
has raced four times in 2005, winning twice, the Grade 2 True North
B.C. Handicap at Belmont on June 11, and the Grade 2 Smile Sprint at
Calder on July 10. His more noteworthy victims include
Voodoo
and
Mass Media .
A rather uneven racing campaign is cause for concern with
Woke Up Dreamin ,
however, with a one year hiatus from September 2003 to October 2004, and
an additional 3 months unraced immediately following his return.
A sprinter capable of capturing the imagination of the public is the Nick
Zito trained Commentator .
With Gary Stevens designated as pilot, this speedy New York bred has
raced to 7 wins in 9 races. The most accomplished of his seven
victories is the 1 1/8 mile Whitney Handicap at Saratoga where he rationed
out his superior speed and held off arguably the best Handicap horse in
the country,
Saint Liam .
Commentator
boasts gaudy Beyer Speed Figures against somewhat questionable
competition in most of his races, however.
***
Commentator
has aggravated a shin injury and will be out for the remainder of
2005.
***
Whereas
Lost In The Fog
and
Commentator exhibit brilliance on a
regular basis,
Forest Danger
is brilliant only on occasion. In the Grade 1 Carter Handicap April
9, 2005 at Aqueduct,
Forest Danger
exploded with a 120.4 for seven furlongs, setting a swift fraction
of 107.4 on his way to victory. Yet in the Grade 1 Metropolitan
Handicap May 30, 2005, at the Breeders Cup 2005 host track Belmont Park ,
he was a soundly beaten fifth some 14 lengths behind the winner
Ghostzapper ,
finishing behind
Silver Wagon
and
Sir Shackleton
as well .
September 3 in the seven panel Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga
Forest Danger
was a well beaten fifth, nearly ten lengths behind the winner
Mass Media .
A consistent performer on the East Coast is the Patrick Biancone handled
Pomeroy .
He has managed to win 7 races in 17 attempts, including a score in the
Grade 2 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga August 13, 2005,
defeating the likes of
I'm the Tiger
and
Voodoo .
Earlier in his 2005 campaign, in
the May 7 Grade 2 Churchill Downs Handicap ,
Pomeroy
managed to finish third some four lengths behind the winner
Battle
Won .
An outsider in the Breeders Cup Sprint is the outstanding Louisiana bred
filly
Happy Ticket .
Trained by Andrew Leggio,
Happy Ticket
has simply murdered the local competition in Shreveport, Louisiana.
In her first race outside Louisiana, the June 18 Grade 3 Chicago B.C.
Handicap at Arlington Park,
Happy
Ticket
won impressively, albeit against a suspect field. She followed up
that victory with a professional second to the talented
Madcap
Escapade
in the Grade 2 Princess Rooney at Calder, and promptly notched her
first Grade 1 victory in the August 28 Ballerina Stakes. Imagining
Happy Ticket
victorious against the likes of
Lost In The Fog
is a bit much, but then again, this is horse racing.
A possible contender from the West Coast is the talented
Greg's Gold .
On July 31, 2005,
Greg's Gold
defeated a much improved
Battle Won
to win the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Handicap at Del Mar.
***
Greg's Gold
has suffered a knee injury and will be out for the remainder of
2005.
***
Other potential contenders include
Imperialism ,
winner of the Grade 2 Pat O'Brien B.C. Handicap August 21 at Del Mar, and
Unhurl The Flag ,
finishing seventh as the even-money favorite in the same race.
What is the quality of the
field for the 2005 Breeders Cup Sprint?
Lost In The Fog
is a major star and deserves the attention he is getting prior to the
Breeders Cup Sprint October 29. How he compares to winners of the
Sprint in earlier editions of Breeders Cup remains to be seen. Some
notable previous winners include
Artax, Reraise ,
Safely Kept
(filly),
Gulch
and
Cajun Beat .
Some notable beaten favorites are
Housebuster , Dayjur
and
Affirmed Success .
Lost In The Fog
belongs in the list of high caliber Breeders Cup sprinters. The
remainder of the 2005 hopefuls appear to be a step behind
Lost In The Fog .
There is hope, however, for the understudies.
Lost In The Fog
struggled to win his only race at Belmont Park, the
Grade 2 Riva Ridge at seven furlongs on June 11. The 2005 edition of
the Breeders Cup Sprint promises to be an exciting, competitive event.
NEW
Our
internet site
Horse-Race-Handicapping.com
has unveiled the Premier Selection
Plus
premium handicapping plan.
The
Premier Selection
Plus
is a new Horse Race Handicapping Service designed for internet users.
Browse the
Archives
Page for a look at its success, and check out the
Order Page
to view the reasonable pricing. This internet service
provides quality and value.
Photographs of our winning
2005 Belmont Stakes betting tickets
are displayed on the
Home Page.
All selections are documented and verified.
Jim Lambert
President
Horse-Race-Handicapping.Com