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When I selected 187 juveniles from several of last year's 2-year-old sales, I thought the gray or roan colt by Mizzen Mast-Gypsy, by Marfa -- who was a $32,000 RNA at last April's Ocala sale -- would be among the first to break his maiden.
The horse who would be named What's the Rumpus actually became maiden-breaker No. 75 today, in his 13th lifetime start.
I was high on this horse's chances because of his underrated sire, Mizzen Mast, and the fact that his stakes-placed dam was already the producer of five winners from six foals, including G3-placed GAL ON THE GO (Irgun), who in turn produced dual G3 winner SOCIAL QUEEN (Dynaformer). This horse's first three dams all earned their own black type, and his dam, Gypsy, is a half-sister to G1-winning, $4.7 million-earning PERFECT DRIFT, one of my all-time favorites. The sales colt, now gelded, breezed a credible 22-flat for a quarter at OBSAPR, and his work tab after being shipped to the California barn of Doug O'Neill was initially pretty good.
Despite flashes of ability, What's the Rumpus only managed to place twice and show twice from 12 prior starts. Though placed in California, he was shuffled off to Turf Paradise, then Sunland Park, and finally Sunray Park in Farmington, N.M., where he won today for a $6,250 claiming tag.
At least he won for fun.
What's the Rumpus, sent off as the 3/1 third choice in a field of eight, pressured early leader Sexy N Wild, then pounced at the top of the stretch, drawing off to win under jockey Kelsi Purcell by seven lengths over 9/5 favorite First Date. Final time for seven furlongs over a muddy-sealed track was 1:26.95.
What's the Rumpus was bred in Kentucky by Darrell Brown and James E. English. He is now owned by his trainer, Kenneth K. Chadborn Jr., in partnership with Cody Kelley. The gelding has earned $16,600 from his 13 lifetime starts.
As noted, with the win What's the Rumpus becomes the 75th of my 187 juvenile sales-tips to clear his maiden hurdle; that's 40.1 percent.
The link needs some updating, but you can follow all 187 of those picks -- and a few pans -- at the bottom of this prior post.
In regards to Gourmet Dinner's breeding, what do you think of Pentelicus as a broodmare sire? GD looked like a serious KY contender this year before being taken off the TC trail. Did the Trippi side limit his longevity at the two-turn route distance, or was it the Pentelicus blood that kept him from staying that long? He seemed to hang in the stretch in his last after being harnessed early, and unleashed around the far turn..
ReplyDeleteI agree, Gourmet Dinner just doesn't quite seem to have that 9f-10f ability. And I think any distance limitations in his pedigree would have to be attributed almost equally to his sire, Trippi, and dam-sire, Pentelicus, both of whom were accomplished sprinters.
ReplyDeleteTrippi of course won the Vosburgh and three other graded stakes at 7f (plus the Flamingo S.-G3 at 9f), while Pentelicus set a 6.5f track record as a 6-year-old.
However, much like the sire himself, it can't be said that Trippi foals find it impossible to win at a route distance. Gourmet Dinner has scored in graded company at a mile and a sixteenth, and R Heat Lightning has a G2 win now at 9f to go with several other quality two-turn efforts. Son Green Vegas was a two-turn winner as a 2-year-old, and Trip For A.J. won the Sunshine Millions Turf at nine panels among many two-turn efforts. Son Bunker Hill is also a 7f-9f horse.
Still, a mile, a mile and a sixteenth, and even nine furlongs are short of getting the Derby's 10f. So, much like Uncle Mo, who I figured would be at least a panel short on Derby Day (which now we'll never know), I thought Gourmet Dinner wouldn't have quite what it takes to finish strong.
It does aid Gourmet Dinner's distance ability to have a little more stamina in his second dam. Romantic Dinner was by Who's For Dinner, who had a couple of wins at 10 furlongs, including the Arlington Handicap, and figured regularly in 9f-10f races among the likes of John Henry, Flying Pidgeon, Hero's Honor and Cozzene. But third dam Victorious Meg was by Soy Numero Uno, who was mostly a sprinter/miler much like Trippi.
I don't think Gourmet Dinner is a devout sprinter, but I do think he is at his best between 7f and 8.5f. When (if) he returns from what has in some quarters been described as a minor injury, I'd rather see his connections point the colt toward that type of race -- the G2 Dwyer in July, for instance, if he could be back that quickly. I'd sure want to see him win in good company at 9 furlongs before I tried him beyond that distance, a second-place finish to Soldat in the Fountain of Youth notwithstanding.