The Miesque Mile is named in honor of one of the greatest milers
of the
twentieth century, a Kentucky bred filly who travelled to
France, England
and back again, collecting numerous championships and
Grade/Group 1 wins
along the way. A daughter of both Nureyev, a star sire in both
real life
and the sim, Miesque began her career with a flourish, winning
three out of
four races in her championship juvenile season, including a pair
of Group 1
races in the Marcel de Boussac and Prix de la Salamandre. At
three, she won
six of eight starts, which included two classic wins, the 1,000
Guineas and
the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, both at one mile, and capped
off her season
with a victory against older males in the Breeders' Cup Mile,
setting a
course record in the process of 1:32 4/5. To put this
performance in
perspective, the world record for one mile in the sim is held by
Duke Ali,
on the dirt, with a time of 1:33.2 (128 SF). The Breeders' Cup
victory
shouldn't have come as much of a surprise, as Miesque had
already defeated
older males in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp Ecurie Fustok-G1
and and Prix
du Haras de Fresnay le Buffard Jacques Le Marois-G1. The
Nureyev-Pasadoble
filly garnered championships in all three countries that year.
To the
credit of her breeder, Miesque returned to the races the
following year,
winning three of four starts, all of them in open company
against males,
including repeat wins in the Breeders' Cup Mile and the Jacques
Le Marois.
At four, Miesque once again captured chamionship honors in
France and the
United States. She retired with an overall record of 12 wins
from 16 starts
and earnings of more than $2 million.
Miesque has turned out
to be nearly
as good a broodmare as she was a racemare. Her first foal is
Kingmambo, a
classic winning son of Mr. Prospector, who won five races,
including three
Group 1 stakes, from 13 starts and is a top sire, again both in
real life
and in the sim. Her second foal was East of the Moon, a filly
by Private
Account, who is a dual classic winner, taking both the Prix de
Diane and the
Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (a race won by Miesque). Her other
stakes
winners are Group 3 winner Miesque's Son, a full brother to
Kingmambo, who
is off to a promising start at stud, and Moon Is Up, a listed
stakes-winning
filly by Woodman. To date, she has produced four stakes winners
from 10
foals of racing age, including a 2yo of 2002. It is hard to
believe that
Miesque is now 18 years old, but her broodmare career is far
from over, as
her most recent foals include a three year old son of Mr.
Prospector named
Kitalpha (making him a full brother to Kingmambo and Miesque's
Son), a
juvenile colt by A.P. Indy named Mingun, and an unnamed yearling
filly by
Storm Cat.
While it is too soon to tell if one of the entrants
in this
event will someday be spoken of with the same awe and respect as
Miesque, a
field of sixteen talented fillies will be lined up to stake
their claim for
Equinic gold. The experience of these fillies runs the gamut,
and as newly
turned three year olds, any one of them is eligible to step up.
Plus, for
every favorite that wins, there is a 1980 U.S. Hockey Team.
But, it is
my job to come up with some tips, and so I shall, but be warned
- in a full
field where anything can happen, my focus will be on value. One
other
disclaimer, #10, Crassly Around Owl is mine, but I'm doing my
best to be
objective.
Here is the field, with comments, in post position
order:
1.Sadler's Unbridled, (Sadler's Wells x
Unbridled) Record:
9 - 2 -
1 - 5 $66,417
While this filly's times have been slow, she
has
consistently managed to find her way into the top three, and is
bred to be a
late bloomer. Her running style is early to mid-pack. (Odds:
24/1).
2.
Capper, (Geri x Danehill) Record: 4 -1 - 0 - 2
$61,934
Only a
maiden victory to her credit, but she marked herself as one to
watch with a
third place finish against the boys in the Group 1 Ascot Special
Juvenile at
this distance. Closes from way off the pace, and may want
longer, but should
be flying at the end. (Odds: 10/1).
3. Brigadoon(GB),
(Dubai
Millennium(GB) x Secretariat) Record: 4 - 2 - 1 - 1
After
winning two in
a row, opened up her sophomore season with a third place finish
in the 1
1/16 mile Grade 3 Panhandle Oaks, tiring a little in the stretch
(86 SF).
This race should set her up well for this race. Running style
is on or near
the lead. (Odds: 9/1).
4. Devil Maid, (Seeking the
Crown x Free
and Equal) Record: 1 - 0 - 1 - 0 $5,925
While still a
maiden, this filly
turned in a solid debut, finishing second in a 6 1/2 furlong
maiden special
weight at 6 1/2 furlongs on the grass (75 SF) and stretches out
here.
(Odds: 39/1)
5. Yabbadabbadoo G, (Abbadabbadubai x
Northern
Fashion) Record: 4 - 2 - 1 - 0 $55,635
Looked good in winning
a 1 1/16
mile open allowance two starts back (88 SF), then faltered in
her latest.
If that race was merely a prep, her time in that allowance race
put her in
the thick of the hunt. She appears to run midpack before making
a rally.
(Odds: 32/1)
6. Nogales, (Gone West x Storm Bird)
Record: 8 - 2 -
2 - 2 $65,857
May want more distance, as she is perpetually
closing
ground at the end. Good efforts in her last pair, both second
place
finishes (78 SF, 80 SF). (Odds: 19/1)
7. Raider's
Lawnmower,
(Kingmambo x A.P. Indy) Record: 9 - 4 - 1- 0 $36,663
Granddaughter of
Miesque makes her stakes debut after working her way through her
conditions.
The filly ran a beautiful race three back, winning an allowance
(90 SF) and
returns to a firm turf at one mile again today. Another closer
who usually
runs from the middle to the back of the pack. (Odds:
11/1).
8. Lil
Ms. Nellybelle, (Storm Boot x Dearest Doctor) Record: 3 - 1
- 0 - 0
$10,730
Began her career in promising fashion at seven
furlongs on the
turf (70 SF), but has struggled somewhat since then. (Odds:
57/1)
9.
Whisper Venus, (A.P. Indy x Forty Niner) Record: 7 - 0 -
3 - 1
$41,943
While she is still a maiden, her record is better
than it appears
at first blush, as she has repeatedly left the maiden ranks and
been
competitive. Whisper Venus has had only one start on the turf
to date, and
that was a second place finish at this distance (70 SF).
Usually closes
from the middle to back of the pack. (Odds: 22/1)
10.
Crassly Around
Owl, (Son of Briartic x Academy Award) Record: 6 - 5 - 1- 0
$145,840
Broke her maiden in style (80 SF) at seven furlongs
on the turf,
then survived a grueling race a week schedule by the computer
until being
claimed by her present connections. Won two of three since, and
was game in
defeat while closing in a 6 1/2 furlong stakes (89 SF). While
she gets a
class test, the distance should suit, and the versatile filly
can either
press the pace or race just off the first flight. (Odds:
14/1).11.
Negligence, (Nureyev x Summer Squall) Record: 7 - 2 - 1
- 1
$45,516
One of two fillies in this race by Miesque's sire,
Nureyev, she
appears to be better suited to the dirt than the turf, but did
finish a good
second in a 6 1/2 furlong stakes race (83 SF). This filly races
mostly on
the front end. (Odds: 9/1).
12. Yarni Marni, (Akaaber
x Lion
Cavern) Record: 5 - 2 - 2 - 0 $59,060
Tired a little in her
routing
debut (73 SF), but was solid in two allowances prior to that,
pairing up 81
SFs (Odds: 23/1)
13. Irish Roses(IRE), (Great Dane x
Conquistarose) Record: 6 - 3 - 0 - 1 $62,750
This filly
loved the extra
distance, as she won her last two, both at a mile (86 SF, 89
SF), the second
in a stakes. Probably the value play of the race. (14/1)
14.
Lolland, (Danzig x Forty Niner) Record: 9 - 5 - 1 - 0
$598,260
The class of the field, this filly has banked the
most money and
is ranked fifth in the sim. She is a deserving favorite, with
her only
recent clunker coming in the Breeders' Bowl. She showed she can
handle the
distance with victories in the one mile Booker T. Handicap-G3
(94 SF) and 1
1/16 mile (84 SF) South Dakota Challenge, and prepped for this
with an easy
victory in the six furlong Whodini Shootout-G2 (95 SF). The one
to beat,
but there are plenty of fillies who, on the right day, may be
capable of
stepping up to the challenge. Usually runs first or second, and
should have
some company in this race. (Odds: 3/1).
15. PGPG's
Filly,
(Forestry x Sadler's Wells) Record: 5 - 4 - 1 - 0
$63,255
Successfully
stretched out in distance with an allowance victory at this
distance in her
latest (78 SF), and is another making her stakes debut after
working through
her conditions. Rallies from the back of the pack. (Odds:
10/1)
16.
Nurey Evermore, (Nureyev x Mt. Livermore) Record: 7 -
4 - 1 - 1
$160,836
The other Nureyev filly, this one won a 1 1/16 mile
stakes race
in wire to wire fashion (94 SF) in her most recent start, and
also won
another stakes at this distance (89 SF). Second choice
successfully changed
tactics in her latest and it is hard to tell what she will do
this time.
(Odds: 9/2).
If you are betting to win, I think the top
horses, in
terms of value, are probably Irish Roses(IRE), Raider's
Lawnmower and
Nurey Evermore. If you are more of an exotics bettor, I'd
probably have a
few different combinations in such a large field. I'd have
those three,
plus Lolland, in the mix, in the main bet. If I had to pick a
few more
horses in order to round out the bottom of a big dollar
trifecta, I'd
consider Brigadoon, Capper and Crassly Around Owl. With only
two horses at
odds of less than 9/1, it isn't hard to find some good values.
Good luck to
all, and as Harvey Pack would say, "May the horse be with you!"
