Icabad Crane |
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| Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club | |
2008 Prep Recap
| Date | Trk | Race | Chart | Distance | Time | BSF | Video |
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| 3/22 | TP | Rush Away Stakes | Chart | 1 1/16 m | 1:44 | 76 | |
| 4/19 | PIM | Federico Tesio Stakes | Chart | 1 1/8 m | 1:50.83 | 87 | |
| 5/17 | PIM | Preakness Stakes (G1) | Chart | 1 3/6 m | 1:54 | 91 |  |
Pedigree Profile (by Frank Mitchell)
Pedigree: By the A.P. Indy stallion Jump Start, Icabad Crane descends from the Seattle Slew branch of the Bold Ruler male line, which – particularly through Belmont winner A.P. Indy – is the most reliable source of classic performers in American breeding. This line also has provided a useful outcross for the Northern Dancer and the Raise a Native-Mr. Prospector lines so widely available in Europe and North America.
That is how Jump Start himself is bred – by A.P. Indy out of a Storm Cat mare, with the second dam by Mr. Prospector.
Icabad Crane traces in the female line to the outstanding racemare Tempted, who won the Alabama and Beldame, and her daughter Turn to Me produced three stakes winners, including Icabad Crane’s second dam, Adorable Micol.
Racing Type: Icabad Crane has shown a sufficient combination of speed and stamina to win the Federico Tesio and run third in the Preakness. As a juvenile in training, he earned a 66 BreezeFig for a furlong work at OBS February in 2007, showing a 23.8-foot stride that has helped propel him into a contending position in the longest classic.
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Owners: Earle I Mack |
Analysis (by Dennis Dodge)
Strengths: He was playable as an “underneath” horse in the Preakness, and he ran third despite running into traffic at the five-sixteenths pole. The reasoning in part back then was that Pimlico is his home track, but that no longer applies in the Belmont. Still, the 1 1/2-mile Belmont distance should suit him as his pedigree is loaded with stamina influences. Also, his Beyer Speed Figures have improved with distance. His final workout at Fair Hill, Md. is something else to like, and his jockey Jeremy Rose knows him well. A third or fourth place finish is within reach.
Weaknesses: He has yet to set foot on the Belmont Park surface, though the sweeping turns and long stretch should suit his late-running style. Of more concern are his Beyers, which, though trending upward, are still too low to threaten Big Brown and Casino Drive. He’ll need big improvement to contend with those two.
Strategy: It appears he has little choice but to come from well back since he doesn’t have much tactical speed, and that’s an obstacle because the Belmont pace figures to be controlled. On the other hand, the smaller field and the bigger track should lessen the possibility of traffic problems again for him.
Value: With Big Brown getting the lion’s share of the wagering and Casino Drive, Denis of Cork, and Tale of Ekati all taking money, his odds could drift north of 20-1 again. That’s still not enough for value on the win end, it makes great sense he can get into the third and fourth spots in the trifecta and superfecta.