Bobcat Jim seeks repeat in Skinner Memorial
Bobcat Jim upset the 2015 Ed Skinner Memorial Stakes at Prairie Meadows at 12-1, and at anything close to his morning-line price of 6-1 in the 2016 edition, Bobcat Jim would be an appealing play again.
Bobcat Jim and regular rider Shane Laviolette are drawn on the outside of a six-horse field in the six-furlong, $65,000 Skinner, race eight of nine Saturday at Prairie Meadows, post time 4:12 p.m. Central.
Bobcat Jim had to work out a trip from post 1 to win the Skinner last year, and even tougher than the trip was his competition, with Bobcat Jim just home over the crack sprinter Delaunay, now retired. Trained by Kenny Smith, who is off to a roaring Prairie Meadows start this season (38-10-5-4), Bobcat Jim is in line for a much cozier trip Saturday, and he should stalk in the clear behind the pace of Wings Locked Up and Welder, the former a sharp claimer on the rise, the latter making his first start outside of Oklahoma-bred competition.
Bobcat Jim had an allowance prep race going into last year’s Skinner and here starts for the first time since February, but Smith can win with layoff runners, and Bobcat Jim might well be ready.
Readiness is clearly a question for Apprehender, the field’s top earner with a bankroll of more than $378,000. The 7-year-old Apprehender hasn’t raced since March 2015 and would be an unappealing play at anything close to his 5-2 morning-line price.
The morning-line favorite at 9-5 is Storm Power, whose trainer, Robertino Diodoro, has sent out little other than live runners at this Prairie Meadows meet, his record standing at 33-10-9-5 entering this week’s racing. Storm Power had a strong campaign last fall and winter at Turf Paradise and got the wrong kind of trip in his lone start at the Oaklawn meet, pressing the pace rather than stalking and pouncing, as he’s done in his best efforts. A return to those tactics could land a favorable trip Saturday as Storm Power attempts to keep Bobcat Jim from a Skinner repeat.