Prince Will I Am Fascinates Me

Is it just me, or is Prince Will I Am one fascinating horse. He ‘s only won three races lifetime races, yet I find myself oddly drawn to him. I want to know where he is running next, and I make sure to make the necessary arrangements to watch the race live. Happily his next race is this Saturday in Calder’s W. L. McKnight Handicap. The McKnight is a grade 2 turf race at twelve furlongs. While I will not be able to be in South Florida to see him in person, you can bet I will be tuned in to see the race as it run. Why so much interest in Prince Will I Am? Let me see if I can explain. His most recent race provided the most drama yet. He was entered in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon, a feat in its own right considering he had started in maiden claiming less than twelve months before. That’s right, the second week of November last year, Prince Will I Am made his debut in a maiden claiming race at Churchill Downs. Given virtually little chance at 46-1, he stormed home from last, after an awkward start, to win going away at the wire. Why he paid $93.80 in that maiden claiming race, granted it was for a $80,000 tag, is a mystery to me. A son of Victory Gallop out of a Dynaformer mare, Prince Will I Am is a well bred colt. Well not quite, he’s actually a ridgling, but I digress. Where was I? Oh yes, the Breeders’ Cup Marathon. The 14 furlong race became one of the more widely talked about BC races because of the scene in the winners circle. An incensed Calvin Borel needed to be held back by several people to avoid getting into a donnybrook with fellow rider Javier Castellano, because of dangerous race riding. What horse was in the middle of all the trouble? You guessed it. It was Prince Will I Am who slammed into Romp on the far turn which almost sent Martin Garcia flying off into the path of Borel’s mount A.U. Miner. Through it all, Prince Will I Am ran big to finish second against his older competition in the Marathon, before being disqualified and placed 10th. I was surprised to see Prince Will I Am in the BC Marathon in the first place, as it seemed he had really found his niche on the grass. Although I probably shouldn’t have, seeing as the great Ernie Munick had made him his Marathon selection months before. Did I say that just right, Ernie? Questioning anywhere this horse runs is probably a silly proposition. Did I mention that his trainer, Michelle Nehei, has a Ph.D. in neuroscience? I only hope I just spelled neuroscience correctly. Anyway, before the Marathon, Prince Will I Am was coming off three straight grass races that culminated with a last-to-first rush in Belmont’s Grade 1 Jamaica Handicap at nine furlongs. That day he paid more than twenty dollars, and came after his first win on the grass in an optional claiming race at 1 3/8 miles at Saratoga. So we now know that he can run on turf or dirt, and run as long as you want him to, but wait, there is more to this fascinating ridgling. The first race that really hooked me to him was the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland. Run at 1 1/16 miles on Polytrack, Prince Will I Am may have finished 5th that day, but trust me, it was an excellent performance. Last early in a talented field of twelve, he came flying on the inside, only to be blocked and steadied. He split horses under, ironically, Calvin Borel and was beaten only 2 ¼ lengths by the winner. Turf, dirt, synthetics, any distance, have I convinced you yet that Prince Will I Am is a fascinating race horse? Here’s a few more tidbits; he was more than 40-1 in his first three races, and more than 20-1 in his first five races. After winning that maiden claiming debut, he was put in against Eskendereya twice and Drosselmeyer in his next three races. I'm not even sure if he is named after British royalty, or the front man for the Black-Eyed Peas. The more I find out about this horse, the more I like. What will Prince Will I Am do next? Better tune in to the McKnight.