The Princess Looney

The highlight race for this weekend in Florida is The Princess Looney, a Grade I race open to fillies and mares three years old and up. The race will be held over the main dirt track at six furlongs and will offer up a total purse of $750,000. The race is set to go off on Sunday at 3:00 pm EST over a fast track and will host a field of ten, a little over half of which have already won at the graded level. Let’s take a look through the field.  

Peachable – trotter13 – N. Lawton – 9/1 

Going into the gate on the rail, this four-year-old filly will be making her twentieth lifetime start this weekend. The Into Mischief sired filly is out of the Grade III winning broodmare Georgia Peaches. The bay filly is the only million-dollar earner in the field for Sunday and is returning to the states after her most recent start in Belgium. This was in the Real Danger Handicap (G2) at six furlongs. The filly left the gate last in this race, trailing the back of the pack in the tightly packed nine-horse field. Making her move at about the three and a half furlong mark the filly would go on to win the race by a length and a quarter, setting a speed figure of one hundred and six.  

Joan’s Wish – gunners4 – J. Drozd – 7/1 

The only Grade I winner going into the gate on Sunday, the mare, at six-years-old, is also the oldest mare going to the gate. The light gray is out of the Hall of Fame Grade I winning broodmare Frosty Mae. Very lightly raced with just eighteen starts under her belt, the mare last started in May during The Humane Distaff (G1) at seven furlongs, a race her dam won twice. The mare didn’t disappoint. Tucked in just off the pace of a few other forwardly placed runners, the mare took command in the stretch to win a quarter of a length, while setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred thirteen. Prior to this start, the mare also won The Long Island Sprint (G2). 

Mindean (ARG) – notfadestephan – K. Prohel – 9/1 

The only filly in the field to not hail from Kentucky, the Argentinean-bred four-year-old has won her last two consecutive starts. The most recent start for the bay filly was in the Ferry Dust Handicap (G3) at six furlongs. Forwardly placed out of the gate and settling just off the lead in second, midway through the sprint, the filly started to make her move. The filly won by a length and a quarter, setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred twelve. Previously, the filly also won a listed stakes at five and a half furlongs in Kentucky.  

Keenas Ice – whistler – J. Piotrowski – 15/1 

The longshot of Sunday’s field, this bay mare will be returning to graded stakes company for the first time since 2021. The listed stakes winning five-year-old last went to the gate in Ohio during a listed stakes at seven furlongs. Breaking towards the rear of the field, the mare would cross the wire in tenth, setting a speed figure of one hundred. Her most recent win, also at seven furlongs, was in another listed stakes in Iowa in September of last year. August of last year brought us the most recent graded start for the mare, this in The Garden Handicap (G3) at a mile where the mare finished eleventh.  

Capri Kela – bliss – S. Tate – 6/1 

In the middle of the pack on Sunday, the five-year-old chestnut mare is also returning to the US from her race in Belgium, along with the mare in the one slot who she will be facing down yet again. Starting in the Real Danger Handicap (G2) at six furlongs, the mare was the last out of the gate and trailed the field early on, though rallied to finish fifth, setting a speed figure of one hundred. The most recent win for the mare was here in Florida during The Leading Lady (G3), also at six furlongs. Again, out of the gate late and trailing the field, the mare made her move late in the stretch and shot forward to take the victory by a length.  

Pi In The Sky – milkbar – H. Ross – 9/2 

This five-year-old mare is by Pioneerof The Nile and will be making her sixteenth lifetime start this weekend. The most recent start for the mare was in Kentucky during the Humane Distaff (G1) at seven furlongs. The pacesetter out of the gate, the bay mare was overtaken in the stretch and crossed the wire third, setting a speed figure of one hundred eleven. August of last year saw the mare’s most recent win, this coming in the Lil’ Leprechaun Dash (G2) at seven furlongs. The mare took the sprint in wire-to-wire fashion. Look for this mare to probably lead the field out of the gate this Sunday as well.  

Little Elenior – racingqueen – E. Sharp – 14/1 

Making her graded stakes debut this weekend, the five-year-old mare has been a consistent allowance winner and made a few attempts at listed stakes. The most recent start for the light grey mare was in New York over six furlongs in an allowance race. Just off the pace out of the gate, the mare held her ground but crossed the wire in third, off the pace by just a length and a quarter, while setting a speed figure of ninety-eight. Her most recent win came in her prior start, also an allowance race over six furlongs in New York. 

West Side Justice – thethumbhot – D. Raymond – 5/1 

Looking for her first graded win after a very near miss in her most recent start, the four-year-old filly made her most recent start in The Humane Distaff (G1) in Kentucky at seven furlongs. Third out of the gate at the break, midway through the race the filly started to try to challenge the front runners, though crossing the wire in a heart-breaking second place finish, off the pace by just a quarter of a length, and setting a speed figure of one hundred thirteen, a lifetime best for the filly. Before her only graded stakes start, the filly impressively won a listed stakes race, also at seven furlongs. 

Tapdown Smack – mtkhoflegacy – MJ Kelly – 5/1 

Nearing the end of our field of runners, this five-year-old roan mare is sired by the great Tapit and out of the Grade I winning broodmare, The Smackdown. The mare will be making her second try at graded company this weekend. Her most recent start was also her only attempt in graded stakes, this coming in Ontario, Canada during The Oh Henry (G3) at six and a half furlongs. Out of the gate and into the fourth. The filly bravely held her ground but finished where she started at the wire in fourth, two and three-quarter lengths off the pace. The mare set a speed figure of one hundred nine. Her most recent win, was just in her previous start, coming in a listed stakes race over six and a half furlongs here in Florida.  

Infinite Energies – assault111 – C. Morten – 11/1 

Last up in our field for Sunday, the four-year-old filly is by Uncle Mo and is a Grade III winner with sixteen lifetime starts under her racing belt. The brown filly last started in Louisiana during the five furlong Flying Pig Sprint (G3). Held fourth, towards the middle of the pack in the small field. At the three-furlong mark, the filly started to make her move, ultimately crossing the wire first, winning by a length with a speed figure of one hundred four. Before this, the filly also won a listed stakes at five furlongs in West Virginia. 

Flrancho’s Picks 

Win: Joan’s Wish 

Place: Pi In The Sky 

Show: Mindean (ARG)