The Honored Miss
This weekend in New York will feature some action-packed racing as three graded stakes are lined up for Sunday’s card. The last graded race for the weekend, set for a post time of 3:10 pm EST, will be The Honored Miss (G2) at three-quarters of a mile on the main dirt track. The race is open to fillies and mares three years of age and up, through it looks like we will only have one three-year-old going to the gate this weekend against the older contenders, in what rounds out to be a twelve-horse field. The weather for race day looks to be crystal clear, with a track that will be listed as fast at post time. Let us take a glance at this year’s competition.
- Infinite Energies – assault111 – A. Jolly – 11/1
Drawing the inside rail, this four-year-old filly is approaching the half-million-dollar mark in career earnings and will be making her eighteenth lifetime start this weekend. The bay filly is an accomplished graded winner, through still looking for a Grade I win, as will much of the rest of the field this weekend. Last raced in Florida during The Princess Looney (G1) over the same distance of six furlongs, the filly settled out of the gate towards the middle of the pack and would finish just off the board in fourth, only three and three-quarter lengths off the pace, setting a speed figure of one hundred three. Her prior start to The Princess Looney (G1), the five furlong Flying Pig Sprint (G3) in Louisiana brought us the most recent win for the filly, after being just slightly more forwardly placed out of the gate.
2. Woodshaw (FR) – corzak – P. Bangs – 52/1
Making her debut on the dirt, this French-bred filly will also be the only three-year-old to go to the gate for the Sunday race. A listed stakes winner, the filly’s broodmare, Star Of Thunder, was a Grade I winner and earner of over a million dollars in lifetime earnings. To date, the filly is the only foal produced by the mare. Her most recent start was here in New York during the Come At Me Sis (G1) at six and a half furlongs on the turf. The last out of the gate at the start, the filly would finish eight lengths back in thirteenth, while setting a speed figure of ninety-two. February saw the fillies most recent win, this in a listed stakes in South Korea over five and a half furlongs. The filly will be the longshot for Sunday’s race.
3. Banana River (CAN) – playstable – GD Mate – 7/1
Confronting Grade I company for the first time in her career, the chestnut filly will be making her fifteenth career start on Sunday. Most recently starting here in New York during The Best Flight (G2) at seven furlongs, she emerged out of the gate just off the pace of the front runner and stayed tucked back in second, until midway through when she started to fall back. The four-year-old crossed the wire seventh, setting a speed figure of one hundred three. The most recent win for the filly was across the country in California during an allowance race at seven and a half furlongs.
4. Hilariously – bliss – H. Ross – 8/1
Going to the gate in her first graded start, the striking roan filly is out of the Grade I and million-dollar earning broodmare Disillusion, and is by Medaglia d’Oro. The filly, with seventeen career starts under her belt, has won her last three consecutive races, most recently a listed stakes race over six furlongs in Nebraska, where the filly broke towards the middle of the pack and went on to win by one with a speed figure of one hundred eight. Previously, the filly had also won two allowance races, both at six furlongs.
5. Sasha Sparrow (IRE) – beerbong – J. Hornibrook – 9/1
The first of only two horses in the field to previously win a Grade I race, the four-year-old bay filly has won five of her thirteen career starts, and will also be making another try over the main dirt track after making most of her starts to date over the turf. The most recent start for the filly by No Nay Never was here in New York in the CVBears Hometown Turf Stakes (G1) at six and a half furlongs. Placed fourth out of the gate at the break, she would fade in the stretch to finish seventh, setting a speed figure of one hundred one. Her prior start was a win, coming in The Sangster (G2) at six furlongs in Australia. The lone start before Sunday on the dirt for the filly was in her three-year-old season during a listed stakes in Norway at a mile where she finished fifth.
6. El Kanino (IRE) – cumberlandblues – E. Siefert – 12/1
Midway through the field for Sunday, this four-year-old roan filly will be returning for another try at Grade I company after stepping down for a few trials against allowance and listed company. The Irish-bred filly is coming off of two consecutive wins, most recently in an allowance race over six and a half furlongs in Thailand, where she won by a head bob at the wire with a speed figure of one hundred four, after being held just off the pace in fourth. Prior to this, the filly also won a listed stakes race at five and a half furlongs in India. The only graded start for the filly came in her three-year-old season here in New York during The Priceless (G1) at six furlongs, in which the filly crossed the wire sixth.
7. Raining Napalm – kellygreen – B. Ironside – 8/1
Coming out of The Best Flight (G2) at seven furlongs, here in New York for her most recent start, the four-year-old filly by Good Magic finished fourth in this race after being held off the pace towards the rear of the field at the break. The filly set a speed figure of one hundred four for the race. The most recent win for the filly was in a listed stakes race over six furlongs in Canada. This race was run in a much similar fashion, with the filly coming from far off the pace out of the gate to secure the victory by one and a quarter lengths. This Sunday will be the filly’s first start with Grade I company, though she is graded placed after finishing third in the Ferry Dust Handicap (G3).
8. Peachable – trotter13 – L. Radzinski – 9/1
With career earnings over a million and a Grade II win under her belt, the four-year-old bay filly will be making her twenty-first career start and second consecutive attempt at Grade I company. The most recent start for the filly was in Florida during The Princess Looney (G1) at six furlongs. Placed towards the rear of the field in the sprint, the filly was urged forward at the three-furlong mark to challenge and got up for a piece of the earnings on the board in third, three and a quarter lengths back while setting a speed figure of one hundred five. The filly most recently won the Real Danger Handicap (G2), also at six furlongs, in Belgium.
9. Itshelltogetold (SAF) – simsters4 – K. Banner – 6/1
The remaining horse in the field to already win a Grade I race, the four-year-old filly has also brought home just over a million in career earnings throughout her seventeen lifetime starts. The South African-bred brown filly is by the sire Var. She’s coming off a win in a listed stakes race at five and a half furlongs in Oregon. Out last from the gate in the small six horse field, the filly started to move in the stretch and took command in the stretch to win by a length and a quarter with a speed figure of one hundred seven. The filly’s lone graded win came in her two-year-old season during the Getaway Stakes (G1) at seven furlongs here in New York. Though off the board finishes, the filly also started in the 2020 Breeder’s Bowl Juvenile Filly (G1) as well as the 2021 Breeder’s Bowl F and M Sprint (G1).
10. Sunzer – rubiano06 – V. Elliott – 11/1
Stepping up in class to Grade I company, the four-year-old Kentucky-bred filly most recently started in The Best Flight (G2) here in New York at seven furlongs. Going straight to the lead out of the gate at the break, the filly would fade in the stretch to cross the wire tenth, setting a speed figure of one hundred two. She also ran a very similar style race in her prior start during the Vagabond Handicap (G2) at six and a half furlongs. The most recent win for the filly was under previous owner newastin9 during a six and a half furlong $150,000 tag claiming race, which was won by a head at the wire, the filly taking the race in gate to wire fashion. Look for this one to likely be the pacesetter at the break on Sunday.
11. Arya’s Dagger (ENG) – mightyforego36 – J. Sands – 5/1
The favorite for Sunday’s race, the bay mare is the first of two five-year-olds going to the gate on Sunday. Looking for her first Grade I win, though earning over a million in lifetime earnings and attaining a local championship title in England, the mare will be making her first start on the dirt this weekend after making twenty-three starts over the turf. The mare is out of the broodmare, Arya’s Storm, also a million-dollar earner who has produced three graded stakes winners to date. By Golden Horn (GB), the mare’s most recent start was in England during The Cup of July (G1) at six furlongs, which cumulated in the mare crossing the wire ninth, setting a speed figure of one hundred three. Her most recent win was just her prior start, this in France during The Cheyenne (G2) at five furlongs.
12. Geaux Saints Geaux (JPN) – zzteeszz – F. Gossett – 6/1
Last into the gate in the twelve post, the five-year-old mare will be taking a step up in class and returning to graded competition. The most recent start for the Japanese-bred mare came in Florida over an allowance race at four and a half furlongs. Breaking seventh at the start, the filly was urged to make her move at the two-furlong mark where she went on to narrowly finish in second, losing in a photo, while posting a speed figure of one hundred one. Her most recent win came during a listed stakes race in New Mexico at six and a half furlongs. The filly last started in a graded race in her three-year-old season during The Evil Prep II (G1) at seven and a half furlongs here in New York where she crossed the wire in seventh.
Flrancho’s Picks
Win: Peachable
Place: Infinite Energies
Show: Itshelltogetold (SAF)