Yanta Snez Stakes

The first graded stakes for this Saturday’s card in California is the Yanta Snez (G2) where eleven three-year-old fillies will be taking center stage over seven furlongs on the main track. The purse for the race will come to $375,000. With light rain coming in the day prior to the race, it looks like the track will probably be listed as good at post time for the elven fillies going to the starting gate. Let’s take a look at the field.  

1. Fly Away Jazz (ARG) – futahjazz1 – L. Radzinski – 6/1 

First up and into the inside post, this light grey filly has finished off the board just once in her career, this coming in her debut race in Louisianna at six and a half furlongs. Most recently, however, the filly started in Idaho during a listed stakes race at seven and a half furlongs. The filly went straight to the front, as seems to be her preferred running style, but was caught at the final furlongs to finish second, back by one and a quarter lengths. The filly set a lifetime best speed figure of ninety-three in this race. Her prior start, also in a listed stakes, but over seven furlongs, resulted in a win by a length and a half. This Saturday will be the filly’s first start in a graded stakes. 

2. Aela The Huntress – phillipj – A. Jolly – 6/1 

Next up will be the first filly in our field with a graded win already under her belt. The bay daughter of Curlin most recently started in Arizona during the Mistaken Soda Identity Stakes (G3) at a mile and one sixteenth. The Kentucky-bred filly broke towards the rear of the field out of the gate but made up a lot of the ground during the stretch to finish ninth, back off the pace by five and three-quarter lengths while setting a speed figure of ninety-one, a lifetime best speed figure for the filly. Her most recent win, and her graded win, came in the Lean Machine Stakes (G2) in Michigan at six and a half furlongs. The filly won in come-from-behind fashion by a length and a quarter. 

3. Post Run – giroux28 – K. Proehl – 5/1 

The first offspring to the track for allowance-winning broodmare G Street, the Kentucky-bred filly is by Nyquist and is looking for her first graded win, after nearly tasting victory in the Mistaken Soda Identity Stakes (G3) where she finished second. Her most recent start came here in California late in the two-year-old season during the Movieland Starlet (G1) at a mile and one sixteenth. Towards the rear of the field out of the gate like she was in her prior race, the filly never gained ground on the pack and crossed the wire ten and a half lengths back during her first try in Grade I company. She’s taking a small step back in class this weekend and connections are confident the filly will improve. Her most recent win came in her home state of Kentucky during an allwoance race at a mile and one sixteenth. 

4. Rocks The Ocean (IRE) – lightng106 – N. Lawton – 21/1 

Making her first start over the dirt this weekend, the Irish-bred filly is by Crystal Ocean (GB) and out of broodmare Colac Thunder. The chestnut filly most recent started in her home country in Ireland during the More Glare Stakes (G1) at seven furlongs on the turf. The filly broke towards the middle of the field as the race went off but fell back throughout the sprint, crossing the wire in tenth. The most recent win for the filly was in her maiden debut, held in France over five furlongs on a good turf track. She won by a length, with a debut speed figure of sixty-four in January. 

5. Zappote – tarton10 – E. Seifert – 9/1 

Last raced in October of her two-year-old season, the brown filly is by top sire Ghostzapper. The filly will be making another attempt at graded stakes, her connections hoping the filly has improved as an early three-year-old. Most recently the filly was started in Vermont during the Happy Halloween (G1) at seven and a half furlongs. Breaking fourth out of the gate in the fourteen-horse field, the filly would finish fifth, just three lengths off the pace. She set a lifetime best speed figure of ninety-one. The filly won her prior start, this a listed stakes at seven furlongs in Illinois by one and a quarter lengths.  

6. Timetorecyclenames – hillndale – F. Gossett – 7/1 

Making just her second graded start of her career, the light gray filly has been quite accomplished in her eight lifetime starts, already bringing home over $200,000 in lifetime earnings. The most recent start for the filly came in Maryland over seven furlongs in a listed stakes race over seven furlongs. Out of the gate last in the seven horse field, the filly began to advance to the front midway through the sprint, coming home to win by a length with a lifetime best speed figure of ninety-four. The only graded start for the filly to date came in Canada over six and a half furlongs in the Hoserhead Juvenile Fillies (G2), which was also run over a good dirt course like the filly will again be facing this Saturday.  

7. Rocks Street – millview20 – Q. Piekarski – 35/1 

The longshot for Saturday’s race, the light gray filly is by Volatile and out of graded placed broodmare Breaking Sense. The filly is lightly raced with just three lifetime starts, two of which have resulted in wins for the connections of the filly. Her most recent start came overseas in Sweden during an allowance race over seven furlongs. The filly held on to win narrowly by a head at the wire, setting a speed figure of seven. She’d previously also won her maiden on her second start, this coming at six and a half furlongs in England by two and a half furlongs with a lifetime best speed figure of seventy-four. 

8. Toga D’Oro – uscsteve7 – J. Sands – 5/1 

Taking a step up in class to graded stakes after securing her first listed stakes win, the chestnut filly will be making her sixth career start this weekend. The most recent start for the filly came in Oklahoma during a seven and a half furlong listed stakes race. The filly took the race in wire-to-wire fashion, winning by three-quarters of a length and setting a lifetime best speed figure of ninety-three. The filly also won two consecutive starts prior to this listed stakes, both at the allowance level. Two of the filly’s wins have also come over dirt tracks with off conditions, which may be favorable for her this weekend.  

9. Spring Melt – plowguy2 – D. Givins – 9/2 

In the nine post, sired by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, this bay filly is the only filly going into the gate to have won a Grade I race. Ranked as the third best filly in dirt sprints early in the season, the filly had a bit of a disappointing last start, which came in Canada during the mile long Reflection Futurity (G3). The filly was out of the gate eighth, towards the middle of the pack, gained some ground late, but faded in the final furlongs to finish ninth, though setting a lifetime best speed figure of ninety-five. She is also one of the more experienced fillies in the field, making nine lifetime starts as a two-year-old. Prior to her off the board finish in the Reflection, the filly won seven consecutive races, including the Dell Computer Debutante (G1) and Hoserhead Juvenile Fillies (G2), at seven furlongs and six and a half furlongs respectively.  

10. Beat The Buzzer – jcasino – T. Ace – 10/1 

A Grade III winner at six lifetime starts, the light gray filly is by Knicks Go, and is the first offspring to race out of Grade I and million dollar earning broodmare Donovan’s Dial. The filly most recently started in Vermont during the Happy Halloween over seven and a half furlongs. Breaking towards the rear of the field, thirteenth out of the gate, the filly gained some ground down the stretch to finish ninth, five and a quarter lengths off the pace in the seven and a half furlong race. The filly has won two graded statkes to date, The Schoolerville (G3) and the Butterfly Futurity (G3), both at six furlongs.  

11. Chucks Shot – derekcarlson6 – K. Murano – 9/1 

Last to go into the gate this weekend, the brown filly by Uncle Chuck will be making her second start in a graded race. With seven starts to date, the filly last raced at a mile and a sixteenth during a listed stakes race in November of her two-year-old season. Held in Kentucky, the filly broke out of the gate late in tenth, though she made up a lot of the ground down the stretch, crossing the wire fifth, off the pace by three and a half lengths. Though off the board, this finish brought the filly a lifetime best speed figure of eighty-nine. The most recent win for the filly came in New York during a listed stakes at seven furlongs. Her only graded start to date came in Idaho during the Stoker Handicap (G2) at six and a half furlongs. The filly finished ninth in this attempt.  

Flrancho’s Picks 

Win: Spring Melt 

Place: Beat The Buzzer 

Show: Flyaway Jazz