The Lydia Test
The feature race this weekend here in Italy will be held on Saturday with the Group II The Lydia Test set to go off at 3:10 PM EST. The race is open to three-year-olds and up for the fillies and mares and will be held over a mile and a quarter on the turf. Set to go off over a firm course, the race, offering a total purse of $375,000 has drawn a field of nine horses, including two three-year-olds that will be taking on the older horses. Let’s take a look at the contenders going into the race.
- Wooton Til Impact (FR) – harrylan15 – E. Bernstein – 13/1
The first of the three-year-old fillies that will be taking on older horses for the first time will also be making a big jump in class in making her first group start with this race. The French-bred filly by Wooton Basset (GB) will be making her eighth lifetime start this weekend and her group debut. She is coming off two consecutive wins, both at the allowance level. Both of these races came in Victoria, Australia. The most recent on over a distance of ten furlongs, saw the filly set just off the pace of the front runners in third and overtake the lead midway through the race. She would go on to win by two and three-quarter lengths with a speed figure of one hundred eight, which is a lifetime best for the filly.
2. Mendelssohn Blaze – lordpye2 – C. Coker – 17/1
Next up we will have our second three-year-old in the race who will be returning to group rated company after taking a step down in class. The filly is the first American-bred filly to go into the gate for the race this weekend. Her most recent start was in Denmark last month during a listed stakes race over nine and a half furlongs. The filly set off towards the rear of the small field and began inching forward midway through the race, overtaking the lead late in the stretch, and going on to win by a quarter of a length with a speed figure of one hundred nine, which is a lifetime best speed figure for the filly. The most recent group start for the filly was in May during the Japanese Oaks (G1) at a mile and a half where she finished fourth.
3. Chemosh (IRE) – jackofoz0 – G. Moss – 5/1
In the third post, this four-year-old light grey filly will also be making her group debut in the race this weekend. The most recent start for the Irish-bred filly came during a listed stakes race in Texas this past June over nine and a half furlongs on good turf course. The filly settled off the pace towards the back of the small field and didn’t make her move until the field reached the stretch. She would win the race by two and a quarter lengths while setting a speed figure of one hundred eight. Prior to this she would start in another listed stakes in Brazil over ten furlongs, and though only crossing the wire in third, set a speed figure of one hundred twelve.
4. Choose A Hand (FR) – mortician – V. Land – 2/1
Tying for the oldest mare to go to the gate this weekend, this bay mare will be the first of two six-year-olds to go into the starting gate for this weekend. The French-bred mare by Redoute’s Choice most recently started in August during The Glen Is Falling Handicap (G3) at a mile and three-eighths in New York. Will off the pace when coming out of the gate, the mare quickly began to pick off other horses throughout the race. Midway through the race she had moved into fifth and she crossed third at the wire, set a speed figure of one hundred fourteen. The mare most recently won in January of last year during a listed stakes race over the same distance in Ireland.
5. Kentucky Champagne – andyannabarn – M. Bia – 5/1
Midway through our field for Saturday we will have our second six-year-old mare and second American-bred going into the gate and making her group debut. By Awesome Again, the bay mare most recently started in a listed stakes race in Norway over nine and a half furlongs. Setting just off the pace in third out of the gate, the mare would be overtaken in the stretch to finish seventh at the wire, setting a speed figure of one hundred one for the race. The most recent win for the mare was this past April during an allowance race over ten and a half furlongs in Ireland. In this race, she once again was held just off the pace of a few other horses, but won this race by a neck.
6. Pivitoal Finish (GB) – redhill3 – Je. Biagi – 11/1
Making her thirteenth career start in this race and her second group start, the four-year-old chestnut filly most recently started in Ireland during The Beat Up Ford (G2) over a mile and one-quarter. The filly by Pivotal was placed off the pace, holding onto eighth out of the starting gate in the race last month. She would cross the wire in tenth, setting a speed figure of ninety-six. The most recent win for the filly was this past July in Kentucky during an allowance race over ten furlongs. Much closer to the front running pace in this start, settling back in third at the break, the filly would quickly overtake the lead and would win by two and a half lengths.
7. Sea The Eagles (IRE) – sonsof2020 – M. Mills – 7/1
Making her first group start of the year after taking a step down in class for her more recent races, this four-year-old chestnut filly most recently ran in an allowance race over eight and a half furlongs here in Italy last month. The daughter of Gleneagles sat just off the pace in second out of the gate in this race but was caught up in the stretch with the oncoming late closers and ended up crossing the wire in third, setting a speed figure of one hundred two. The most recent win for the filly was in February during an allowance race over nine and a half furlongs on a good turf course. She would break in a similar fashion with being held just off the pace and would go on to win by a head. The most recent group start for the filly was June of last year during The Feeling Bad (G3) over a mile and one-eighth in Kentucky. She would finish fourth in the race.
8. Daddys Galileo (IRE) – jastables – V. Drosos – 5/1
Nearing the end of the field, our next filly is a four-year-old by top sire Galileo (IRE). The bay filly is looking for her first group win, though has placed in this level of competition. The most recent start for the filly came in Ireland during The Beat Up Ford (G2) at a mile and one-quarter last month. The filly came out of the gate and settled into third. She maintained this position for a majority of the race before attempting to make an early bid midway through the race before getting overtaken in the stretch to finish fourth, setting a speed figure of one hundred nine. Her most recent win was in February during an allowance race in Germany over the same distance. She was a little more closely placed out of the gate, right along with the frontrunner, whom the filly quickly overtook and led the field the rest of the way home to win by three and a quarter lengths.
9. Love And Form (JPN) – newastinz – N. Lebarache – 5/1
The finial filly to go to the post on Saturday is the only horse in the field to have previously won a group start. The Japanese-bred four-year-old filly most recently started last month in France during the Vermillion Stakes (G1) at a mile and a half. The brown filly was well off of the pace out of the gate, settling into tenth out of the gate at the start. She wouldn’t make her move until late in the stretch, but her bid for the front came too late as she would come up short in sixth while setting a speed figure of one hundred seven. Her most recent win was in June during The Landshark Oaks (G2) over the same distance in England. She would be well off the pace in this race as well, made her bid for the front earlier on in the race, and went on to win by two and a quarter lengths.
Flrancho’s Picks:
Win: Love And Form (JPN)
Place: Choose A Hand (FR)
Show: Daddys Galileo (IRE)