The Pittsburgh Stayer
The highlight race this weekend in Pennsylvania will be The Pittsburgh Stayer (G2) which will be held this Saturday with a post time of 2:50 PM EST. The race, which will held over two miles on the dirt, will be run over a good track for this years’ running and is open to fillies and mares four years old and up. Offering a total purse of $375,000, the race has drawn in a small field of six starters.
- Secret Heir (AUS) – lasthope1 – S. Gravina – 6/1
The first of two fillies going to the gate to be sired by Triple Crown winner Justify, this four-year-old chestnut will be going into the spot on the inside rail. The most recent start for the filly was last December in Mexico over a track also listed as good in a listed stakes race over eleven and a half furlongs. Last out of the gate in the four-horse field, the filly made her move midway through the race and went on to win the race by three lengths with a speed figure of one hundred seven, which was a lifetime best for the filly. The most recent graded start for the filly was last June during the Oaks de Swedish (G3) at a mile and a half, which she also won by three.
2. More Than Eir – daniel – I. Thomas – 33/1
The longest shot on the board for the race, this brown filly will be making her graded stakes debut. The daughter of More Than Ready will be taking a big step up in class from her most recent start which was overseas in Engand during an allowance race over fourteen furlongs. The filly led the four-horse field from gate to wire and scored an impressive margin of victory of twenty-two and a quarter lengths, though only setting a speed figure of fifty-four. She won her last five starts and has finished out of the money only twice in her seven career starts.
3. Nuka Stunner – thethumb5 – G. Giant – 7/2
The first of our fillies to already cross the one-million-dollar mark in career earnings, this bay mare has won her last five consecutive starts. The six-year-old is also one of the older runners in Saturday’s race. The most recent start for the brown mare was in Italy during The Saturday Night Gril (G1) at two miles. Held off the pace early on in seventh out of the gate, she was urged to make her move midway through the race and eventually going on to win by a length with a speed figure of one hundred five. Her five-race winning streak also included a victory in The All Nighter (G3). The mare has finished on the board for each of her four starts taking place over an off track.
4. Isitmyfrank – allgalileo15 – N. Ambrose – 7/5
Next up we have our second filly sired by Justify going into the gate. The five-year-old mare has made twenty-two lifetime starts and will be making a return the dirt this weekend after several starts over the turf. The chestnut mare most recently started last December during the Miami Beach Turf Stakes (G2) at a mile and a half in Florida. Placed towards the middle of the field out of the gate, the mare made her big move in the stretch to cross the wire in second, recording a speed figure of one hundred fourteen, which equaled a lifetime best for the mare that was originally set during an allowance race. Her most recent start over the dirt was this past May during an allowance race over eleven furlongs which she won by two and three-quarter lengths.
5. Winter Behind – corza0 – C. Pendell – 5/1
Sired by Summer Front, this five-year-old bay mare most recently started in December during The Empire State Stayer (G1) over a mile and three-quarters. The mare crossed the wire in seventh after never finding her stride in the race, setting a speed figure of ninety-eight. Her most recent win was January of last year during a listed stakes race over fourteen furlongs in New Jersey. The mare is graded placed, crossing the wire second in last years’ The Charlotte Cup (G3) over a mile and three-quarters on the dirt. Tried on both the dirt and turf, the mare has a lone start on an off track in which she finished third.
6. Jabuk Annoy – chatham03 – J. Scott – 2/1
Last into the starting gate for our race on Saturday, the six-year-old daughter of Tapit has won over two million in career earnings over her twenty-four lifetime starts. The most recent of these starts was in The Empire State Stayer (G1) at a mile and three quarters. Out of the starting gate and setting off the pace towards the middle of the field, the filly wouldn’t gain much ground on the other contenders when she crossed the wire in fifth while recording a speed figure of one hundred two. The more most recently won in February of last year during The Miss Bourbon Street (G3) over the same distance. The mare was further bac off the pace in this race, made her move midway through the race and won by five and a quarter lengths.
Flrancho’s Picks:
Win: Nuka Stunner
Place: Isitmyfrank
Show: Secret Heir (AUS)