Orange Blossom
The feature race this week in Arkansas is the Orange Blossom (G1) , which will be held over a mile and one-sixteenths on the dirt. The race is open to fillies and mares, four-years of age and up. The prestigious race, offering a total purse amount of $750,000 has attracted a full field of fourteen for this years’ running. With a post time of 3:00 PM EST for this Saturday, the race looks like it is set to go off over a fast track at post time. Let’s take a look through the contenders for this year’s race.
- Cafecito – trooper – B. Scott – 6/1
Drawing the inside rail, this five-year-old mare is by Candy Ride and will be making her twentieth career start in the race this weekend. The brown mare is coming off of three consecutive wins, most recently winning The Swapsco Kitty Stakes (G1) at a mile and one-sixteenth in Florida. The mare took the field from gate to wire in all three of these recent wins, the most recent by a convincing two lengths and a speed figure of one hundred seventeen. Her two other wins are rounded out by The Exist Stage Left (G3) and a listed stakes race in West Virginia, both over the same distance.
2. Social Tool – worldclass3 – D. Rodgers – 8/1
Next up is the first of our two fillies in the race to be sired by Tapit. This four-year-old light grey filly has thirteen lifetime starts. The most recent start for the Kentucky-bred was in California during The Santa Marina Handicap (G1) over a mile and one-sixteenth. Held just off the pace early in third, the filly steadily gained ground on the front runners, eventually going on to win the race by one and three-quarter lengths with a speed figure of one hundred twenty. This was just her second graded start, her first coming in The Jungle Runner (G1) last December in Idaho where she finished fourth.
3. Super Speights – uscsteve3 – J. Sands – 14/1
By the late sire Speightstown, this four-year-old filly has drawn the third post for Saturday’s race and will be making just her thirteenth career start. Her most recent race came in Florida last month during the Swapsco Kitty Stakes (G1) over a mile and one sixteenth. Out of the gate well off the pace and held back in eleventh at the start, the filly would make her move midway through the race. Despite putting in an impressive closing effort in the final furlongs, the filly would come up short with a fourth-place finish while setting a speed figure of one hundred eleven. Her most recent win was in August of last year during a listed stakes race over a mile in Delaware. More forwardly placed in fourth out of the gate early, the filly would win by a head at the wire.
4. Just Regal – scout1 – F. Duffy – 10/1
Winning almost two million in lifetime earnings to date, this five-year-old daughter of Triple Crown winner Justify will be making her twenty-fifth start on Saturday. The Kentucky-bred mare most recently started in a listed stakes race in Minnesota over a mile. Setting just off the pace early in fourth out of the gate, she would lose ground over the course of the eight-furlong race, coming home to cross the wire in seventh with a speed figure of one hundred five. Her most recent win was in July of last year in New York in a listed stakes race over seven furlongs. Also, back early off the pace in this race, she would make her move midway through the race to win by one and a quarter lengths. Her most recent graded win was January of last year during The Everclear Handicap (G1) in California.
5. Storm Swallower – stormborn3 – N. Lawton – 18/1
The second Tapit-sired filly as well as the second million-dollar earner in Saturday’s race, this four-year-old light grey filly is making her second start of the year. Her most recent start came across the country in The Everclear Handicap (G1) at seven furlongs in late January. Second out of the gate, the filly was shuffled back in the final furlongs to cross the wire in wire in fifth while setting a speed figure of one hundred five. Her most recent win was in September of last year during The Bambina Mile (G1) in Kentucky. She led the field from start to finish in the mile long contest, winning by a length and a half.
6. Bernard’s Queen – ddstables9 – A. Jolly – 11/1
Returning to graded company after a brief step down in class for her most recent start, this five-year-old mare is a daughter of Bernardini. Making her three most recent starts all in California, the mare most recently raced in an eight-and-a-half-furlong allowance race this past January. She faced a short field of five in this race, and came out of the gate nearly last in fourth. She maintained this position until making her move in the stretch, overtaking the other runners in the field and winning by a head with a speed figure posted of one hundred nine. Her most recent graded start was November of last year during The Barbacoa Handicap (G2), also in California over the same distance. She would finish ninth in this race.
7. Candy On Ice – magical – S. Tate – 8/1
The second filly of the race to be sired by Candy Ride, this four-year-old is also shipping into Arkansas from California. Her most recent start was the early part of last month during The Canada (G2) at a mile and one-eighth. Coming out of the starting gate and settling into the back half of the field, the filly was urged to make her move midway through the race. She would cross the wire first by two lengths, setting a speed figure of one hundred nineteen. Her only other start for this year was in January and came in The Encino Man (G2) over a mile and one-sixteenth, also in California. She would finish second in this start.
8. Rags And Emperors – southforkstable – V. Jennings – 20/1
Towards the middle of the starting gate we will have our longshot for Saturday’s race. The four-year-old light grey filly will be making her first start of the year in this race, the fifteenth start in her racing career. The most recent start for the daughter of Union Rags came last November during The Barbacoa Handicap (G2) at a mile and one-sixteenth out in California. Coming out of the gate and settling towards the back half of the field early, the filly wouldn’t make her move until the field entered the stretch. She would come up just short to cross the wire in second, just three-quarters of a length of the pace while setting a speed figure of one hundred twelve. Her most recent win was in November of 2022 during the Golden Red Stakes (G2), held in Kentucky over the same distance.
9. Point For Points (CAN) – moletosis – R. Bokie – 9/1
In the ninth post we will have this Canadian-bred mare who is seeking out her first graded win. The bay mare has made two starts this year, the most recent of which came in the Original Margherita Invitational (G1) at a mile and one eighth in California in late February. The mare was held well off the pace early in the race, ninth out of the gate. She never field in the race, crossing the wire where she started in ninth, while setting a speed figure of one hundred two. Her most recent win came in January during a listed stakes race over nine and a half furlongs in Washington on a track rated as good at post time. Slightly more forwardly placed out of the gate in the middle of the pack, the mare would kick into gear in the stretch and go on to win by a length and a half.
10. Blocks Out The Sun – thezoo13 – R. Cerda – 6/1
This five-year-old light grey mare is back for her second graded start in this race. Making her graded stakes debut in her last start during The Azeri Breeders Bowl (G3) at a mile and one sixteenth, the daughter of Constitution settled into the middle of the field out of the gate. The mare didn’t make her move until already in the stretch, and came up just short to finish third, two and a quarter lengths off the pace, in her graded stakes debut. She set a speed figure of one hundred twelve for the race. Her most recent win was this past January during an eight and a half furlong listed stakes race in Louisiana where she took the lead from gate to wire, winning by a quarter of a length.
11. Brand New Capper (GB) – lordpye3 – AJ Parker – 12/1
Despite her turf pedigree, this four-year-old chestnut filly has been very successful over the dirt, winning her last five consecutive starts. The most recent start for the daughter of New Approach (IRE) came late last month in a listed stakes race over eight and a half furlongs overseas in South Korea. Late out of the gate and settling back early in tenth, the filly started to advance on the rest of the field when they entered the midway point of the race, eventually overtaking the front runners to go on to win the race by one and a quarter lengths and setting a speed figure of one hundred fifteen. Her other four consecutive wins were all at the allowance level. The filly will be making her graded stakes debut in this Saturday’s race.
12. Bring Ur Best Oil – almightymi – J. Dizzle – 10/1
By top sire Into Mischief, this four-year-old chestnut filly will be making her eighteenth lifetime start this weekend. Out of the three-time graded producing broodmare Bring Your Bulbs, the chestnut filly most recently started in the Original Margherita Invitational (G1) last month at a mile and one-eighth. Well off the pace leaving the gate in eleventh, the filly started picking off other runners midway through the race but only managed to cross the wire in sixth, setting a speed figure of one hundred eleven for her effort in the race. She would win her prior race, taking place in January, during an allowance race over a mile on the turf. While facing a short field of seven horses, the filly left the gate in fifth, once again not making her move until midway through the race.
13. Shimmer And Fade – thezoo12 – E. Banner – 8/1
Nearing the end of our field for Saturday, we have this five-year-old roan mare by Medaglia d’Oro who will be making her graded stakes debut in this race. By the HOF broodmare Shimmerstrike, who has produced four other graded winners, this could be an interesting one to keep an eye on this weekend. The mare is coming into this race off of two consecutive wins, most recently in a listed stakes race in Virginia over a mile. Breaking out of the gate well off the pace in eleventh, the mare gradually started to sneak up on other horses midway through the race before kicking into another gear in the stretch, going on to win the race by three-quarters of a length. Her other win came in January during an eight furlong allowance race in Kentucky.
14. Candy Two Floss – 73away – F. Mac – 18/1
The final horse to go into the starting gate in the far outside post for this Saturday’s race is this four-year-old filly by Twirling Candy, who has eclipsed the million-dollar mark in career earnings; the third horse in Saturday’s field to have accomplished that feat in earnings. The brown filly has made only one other start so far this year, which came last month in The Rancho Dash (G1) over six furlongs. Breaking sixth in the eight-horse field, the filly started to pick up the pace midway through the race, but she ran out of ground at the wire to finish fourth, setting a speed figure of one hundred four for the race. Her most recent win was in June of last year during the Chestnut Stakes (G1) over a mile in New York. Farther off the pace in this race, tenth out of the gate, the filly was gradually picking off other runners throughout the eight furlongs. She had gained the lead by the time the field entered the stretch and went on to win the race by a length and a half.
Flrancho’s Picks:
Win: Cafecito
Place: Candy On Ice
Show: Social Tool