Scuzzy South Stakes
This weekend we will see the running of two graded stakes races in Ontario. The second of these races, to be held on Sunday, is the Scuzzy South Stakes (G3) set to be run at six furlongs on the turf. The sprint will be open to fillies and mares, three years of age and up with a total purse being offered of $150,000. With a post time set for 3:00 PM EST and clear skies setting up a firm course for Sunday’s running, this year’s running of the race has attracted eight starters. Let’s take a glance through the contenders.
- World Drama – skankyo1 – A. Scheper – 6/1
Drawing the inside rail and taking a big step up in class in this race, this five-year-old grey mare is by Liam’s Map. The light grey mare will be making her graded stakes debut on Sunday after running the majority of her career in the claiming and starter allowance ranks. The most recent start for the mare came in late June during a starter allowance race over seven and a half furlongs in Pennsylvania. Breaking fourth out of the five horse field, the mare didn’t make her move until halfway through the sprint before going on to win the contest by a length with a speed figure of one hundred. This was the sixth consecutive win for the mare, all of these victories coming at either the claiming or starter allowance level.
2. Bruises (AUS) – speedkills – B. Child – 7/2
Going for her second group victory in this race, this Australian-bred filly most recently started in New York during the CVBear’s Hometown Turf Stakes (G1) at six and a half furlongs. The bay filly was one of the last out of the gate at the start. She wouldn’t make her bid until late in the race, which may have been to late as she crossed the wire to finish sixth, setting a speed figure of one hundred four. Her most recent win was in the race before this, coming last April in the Las Vegas Handicap (G3) over the same distance. Again, the last out of the gate, the filly started to make her move at the midway point of the race before going on to win her graded stakes debut by a length.
3. Chester’s Angel (IRE) – attalaq – B. Vanhorse – 5/1
Another light grey will be in the third slot, this one looking for her first graded stakes win. At sixteen lifetime starts, she is graded placed, coming close to victory on numerous occasions. The most recent start for the four-year-old filly came last June in the Equinics – The Research Stakes (G1) at six furlongs in France. Placed towards the front at third out of the gate early on, the filly started to fall back at the midway point of the race before going on to cross the wire in eighth. In April she would cross the wire second in the Las Vegas Handicap (G2) at six and a half furlongs, marking her most recent near miss at graded victory. She last won in November at the allowance level over six and a half furlongs in New Zealand.
4. Cheerful Coroner (JPN) – kentuckiana28 – J. Lowich – 7/2
Making just the second graded start of her career, the Japanese-bred mare has been working through her conditions quickly as of late, coming into this race off her first listed stakes win. This start came right here in Ontario over six furlongs this past April. Drawing the far outside in a field of seven, the mare was out of the gate in fifth at the break. She wouldn’t make her move until near the end of the race, winning the listed sprint by a length while setting a speed figure of one hundred eight. Her only other graded stakes attempt came last year, also here in Ontario, during The Liz Taylor (G1) at a mile and a quarter where she finished a distanced tenth.
5. Got Their Limits – darkdancer – D. Post – 9/1
Coming into this race off of two consecutive wins, the five-year-old bay mare will be making her graded stakes debut this Sunday. The daughter of More Than Ready most recently started last June during a listed stakes race in Argentina over five furlongs. The mare came out of the gate one of the last and was held off the pace of the front runners for most of the race. She was urged to make her move midway through the race before she went on to win by a quarter of a length with a speed figure of ninety-nine. She also won her prior start, another listed stakes race though held in Texas over five and a half furlongs.
6. Aimonare – milkbar – B. McMurray – 6/1
Seeking out her first graded win, the five-year-old bay mare most recently started in the Ulrika Knape Sprint (G3) at five furlongs in Sweden over a yielding course. Off a beat slow at the start, the mare nearly broke last but made up some ground towards the final furlongs where she got up to cross the wire in fifth, setting a speed figure of ninety-eight. The most recent start for the mare came in August of last year during a listed stakes race in Australia. Once again, nearly last out of the gate, she put in a big run down the stretch to win by a quarter length.
7. Hollow Sophia (GER) – aimhigh – G. Garbaccio – 9/2
This four-year-old filly will be making her graded stakes debut in her twenty-fist career start. The daughter of Soldier Hollow is coming into this race off a recent win in allowance company over six and a half furlongs overseas in Ireland. The bay filly went straight to the lead out of the gate and took the field from gate to wire in the race, winning by one and three-quarter lengths with a speed figure of one hundred six. Prior to this the filly finished second in a five furlong listed stakes race over good going in Italy. The filly briefly gained thee lead before coming into the final furlongs before being overtaken to finish just three-quarter lengths behind. A listed stakes start prior to this resulted in the filly becoming a listed stakes winner.
8. Fast As F (AUS) – rtstables – P. Andrews – 8/1
Drawing the far outside post this four-year-old light grey filly is lightly raced with just thirteen lifetime starts, making her the lightest raced filly in the field for Sunday. The Australian-bred daughter of Zousain is group placed but is still looking for that hard to get win. Her most recent start was last month in New York during the CVBear’s Hometown Turf Stakes (G1) at six and a half furlongs. Breaking towards the middle of the field leaving the gate, the filly would start to fall back at the midway point before crossing the wire in tenth, setting a speed figure of ninety-eight. Her best finish in a graded stakes came in last April with a third place finish in the Las Vegas Handicap (G3) over the same distance. October of last year was the filly’s most recent win, this coming against allowance company over six furlongs in Hong Kong.
Flrancho’s Picks:
Win: Bruises (AUS)
Place: Cheerful Coroner (JPN)
Show: Hollow Sophia (GER)