The Motherly Love Stakes
The feature race this Saturday in California is The Motherly Love Stakes (G1), which will be held at a mile on the turf. The race is open to three-year-olds and up. With a total purse being offered of $750,000, the race has drawn a highly competitive field of horses seeking to win the prestigious race. The track should be listed as firm at its post time of 3:00 PM EST. Let’s take a look through our field of fillies and mares.
- Sofi Ryan (AUS) – beerkeg20 – R. Hansen – 6/1
The most accomplished filling coming into the race on Saturday, the Australian-bred is an EOY winner and has been inducted into the Hall Of Fame. Sired by I Am Invincible (AUS), the four-year-old bay filly most recently started last month in England during the Queen Ascot Stakes (G1) at a mile She was forwardly placed out of the gate and didn’t make her move on the field until in the final furlongs where she would come up just a half furlong short for a second-place finish while setting a speed figure of one hundred nine. The filly had her most recent win this past July in France during The Start Up (G1), also at a mile. She was held more off the pace in this spot, back in sixth out of the gate. Urged to make her move midway through the race, she would go on to win by a length and three-quarters.
2. I’m Through – asrtapit0 – M. Buck – 23/1
The only American-bred filly to make the field for Saturday, the three-year-old light grey filly is by top sire Tapit The graded placed filly will be making her first start on the turf, having made all nine of her career starts so far on the dirt. Her most recent start came across the country in New York in late September during The Great Dame (G1) at a mile and one-eighth. She was late out of the gate in this race, taking the ninth spot early. Midway through the race she would gain a little ground on the field, but then fall back as the field came into the stretch and went on to cross the wire in eleventh, setting a speed figure of one hundred four. Her prior start was a winning one, coming at a mile in an allowance race at a mile. She was placed towards the back half of the field here as well but steadily began to pick off other runners early on. She would win the race by a length and a quarter. Out of a mare by Sadler’s Wells, the connections are hopeful that she will transition to the turf nicely for this debut.
3. Pivotal Speed (GB) – peterparker – N. Lawton – 9/1
Taking a step up in class this weekend after clinching her first graded win with her most recent start, the five=-year-old chestnut mare will be making her twelfth career start. Her most recent start was in early September during The Mother Stakes (G2) at a mile. The chestnut mare took the field from gate to wire, winning the race by two and a quarter length and setting a speed figure of one hundred fifteen. This is a lifetime best speed figure for the mare. Prior to this the best finish that the mare had been able to attain against graded company was in The Foul Mouth Stakes (G1) last year in England over a mile where she would cross the wire in sixth.
4. I Am In Command (AUS) – slowrollelite0 – C. Prichard – 14/1
Coming off of two nice efforts recently, the Australian-bred filly will be making her twenty-third career start. Her most recent start was this past September in her home country during the Golden Trinkett Stakes (G2) at seven furlongs. Held just off the pace at the start in fourth, she wouldn’t make her move until the final furlongs of the race when she surged forward to cross the wire in second, setting a speed figure of one hundred nine. She would have her most recent win in her start prior to this, which came in an allowance race over seven furlongs, also in Australia. Running in a similar fashion, the filly moved late to win the race by two and a half lengths. The filly is a Grade II winner, having won last years’ The Sandy Ring (G2) at a mile on a track rated as good.
5. Idiosyncratic Risk (AUS) – asrstar4 – A. Rolling – 15/1
Aiming to achieve her first graded victory for this race, the Australian-bred is another daughter of Invincible Spirit to make the field for this Saturday’s running. The four-year-old most recently started in Kentucky during The Last Woman (G1) at a mile this past September. Just off the pace of the front runner in second at the break, the filly would lose ground throughout the race to cross the wire in fourth, setting a speed figure of one hundred six. She has yet to secure a graded victory, her closest finish was a second-place performance in The Summer Handicap (G3) at six furlongs overseas in England this past July. Her most recent win was in January of this year with her debut for her four-year-old season which came in an allowance race over a mile where she took the field from gate to wire to win by one and three-quarter lengths.
6. Start Low (ENG) – cork3 – Z. Ayya – 68/1
Taking a big step up in class, the three-year-old filly is coming into this race after just breaking her maiden off of her twelfth start. This start came in the middle of October during a Maiden Special Weight race over a mile in England. She took the field from gate to wire in the race, ultimately winning by four and three-quarter lengths while setting a speed figure of one hundred two, which is a lifetime best for the daughter of Kingman. Despite just recently having won her first race, the bay filly has only finished out of the money twice in her career. Both of these races where in her first two starts.
7. Mixing It Up (GB) – liamswan22 – S. Tate – 5/1
Set up as the morning line favorite and by top sire Frankel, this five-year-old bay mare is returning to a firm track after having three consecutive starts that were held over off going. Her most recent start was in France in late September during the Prix Opera (G1) at a mile and a quarter. The mare was sent off towards the middle of the field out of the gate. She would mount a challenge midway through the race and be just off the front runners in fourth before being overtaken in the final furlongs and shuffled back to eighth at the wire. The mare set a speed figure of one hundred two over the yielding course. Her most recent win was the start prior to this, coming in late July during The Matchmaker (G3) at a mile and one eighth across the country in New Jersey. The mare went gate to wire in this race, once again over a yielding surface. She would win by two and a half lengths, attaining her first win against graded company.
8. Superstitious Star (IRE) – padrebri20 – F. Gossett – 9/2
Taking a step up in class to make her first start against Grade I company, this five-year-old mare is by the legendry Galileo (IRE), and will be making just her sixteenth career start on Saturday. Her most recent race was this past August in the Dell Web Mile (G2) here in California. Forwardly placed out of the gate, the mare quickly found herself in second after breaking third early. But in the finial furlongs of the race the mare would fade back to cross the wire in fifth, setting a speed figure of one hundred twelve. Her most recent win was also here in California this past June. The mare won The Call For Cash (G2) at a mile this past June after being rated back early in fourth. Once again the mare quickly started to challenge other horses early before going on to win the race by two and a quarter lengths.
9. Shademist Hill (IRE) – peeps13 – B. Scott – 5/1
The oldest mare to go to the gate on Saturday, this six-year-old will be making her twenty-third career start. Last racing in early September in her native Ireland during The Mother Stakes (G2) at a mile, the mare was held back towards the middle of the field at the break before being let loose towards the latter half of the race. She would cross the wire in third while setting a speed figure of one hundred twelve. We’ll have to go back to February for her most recent win which came here in California during The Mountain Vista (G2) at a mile. Sent out to the middle of the pack here as well, the mare had taken control of the pace at the midway point of the race and went on to win by a length and three-quarters.
10. Coagulate Plates (NZ) – cjt9 – C. Orza – 98/1
Coming back for a second attempt against a graded field, this New Zealand bred has only made one other graded start. This came in her most recent start which was earlier this month during The Rousey Sprint (G2) at six furlongs in Kentucky. She was well off the pace at the start of the race in tenth. Unfortunately, the three-year-old filly never fired in her graded debut and crossed the wire in eleventh while setting a speed figure of ninety. In late September she would make her second start against listed company of her career over six and a half furlongs overseas in South Korea. Much more forwardly placed here, coming out of the gate and setting just off the pace in second, the filly took command of the pace midway through the race and went on to win by two and three-quarter lengths, setting a lifetime best speed figure of ninety-nine. She will be the longshot of our field for Saturday.
11. Pinatubo Gal Moves (GB) – ddstables40 – A. Jolly – 6/1
A late entry into our field for this weekend, the five-year-old bay mare will be returning to graded stakes company after taking a step down in class to the allowance level for her last few races. Her most recent start was in an allowance race over eight and a half furlongs in Arkansas in late September. Facing a smaller field, the mare was out of the gate towards the middle of the pack and started picking off other runners almost immediately out of the gate. She took over control of the pace towards the middle of the race and went on to win by a daylight margin of five furlongs while setting a speed figure of one hundred fifteen, which is a lifetime best speed figure for the mare. She also won her prior start, also an allowance race, though over seven and a half furlongs in Texas. Her most recent graded start came this past May during The Board Game Distaff (G3) at a mile. She would cross the wire in sixth at this race.
12. Mood Ringu (JPN) – home – J. Piotrowski – 15/1
Seeking out her first graded win, the Japanese-bred mare is making her second start against graded company. She will be making her twentieth career start with this race on Saturday. The daughter of Duramente most recently started at her home track in Japan during the Fujimoto Turf Sprint (G1) at six furlongs. Coming out of the gate seventh, she would lose some ground part way through the race and then make a small comeback to cross the wire where she started in seventh while setting a speed figure of ninety-nine in her graded stakes debut. Her most recent win came in the UAE in late September during a listed stakes race over seven furlongs. The mare was more forwardly placed early in this race, rated just off the pace in third at the break. She began making her move midway through the race before eventually going on to win the race by a length and a half.
13. Sanjua Forever (GB) – haack04 – B. Orazio – 7/1
This five-year-old roan mare stands out in the field with her color and is hoping to make a comeback to graded stakes with her start this weekend. Sired by Pinatubo, the mare will be making her twenty-fifth career start this weekend. Her most recent start was in an allowance race over a mile in Florida this past September. The mare was out of the gate sharply and settled just off the pace in second. She wouldn’t be asked to make her move until late in the race. She would go by her adversary in the final furlongs to pull off the win by three and a quarter lengths. The mare would set a speed figure of one hundred eight for the race. She hasn’t started in a graded race since February where she ran here in California during The Mountain Vista (G2) at a mile. She was well off the pace early in this race, trailing most of the field in ninth after coming out of the gate. She would make a late attempt in the stretch, but would cross the wire off the board in sixth. She has won one graded stakes, most recently The Last Woman (G1) at a mile last year in Kentucky.
Flrancho’s Picks:
Win: Sofi Ryan (AUS)
Place: Superstitious Star (IRE)
Show: Shademist Hill (IRE)