Union Jack Flyer Stakes
The feature race in California this weekend is the Union Jack Flyer Stakes (G1) which is held over a mile on the dirt and is open to fillies and mares three-years-old and up. There will a total purse of $500,000 offered up to the fillies and mares running in this year’s contest which is named after one of the sim’s famed race. Despite the threat of rain earlier in the week, the track has come up as fast for the weekend which has drawn a field of nine. The race is set to go off on Saturday with a post time of 2:40 PM EST. Let’s take a look at this year’s contenders.
- Seeking Requiem – outsiders – C. Orza – 7/2
Drawing the inside rail and seeking her first Grade I win of her career, the five-year-old mare is by Munnings and will be making her nineteenth career start this Saturday. Most recently starting here in California in early February during the Santa Marina Handicap (G1) at a mile and one-sixteenth, she was sent out of the gate in second but midway through the race she would start to fall back before ultimately finishing in ninth with a speed figure of one hundred five. She would win her prior two consecutive races before this, The Barbacoa Handicap (G2) here in California over the same distance and the Good Times Handicap (G2) over a mile overseas in the United Arab Emirates.
2. Howcanibeblamed – asrstar7 – L. Radzinski – 6/1
In the second slot, this five-year-old mare is by the late Uncle Mo. Making her nineteenth career start on Saturday, the bay mare most recently started here in California during the Sand Storm Stakes (G1) at seven and a half furlongs. Well off the pace at the start, she settled into twelfth at the start and was held back until the stretch where she showed an impressive turn of front to get up for second while setting a speed figure of one hundred twelve. Her most recent win came across the country in New York in August of last year during The Big Apple Distaff (G1) at six and a half furlongs. She was closer to the pace in this race, stalking the pace from fifth. She began making her move midway through the race before going on to win by a length and a half.
3. Into Bookworms – herren – R. Bokie – 9/1
Sired by top sire Into Mischief, the scratch bred four-year-old bay filly has career earnings of nearly a million and a half. Her most recent race, like most of the field, came here in California. This was in the Original Margherita Invitational (G1) in late February over a mile and one-eighth. Towards the middle of the field in seventh at the start, she would start to fade in the stretch and would cross the wire in eleventh while setting a speed figure of one hundred four. June saw her most recent win across the country in New York during the Sister Hen Stakes (G1) over the same distance. Stalking early from third, she made her move in the stretch to win by a margin of three-quarters of a length.
4. Take The Cone Off – givenhot2 – K. Proehl – 6/1
With the highest career earnings in the field, this four-year-old daughter of Tapit has earnings just over two million in a total of fifteen career starts. Her most recent race was here in California in late February of this year during the Original Margarita Invitational (G1) at a mile and one-eighth. Going gate to wire in the race, she hung on narrowly by half a length while setting a speed figure of one hundred thirteen. In her last race of the 2025 racing season, she would place fourth in the Breeders Bowl Distaff (G1) over the same distance, also here in California.
5. Friends Of Friends – flightlineasr – V. Jef – 6/1
With the most career starts of any of the fillies and mares for this weekends race, this five-year-old bay mare sired by Flightline has made twenty-one lifetime starts. Her most recent start came in late February during the Sand Storm Stakes (G1) at seven and a half furlongs here in California. Breaking well off the pace in tenth, she wouldn’t be asked to challenge the other runners until the field made their way into the stretch. While she put in a valiant effort, the mare would only get up for seventh at the wire while setting a speed figure of one hundred seven. Her most recent win was in August of last year, also here in California, during the Oh My Sweet Clementine (G1) at a mile and one-eighth over a track rated as good. Closer to the pace in this race, stalking from fourth, she would take over the lead in the stretch to win by a quarter of a length.
6. Clontarfy – saughduss – J. Dizzle – 4/1
At six-years-old this mare is the oldest contender running in the race this Saturday. Sired by Flatter, she is the top dirt routing older filly and has career earnings approaching two million dollars. The scratch bred bay mare most recently started here in California during The Santa Marina Handicap (G1) at a mile and one-sixteenth. Striking out to the lead right out of the gate, she would fade back in the stretch to cross the wire in fourth while setting a speed figure of one hundred seven. Her most recent win was in September of last year in New Mexico during the Are We There Yet Mile (G1). She took the lead and went from gate to wire in the race, posting a speed figure of one hundred thirteen.
7. Generational Divide – flightlineasr0 – A. Jolly – 6/1
Making her nineteenth start this weekend, the five-year-old daughter of Flightline most recently started last month across the country in Florida during The Davey Jones Handicap (G2) at seven furlongs. Stalking the pace early from fifth, she would gradually lose ground throughout the race before eventually crossing the wire in eighth. She would set a speed figure of one hundred and three for the race. We would have to go back to September of last year for her most recent win, which came right here in California during The Bra Snap (G1) at a mile and one-sixteenth over a fast track. Out of the gate sharply and stalking from second, she took the lead in the stretch to win narrowly by a neck.
8. Annie Davis – xpansion96 – H. Ross – 8/1
Just the second mare in the field to have not already won a Grade I race, the four-year-old is lightly raced with just fourteen career starts. Sired by Not This Time, the filly is out of graded placed dam Game Night. Her most recent start came in Kentucky in late February during The Swift Kick Mile (G2). Off the pace in tenth out of the gate, she would steadily gain ground throughout the mile long race before hitting the board with a third-place finish and posting a speed figure of one hundred nine. Her most recent win came in New York in August of last year during The Summer Fling (G2) at a mile. Seventh out of the gate, she would again start to put away other contenders early before winning by a quarter of a length.
9. Landed Joke – asrblue1 – J. Benisz – 13/1
In the far outside post, the four-year-old filly will be going off as the longshot on Saturday. With fourteen career starts the bay filly is sired by Practical Joke and is out of the Grade I winning dam Deep Pact (JPN). Her most recent start was here in California last February during the Sand Storm Stakes (G1) at seven and a half furlongs. Stalking from second early, she would fall back in the stretch to cross the wire in tenth while setting a speed figure of one hundred three. We would find her most recent win in July of last year across the country in New York during the Exam Stakes (G1) at seven furlongs. She took the field from gate to wire in this race, winning by a length.
Flrancho’s Picks:
Win: Take The Cone Off
Place: Clontarfy
Show: Howcanibeblamed