Equinics – Penn National
The Penn National provides an opportunity for 2 year old fillies to make a splash on the international scene. Set at 6 furlongs on the dirt, these young debutantes are set to fly.
Penn National hosted multiple champion John Henry in his early days, who won the Chocolatetown Handicap there. DelPenn would dearly love to win this race. But, there is a host of fillies standing between them and Equinics gold. Let’s meet the hopefuls:
Leading the post parade is Queensland’s representative, Roses for Jane, a husky dark bay filly by Roses in May out Stormy Jane. The bloodlines are rich here – Stormy Jane’s dam, Amanda Jane, is in the Hall of Fame, and was a bronze medallist in the 2002 Equinics. Amanda Jane has been as stellar a broodmare as she was on the racecourse, and one of her graded stakes winners was Stormy Jane. Stormy Jane has already produced two stakes winners, and despite her size, Roses for Jane has gotten off to a quick start. After just missing in her debut, the sirwalter trainee has won two straight, the latest an allowance at this distance, posting a 75 SF in the process. Lots to like, especially at odds of 15/1.
Vermont has Quartz Way, a compact chocolate-hued filly by Here Comes Ben out of Diamond Heights, a G2 winner sprinting on the turf, although she was stakes-placed on the dirt. She is also the dam of Noe Valley, a G1 winner sprinting on the turf. So, it is somewhat curious that Quartz Way started her career on the dirt. She is a deep closer with a late kick, winning the Vermont Freshman Sires Series at this distance over an off track with a 78 SF, then was a belated sixth in her graded stakes debut. Clearly wants to go longer, and if the early fractions are honest, look out for socalman’s filly coming down the stretch.
The Yoss residency presents Razzberry Cushion. The chestnut daughter of Eskendreya is out of Just for Laughs, who dropped down to the maiden claiming ranks to break her maiden, but went on to win three stakes, and just missed the bronze in the 2010 Equinics. Razzberry Cushion won at first asking, then fell just short in the Arizona Shoot-Out Special-G3 over a sloppy track. Most recently, she was a determined winner of a listed stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs, scoring by a nose with a 77 SF. Looks to want longer, and has had plenty of time to recover from that hard fought win. Odds of 13/1 may be a gift for this kilbernie miss.
East-West Connection (EWC) sends Kash on Tap as their representative. The charcoal filly makes quite a sight, her dark coat contrasted by four flashy white stockings and a splash of white across her nose. By Admire Moon, out of the winning Tapit mare Attip, deepimpact has guided this filly to two wins from three starts. She ran out of ground in the Vermont BB Juvenile Filly-G2 last time out, finishing fifth (with a solid 78 SF), and gives every indication of wanting more ground, which she will get on Saturday. Like many of the others in the field, she offers double digit odds.
The MIDAS representative is Slipped in Between, who already boasts a graded stakes win to her credit. The Street Cry filly is out of Perfect Storm X, who won a listed stakes sprinting on the dirt as a 2yo. After breaking her maiden at first asking, the coppery chestnut was a game second in a 6 1/2 furlong listed stakes before capturing the Unusual Circumstances Juvenile-G3 back in mid-May with a 74 SF. Eminc4 has given her plenty of time off, so she should be fresh for this one. Even a minor placing would push her over the $100k mark.
NWRC’s entrant is Guitar Taylor, who broke her maiden at this distance with a 76 SF before faltering behind fellow Equinics hopeful Razzberry Cushion last time out. By Tale of Ekati out of a Pulpit mare, rubber5 hopes that the light brown filly will turn things around. She appears to do her best running on the front end, so the break may have a lot to say about her chances.
Testbarn’s hopes ride on Capone and Luciano. The filly’s unusual name comes from a combination of her breeder, luciano, and her trainer rencapone. The Hussonet x A.P. Indy cross has been a successful one, and this filly seems to be yet another example of a good horse resulting from that cross. Her dam, His Dolphins, was a millionairess on the track who could do just about everything – winning the Bumblebee Classic-G1 at a mile on the dirt, the Good Vista-G2 at 9 furlongs over the turf, won an allowance going 6 furlongs on the dirt with a 102 SF, and won a stakes sprinting on the turf as well. Her daughter won at first asking on the turf, but not in super-impressive time, so her connections decided to switch her to the dirt, where she has been terrific. After winning an allowance with a 75 SF, she was second in the Vermont BB Juvenile Filly-G2, missing by 1/4 length with an 83 SF, before finishing a fast closing second in the Stoker Handicap-G2 (82 SF). Lots to like about her, would love to see what she will do at a mile, but clearly has the class to be right there going shorter.
Next to Capone and Luciano in the starting gate is the filly who beat her in the Vermont BB Juvenile-G2 – Elusive Style. Representing Universal Racing Club, it took an 84 SF to prevail in that race, and the taztiger77 trainee is another who likes to come from off the pace. She broke her maiden at first asking, was a hard charging second next out in a listed stakes, before capturing the G2. She is by Elusive Quality out of a Storm Cat mare, and the headstrong dark bay has the class and ability to repeat here.
Blazing Saddles has Linchpin as their competitor. Trained by mtkgrs1, the seal brown miss is unbeaten in two starts, both at this distance. The most recent score was in a listed stakes with a 75 SF. She is by Bernardini out of a winning Dynaformer mare. Unlike many of the others in this race, she likes to run on or near the lead, which may give her a tactical advantage, particularly with Haack aboard. The punters fancy her, having set her as the lukewarm morning line favorite at 9/1.
Hispano Parlante’s representative is Cotton Haack. The gunmetal grey miss is by Tapit out of Spicy Haack, a winning Ghostzapper he-mare. Bred and trained by ottico, the filly has done little wrong to date, winning two straight after finishing second in her debut. Her latest score is an allowance score at this distance with a 72 SF. Likes to come from off the pace and is another who will be charging late.
Minnesota’s medal hopes rest with Country Rhodes. If you want a value play in the race this is it. Despite winning at first asking with an 82 SF, the oddsmakers have dismissed her at 20-1, probably because of her solid, but not superstar pedigree (by Brahms out of a Tabasco Cat mare). Unraced since Memorial Day weekend, zman’s homebred looks fresh and dangerous, and gets a class test here. If she can answer the call, the payoff is solid.
Empire State Racing has Awesome Alberta, whose dam, Alberta Gold, was quite the star in her day. Alberta Gold, by Forty Niner, banked almost $1.5 million over her career and won the Sun State Cup-G1 as a 3yo going one mile over the turf. She also beat older fillies that same year in the Trash Can Mile-G2. As a broodmare, she has already produced a pair of graded stakes winners, including Breeders’ Bowl Juvenile Turf-G1 winner Black Goldniner. Toss in Awesome Again as a sire, and this filly is bred to run, and while it is a little surprising she didn’t start on turf, given her dam’s and half-brother’s accomplishments on that surface, it really hasn’t mattered. The bertaal trainee has proven adept over the dirt, winner her first two starts, including a listed stakes victory at 6 1/2 furlongs (75 SF), before finishing fifth in the Butterfly Futurity-G3 (80 SF). Looking for a little redemption here and fits right in.
City-Race Rein-Main Turf Club sends Perle des Vosges postward. The near-white filly is by Zensational out of Papito. The Giant’s Causeway mare, while a well-bred disappointment on the track, has been phenomenal as a broodmare, producing near-millionaire and G1 winner Prenzlauerberg and this year’s Sand Castle Derby-G1 winner and $1.6 million earner Proust. Both are full brothers to this filly. Caracol has raced this filly four times. After breaking her maiden first asking, she has struggled a little, finishing third twice since. Perle seems to be expending a little too much early, and it will be Mate’s task to rate her – not too much to discourage her, but enough to leave something in the tank. If he can pull that off, Papito may have her third G1 winner.
The Kentucky Horsemen have Tiz What Itiz, who has a win and a third in two starts. By Tiznow out of a Deep Impact mare, she’ll probably love routing – her dam is a half-sister to two stakes winner who did their best going longer on the dirt – but is an honest type who will get a class test here.
GR Simsters have Kat a Lak, a dark chestnut daughter of Curlin out of Kat Skan, who did her best running routing, winning several allowances at 9 furlongs, and finishing third in the Selena-G3 at 1 1/16 miles. The lender1 trainee has started only once, winning by a neck, covering 6 panels with a 74 SF. Gets a class test, but with only one start, the potential is limitless.
Comedy Central sponsors Backwards as their hopeful, who is truly the dark horse of the field. She was unplaced in her first start, going one mile on the turf, and switches up distances and surfaces here. Encosta de Lago, her sire, and Vindication, her dam sire, have had their share of classy dirt runners, so it is entirely possible she could prove to be yet another who loves the dirt. A big question mark, but may pull of the surprise.
Saltire has Saltire Bird ready to go. The golden chestnut is by Birdstone out of Awesome Attack. Trained by sos, this filly won with a 75 SF and most recently closed for fourth in a fairly tough allowance (79 SF) over an off track. Likes the distance, and appears to be ratable, a tactical edge in a field with many closers and not many front runners.
Last but not least in the full field is DelPenn’s Imaginacion. Her granddam, Electra, was G3 placed over a brief career, before producing three stakes winners as a broodmare, including Imaginacion’s dam, Vimsha. By Smart Strike, the leggy brown miss has started exactly once, winning at 6 furlongs with a 77 SF in this field. Has kicked off her career the right way for eljosco, and the DelPenn contingent hope she can bring home the gold in the Penn National.
Good luck to the competitors and their connections!