Maiden Winner Favorite For Feature

Maiden Winner Favorite For Feature

Illinois – It must be the weather.  Only four fillies were entered in this Saturday’s $70,000 Defer Star Memorial and they will all be contesting the mile and a sixteenth distance for the first time.  A heavy rain on Wednesday left the turf course listed in ‘good’ condition and showers are predicted the rest of the week so it will probably remain so for Saturday.  Defer Star is an 8 YO mare by Cee’s Tizzy.   She won nine races from 33 starts and is the dam of two foals to race – 1 winner.

Breaking from the inside will be Mixed Signal (2/1), a 3 YO filly by Sagamix.  She is under the capable hands of Bar13 and has three wins from eight starts including The Project Gambling and The Project Bail.  The elegant dark bay French filly was a closing fourth last time out at a mile so might like the added distance.

She has the most experience in the race with three wins from 10 starts and Danzig Run (7/2), a lovely roan 3 YO filly by Cherokee Run, will break from post two.   Trained by Irishgal, she is the only top 100 ranked filly of the group and is the winner of The Sky West and The Manni’s Walther, both under a mile.  She does have some off track ability, finishing third last time out over a ‘good’ track after leading to the top of the stretch.  Unfortunately that was at a distance of under a mile so her ability at over a mile might be a question.

Ermington Celeb (3/1) is a dark bay 3 YO filly trimmed in white by Peintre Celebre.  She is conditioned by Pigeon5 and has two wins from five starts.  Ambitiously placed, she broke her maiden in The Purple Wing Bonanza and followed that up with a stirring victory in the Eight Shelley.  She is bred to go a distance and while her recent finishes have only garnered her small checks her speed figures are on the rise.

The outside post goes to Whistle On By (Even) a copper chestnut by Smarty Jones.  Trained by Be1stfarms, she has been in the money in four of her six starts, however she has only a maiden win.  What must have given this filly the nod as far as the odds maker was concerned was the fact that last time out she was a fast closing second in The Senorita Elocat seems to be improving as she is stretched out.  She also carries the highest speed figure of the field in this race.