Yves Saint-Martin F&M Turf Sprint

A fine field of 19 older fillies and mares has gathered in Italy for the running of the Yves Saint-Martin turf sprint as part of the Equinics. While everyone would love to garner the lion’s share of the $1,000,000 purse, more important here is residency pride and earning medals and those all-important points that go with them. While the oddsmakers have sets only 4 horses with single-digit odds, the betting public should see opportunities for some prices here, especially in the trifecta. Perhaps the best bet of the week should have been the weather, as the turf came up yielding despite the 10% chance of an off-track.



DelPenn

TEQUILA SHOOTER sdmf 4yo filly is making her 3rd trip to the EAAA division where she has had success before, most notably winning the Gr. 1 White Lily in Ireland a few races back. Good looking chestnut Aldebaran filly got caught in the lane in her only start over the turf course here, though that was actually against a stronger field in a Gr. 2 coming out of that tough White Lily. Likes to lead the other way but she might have one or two more trying to keep her company.


Kentucky Horsemen

CRYPTO MESA sjmeola6 North American based 4yo Sky Mesa filly returns to Europe for the 2nd time. Didn’t have just great success last time she was over here, with a couple of 4ths in smaller stakes and a fading 9th in the White Lily, her only attempt at a graded stakes. She is a 7-time stakes winner and comes in off a HUGE race 4 weeks ago. She hasn’t gone this short since her 2 year old and probably needs more ground than she’s running over here.


Vermont

ASH HIGHWAY socalman 4yo Danzig filly has been EAAA based since shipping over for a Gr. 2 back in week 2545. Has run very well over here though she has just one win to her name in the EAAA and that was in a nw2x allowance. All involved would prefer to forget her last try over the Italian course when she was apparently injured, prompting an 8-week layoff. Of course, that allowance win was her first race back. Looks to try to stay up front, but wonder if she has enough speed.

Down Under Racing

CLUELESS uncfan23 Seems strange, but this Kurofune filly who has lit the board in 8 of 10 turf tries started her career on the dirt in the US. 4yo has really blossomed since trying the lawn, and has yet to finish worse than 3rd since switching divisions. Her last 2 starts were her first stakes tries on grass and she just missed in both, charging hard at the wire but not quite catching the leader. This will be her first try in Italy and unless she steps it up just a bit, can see a similar result…which ain’t bad.


Ireland

ELISEAN WELLS blaster6 6yo Stutz Blackhawk mare broke her maiden way back in week 1418 and is still going strong. She won 3 of her 7 races during her campaign as a 5yo. Not terribly impressive in her last outing coming off a 7-week layoff, but she probably needed that one. Shortens up a furlong-and-a-half this time and really think she’ll like the shorter distance. Could be dangerous if this 6yo has enough left in the tank.

GRSimsters

LILY MANSFIELD bigmoose2 Lightly raced 4yo Deputy Minister filly won a residency trial in a small upset to gain entry her. It was over this same course and distance in her first try in a stakes race. That race came 14 days after her previous race in Northern California. She should appreciate the extra rest and lack of travel. If she can run back to her race 3 back, she’ll be very dangerous in here, though this is against a much tougher field and it’s her first go on an off track.


Queensland

DAMA MARINIA(IRE) united Another oldtimer, Kalanisi(IRE) mare broke her maiden back in week 1369. Makes her 6yo debut here. Still running hard, winning 4 of her 11 races as a 5yo, including a stakes win as her last victory. The win in week 2643 was the first and only stakes win in a very solid career to date. Only attempt at a graded stakes came in her 3rd start in week 1404. Likes to run up front, especially at these shorter distances. Should be fresh after 7-week lay-off.


Ohio Thoroughbred Racing

OTHERSIDE epcotlen 4yo Aljabr filly has mostly been knocking around in starter allowances on the dirt in her last few before a not-too-terribly inspiring run in a stakes on her preferred surface last time out. Won her first 2 races but would appear not to have lived up to the expectations those 2 races probably inspired, winning just once since then, a SA on the turf. This is one to root for if you’re in the Equinics spirit of pulling for the underdog.


Northwest Racing Circuit

KID SQUALL kaif011 4yo Lemon Drop Kid filly was switched quickly to the turf after a disappointing debut on dirt and responded well. Has worked her way through several allowance conditions while trying a few stakes races along the way. Best stakes finish was a 3rd in her 4th race. Doesn’t quite have the SP numbers to match with the best in her, but she’ll have plenty of speed to run at. Will probably take a career effort to hit the board.


Epsom Downs Racing

SILVER MAEVE terjea Honest, hard-trying 6yo mare. Owner claimed her way back in week 2027 and has managed to hang on to her all this time. Unfortunately, her last win came in week 2300 in a nw2x allowance. Since then she has lit the board only 5 times. Makes her stakes debut here in a tough spot, but that’s what the Equinics are all about, right?


Minnesota Downs

SINGING STONE bdhp 6yo Palace Music mare gets back on her preferred surface after a dismal trip last time out on the dirt. 9 of her 10 career wins have come on the green stuff, with the biggest being the Gr. 2 Whodini Shootout back in 1635 in her 3yo debut. More recently, she has been putting up good SP numbers while putting forth honest efforts in some minor stakes and Gr. 3 stakes. No wins, but good tries. She seems to like these turf sprints. If you like the dirt-to-turf angle, she’s worth putting a few dollars on for a minor placing.


Nexis

APT REMARK raceland 5yo Aptitude mare’s best efforts have come in turf sprints. Makes her stakes debut-and first trip across the pond-here after running in allowance company in the States. Most of the time she’s at least in the pan-view of the finish. Will be hard pressed to duplicate those results here, however.


GSR

SEEKING STEPHEN earthsong 4yo Stephen Got Even filly has been in top form recently until being caught in the lane last time out. Prior to that she had won 4 in a row, the last 3 all stakes, in turf sprints. Looking to make her first trip abroad a successful one. She might have a little tougher time getting the easy leads she’s used to as she shortens up a bit here.


Alpine Turf Club

MISWAKI ABBROVAL knightowl EAAA based 4y0 Miswaki filly is making her first start over the Italian course. Astute claim for 5k in her 2nd start, she won her first 4 starts for her new owner, including 2 stakes victories. Unfortunately, she hasn’t won in the 9 starts since, with her best finish being a 2nd last time out in the ATC Champions Day stakes. Her SP figs also have not quite matched those first for races for knightowl, either. Hard-trying filly might be rounding back into form, but there are probably too many, too much better in here for her to make much of a splash.


Great Plains

INTUITION bigbaba This is the first stakes race for this 4yo Artax filly and represents a major step up in class. She broke her maiden in her first race as a 3yo, but then hit the board only twice the rest of the year in 9 more races. Showed more promise in her first 2 races of this year, posting SP’s of 95 and 96 while finishing 2nd in a nw2l and nw2n allowances. She’ll watch the burners go and try to pick up the pieces at the end. If she can handle the big step up, might be a good value play in the tri.


Fun and Friends Stable Club

HANOVER HAWKEYE stablebums 4yo Wavering Monarch is another making her stakes debut here. She has lit the board in 10 of her 14 turf runs. Cleared her nw3l condition to back then ran back for a tag for the first time last time out. Promisingly, she posted her top SP fig of 94 in winning that one-her first try against older mares-by almost 2 lengths. She’ll try to come from way back and take advantage of the speed duel.


The CR Racers

MIA’S DREAM pirate 5yo Danehill mare has 4 turf stakes wins to her name. Interesting, since her dam ran only 3 times on the lawn in her 45 races. EAAA-based, she broke her maiden here in Italy and has won 3 of her 5 races over this course. She has shown she can win on the lead or coming from just off the pace. Runs the shortest race of her career in her 26th start. Form cycle appears on the upswing so consider her, at the least, a minor threat.


Benelux

LEE C US bentacon 6 of this 5yo Lycius mare’s wins have come in stakes races. But (there’s always a but), you have to back 10 races for her last win. Not that this globetrotter has been running poorly – her lowest SP in the last 9 has been a 92 and she has posted triple digits 4 times. She has shown an alarming tendency of late to either get caught or fade coming down the lane. 6th ranked turf sprinter is shortening up a bit, so let’s see if she can hang on this time.


Viking Racing

KELPLER CARSON marianus Very versatile 4yo Carson City filly has won on both dirt and turf, going long and short. Four of her five stakes wins have come on the turf, three of them sprints, though none as short as this one. Hasn’t fared quite as well when stepping up to graded company, but those fields were tougher overall than this one. She doesn’t have to have the lead to win, which is good since she probably won’t be on it here. Big factor for her in here is that she is trying softer ground for the first time.