Seven Take Flight in the Dazzling Daisies G2

            California is the site of a few graded stakes this week; this one involves the precocious two year old fillies. Once the starters manage to get them all in the gate, the fillies will run six and a half furlongs over a fast dirt course in the Dazzling Daisies GII. The purse is set at $225,000, but they all want the stakes points to go for the Breeder’s Bowl at the end of October. We have maidens, winners of one race and winners of multiple races who will break from the gate. Let us head on over to the paddock to examine them before they hit the track.

            Trainer Seacadet, has his entry Eurojet confined to a quiet area of the saddling paddock. The one time raced, and maiden winner has gotten her bay coat quite lathered. I’m not sure if it’s the heat, the excitement, or from the long airplane trip from Japan that has her all worked up. The daughter of Gone West, out of an unnamed Seattle Slew dam broke her maiden going six furlongs over a very sloppy going last time out. She won with a 77, coming from off the pace. At 2/1 she is the post time favorite, meeting winners, not to mention multiple winners for the first time. Will she settle down in time to get her mind on the task at hand?

            Undefeated, Fast Getaway (GB), an albarado trainee is the model of calmness for this field. The bay daughter of Mtoto (GB) is acting like a well seasoned pro in the field, as she saunters around the paddock. She may be undefeated now, but all of that can change in the blink of an eye. She is the likely pacesetter for the race, and has not been beyond five furlongs before. In both of her starts she has run 73s for speed figures. The fields have been catching the filly slowly as the wire approaches both times. At 14/1 she is long shot, mainly because she hasn’t shown much stamina yet is my opinion. Who knows she could pull an upset. She adds blinkers today to try to keep her focused after the last call.

            Ctj3 sends out maiden, Azroc Before Then, a dainty bay filly by Dynaformer. In her only other previous start, the filly finished third on the turf. She broke sharp, lead for two calls then tired. A switch to the dirt today will hopefully help her. So far she’s been on her toes, looking around inquisitively. Her turf speed figure of a 64, is very un-impressing for trying a graded stakes. At 8/1 I don’t see why she isn’t the long shot of the field.

            Molwr has his entry, Smoking Lois primed for the race. The lanky, but muscular roan filly by Smoke Glacken has a very impressive past performance record, as well as a calm paddock demeanor. Even as the saddle is cinched into place she stands like a perfect little lady. Lois is the winner of one race in three starts, but has never been worse that second. Her speed figures are fast for a two year old ranging from a 78 to an 85. She’s a late closer who tends to just miss out. She broke her maiden at first asking in a five and a half furlongs, but hasn’t been able to close quickly enough at longer distances since. At 3/1 I think if she gets rolling sooner, she could be a tough one to beat.

            Hightimes trains and owns one of the other fillies who will likely go for the lead, Bongaree. With a name like that, I don’t want to even imagine how that came about. The dark bay daughter of Congaree is two for three lifetime. In both of her wins she wired the field. Last time out, she broke slowly, but was able to close from eighth to fourth. Maybe

Hightimes was trying to get his filly to learn to rate, this we won’t know until today’s race is over. Her speed figures also range in the high 70s to low eighties. At 7/2 if she goes for the lead she may tire, but if she tries to close she needs to move faster and sooner.

            Wreckagees is sending out, what looks to be the most nervous horse of the field, Neta. Neta has been bucking and cow-kicking since she got into the paddock, then when the saddle was cinched she almost got away from the groom. The riders have just been signaled to mount…and now she’s rearing. What a sight, this light bay daughter of Forestry is. Maybe she acts like this before all of her races, I’m not sure, but she has won two of three starts. She was unplaced in her stakes debut. She loads in the gate, breaks fast and goes to the lead, but hasn’t won beyond five furlongs. She tired in the five and a half furlong race last time out. In her last win though, she was edging away from the field some. Her speed figures are quite low though, not even breaking 70 yet. At 8/1 she’ll have to step it up big time to run the speeds her competitors have been.

            Last but not least, is browns’ filly Crypt Robber, will break from the far outside post of seven. This one can’t be missed a standout fiery red chestnut running against mainly bays. The daughter of Gone West has won one of four starts, finishing third the other three times. Quite often she presses the pace, but then falls behind as the wire approaches. In her third start she came from off the pace to win a five and a half furlong race fairly easily. With her most recent speed figures being in the mid to upper 70s she has a good shot to run with this field, but may be slightly over raced. This will be start number five for her while others are making second, third or fourth starts. At 9/2 if she can relax off the lead she may have a shot at being placed in the money.

            Two year old fields are tricky to handicap, because anything can happen. A dull performer can turn into a star, while the one who looks like a star throws in the clunker of her short career. My choices for finishing in the top three are Smoking Lois, Bongaree, and Eurojet. As usual good luck to all, may your horses run well and return safely to the stable.