Fillies and Mares Go For “Guile” In Mexico

Mexico plays host to some of the señoras of the Sim universe this weekend, as beneath the infield palms will be the $35,000 Guile Stakes, for three-year-olds and up at a mile-and-three-sixteenths.  What the field of fillies and mares lacks in major marquee names, it makes up for in a highly competitive field of six.

Sage In Cedar leads the way as the morning-line chalk at 8-5, and this daughter of Anziyan (from a Louis Quatorze mare) is ranked 90^th in the distaff classic division.  She returns to stakes company following a disappointing fourth in a Missouri open allowance last out.  She’s won twice this year, in the Pharsea Seattle Memorial down Argentina way and, two starts ago, in the His Events Handicap in Washington, D.C., and when she has a target or two or ten to chase down, this graded-placed four-year-old can be lethal.  Trained by lostorf, Sage In Cedar figures to be tough to beat, provided that what transpires in front of her is competitive and heated enough.  While her allowance defeat might raise some alarm bells, she has won at this distance before, and likes to go long; a very serious threat.

Exclusive Bottle has a good old-school-meets-new-school pedigree, by With Approval out of an Exclusive Native mare, and she’s one of the grande dames of Sim racing.  A nine-year-old mare, she’s been running since November 2000, she’s ranked 48^th in the distaff classic division, and she recently became a Sim millionaire.  One could argue that she may have lost a step with age, but no one evidently told her this: she’s a two-time stakes winner this year, and a graded winner from last year (the Grade III Sand Castle Distaff, the Grade I First State Distaff), and she’s still capable of running speed figures well into the triple digits.  As long as she’s not going to the breeding shed for a date with Storm Cat, she’s going to be a live threat.  Trainer gladiator is to be commended for keeping this great racehorse in fine condition for so long.  All that said, does her recent tendency towards going to the lead help or hurt her against a closer such as the favorite?  Respect her, at any price.

I could write a hundred puns about Loretta Lynn and sending her opponents to “Fist City” or cooking them up with Crisco, but she’s regally bred (Forty Niner-Second Hubby, by Danzig) and very talented for the lucky7 stables.  She’s tailed off a little this year, her last win coming in allowance company in April, but she does still possess a nice late run.  Stakes company has been a little tougher to negotiate this year, but she likes these longer distances, and could still be in it for a piece at the end.

Cookie Barn has turned it on since leaving the grass behind after this year.  Trained by balieybarn, this three-year-old daughter of Kingmambo out of a Saint Ballado mare started the year doing just alright on the lawn, but when she switched to dirt routes, she’s exploded, winning four times and finishing second three times; she’s won four of her last five stakes races, and she’s been incredibly versatile each time, either coming from off the pace or going wire-to-wire.  Her numbers are just a half-notch below the career-bests of the favorites, but she has youth on her side, and she seems to get better as she goes longer.  She’s a valid threat, and dangerous no matter where she’s placed during a race.

Year Of The Funk is a stakes winner on grass, but her abilities on dirt are subjective.  She’s a five-year-old mare, by Event Of The Year-Bluff Try, by Pine Bluff, with more dirt wins than turf ones, and some of her winning figures are quite remarkable (a 118, at one point).  But more recently, her races have been better running miles on the grass, having won the Lemon Lime Special in April.  One could argue that seeyalater’s trainee is an incredibly versatile horse, or it could be argued that as she gets older, she’s more suited towards grass racing because it’s easier on her physically.  She should be closer to the pace, and the chances of her improving two off the lawn are good; an exotics play.

Cajun Hospitality is a three-year-old daughter of Changeintheweather for the stables of myden, and her credentials are pretty smooth, being a two-time stakes winner over sprint distances.  The drawbacks are that she hasn’t won since March, her recent efforts haven’t been as sharp, and her tries over a mile have been rather disappointing.  She’s an efficient filly coming from just off the pace, but she hasn’t quite been able to put it together against older fillies and mares going long so far.  She’s very capable, and it could just be a matter of time, but this is a tough spot for everything to gel given the talent amongst these fine distaffers.

My selections:

1. Exclusive Bottle
2. Sage In Cedar
3. Cookie Barn

Happy wagering, and good luck to all!