OK Bayou GIII is OK by Me!
2790.3215The OK Bayou BB Handicap Stakes
Grade III
A mile and one eighth on Firm Turf
$125,000
Fillies and mares, 4 years old and up
Springtime has already started here in lovely Alabama and there will be a spring in the step of these fillies and mares for the OK Bayou BB Handicap Stakes Race. The track looks to be in impeccable shape and the fans will be rowdy as always here in Alabama. There are some proven vets and some up and comers so let’s take a look:
1 – SASAKI ODDS OWNER WIN% JOCKEY WIN% TOP SPEED AVG SPEED RANK 6/1 Topicount2 15.0% M.McKyer 7% 102.6 97.6 160
(HISHI AKEBONO x SEATTLE SLEW x MR. PROSPECTOR) This six year old chestnut mare has over $1 million in earnings and quite an interesting pedigree. She keeps finding a way to finish in the top five but hasn’t won a Stakes race since the Sun State Cup GI in 2003. She’s been struggling with her speed lately and may be on the downside of a long a glorious career which even includes a Breeders Bowl run. Trainer Topicount2 has done a masterful job of letting his prized mare stay competitive but I’m afraid she is nearing the end of the string.
| 2 -FLAMBEAU | ODDS | OWNER | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | AVG SPEED | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5/1 | DeaJai2 | 12.5% | C.Riddle | 8% | 104.0 | 100.5 | 43 |
(WOODMAN x HALO x GREEN DANCER) This pretty grey five year old mare has really been hot lately. She has won four of five with a second and nice triple digit SPFs. They were all at regular stakes races but should translate well to the Graded circuit. Trainer DeaJai2 know that she is a rather streaky mare and wants to ride her while the riding is good. She has won an amazing 14 of 30 lifetime. Although she is an 11 times stakes winner, she is still looking for that elusive Graded win, perhaps this is the place. Jockey Riddle will have to make sure that she doesn’t get boxed in along the rail from her second post position.
| 3 -DEVIL’S SLIDE | ODDS | OWNER | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | AVG SPEED | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7/2 | AFC | 18.2% | E.Sharp | 27% | 108.6 | 102.4 | 2 |
(KINGMAMBO x SEATTLE SLEW x NIJINSKY II) This Four Year old hasn’t run a 9F turf race in ten straight but she seemed to like it when she did. I don’t think that she will have any problem moving back a bit distance-wise. She slipped a bit at the Equinics after an easy win at the DelPenn days. She has three GI wins and looks to be the class of this field. Trainer AFC switched her to the grass mid way through her three year old season and it was the best thing that happened to both of them. She really took to the turf and has turned into a 10 furlong monster. She may do the same thing at nine furlongs. It won’t hurt having the three slot and E. Sharp up in the saddle.
| 4 – APPLE CARBON | ODDS | OWNER | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | AVG SPEED | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/1 | Corza6 | 16.7% | B.Barger | 7% | 104.2 | 93.6 | 80 |
(MARKS MILL x VICE REGENT x ADMIRAL’S VOYAGE) A little surprising that she backed up last outing on the off track as she had two previous off track wins. She has now finished 9th in three of her last four races. That doesn’t sit well with Trainer Corza6. I don’t think that she will sink to ninth in this smaller field, but she needs to step up in a big way if she is going to compete here. Barger is in the irons and is capable of pushing the right horse to finish even better than expected. He needs to work his magic with this eight year old.
| 5 – STAR WEST | ODDS | OWNER | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | AVG SPEED | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13/1 | NARacing2 | 23.3% | C.Whittle | 9% | 100.6 | 93.2 | 70 |
(RAHY x A.P. INDY x UNBRIDLED) Four Year old filly out of good looking broodmare Give Me Liberty has stumbled a bit her last two and you have to wonder if the Equinics race didn’t take something out of her. Trainer NARacing2 eased up a bit on her workouts lately to let her get back on top of her game. She’s going to need to bring her best stuff against this field. Jockey Whittle will have to make sure he brings his “A” game as well as he has been inconsistent so far this year.
| 6 – MAXIMA THE SECOND | ODDS | OWNER | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | AVG SPEED | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24/1 | Agakhan | 5.0% | W.Gray | 12% | 93.9 | 87.5 | 1 |
(SLEW PRINCE x EXITOSO x BOLD HOUR) It’s not often that you see a mare go from a claimer to a GIII Stakes race but that is just the trip that this lady is taking. As a matter of fact, she has multiple claimers in the past year and looks to be hopelessly outclassed by this field. That, however is why they run the races and don’t just figure them out on paper. Perhaps trainer Agakhan sees something that we cannot see in the Daily Racing Form and feels that his horse is ready to take on all comers. We will see this weekend.
| 7 – TURNING JAPANESE | ODDS | OWNER | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | AVG SPEED | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5/1 | DKYoung7 | 7.7% | M.Turk | 4% | 105.8 | 98.6 | 7 |
(SUNDAY SILENCE x LYPHARD x VAGUELY NOBLE) After a fantastic four year old campaign and the beginning of her five year season, this mare seems to have started to slow down a bit. So far this year she has a second and a tenth and hasn’t broken the century mark with her SPFs. She hadn’t run 9F for a while before last time out, preferring to run longer distances. This actually may be a really good move for her as she had some blazing mile and an eighth times way back when. Trainer DKYoung7 may have this mature lady ready to start a new career if she can bust out in this race. The seven post may fit her come from behind style well.
| 8 – NUMEROUS II | ODDS | OWNER | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | AVG SPEED | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7/2 | Victorious | 35.7% | M.Ross | 15% | 105.9 | 101.3 | 48 |
(NUMEROUS x STORM CAT x EGG TOSS) Named after her sire, this six year old mare has still got it. She has been especially hot lately, winning three in a row and four straight with triple digit speed figures. She won the GIII Remember Stakes two back and is undefeated this year. She is very consistent and trainer Victorious just seems to wind her up and put her out there with good results. She seems like she still may be ready to do that for a long time. Ross will use his 14 years of experience in the saddle to his best advantage.
| 9 – KING SNAKE | ODDS | OWNER | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | AVG SPEED | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6/1 | KingFish | 21.7% | R.Pollard | 16% | 107.4 | 98.0 | 23 |
(SADLER’S WELLS x KINGMAMBO x SEATTLE SLEW) A four year old who is a little bit hard to figure. I’m sure that trainer KingFish stays up nights trying to decide exactly what this big filly wants to do. She gives a nice effort then seems to take it easy for a race or two then pops an eye opening SPF in the low 100s and really messes with our minds. It’s actually been since the beginning of last year since she won a race but when she’s ready there is no one better. Hopefully that will be this week. The capable hands of Red Pollard hold the reins.
Morning Line = 3-8-2-7-1
Yoss Tipsheet = 2-8-3-9
Paz Picks = 3-8-2-7-1
A fairly even race with some really nice looking ladies, this is really anyone’s race. It just depends who steps up. I like TURNING JAPANESE to finish fourth just nipping out SASAKI . There are three horses that are hard to pick between for the winner, but I like FLAMBEAU to settle for third. It’s hard to go against the recent consistency of NUMEROUS II but I think her win streak will end by a neck. The filly that is ready to make a statement this week is DEVIL’S SLIDE . She’s on her game and I don’t see anyone beating her.
Good luck to all runners!
Paz