Will Darkness Fade on this Field?

Six furlongs                 $80,000

Fillies and Mares        3 years old

Seven three year old fillies will line up at Louisiana Downs on Saturday for the running of the turf spring event – The AGE OF DARKNESS Challenge.  The field has a group of talented runners, and like many stakes events, a stellar performance serve to shine some light on the winner and emerge them from darkness.

AGE OF DARKNESS (the runner) was out of Nureyev and a Riverman mare.  Her career was cut short to only 16 starts and four wins.  Out of two offspring,  RAT ON A STICK (Lear Fan) is a stakes winner.

As for the field for the running of the 2006 AGE of DARKNESS Challengel:

Johannesburg x Kingmambo

After seeing their experiment of placing PAY NO ATTENTION on dirt, I am sure her ownership could not wait for a chance to redeem such a poor showing with a trip on turf.  The 2006 racing season has not been as promising to this runner as was expected.  She is definitely with talent (over $400,000 in earnings), but ownership choose to try to stretch her out a bit in distance (and another surface) and she has struggled with both.  A return to a shorter distance may be the cure and hopefully they can say “pay no attention to the recent outings”. 

Toccet x Gone West

Winner of five of 9 starts- she led gate to wire in her last outing (The Walls of Jerichoda Stakes).   Her specialty is turf sprints and she likes to have a head if front out of the gate.  I would rate her chances to capture this event much better than her 5 to one morning line odds.

Dynaformer x Green Dancer

DYANGREEN is another turf sprinter that was placed on dirt in her last outing and came away with less than a stellar performance.  She has shown some versatility in her running style with nice runs on and off the lead.  She has been in the money in all eight of her previous turf starts and that streak earns her the role of favorite.

Pine Bluff x Songspiel(IRE)

Ownership elected to ship her in from New South Wales for her debut in stakes competition.  They have reason for the move and for the optimism felt throughout the stable area.  POISON PINES     brings a two race win streak (restricted allowance) and her running times 1:17 2/5 is on par with morning line favorite DYNAGREEN.  A winning stakes trip may boost this runner upward toward bigger targets.

Johar x Fantastic Light

One may ask if the trio of grade I events at the end of her two year old campaign took too much out of her, or dampened her desires?  She has the talent to compete with this field; as shown in her runner up finish in the Five Pike Stakes event.  Her last trip was a less impressive run and she was tiring in the stretch.  If her talent comes out, she may be the one to beat in this event.

Sudden Thunder x Kris S.

Out of one of Storm Cat’s lesser known offspring, this filly ships in off of a narrow win in an allowance restricted event.  The time of the event was good and should make handicappers sit up and take notice.  She was a stakes winner as a two year old, so she knows how to get to the photographer.  Shortening the distance may be beneficial to this stalker. 

Valid Expectations x Mr. Howard

She has a two race winning streak, five starts and five ITM finishes, going from maiden claimers ($2500) to a stakes event in four starts.  Did ownership claim a developing gem or will her run stop.  Many handicappers will lay back off until that break through run appears.

Overall, this is a nice group of three year old fillies that seem evenly bunched.  I am looking for POISON PINES to turn in a winning stakes debut and make her travels half way across the world worthwhile.  SUDDEN WINNER T will come close to returning to the winner’s circle, and morning line favorite DYNAGREEN will hold off TOCCET ROCKET and JAMES BOAGS for a show finish.

-deajai