The I’LL BET THAT Memorial
The weather man says very little chance for rain this Saturday which will make for excellent conditions at the B.C. track. Four fillies are going to the gate in The I’LL BET THAT Memorial trying to win the lions share of the $75,000 purse on the fast dirt track. This will be the first time all four fillies have tackled 7.5 furlongs and the even favourite Open Your Mind is hoping to be up for the challenge.
Here is a look at our starters.
#1 Call Me Ishmael- This little brown filly (Northern Afleet X Mari’s Brook X Youth) is making her 4th start for trainer hardnews. She has been on the board in 2 of her 3 starts and finished third in and ungraded stakes race her second start out. Her last start was a G2 at Utah and she looked to be a little out classed fading in the stretch. Jockey Z Kidder hopes to have this 5-1 long shot of the field still in the hunt at the wire. She likes being close to the front and with a 4 horse field she should find a trip within her liking.
#2 Open Your Mind- driver1000 trains the even money favourite in this race. In her last start out the well bred (Tale Of The Cat X Danehill X Sadler’s Wells) miss finished second by a head in a 6 furlong ungraded stakes race. She was closing on the leader all the way down the stretch and jockey A Rolling told me he thinks “this big filly is goin to be liking the extra distance in this race”. She has a 1st and 2nd in two starts and there is a very good chance that streak will continue.
#3 Speight Of Magpies- This brown (Speightstown X Seattle Slew X Nijinsky II) filly is going away at 3-2 with P Bickett getting the mount. She won a MSW last time out for trainer phantom2 and will be looking to make the step up to the stakes level. She has run both of her races from the front and was drawing away from the field in her last start. Look for her to be on top as the head for home and she could still be there at the end as long as the extra 1.5 furlongs doesn’t bother her.
#4 Holy Holy Holy- The only filly in the field who has ran over 6.5 furlongs so far in her early career. Trainer kateri has jockey B Bauder up on the 7-2 final entry in this field. This miss by ( Thunder Gulch X Saint Ballado X Danzig) has only been off the board once and that was on an off track. Her last start was over 7 furlongs in which she was closing quickly down the stretch. The extra half furlong could be the difference for her in this short field.
Well it looks to be a wide open race. I’ll be looking for #’s 1 and 3 to be fighting out front with the other two looking to pick up the pieces as they head for home. Either way one of these fillies is going to win her first stakes race you, can bet on that!