Making Me Go Is Slight Favorite In The Dainty Miss

Making Me Go Is Slight Favorite In The Dainty Miss

California – Only four older fillies and mares journeyed to California this week for the $90,000 Dainty Miss Special to be run over the turf course.  California seems to be suffering from lack of horses in their rich stake race program as this is another week of many in the past few months to draw a light field.  Sadly, there were several horses that chose to run in the graded Unthinkable Stakes in New Hampshire this week that would have fit in this race perfectly.  All four of the horses that did come to the golden state this week stand a chance and here is the field by post position.

Queen Dominque (4/1) is a lovely, 4 YO red filly by Horse Chestnut and is trained by Dragon1.  Although she has only a maiden win on her resume she has been in the money in nine of her 11 starts, grinding them out the hard way.  By the time she broke her maiden she had already run in four stakes including one graded.  She then finished out 2005 in allowance races before trying the dirt, where she proved that surface doesn’t matter to her and finished third after leading most of the way in a 10 furlong route.  She was dropped back to 7 1/2 furlongs and placed back on the grass and she responded by running a career best speed figure of 106 at odds of 54/1 to finish second in the Paris Lass.  Stepping up in class last week she tried the Grade II, Barbara Bush, again 10 furlongs, where she appeared to be a bit dull and finished next to last.  She is back on seven days rest and will be guaranteed a part of this one.

Post two will hold Greek Ransom (3/2) a 4 YO dark grey filly by Red Ransom.  She has won over 1/3 of her 16 starts and while her last win was four back in the Storm Smelling it was at Saturday’s distance.  Minor problems seem to have plagued her in her last two starts where she couldn’t find a horse to beat, but trainer Slewsback3 feels that the problems have been taken care of and looks for a good race from the filly.

Shaft Lea (4/1) hails from the vast Computer barn and is a 7 YO mare that runs well over her breeding.  By Truffle Hunter, the plain brown mare has been in the money in 15 of her 27 races and has won four of them, all over the grass.  She is backing up sharply Saturday as her last four races have all been over 10 furlongs but she is 3/3 in the money in sprints.  Her rider will have to get busy early as she likes to come from last to first but may run out of real estate if she is allowed to drop too far back.

Kaif012 has entered a nice 4 YO filly by Rock Of Gibralter who has won six of 21 starts.  Making Me Go (EVEN)  has won three of her last eight including her last The Sound And Fury.  She finished behind Queen Dominique in the Paris Lass but is definitely the fresher horse and comes in full of confidence. I think the blood bay filly might be the one to beat and I say that only partly because her trainer had a cooler full of Coors Light when I stopped by to look at Mego.  Besides, he had her done up on all fours so I couldn’t see her legs and just have to assume (assume makes an ass out of u and me) that she is sound.