Short Field for GII Manhattan District
First things first: hats off to the folks running the New York track. We’re treading water one state over, but they’re promising a dry, fast surface for Saturday’s GII Manhattan District Stakes. The weather may have caused some travel problems; only eight sophomore fillies are scheduled to start in the seven-furlong contest. But the field looks evenly matched and we’ll take quality over quantity any day.
Topicountc sends out one of two 4/1 shots, a Seeking the Gold filly out of a GII-placed Sadler’s Wells mare. Cinematic spent her two-year-old season on the turf and is stakes-placed over that surface, but found a new gear when switched to the main track at three. She won the listed Daralley Challenge at this distance and was third and then second in graded company going a flat mile. Her speed ratings are very consistent in the low 90s and the slight distance cutback may let this one go full-speed all the way to the wire.
She shares the distinction of favoritism with emb2’s Silver Strav, a Stravinksy daughter from a GII-placed Silver Hawk mare. A listed stakes winner at two and three, she made a turf-to-dirt leap last time out to run out of her skin in the GII Pebbles Flintstone Stakes. She powered home to finish a fast-closing third with a 99 speed rating, a head above anything she’s run before. That was her second dirt sprint try this year and she won the other such comfortably.
Ampuria (Unbridled’s Song x GIII-placed Rahy mare) is just a step behind, if you trust the oddsmaker. The triska trainee has won two of eleven, with her best races coming at two: she was third in a GI and GII that year and second in the GIII Reflection Futurity with a 97 speed rating. The Bluegrass Oaks track didn’t appear to suit her, but a seven-furlong listed stakes found her running loose on the front end and finishing second with a 95 speed rating.
I’m fond of Rahy, but I’ve never had much success with him–looks like it’s because other folks are having all the luck! He’s represented here as well by chops27’s Just As Well, first foal of millionaire Gal Dog (Sadler’s Wells), winner of the GI Maudlin Cup versus colts on the grass. Just As Well went against the grain, catching fire in her main track debut. She’s been carefully brought up through the allowance ranks and made her stakes debut last out, dueling on the lead and finishing third with a 92 speed number. This race is not short on front-running speed, but her grit is admirable.
Stagecoach Dream breaks the trend of entries out of top-flight mares, though one wonders what might have been. The Phone Trick daughter is out of a Strike the Gold mare who went from breaking her maiden to being stakes-placed, but retired with just four races under her belt. Any fragility hasn’t been passed down: Stagecoach Dream has made twelve starts already, winning five (four of those stakes). She has tactical speed, but can stalk the pace, and has won both of her races at the distance this year.
Arabian Sun(GB), though, is proof that a producer need not be a racemare: her Mr. Prospector dam didn’t earn a penny at the track. But the daughter of Desert Sun(GB) is a five-time winner with a GIII placing to her name. She won two of her first three starts this year, but has faltered recently and will likely have company on the lead.
Western Winter has two stakes winners to his name. One of those is claimfame’s See The Ball Drop, out of a stakes-placed Awesome Again mare. A stakes winner at two, she’s spend this year in the allowance ranks with a win and a place to show for her trouble in her last two starts. She’s a stalker with a pair of 91s to her credit and given her juvenile experience, this isn’t as big a leap as it may look.
Rounding out the field is five-time winner Canadian Gold, a Touch Gold filly from a winning Gone West mare. She can set the pace or stalk it and though her numbers are maybe half a step slow, she was the convincing winner of the listed Over Around Light Special last out and with a short field like this, why not take the shot?