The G-3 My Tulip Handicap
With the latest run for the roses now ancient history, Kentucky race fans turn their attention to a flower of a different name as a field of eight lines up to contest the G-3 My Tulip Handicap. It seems each of these fillies or mares has a question or two to answer and I can think of no better way to put such questions to rest than to emerge victorious this week. From the rail out, here’s a look at our contenders.
1 Crafty Canyon (ydracing) – Crafty Prospector filly gets back on the green after a subpar dirt try against restricted allowance types. Her poorest efforts have come against stakes opponents and probably needs the stars to align just right to have a shot at mowing these down in the stretch this week. She’s hit the exacta in exactly half of her thirty-eight starts, but hasn’t banked much to show for it and that’s another indictment on the company she’s kept.
2 Otto Elusive (verona) – Sharp as a razor in sensational back-to-back G-1 efforts around this time last year, but mysteriously went off form after they shipped her to
3 East Java (devbarn) – Doesn’t seem to be a real ideal spot for a filly that obviously had something go awry last out. Upset a million dollar earner in an expensive allowance race to start the year, but her best races have always seemed to be in those kind of races and her stakes efforts have left much to be desired. Third in a stakes last July, but filly that beat her that day has won just one stakes race since and now finds herself running in allowances. Broken Vow filly has posted some big speed figures in the past, but the long layoff and the company she’s facing this week do her no favors.
4 Analyze This (IRE) (overbrooks) – Earned G-1 placing in the Del Webb Oaks last year, but curiously hasn’t been back against that kind since and the gal that beat her that day is currently the Sim’s top-ranked turf filly in the Classic division. Steady diet of stakes races this year have yielded a single win and that came in her most recent start. Swain filly will be coming late and is capable of turning in a big performance on occasion, but it’s been almost a year since she’s visited the winner’s circle on back-to-back occasions.
5 Glad Girls (staceylg) – Regally bred daughter of Forty Niner trying to cash a few more checks before she’s off to the breeding shed. Beat up on the boys in a cheap allowance race on the turf, then got beat up herself when trying her own gender on the main track. G-1 placed mare would be a big favorite if this were 2004 and still deserves some respect having won three straight to close out last year, but don’t believe she fires her best shot this week against this caliber.
6 Royal Tiara (crown) – Nicely bred mare brings three straight triple digit speed figures to the party and seems to be back to the sharp form she displayed this time last year. Closer tried a couple G-3’s a few months ago and didn’t fare too well, but she catches a slightly smaller field this week than she did in either of those races and an encore performance of her stakes winning efforts this year would make her an obvious contender in this field.
7 Prospector Villa (pazfour) – Been running further than most of these of late and last out at this distance resulted in a gate-to-wire win in stakes company. Yet another Crafty Prospector who was G-3 placed just two starts ago and is probably better at this distance than those ten furlong efforts she’s been attempting. Can’t imagine she got much out of the G-2 effort in last where it appears she was simply outclassed and have to figure she might be outclassed again this week.
8 Northern Affair II (IRE) (flowers) – Perennial stakes contender is also the veteran of this field and, like Glad Girls, probably wishes this race were taking place in 2004. That said, she’s still got some pep in her step as evidenced by her gate-to-wire victory four back in a ten furlong stakes contest. She’ll be in front early, but when your past performances show twice as many seconds and thirds as victories you got to question this one’s will to win.