Filly Turf Bonanza Grade 3
Filly Turf Bonanza
Grade III
One mile
Firm Turf
$200,000
Fillies and mares, 3 years old
“Speed kills in football. Speed kills in horse racing.”
– Mike Tice, Head Coach of the Minnesota Vikings and an avid horseplayer
If the old saying “Pace makes the race” is true then what we have here today for this year’s running of the Filly Turf Bonaza G-3 is an all out drag race. Nearly every runner starting today has a front running style and if this was greyhound racing we’d be looking at a mess as they enter the first turn. Rather than a choice of speed this may be more a choice of stamina or endurance as these fillies are sure to challenge each other from start to finish. The normally gloomy skies in
PP1 11/1 IMPOSSIBLE PROJECT(IRE)
L Fain ( 27 – 3 – 2 – 2 – 11% )
Trainer: heythere
(NOT IMPOSSIBLE (IRE) x MR. PROSPECTOR x WHAT LUCK)
Judging by the competion, Impossible Project(IRE) has a long row to hoe. As a winner of three non-graded stake events as a two year old, trainer heythere was full of confidence that his/her filly could make the move up to Graded company. Although she’s had a couple of solid runs this year, it doesn’t seem enough to warrant a top three pick. More than likely she’ll find better chances in non-graded or allowance races.
PP2 7/1 BLACK PEARLS
Z K Perry ( 43 – 7 – 4 – 13 – 16% )
Trainer: darkfall
(SEEKING THE GOLD x SADLER’S WELLS x EXCLUSIVE NATIVE)
Breaking from the two post, Black Pearls has shown marked improvements since switching to turf three races back. She capped off that streak last time out with a win in the Grade 3 Nell Gwyn Stakes. That win also nabbed her a 97 speed rating which blows away anything she has done in the past. You just have to ponder though if she’s a one race wonder or the real thing? This race seems to show a lot of early speed by the favorites and she’s no different which makes it even harder to pick a winner.
PP3 16/1 STORMING BIRD
E Barger ( 76 – 5 – 5 – 12 – 7% )
Trainer: graywolf20
(MARQUETRY x VISION AND VERSE x STORM BIRD)
Starting her career on the dirt, Storming Bird showed some signs of brilliance as a two year old. But, as another example of what may happen if a horse is over raced early, she seems to have reached her potential and has not fared well since moving to the turf. Her only win on the grass was last time out in a restricted allowance race. More of an allowance runner here so look elsewhere.
PP4 6/1 SUN IN ACTION
Trainer: sjmeola3
(BAHRI x
As a winner of four previous stakes events, Sun In Action is our track handicapper’s second choice. This Bahri daughter had an incredible two year old season and finished strong with a win in The Demon Shannon Challenge –Stk. However, she hasn’t found the winner’s circle so far this year and is showing of signs of evening out in her speed ratings. Perhaps the ten races she ran as a two year old may have taken a lot of the pizzazz out of her. It appears on paper that trainer sjmeola3 may have been trying too hard to gain enough points to run her on Breeders Bowl Day as ten races seems like a grueling challenge for any young filly. However, with consistent finishes in her last few races you can’t rule her out and she shows the same running style as our favorite La Santa Cruz. It may just be a matter of who has enough left in the last 100 yards. Jockey S Binzaman has not been given many rides this year but still show a good record none the less.
PP5 7/1 ASCENDANCY
R Owen ( 181 – 28 – 28 – 18 – 15% )
Trainer: lbgong
(RAINBOW QUEST x SADLER’S WELLS x LE FABULEUX)
A Sadler’s Wells granddaughter, Ascendancy started late in her two year old season but has ran some bang up races. She finished last year with a non-graded stakes victory and has the nasty habit of spoiling trifecta tickets by finishing on the board at medium to long odds. With a consistent rating streak lately, she may be apt to do just that again. Unlike our other favorites, she has a late closing style coming from back of the pack and with so much early speed the pace may just set up nicely for a strong close in the stretch.
PP6 11/1 VERDANT FIELD(IRE)
P Bangs ( 313 – 78 – 52 – 38 – 25% )
Trainer: lender3
(EL PRADO(IRE) x SLIP ANCHOR(GB) x CON BRIO II)
If you like to bet the long shots, this may be your best pick. Other than her last race which was ran at 12 furlongs, Verdant Field(IRE) has never missed hitting the board in seven races. Her best performance was a second to #4 ranked Sunshaft in a field of 19 runners three races back in the Rodolfo Baez G-1. I would have liked to have seen a couple more weeks rest after her last start at 12 furlongs but she does have top jockey P Bangs in the stirrups. It may be worth a try with a bet here but the two weeks rest and front running style doesn’t seem to add up to a win.
PP7 9/2 LA
C Alexander ( 32 – 2 – 1 – 3 – 6% )
Trainer: santacruz3
(ALDEBARAN x MR. PROSPECTOR x DANEHILL)
Our morning line favorite, La Santa Cruz looks to repeat her performance last time out when she rated well in route to her first graded stakes victory. In that grade 3 event she sat just off the leader and made a very nice move in the stretch between horses winning by 1 ¼ lengths. If you take the attempt two races back off the sheet she has two wins and a near miss in the Intercontinental Mile G-3 where she lost by a nose. Although she has been raced mainly in sprint events she has the looks of a miler and looks hard to beat on paper. As well, she has shown signs of improving as the year progresses and it would seem impossible not to include her on your trifecta ticket. Only a questionable jockey selection casts some doubt.
PP8 7/1 GOLD LOOKING
M Slater ( 78 – 13 – 5 – 6 – 17% )
Trainer: pg23
(SEEKING THE GOLD x EL GRAN SENOR x RED GOD)
Gold Looking had an incredible start her first six races with a record of 4-1-1 including three stake victories. However, she’s found the competition getting stiffer her last two outings as she’s ran flat finishing 5th both times out. She did manage a flash of speed earlier this year but it’s hard to say what she has in store today. In addition, she finds at least four other horses of equal talent with the same front or near front running style and it looks like it will be a train wreck entering the first turn as the jockeys battle for position. Those last two races mentioned earlier found her in good position but she failed to fire when asked and jockey M Slater will have to use his best judgment for when to bring the whip out. Probably look at a solid try but she’ll have to show me more to get my attention.
PP9 9/1 FOLK TALES(JPN)
K Heller ( 26 – 4 – 2 – 1 – 15% )
Trainer: lrh
(SUNDAY BREAK (JPN) x DIXIELAND HEAT x IS IT TRUE)
Breaking from gate number nine, Folk Tales(JPN) shows great tenacity in her last few tries on the grass but has a questionable stamina problem. Her last three races have found her leading the entire race until the stretch run where she grudgingly gives way. Can she hold on with so much other early speed in the mix? It’s hard to say but it would take a career best run to find any place on the board today.
PP10 18/1 PERFECT SISTER
J Gabanski ( 31 – 1 – 0 – 2 – 3% )
Trainer: moonkissed
(PLEASANTLY PERFECT x TOOT’N TUDOR x BOLD BIDDER)
As her second attempt on turf, Perfect Sister has much to prove. She only has one win to her credit (Alw15000NW1x on the dirt) and unless the front runners all crash and fall you’ll have to remove her from consideration. However, I’ve seen many times where a second race can show marked improvements but I don’t think that moving from a second in an allowance race to a Grade 3 stakes is the way to judge her ability. Interesting note though was her race two races back in Tennessee where a late jockey scratch left no one to ride her and moonkissed had to settle for one of the stable hands that was cleaning stalls. With jeans and a “I’m with stupid” t-shirt he managed to finish third but since he was not part of the official jockey guild he couldn’t be mentioned in the race record so the final call showed a blank under the jockey box.
PP11 8/1 SUN TURNS TO MOON
M Ridenour ( 91 – 1 – 6 – 11 – 1% )
Trainer: loubrown
(A.P. INDY x SADLER’S WELLS x BUCKPASSER)
Royally bred, Sun Turns To Moon has had a short career with only six races under her belt but has used the most of the time she has had. The highlight so far has been the win she took in the Appalooza Stakes G-3. That race capped off a three race winning streak as she crushed the competition with a 98 speed rating while beating a full field including four of our entrants today. Among those she beat was our morning line favorite La Santa Cruz. You can add her to the mix of early speed but several things have me doubting her chances here. Getting the nod to ride is M Ridenour who has only found the winner’s circle once this year in 91 tries. Also, she’s coming off just two weeks rest from an ill fated attempt on dirt and then ships across the pond. I like her gusto but I’ll have to scratch her off my ticket.
PP12 11/1 EL FRENCH CUTIE(IRE)
R Zolak ( 36 – 5 – 3 – 3 – 14% )
Trainer: frenchtart
(EL PRADO(IRE) x EL GRAN SENOR x SADLER’S WELLS)
Having recently switched to the turf, El French Cutie(IRE) may be showing signs of improvement. She seems to like the grass but so far hasn’t shown the form to warrant a move to graded company. She does have one non-graded stakes win but that was with a shortened field of only four runners. If the pace is slow she may have a chance but more than likely you’ll see a fast opening half mile and out goes her chances. This race should show trainer frenchtart where to point her to next.