Marathon distance limits W.Va. field

By ITCH

Wassie took advantage of a short field here at Old Waterford a few weeks back to score seven points in the West Virginia Stakes Competition.

Look out folks. The champ is holding the cards again.

Only five fillies entered the marathon PORTOSTONE CHALLENGE, a Belmont-like mile and one-half test for 3yo girlies.

Not surprisingly, none of these fillies ever have been 12 furlongs. It’s a real chance to take with a young horse to go this far, and so it’s to be expected a race like this would draw a short field.

Wassie wants to win his third championship, so he’s taking a chance with two fillies.

He has the favorite, the even money SILVER STAR G. This daughter of Silver Deputy has to be considered a vulnerable favorite here, given the fact that she’s been racing in sprint races, and her only race longer than a mile was a dull sixth going 8.5 furlongs.

The second half of the Wassie entry is ALYACADEMY’S CAT G, rated the longest shot in the field at 12-1. By Giant’s Causeway out of Wassie’s beloved seven-time stake-winning mare, Alyacademy Academy. She did beat older horses two back going a route, albeit in a cpu-restricted allowance. Either one of these two fillies hit the board, and Wassie takes the lead in the contest.

The second choice and perhaps most likely winner is the 3-2 LOST WITNESS out of the salamander barn. This daughter of Royal Academy has been closing running nine furlongs, which tends to suggest distance ability over the form of the others. This race is too far for all five of these fillies, but perhaps to a lesser degree for this one.

Queer’s SALLY HEMMINGS also has some distance ability, having hit the board in stakes company twice now going 9.5 furlongs. Perhaps she has a bit more distance ability than Lost Witness. We’ll have to see.

Finally, there is AMIGHETTI for fetti50. Now, this one has slower speed figs and never has run in a stake, but we have to credit the trainer for shrewd spotting here. She looks like a stamina horse, and it’s a short field. Good spot to take a shot with a filly like this.

GOOD LUCK EVERYBODY!!!!