The CON ALICE Memorial
The CON ALICE Memorial
Stakes
Seven and half furlongs
Fast Dirt
$45,000
Fillies and mares, 3 years old
If you hang around the track long enough, you’ll eventually here from some of the old timers that “Pace makes a race”. That may very well prove to be true today in this year’s running of The Con Alice Memorial Stakes. Although we have a full field of very talented runners, two of them with two very distinct running styles stand out at you. Jokes On Bbor(IRE) should jump out to the lead very early and looking at the PP of the others she’s more than likely going to have that lead all to herself. Classically you would find that a front running horse who’s not pressured will usually wire the field. However, stamina issues have cropped up lately and looking to close on her in the stretch is morning line favorite Alluring Niner G who is bringing an impressive record to the table. Not that any of our other entrants can’t take down this field but it’s hard to go against these two. The deciding factor will probably be if any of the other horses will set up Alluring Niner G closing style by going out and playing rabbit with Jokes On Bbor(IRE). This one looks like a good on from here.
PP 1
8/1 STOLEN TIME
(CAT THIEF x CAPOTE x GULCH)
N Dumas ( 72 – 11 – 3 – 9 – 15% )
Dirt Sprint Rank : 248
Trainer: ratem
Breaking from the inside post position, Stolen Time has so far been living up to her name in a way. Trainer ratem surely had high hopes last year as this Cat Thief filly won her first stakes event in her second career race. Since then she hasn’t come close save for one 3rd place finish. It’s a feeling that many of us have experienced where two year old expectation turn to into three year old disappointments. Not that she’s that bad of a racer but she has leveled of somewhat lately and has only managed to break the 90SF barrier once. You can still expect a strong race from her as she’s drawn jockey N Dumas who’s having a better year than usual but she’ll have to show me more before I can put her on my trifecta ticket.
PP 2
3/1 ALLURING NINER G
(FORTY NINER x LURE x SHARPEN UP(GB))
M Buck ( 443 – 103 – 90 – 76 – 23% )
Dirt Sprint Rank : 20
Trainer: zz
Our morning line favorite Alluring Niner G, comes into this race as winner of 3 stake races in her last four attempt. Add to that, an earlier stakes victory in The A.P. GOODBYE Memorial-Stk last year and this filly has already notched four stake trophies. Her last race in The CANAL STREET Stakes-Stk was most impressive as she stayed near the back of the pack and once again made a strong move around the turn and switched the afterburners on in the stretch on her way to a win and a career high 99SF. She’s built on each race she’s ran and trainer zz hopes to see his filly break the century mark today. She draws top jockey M Buck in the irons. You’ve got to include herm on your trifecta ticket as she’s finished in the money in 14 of his 19 career races. Does a graded stakes attempt lie in her future?
PP 3
7/1 XENOPHOBE
(SKY MESA x DANZIG x FORTY NINER)
M Olsen ( 352 – 57 – 48 – 45 – 16% )
Dirt Sprint Rank : 145
Trainer: lopickles
It’s hard to put a finger on our number three entrant, Xenophobe. She seems built for this distance if you glance at her breeding but she seems to still be a little green. Even if you scratch the race two race in an ill fated turf try her numbers seem to go up and down. Now, there’s no doubt that she has what it take to win this one as her last outing in The VIRGINIA MASTER Challenge-Stk proves where she finished second to the #26 ranked horse Seeking The Hawk and she has scored at this level before when she won The BEATING ON THE CAT Handicap-Stk. This race may show us that she’s finally shaken that baby fat and peach fuzz off of her and is ready for the next level. In the saddle today is veteran jockey M Olsen who’s putting on an outstanding season yet again.
PP 4
6/1 WELL BRED
(BRAHMS x LION CAVERN x STORM CREEK)
C Purvis ( 63 – 3 – 4 – 8 – 5% )
Dirt Sprint Rank : 99
Trainer: royalybred
Since switching to dirt last October, Well Bred has suddenly found a new gear. She’s a winner of 5 of her last 7 attempts on the dirt with one second place finish including a stakes win. She’s coming off her first graded attempt in the I Said Be Quiet Classic-G3 where she finished a very respectful 4th. She drops a down in class a bit and may find the competition more to her liking. This race will be furthest distance she has tried but with a late closing kick, the added ½ furlong may do her some good as she’ll try to catch Jokes On Bbor(IRE) who looks to go to the lead uncontested.
PP 5
7/2 JOKES ON BBOR(IRE)
(THE DEPUTY (IRE) x JOKER x CZARAVICH)
B Bellini ( 74 – 10 – 10 – 10 – 14% )
Dirt Sprint Rank : 96
Trainer: killerz
Jokes On Bbor(IRE) has run into some difficult races as of late. Her last four races, all stake attempts, have scored SF from the 91-96 range but a close 3rd is the best she’s been able to muster so far. At first glance at her past performances, this filly seems to lack the stamina in the stretch as her tendency has been to jump out to an early lead and give it up down the lane. If this is the case then moving to 7 ½ furlongs may be the wrong direction to go. However, she’s shown good times in those races and it may very well be that the competition was stronger than she could handle on those days. The field entered today is somewhat softer but still poses a huge threat to her front running style.
PP 6
11/1 MONTANA PRIZE
(PURE PRIZE x MR. PROSPECTOR x NORTHERN SYMPHONY)
L Lockhart ( 65 – 7 – 4 – 2 – 11% )
Dirt Sprint Rank : 167
Trainer: bigsky5
Grabbing the longest odds of the bunch, Montana Prize seems revitalized since switching back to the dirt three races back. She’s fresh off a win in The THEIR MOORS(GB) Challenge-Stk but she’ll be facing more than the field of three racers she competed against in that race. This may be the time to see where she’s at in her racing development as those last three races have all been about even. It would seem that it’s going to take a career best to cash any part of the purse today.
PP 7
9/2 STONE COLD BIRDIE
(BIRDSTONE x LOUIS QUATORZE x CONQUISTADOR CIELO)
M Brooks ( 67 – 2 – 10 – 4 – 3% )
Dirt Sprint Rank : 193
Trainer: dougmatt
Breaking out of lucky gate #7, Stone Cold Birdie shows what a true competitor she really is. This Birdstone filly has been plugging away nicely race after race but that first stake win has so far eluded her. She has had some close calls, most notably in The OLD COMPTON STREET(IRE) Challenge-Stk where she lost by just a nose and most recently in The MUSIC WINTER Special-Stk two races back again finishing second. She making her second attempt in a race less than a mile so you can chalk her last race as a prep of sorts. She’ll more than like try to sit back of the pace and slowly creep up on the leaders. Another good showing here could prove she’s ready to make a statement as she prepare to take on older horses later in the year. The only question may be in the jockey choice of M Brooks who has only managed 2 wins this entire season.
PP 8
5/1 VICTORIOUS ROAR
(ROAR x THEATRICAL(IRE) x COZZENE)
I Naber ( 89 – 9 – 10 – 15 – 10% )
Dirt Sprint Rank : 331
Trainer: lordbear3
Making her stakes debut, Victorious Roar and trainer lordbear3 hope to capitalize on the recent success they have had in the allowance ranks. Her speeds have steadily been climbing and as she now has shown that he can post SF’s in the 90’s, she may be ready for this level. Added to that is the fact that in her 13 career starts, she’s only missed the board twice. This filly is part of Roar’s 2005 racing crop and has his first Graded winners since 2002. Big things may yet to come for this filly. Jockey I Naber has done decent with the limited amount of rides he’s been given.
