KY Horsemen Series: Graded winners Battle Cruiser, Offlee Wild lead 2YO dirt fillies
Florida– The freshmen fillies take their turn at a *Monster Mile* in the Grade 1 $1,000,000 KY Horsemen Debutante. Part of the KY Horsemen Spirits Series, the Debutante attracts a pretty good field of starlets. Mucho prize money up for grabs and not to mention coveted Breeders Bowl stakes points too. What a fun spectacular for the Series’ halfway point — nothing sparks the Simmers’ imagination like those 2yos, ready to chase Bluegrass Oaks dreams…………
Let’s take a look at these starlets:
Graded Winners:
5 – BATTLE CRUISER kyclocker2 W Baumann 5/1
Woo! Gorgeous little Unbridled’s Song gal won the Butterfly Futurity(G3) at Georgia. It was a mad scrambling race, but ‘Cruiser crossed the wire 1 1/4 lengths in the clear, recording an 83 SP# for the 6f. Lots of grass in her female family, but plenty of stamina to boot — so no worries (I think!) about the mile here. Ranked 12th in the filly division. Filly has lots of heart and captures top jockey aboard. Promising.
11 – OFFLEE HIGH inhalers V Gardner 12/1
Bargain bred filly sure has shown these bluebloods how to fire up the track. She’s a perfect 3-for-3, including a MSW, ALW, and a photo finish victory in the Vermont BB Juvenile Filly(G2). Came from 2nd to last to score a 78 SP# for the 5.5f. Nine week breather since then. Leading jockey V Gardner adored her 4th ranking in the filly division. Keeps on improiving and doing everything asked of her. Love that progression in SP#s and textbook class level. The oddsmakers though love the highest SP#s and blueblods with less starts. She’s deserves at least 6/1. Could be special.
Stakes Winners:
9 – HOOTERS IN MAY maximilian A Darling 12/1
Dual stakes victoress by Roses In May took sprint black type at both Portugal and Montana. Winner in 3 of 5 lifetime starts so far, including a better-than-it-looked 5th (beaten only 2 lengths) in the Desert Filly Juvenile(G3). Yet to break through 80 SP# barrier, perhaps the mile might help. Top 17% jockey pilots her from the back of the pack. Not a lot of speed up front though.
Dual stakes victoress by Roses In May took sprint black type at both Portugal and Montana. Winner in 3 of 5 lifetime starts so far, including a better-than-it-looked 5th (beaten only 2 lengths) in the Desert Filly Juvenile(G3). Yet to break through 80 SP# barrier, perhaps the mile might help. Top 17% jockey pilots her from the back of the pack. Not a lot of speed up front though.
7 – GROWLING super7 W Case 6/1
Lovely! Top jockey aboard this perfect Kingmambo lassie. Broke maiden easy peasy around 5.5f and then tacked on an 83 SP# stakes score at Texas. That was a 13 SP# point jump! Seven weeks rest. Female family certainly suggests two-turns with Forestry x Royal Academy…. don’t know if it’s big stamina though. I like this one a lot in this spot.
8 – DEHENNY overbrooks L Buchta 14/1
Oddsmakers weren’t nice at all towards this perfect Dehere filly. She too broke maiden easily wire to wire in 5.5f MSW debut, then added black type when testing a half-furlong more in Northern Florida stakes company. Versatile switch to off pace running style presented no problems too. Guess the bookies didn’t like her throwing roughly the same low 70s SP#. Possible that her pedigree lends more speed, but a mile isn’t out of the question. Has a shot on pace or off. Top jock in the irons too.
13 – FAPPA’S GOLD sdmf2 O Barrett 15/1
Savvy trainer sends this Strike The Gold lass to the gate fresh off of a rollicking DelPenn Mile Filly Dirt victory. Made up tons of ground to come out 1 1/2 lengths on top in that 20-horse field. The 75 SP# though was markedly slower than the colts’ DelPenn version (86 SP#). Love to see a contender actually win at the distance before trying the highest level. Has a shot with this group.
Savvy trainer sends this Strike The Gold lass to the gate fresh off of a rollicking DelPenn Mile Filly Dirt victory. Made up tons of ground to come out 1 1/2 lengths on top in that 20-horse field. The 75 SP# though was markedly slower than the colts’ DelPenn version (86 SP#). Love to see a contender actually win at the distance before trying the highest level. Has a shot with this group.
12 – WISKEY IN A JAR johnny Z White 16/1
Daughter of Pure Prize out of a Danzig mare captured black type glory in her previous dirt outing. It was a Norway stakes short field — good off pace rally for the 74 SP# score. Prior to that ‘Wiskey was stakes-placed and of course broke her maiden in her career bow. Didn’t care for the grass LTO. Sometimes that wakes them up big time. Lousy jockey doesn’t inspire confidence. Has to prove that she can run in full fields with the big girls.
1 – ROCKHILL T crow J Nason 13/1
Best SP# of the group fired by this Rock And Roll filly LTO. In the 6.5f New Hampshire stakes, ‘Rockhill galloped out an 88 SP# from right behind the pacesetter. “Little guy” sire, but crossed with uber-monster Danehill. Live sleeper if she can pass the two-turns test. Decent jockey in the irons. She’s always been a long shot in her 5 career starts and the karma holds Saturday.
ALWers:
14 – A.P. GIACOMETTI(IRE) shamran4 S Popo 11/1
Stakes-placed in owner-restricted company versus colts to start off her career, this Alberto Giacometti(IRE) daughter has since won her MSW and ALW against fillies. Romped easypeasy through a 4-horse ALW field with a 79 SP# LTO. It was over a mile too. That SP#s sure places her amongst the top guns in this group. Hasn’t beaten much though, so this is her first real test. Lousy jockey must make the most of the pace and 14-hole handicap.
2 – PISTOL CREEK blackswan D Ferguson 12/1
Touch Gold filly has won 2-of-4 lifetime, including a smart mile ALW LTO over off track. Slow 73 SP# though. Speedster boasts royally bred female family. I don’t really like these low SP#s though and would prefer to see a listed stakes try first. Outside chance, good jockey helps.
3 – WOKEUPTHISMORNING sjfarms C Faucher 12/1
Fantasticat daughter perfect 2-for-2 with a 71 SP# MSW, followed by 75 SP# 7f ALW. Shot at the big grade warranted — not a lot of speed in this group, so she might find little competition for the lead. Doesn’t appear flashy SP#-wise on paper, but hey, you can’t discount the perfect record. 15% jock in the irons. Not without a shot.
Maiden Special Weight Winners (won their debuts):
6 – DJ’S APTIMISM djones4321 M Anderson 6/1
Aptitude daughter fired big from 2nd-to-last in 13-horse MSW field debut. Beautiful 1 3/4 length triumph and the 80 SP# for the 6f enticingly merits entry here. Not a lot of true speed up front though. Sky’s the limit if it’s possible to tell from just one start.
10 – YOU’RE A TOWEL watershed R Maire 6/1
Elusive Quality closer zipped through her MSW score with a 79 SP# for the 7f. Turfy pedigree, but route possibilities. Great 21% jockey aboard. Talented.
Elusive Quality closer zipped through her MSW score with a 79 SP# for the 7f. Turfy pedigree, but route possibilities. Great 21% jockey aboard. Talented.
Maiden:
4 – VAILEN antares C Romine 18/1
All right, a Sarava!!! Cheapie underused Belmont winner holds value on Horse Ticker — and I think especially if you take the plunge and maybe match him with a 200 BP female family. You might get a nice horse. 🙂 Vailen here boasts Avenue of Flags x El Prado(IRE), so pretty good. Been racing versus owner-restricted company and colts too! This gal’s got some ability — finished 2nd of 20 with 68 SP# in debut, then a close-up 4th in turf sprint, followed by an excellent 80 SP# placing. That effort was over an off track mile. Unfortunately, she’s still a miden and I hate to pick maidens in these stakes races (get her a win first!! :^)). I think maybe a 4th or 5th finish to earn a cheque would be the best you can hope for from this gal. But anything can go in these 2yo races!!!
Snowchief’s Picks:
Admittedly, this field is quite weaker than the colt’s main track Kentucky version. Not a lot of classy speed, so don’t be surprised if they crawl early.
Offlee High has the best credentials, but we just don’t know how she’ll take to two-turns. Battle Cruiser has a great name and splendid career going so far. This might be one freshman race where the favorite indeed wins handily, stepping up to the class level and distance, totally without doubt.
Flip a coin with the low odds MSW winners and ditto with the ALWers. Perhaps the simplest answer lies in the little Rock And Roll filly Rockhill T who’s run the best SP# of the bunch.
Fappa’s Gold deserves consideration after beating 19 other horses at DelPenn (as well as the mile) LTO. Hooters In May brings stakes experience. Dehenny has to prove that she belongs.
I’m gonna go with the super filly here called Growling. Just adore that SP# jump, beautifully bred too. A lot of upside to this gal. Stalker-style should leave jockey with plenty of horse down the lane.
Win: Growling
Place: Battle Cruiser
Show: Fappa’s Gold, Vailen or just throw a dart
Thanks again to The Kentucky Horsemen Residency for this Series!