Broadway Angel Favored in Ga Stakes

Named after the two most popular girls in my high school, the inaugural running of the Cheap and Easy Stakes attracts a large field of 17 three year old fillies for this Grade III mile.

Three of the runners from the Bluegrass Oaks reunite today, only to face a very sharp Broadway Angel, who comes in with the top speed figures in the field.

A few in here are coming in off of significant layoffs, and how ready they are may well determine the outcome of this race.

Here is a look at the field:

1. After breaking her maiden in her sixth start, Teotihuacan (Giant’s Causeway x A.P. Indy) tried a couple allowances with some success and now takes a huge step up in class for the Buzz (15%) stable.  Trails the field in earnings per start and stakes experience.  Dam did win a graded stakes and expensive breeding says maybe someday.  28-1.

2. Without Wings (Dynaformer x Palace Music) tried stakes late in her two year old season and early this year, without impressing.  AJFarms (7%) was impressed enough with her first win this year in a five filly allowance last time to try the class jump again.  Her lifetime best 91 speed figure last time looks modest in this large field.  23-1.

3. Gypsy Queen (Desert King x Distant View) tries turf to dirt for trainer Minegold (13%).  She faded after a speed duel against older in her stakes debut last time, earning a small speed figure.  Trying dirt for the first time this year and graded company for the first time in her life.  In her favor are that she has run a 100+ speed figure and she figures not to get caught in traffic with her early style and inside post.  17-1.

4. Trainer Anthberg (9%) makes start number 500 and hopes that currently rated 108 filly Theshellyshuffle (Generous x Temperence Hill) can move up into the top 100 after this.  Speaking of numbers, it is safe to say that the winning filly today will run a triple digit speed figure.  Shelly is a stakeswinner and contended for much of the G3 Big Ben two back, but her top figure is an 86, and in her four previous graded tries she had not finished closer than 10 lengths out, averaging over 16 lengths out.  40-1.

5. Espresso D’Italia (Medaglia D’Oro x Miswaki) looked outstanding when she won a G2 stakes as a two year old.  (Beating a couple in here, by the way.)  Maybe it would have been better for trainer LastHope1 (25%) had she not.  She’s earned some money and stakes points since, with two more in-the-money graded finishes and some fourths, but no wins since.  Top notch trainer gave her a ten week freshening before last, but she looked dull in her return.  Look for something better from her today at generous odds.  16-1.

6. 2005 Trainer of the Year Texasace (27%) brings the highest rated Unbridled Mistress (Awesome Again x Unbridled).  Mistress owns just two bad races in her 10 starts.  Last time she was out-rallied to finish second against a very strong field at seven furlongs.  She seems fully recovered from her debacle in the Bluegrass Oaks and picks up a solid jockey as she looks for her fourth win of the year.  7-1.

7. Katherine (Pine Bluff x Blushing Groom) lost a photo last time in a short allowance and stretches back out to her last winning distance for trainer Phonetrick (22%).  Stalker has a history of hanging after she makes her bids, but she definitely belongs with these.  7-1.

8. Ampuria (Unbridled’s Song x Rahy) figures to be prominent early for the Triska (18%) barn.  Faded late in the same sprint as Unbridled Mistress but fought off a speed duel challenge the time before.  Won a graded stakes early in her two year old campaign but has only one win since.  Every route she’s tried has ended with her fading, but she is one of the two quality speed fillies here and if she can get an uncontested lead, look out.  Needs a great ride from a steady but unspectacular jock.  8-1.

9. Following a productive two year old season and a promising start this year, Wally’s Dehere (Dehere x Forty Niner) regressed badly after winning a G2 at this distance.  Trainer DOA (11%) brings her back after a 10 week vacation.  If she returns to her old form, she deserves to be the favorite here.  Otherwise the fear is that she turns out to be one of those who are so good as two year old sprinters, but that’s it.  10-1.

10. Silent Rush (Cat Thief x Forty Niner) proved last time that she does not like the turf.  On dirt, the RMan (8%) trainee has done better, except when trying graded company.  In four tries, she has averaged 12 lengths behind the winner.  She may prove significant in this race as she may provide pressure to the other early running fillies, but it would be a surprise to see her close at the end.  43-1.

11. Hoping there is not pressure on the early runners is Wiz10 (9%).  The barn’s Black Glitter (Glitterman x Damascus) got caught after opening up a big lead in the G2 Wooly Mammoth last time and showed little interest when she could not get clear in the G2 Denny Tario Oaks three back.  She hasn’t won in a while, but always seems to pick up a piece.  8-1.

12. Broadway Angel (Vindication x Fappiano) could not be sharper.  TheLeague (10%) barn’s filly took care of a listed stakes field last time the way a favorite should.  While her last speed figure ties for highest in today’s field, she is not a lock here: you have to go back eight more races to get another win.  That said, she is the best form of any here and she has a favorable pace situation as she rallies from mid-pack against speed that figures to be backing up.  4-1.

13. Copalachee (Cape Town x Cox’s Ridge) held her own in finishing fifth against older two back in the G3 Maryland Distaff.  The Roachdale (12%) trainee followed that up with a listless effort against much weaker.  Barn gives her a nine week freshening and hopes the stalker is ready.  I’m inclined to wait.  15-1.

14. The grade 3 win for Lady’s Honor (Refuse to Bend x Kris S.) in the Leopard Stakes came against a field with 12 fewer runners than today’s.  Celticcros (18%) is unconcerned about Honor’s lack of form in her past three races and in fact steps her up in class from allowance to graded stakes.  That graded win came after a layoff of 11 weeks following a poor performance.  She comes into this three weeks after a poor effort.  18-1.

15. Lightly raced Change My Mind (Awesome Again x Damascus) showed huge improvement in her last, a conditioned allowance in her fourth start for SDMforlife (20%). This rallying filly does not need much more improvement to be competitive here; however the class jump is huge.  In her only stakes try, she finished behind a computer trained filly in a four horse race.  May have the most potential of any in here.  22-1.

16. There are few graded stakes that don’t have an entry from the Super Stables.  We’ll settle for Stupor2 (12%).  With four wins and three seconds in seven starts and a 105 speed figure at this track last time out, Snowdancer (Bestyoucanbe x End sweep) looks ready for the class jump.  Her two stakes tries were seconds in listed stakes.  She likes to rally from midpack (looks like the winning style) and picks up the best jockey in Georgia.  10-1.

17. Warbager (War Emblem x Herbager) upset Broadway Angel and others two back to win the G2 Mellow Breeze for the B4rca (11%) barn.  She followed that by pulling up in a listed stakes.  She returns after a three month vacation.  She’s taken breaks of eight and ten weeks before and came back to win both times.  Top speed figure of 94 makes her hard to back here.  42-1.

Morning Line: 12-6-7-8

Timmn’s picks: 16-12-9-15