Eclipse Hopefuls…The 2 Year Olds
The chase for the Eclipse awards is on!! With only a handful of months left in the race season, things are heating up. This is a series of articles focusing on the current top runners. This edition focuses on the Top 3 in each classification with the focus on 2-Year old Fillies and Mares. Points are the equivalent to purse money earned in any stake races when finishing in top three positions.
2-Yr Old Fillies & Mares Turf Sprint
DUBARECK tops the list with 340,000 points with a second in a listed stakes event followed by wins in the G3 Capital Stakes and G2 Young Lady. She has won 4 of 7 this year and ITM each start.
A tie for the 2nd & 3rd spots, each with 285,000. QUEEN ZULU has been ITM in all 4 starts, winning three times which include a listed stake race and the G2 Cherry Hilton. SEEDAWOODFODATREES has also won three of four races picking up a win in a listed stakes as well as the G2 The Way You Bugging.
2-Yr Old Fillies & Mares Turf Route
A bit early as the route distances have recently opened up for the 2-year old division but we do have a handful on the list with QUEEN KAM on top with 450,000 with a listed stake win and a G1 in the Wet Bikini. She’s been on the board all 5 starts, winning four times.
225,000 points puts PRIMETIME DANSIL in second thanks to a win in the G2 Champagne Mile. She has won four of five starts this season.
RAE’S CREEK is third currently with 187,500. She’s been on the board four of five starts with two victories. She finished fourth in a listed stakes as well as picked up a win at the same level. Her sole route start was in the Wet Bikini (G1) finishing second.
2-Yr Old Fillies & Mares Dirt Sprint
SEPOY’S GAL has a narrow lead with 322,500 points. She’s visited the winners circle four times in five starts finishing third once. She won a listed stakes early in the year followed by a third in the G2 Vermont BB Juvenile Filly. Most recently she picked up the win in the G2 Hoserhead Juvenile Fillies.
Stalking the leader with 315,000 is HOW’D THAT HAPPEN, a winner of 4 races in 5 tries. Two grade level wins have come her way which were in the G2 Unusual Circumstances Juvenile and the G2 Stoker Handicap.
Not too far back in third is SWAPSCO KITTY with 262,500 points. She’s been ITM each start with three wins. Her sole grade level win came in the Vermont BB Juvenile Filly (G2) and she has also finished third in the Stoker Handicap (G2) and was second in the G3 Trixy Delight’s Special.
2-Yr Old Fillies & Mares Dirt Route
The route class is currently limited to one filly, that being SWAPSCO KITTY. She’s currently third in the Dirt Sprint class (see above) and all her points in this class came courtesy of running with the boys in the G3 Trixy Delight’s Special where she finished second. You can say she has a commanding lead with 37,500 points. But every other filly that is two years old are tied with 0-points in second place.
2-Yr Old Open Turf
With 700,000 points, LEAR AND STARE has a strong lead. He has won four of six races with a second thus far. He has a second in a listed stakes race and a pair of grade wins coming from the G2 Norfellow and the G1 More Nay.
BLUE LAGO EM has a bit of work to do with 540,000 points. But with a perfect 4 for 4 record, he could do so. Two of the wins were grade level, the G3 Railaway and more recent win in the G1 Firebird.
340,000 points is enough to land four time winner DUBARECK in the third spot who has been ITM in all 7 starts. Dubareck is the top ranked filly in the similar class (see above) and has scored enough to make it to the top of the open class.
2-Yr Old Open Turf Route
I have to refer readers to the Fillies & Mares section for Turf Route as the top ranked horses in the open class are the same as appears in the ladies class. Where are the boys????
2-Yr Open Dirt Sprint
Gals rule again! The topped rank SEPOY’S GAL has outdone the boys and not only leads in the filly/mare class but also the Open class with 322,500 points (see review above).
But things are much closer as STORM CAT HUMOR is breathing down her neck with 321,000 points. The colt has won 3 of 5 starts with a pair of fourths in listed stakes. Things improved with moving into the grade level with wins in the G3 Montana Futurity and the G2 Stanford.
HOW’D THAT HAPPEN rounds out the top three as yet another filly out does the males. She has 315,000 points and is current 2nd in the above filly class.
2-Yr Open Dirt Route
A tie on top of the leader board with 90,000 points each, starting off with HADROSAUR. This big dinosaur of a horse has collected 5 wins in 6 starts with a win and fourth coming at listed stakes and a G3 victory in the Pea Patch Juvenile. LIGHTINING STRIFE has been first or second in each of five starts and has a second in the G3 Montana Futurity and a win in the G3 Trixy Delight’s Special.
GRAVITY ORBIT trails in third with 60,000 points and has won four of seven starts with a second on his record. He has a win and a fourth in a pair of listed stake races.