Can Lamentations Carry Her Speed?

Can Lamentations Carry Her Speed?

Kentucky – After the Breeder’s Bowl left town, Kentucky rested on her laurels only briefly before jumping back into action – this week with the Grade II Mrs. Clever Stakes.  The skies are expected to be fair for Saturday’s mile and a sixteenth race over the grass.  A field of ten three year-old and up fillies and mares will vie for a $250,000.  Here is a look at the field by post position.

On the rail will be Princessa (23/1) a 6 YO mare by Royal Academy.  A big leggy thing she is conditioned by Monimonica and has won five races with four of those being on the grass.  She finished second last time out in a European allowance at the distance and was second five races back in The Skillfully Shuffle.  While that was a great effort, it was over a yielding turf course and that will not be the case on Saturday.

Bella Figura (7/2) is ranked # 5 among older mares for this distance and what a nice mare she is.  Trained by Sgtbones she is by Kingmambo and has won 25 of 52 starts.  That’s almost half and she also has over $2 million dollars in the bank.  Top that with the fact that she has won six of her last eight, including the Grade III Other Spa BB, and you have a mare that everyone would like to have in their barn.  She is showing nary a sign of wear and tear and the only drawback will be her rider who is riding at 3% this year, looking for only his fourth win of the year.  Bella Figura comes into this race off a second place finish in the Grade II Milky Way and should be the one to beat.

The nice filly Stage Magic (6/1) will break from post three and she is owned and trained by Theodore4.  She is a 4 YO by Tale Of The Cat and has won six of 28 starts but none of those wins have been in the last nine months.  That said, she has only been worse than third once in her last eight starts.  In that lone bad effort she was soundly beaten by Bella Figura in the Grade III Other Spa BB, but she bounced back last time out to finish third with a rousing closing effort in the Grade III Bickerbocker.

Alle Alle Ava (13/1) is a 6 YO mare by the well known Krusenstern.  Certainly this must be one of Knightmare’s bargain breds, but trainer Bigdaddyp elected to skip the bargain Bred Series and place his mare here.  She has won six of 47 starts and her last win was a mile and a sixteenth allowance race on the main track.  She was sent back in The Snownut and tired to finish fifth after pressing the pace.  She will need her best to get part of this on Saturday.

Astapor will saddle his young 3 YO filly Lamentations (9/1) who is very lightly raced with only 14 starts.  She has won four of those and is the lone speed in this race.  She was an allowance winner two back and finished a good second last time out in The Forty Pigeon Bonanza.  Look for her to try and take it wire to wire and it just might work as she is the only one in the field with any gas out of the gate.

Zook Spur (5/1) comes out of the Hollandia Empire and Yochem has a nice one here.  She has won 10 of her 22 starts and three of her last eight.  She was a closing second last time out earning a triple digit speed figure and if she runs back to that she certainly fits here.  Hopefully her top-notch trainer can overcome the riding ability of her jockey who is looking for only his sixth win of the year.

Post seven will hold Angel Girl (5/1) a nice looking mare by Geri.  Owned and trained by Mizuno, she is ranked # 32 and has won nine of 20 starts.  More impressive, she has won four of her last eight and they were all stakes so she has been playing with the big girls.  She comes into this race off a last to first finish, winning easily in The Japanese Tigress with a 100 speed figure.

Dead Solid Perfect (9/1) is a 4 YO filly by High Chaparral and is trained by Snowchief.  Ranked # 34, this big filly was a gift from esteemed breeder Texasace.  She is the winner of The Frugal Jessie and The Dependent Hooter, both at longer.  She was a closing second two back in The Grade I Princess Di but has been running longer and may run out of real estate making her big run.  She has a good jock on board and hopefully he can shake this filly up early and get her home in time.

Cash In The Bank (4/1) is owned and trained by Hook and is a 4 YO own daughter of Barathea.  She is ranked # 48 and has won nine of 25 races and over a half million dollars.  She won the Grade III Lil Drummer Boy at Saturday’s distance and The One Grove at nine furlongs.  She shares the top speed figure (105) in the race with two others and she did hers more recently.  Throw out her last over an off track and this filly stands a big chance.

On the outside will be Bling (13/1) who is really impressive.  She is a 4YO filly by Horse Chestnut and is trained by Safrace2.  While she failed miserably in her first graded attempt she comes into this race off a win and ran a 104 speed figure.  She is just getting started with only ten races under her belt and she has won six of those.  In fact, she has won five of her last eight including her last two both at nine furlongs and she has improving numbers.  The distance won’t be a problem and she has more than likely matured mentally to face this kind of class.  I think this filly will run big if she can pick it up in time, because, yes, she is another closer.

This is a race full of them and the lone speed, Lamentations may get so far in front she will be hard to run down, especially if she can slow the pace.  The rest of the field will certainly come running at the end and it will be a horse race to the wire.  Good Luck to all.