The G-3 Backward Gal Stakes
A mixed bag of sprint specialists, route winners, and young up-and-comers find themselves in the deserts of New Mexico for the G-3 Backward Gal Stakes. Let’s take a look at our contenders from the rail out.
1 Swamp Boots (taleofcat9) – Storm Boot filly comes from a pretty nice family — dam is a stakes winner and she’s also a half to another stakes winner. She’s biting off a lot this week, but she is two for two in her short career and her own stakes win came last out against the boys while posting a solid speed figure. Even so, she is facing far tougher than she’s seen previously and is also giving away a ton of experience. Needs to improve in order to contend this week and that’s possible with just the two starts to her credit, but would have liked to see her get some more seasoning at the minor stakes level before tackling this kind…
2 Turf Angel (dokki3) – Showed she wasn’t really a turf angel at all in her first two starts, but fortunately for her trainer she’s shown an affinity for the main track — unbeaten in a pair of starts and makes her graded stakes debut this week. Gutsy gate-to-wire winner in last, but the speed figure was average for this group. She’s a speedy little gal, but getting the lead this week is no given and it’s hard to imagine she can track the speedsters and pounce in the stretch. She may be another who could use some more time in the minor stakes ranks…
3 Exile In Guyville AUS (super7) – Spinning World filly wrapped up an eventful two-year old campaign with a visually impressive win in stakes company in last, but the speed figure wasn’t anything to get excited about and nor is the fact that it followed a quartet of fifth-place finishes. All four of those were of the graded variety and two came routing, so perhaps her best game is sprinting in minor stakes. Unfortunately, this is another one of those graded races of course and that, coupled with her fairly average speed figures, make her an outsider this week.
4 Grey Ice (crandyiii) – Shares co-favoritism this week with a pair of others, but her smashing three-year old debut in the G-2 Yanta Snez Stakes has to make her the one to beat this week. Multiple stakes winner has also hit the exacta in her last four and the speed figures are improving by leaps and bounds — nobody in here’s posted a speed figure higher than she earned in her last. As if that weren’t enough, she also has nice stalking style and should sit a perfect trip behind a handful of speedsters.
5 Mike The Animal (aussie01) – Curiously named filly has hit the exacta in nine of ten and that’s certainly respectable, but this is her first graded stakes try and she’s facing a tougher cast than she’s ever seen. Trainer has steadily brought her up in distance — three-year old debut was first at seven furlongs and she put forth a respectable runner-up finish while firing a solid speed figure. Bargain-bred by Zavata has yet to route, but is a bit of a closer and could possibly be effective north of a mile. As for this week, we’ve already noted the field has a handful of speedsters, so she rates a chance at passing some tired horses and getting a slice…
6 Chacin Run (oscarwilde) – Dream Run filly knows no in between — either she’s victorious or she’s getting thumped. Good news is she’s won her last two against stakes competition at this distance. Bad news is the style in which she’s won — she’s opened up a big lead in the early stages and lost a ton of ground late. Such a style doesn’t usually translate well against graded stakes types and couple a penchant for losing ground late with fairly low speed figures — an 83 in her three-year old debut — and she’s a deserving longshot this week.
7 High On Capote (FR) (lawyerron) – High Yield has sired 25% of the field and this one is one of his. Unfortunately for her, the speed figures have been in a downward slide since a bang up win against stakes types back in October. Trainer tried to stem the bleeding with a turf try in the three-year old debut, but all she did was finish third and tick off a slew of bettors who had made her a massive 1-2 favorite. She broke her maiden on a sloppy track — in her fifth attempt — and hasn’t seen a fast dirt track since. Hard to imagine she gets her first win on a fast track against these types this week…
8 One For Nobody (wilkes) – Well thought of filly has never been higher than 3-1 in her five race career (four wins) and the speed figures have been rising nicely with every start. Aldebaran filly has shown some versatility, but appears to enjoy being on the lead the most. Needs to continue to improve and probably needs to rate just a bit more to make her presence felt this week…
9 Cybertown (kyclocker6) – Speightstown filly hasn’t seen the inside of a winner’s circle since August and is just two for seven lifetime. She’s seen some big stages in her day and she did manage a fourth place finish in a G-1 last time she went this distance, but the speed figures are average and her current form remains suspect. That said, this is her first dirt sprint since the G-1 effort, so perhaps a return to her best game will lead to an improved try this week…
10 Katherineofaragon (FR) (gipper7) – Highly regarded filly is the class of the field and makes her three-year old debut this week. A bit of a curious spot for a deep, deep closer that wrapped up a stellar two-year old campaign with a G-1 route win, but she’s also won a G-1 at this very distance and must be respected every time she takes the track regardless of how far, or short, they’re going. That all said, her closing style may be more suited to routing and you also have to believe this is just a tune-up for some of the bigger and better route races to come and that winning may not be as important as just running a nice race and emerging injury-free…
11 Koko Taylor (FR) (banditkllr) – Everything was going so well until the three-year old debut — combination of tackling a route and graded stakes foes for the first time resulted in a dismal showing — the first off-the-board showing of her career. Looks to make amends this week and that’s certainly possible — High Yield filly fired a 96 speed figure last time we saw her going seven panels and sports a similar stalking style as leading contender Grey Ice. Cut back in distance should do wonders and I’m guessing she rebounds this week with an on-the-board finish at the very least…
12 Uno Gato (qhorseguy) – Macho Uno filly is unbeaten and looks to stretch her string of unos to cinco this week while facing graded stakes types for the first time. She comes into this with a pretty solid foundation — she’s won her last three against stakes opponents, all at different distances. Top speed figure fits nicely with these and it’s quite possible we haven’t seen her best yet with just four starts under her belt. Another who rates a good chance at hitting the board…
Selections — 4 – 12 – 11