The Woodpecker’s Edge Handicap

This week’s feature at South Carolina will see the 3yo fillies display their wares in the Grade III Woodpecker’s Edge Handicap.  2007 is the eighth running of the Woodpecker and it hasn’t proved to be a great form guide for future races as only 2 runners in the past 7 years have gone on to accumulate more than 1 million dollars.  Royal Runner(IRE) set the stakes record with a time of 1:35 1/5^th in 2003 after failing to stay in the Adelaide Oaks.

            With the running of the 1000 Guineas last week it has left the door open for some of these fillies to add some black type to the race record and increase their value at stud.  For others it is a chance to bounce back into form or to try and revive a stuttering 3yo campaign.  Let’s have a closer examination of their credentials.

1-  WOOD OWN (KY) (earthling) – Jumping from the inside post we have Wood Own representing the Minnesota residency and the Rcdlogan stables.  A filly by Danzig stallion Belong To Me she has had 4 starts in 2007, all in stakes races around the 7fl.  She managed to win her first race for the year in a fairly smart time but faced only 3 other competitors on the day.  Since then she has regressed a bit and earthling is obviously hoping to spark her back into action with a step up in distance to the mile.  She broke her maiden over 8fl as a 2yo and then placed in a weak stakes race at her next start over 8.5fl.  Her other attempts at the trip were ok, without ever really threatening the winners.  T Olobia has the ride on Saturday and he is having a pretty solid year, kicking them home at 11.5% and earning over $110000 in stakes.

            It is a very open race on Saturday and Wood Own is not without a chance to snare some part of the prizemoney, but I don’t think it will be the major share.  She likes to drop out in her races so if there is some pace on she might show a bit more kick over the 8 now she has matured a little.

2-  KNOWING LOOKS (KY) (foxon3) – On the second line of betting at 5/1 we have this strong filly by Dynaformer from one of the sim’s leading trainers.  Bred to stay on as a 3yo she was smart enough to place at stakes level as a 2yo 3 times over the sprint journeys.  Finally as the races got longer towards the end of the year foxon was able to step her up to the mile, but to some shock she seemed to weaken and could only return 4^th, some 9 lengths from the winner.  After trying another sprint first up as a 3yo she was stepped back up to 9fl and ran more like her breeding would suggest, leading from start to finish for a nice win.  Next time out, in another restricted allowance, she failed to show the same dash from the gate and was a tiring 7^th over 9fl.  Foxon, with alarm bells ringing, then switched the filly to the dirt for the first time but she showed it was not to her liking finishing a distant 14 lengths from the winner.  Back to the turf it was and with the lush surface more to her liking she found her feet again and was back on the pace, booting home for a strong win in a weak allowance over 8.5fl.  T Genty has the task this week to get this flighty filly to settle and feel comfortable up on the pace.  He has only had an average year to date, riding 9 winners from 120 mounts.

            Knowing Looks certainly has some ability but it is hard to guess which Knowing Looks will turn up Saturday.  She is yet to win at Stakes level and her only 2 allowance victories were in very small fields.  You can never underestimate this trainer but I think she would be better suited in an overnight stakes race at this time in her career

3-  MOUNTAIN CHALET (TUR) (wdforty) – From the 3 hole we have Mountain Chalet, a filly by Mountain Cat, having her first attempt at graded level.  She began racing as a 2yo on the dirt but it was late in the year when she was switched to grass that she showed she might be a handy mare, breaking her maiden in a full field over 6.5fl.  At her first run at 3 she was stepped up to 8.5fl and was a little disappointing, weakening down the stretch for a 3^rd, 4 lengths behind the winner.  She bounced back at her next start with a good win over 8fl on the turf, scrambling home by a head to the fast finishing Sandy Hollow.  She stepped out again in an allowance 5 weeks later and proved it was no fluke, saluting again over 8fl and lowering the colours of some handy fillies.  She looked ready and primed for her stakes debut but she disappointed the Wd stables with a lacklustre run, weakening when the jockey asked her to push forward.  Wdforty has booked the services of P Mill for the ride, obviously impressed with this young jockey and his strike rate of 11% for the year.

            Although she failed last time out at her first stakes attempt I think the distance of 9.5fl might have found her out rather than the class.  I think she is definitely up to stakes level but taking out a Gr III as her first is a big ask.  At 12/1 she is very good value in an open race and it would not surprise to see her bob up for a slice of the prizemoney. 

4-  LADY’S NEW CAUSE (KY) (ladyssecre) – First foal of graded placed mare Lady Galadriel(Ire) by boom stallion Giant’s Causeway.  This filly has potential with a capital P.  She didn’t race as a 2yo but has made every post a winner since debuting as a 3yo in February.  After winning her maiden comfortably over 8fl she then took out 2 restricted allowance races over 8 and 8.5fl, before attempting a stakes race in her latest effort.  In that run she broke well and trailed the leader throughout before making her move around the home turn.  She looked the winner but Seeking The Ransom had the drop on her and was strong enough to pass Lady’s New Cause down the stretch and win by ¾ of a length.  Seeking The Ransom is a smart filly, winning 4 of her 6 races on turf and would start close to favourite in this race so to run her to under a length was a promising effort by Lady’s New Cause.  Ladyssecre has asked N “Pretty Boy” Parsons to ride her up and coming filly this weekend and he will be trying to turn around an inconsistent season with victory on Saturday. 

            Lady’s New Cause is the new filly on the block. She displayed plenty of heart last time out at her first attempt in a stakes race and will derive a lot of benefit for the run.  She should sit just behind the pace and if she can get the jump on the closers she may just be able to steal the race as they turn for home.

5-  GREEN DIESIS (GB) (pisano2) – Next in line is pisano’s stakes winning filly Green Diesis, who is by Diesis out of the graded placed mare Green Crusader.  Green Diesis has been steadily building up in distance during her 5 runs thus far in 2007, presumably in the aim for a tilt at an Oaks race.  She was victorious at her first run for the year in an allowance over 8fl in North Carolina and was then sent to New Jersey to join the stakes circuit.  She performed well at her first run over 9fl and finished 3^rd before stepping up again in distance to 9.5fl and proving too strong in the Sociable Emblem stakes, beating stakes winner Fly Higher in a small field.  It was then off to Vermont and after starting a hot favourite, again over 9.5fl, she weakened down the lane to finish a tired 4^th, beaten 8 ¼ lengths by VVV in another small field.  Pisano, still with ideas of running in an Oaks, then tried the filly over 11fl in an allowance last time out but she again tired down the stretch and stumbled home 3^rd, 11 lengths adrift of the winner.  One of South Carolina’s top jockeys M Epps has taken the ride this week and he will ensure the filly gets a nice ride up near the lead.

            I think it is a good move bringing Green Diesis back in distance to the mile where she has run her best times at.  She is a 2 time stakes winner but those races were in small fields, which is concerning. She did attempt graded racing twice last year as a 2yo with mixed results so we will be looking for a stronger finish on Saturday to really prove that she deserves to be racing at this level.

6-  LATERALAS (KY) (jlincoln) – Dur resident jlincoln is represented on Saturday by his Pine Bluff filly Lateralas.  Already a stakes winner at 2 she has been bought along patiently in 2007 with just the 2 stakes runs leading into Saturday’s feature event.  She ran a bottler first up in January for a solid 2^nd behind King’s Hunter in the Cecil Roo stakes over 8fl.  Jlincoln then gave her a nice break before stepping her out again in March to tackle the Starke River Special over 7.5fl on the grass.  She again ran well but found group winner Nothin’ to Lose a little too strong over the sprint journey, closing her to 1 ¼ lengths on the line.  Jlincoln is stepping her back up to 8fl and has managed to get M ‘Magic” Mickson onboard for her tilt at the Woodpecker.  “Magic” is one of South Carolina’s elite jockeys and he is having another stellar year, riding 41 winners and closing in on half a million dollars.

            I think Lateralas is really primed for a big showing on Saturday.  She hasn’t been pushed hard in this preparation and she is building towards a really strong performance over 8 furlongs.  The biggest concern for punters is that in her last 4 runs she has finished 3^rd, 2^nd, 2^nd, 2^nd and always seems to find one better on the day. 

7-  POLAXED (KY) (gcphantom) – From the experienced and well respected Phantom Farms comes this weeks early morning favourite Polaxed.  She is a beautifully bred filly by champion 2yo Johannesburg out of the Rock of Gibraltar mare Kepler Gibraltar.  After spending her first 6 races on the dirt gcphantom had an inkling his filly might enjoy racing more without the dirt flying into her face and in February switched her to turf in an allowance over 7 panels.  His flying filly did not disappoint and after sitting at the rear of the small field she popped out down the stretch and went on to win easily.  Buoyed by her strong win gcphantom then stepped her up to 8.5fl in another allowance with a small field.  After settling 2^nd last early she again moved forward as they rounded the final bend and kept finding plenty down the stretch to haul the leader in and post another strong victory.  It was then time to try an overnight stakes race in the Best Alice Handicap over 8fl.  Sent out as the second elect by punters she did not give her backers a moment of concern, cruising to the lead down the stretch and booting right away from her chasers to post a commanding 4 ¾ length victory in the smart time of 1:36 for the mile.  Gcphantom has the services of wily veteran jockey Be Dixon who is having another solid year, his 18^th in the saddle, riding 20 winners for the season.

            Polaxed is 3 for 3 on the grass and looks like a very nice filly on the way up.  Her time in the Best Alice was very smart for a filly at this time of year and a repeat performance this weekend will put her right in the firing line when the whips are cracking.

8-  VY THE QUATERBACK (KY) (catahoula) – From the famous Lone Star Racing stables comes the number 6^th ranked filly in the division, Vy The Quaterback.  After an absolutely stellar year in 2006 where she was successful at the highest level and ran a great race for 4^th in the Breeder’s Bowl, Vy has been struggling a little in 2007 to hit her straps.  The winner of over $1 million she is by standout 1^st year sire Kitten’s Joy and with that breeding in mind catahoula set about targeting his filly for Oaks glory in ’07.  However after some promising initial runs she found the journey in the Sydney Oaks beyond her and knocked up in the run, trailing off 20 lengths from the winner.  With the disappointment of the Oaks behind them catahoula has freshened up his filly and brought her back to her pet distance of a mile, a trip she is a Gr I winner over.  “The Professor” V Webb has jumped at the chance to get aboard the champion filly and she couldn’t be in better hands.  He is riding as well as ever this year with an impressive strike rate of 23%.

            My old man always told me never to underestimate a champion and I think that is good advice for Saturday’s race.  Vy ran a cracking 4^th in the Gr I Train Yard Special 3 races back and now she is off the Oaks trail I think we will see her return to the form she displayed as 2yo.  Royal Runner was able to bounce back in 2003 after failing in the Adelaide Oaks and I think Vy will be able to do something similar whilst also setting up a launching pad to get her 2007 campaign back on track.

9-  WESTERN BLUSH (IRE) (quickfire) – Out of the Chugalug stables comes Perfect Soul’s (IRE) stakes winning filly Western Blush.  After a heavy 2yo season where she faced the starter 9 times Western Blush has been raced a little more sparingly this year, having 3 starts all over sprint journeys.  She opened her 2007 account in January with a nice 2^nd place finish in the More of the Ginny Memorial run over 7 furlongs.  She sat on the leaders heels, as she normally does, but just didn’t have the kick to haul the winner in after Our Flying Lass had lead all race with little pressure.  Quickfire then gave her a short ease up and brought her back in March to contest the Jack Dancer Challenge over 6.5fl.  She again took up her customary position just on the pace but the 3 speed horses all cut at each other and it left the race wide open for the swoopers to close and swallow them down the stretch, she tired for 4^th just 2 ¾ lengths from the winner.  In her final hitout before Saturday’s feature the Woodpecker she was sent to Ontario for the Her Tempest Stakes over the sprint journey of 6fl.  In an extraordinary race all 8 horses pushed forward from the start and raced within a length of eachother for most of the race.  Not surprisingly Western Blush was caught wide from her outside gate but showing some determination she fought on to finish 4^th again, beaten 3 lengths.  T Parker has the task of getting her across from the 9 gate on Saturday and he is in good form, riding 9 winners from limited opportunities.

            Western Blush has never raced over a mile and a Gr III is a hell of a hard way to test the waters.  She hasn’t been finishing off her races when sprinting recently and this indicates 1 of 2 things.  Either she is becoming a bit more dour and looking for the added distance of a mile or she hasn’t really strengthened up as 3yo and other fillies are getting the better of her.  Saturday should reveal all.

10-  ATLANTIC VEE (IRE) (veeman2) – From the extreme outside posts is Atlantic Vee who is the most inexperienced filly in the race, having just her second race day appearance this weekend.  She is beautifully bred being by Peintre Celebre(Ire) out of the A Grade mare Shenanigans(Ire) who won in excess of $1 million dollars, ran second in a Breeder’s Bowl as a 2yo and was a Gr I winner at 3 over 9 furlongs.  On debut Atlantic Vee showed plenty of pace to bounce out of the gates and lead from start to finish posting a respectable SP of 84 for the 6.5fl trip. She is obviously untried at a mile but her breeding suggests it shouldn’t be a problem and W Early is the jockey tasked to help her settle and run the distance right out. He is having a solid if unspectacular year and will be hoping that Atlantic Vee is the horse to kickstart his season.

            Atlantic Vee is an exciting prospect with class oozing through her veins.  However it is always a huge ask to expect a filly to step out of maiden company into a Gr III and she will have to be something special to keep her perfect record in tact.  Expect her to improve on whatever she does this weekend and look for her to progress through the ranks as the year passes.

            That’s the field for the 2007 running of the Woodpecker’s Edge Handicap and it certainly is an interesting mix of fillies.  Although the Woodpecker has not been a great form race for the 3yo filly division I get the feeling it could be different story this year.  We have one of the division heavyweights in Vy The Quaterback coming back to her pet distance looking for a return to the winners circle and we have the new brigade in Atlantic Vee, Lady’s New Cause and Polaxed trying to pick up some stakes points and lay the foundation for a tilt at greater glories later in the year.  I think Vy The Quaterback may just have the class to take out Saturday’s feature.  Lady’s New Cause and Polaxed are exciting prospects but they just might be a race or two short from knocking the champ off her perch.

Good luck to all connections on what should be a wonderful race.

PACE CHART

                                              Rear                                        Middle                                        Lead