The DEPRESSION HERO Special G3

3 Year Old Fillies Go To New Lengths

By pitcairn37

3224.0413

This Saturday the 13^th race in New York features the inaugural running of The DEPRESSION HERO Special a G3 race over 11 furlongs on dirt for 3yo fillies. The track looks like it will be fast for the $125,000 event. It will be at least a furlong and a half longer than these fillies have ever run in a race and figures to be a real endurance challenge.  All 9 starters are well breed, with 7 of them from Kentucky and one each from California and Ireland.

OROWELL (8-1) PP1 is a 3yo filly sired by MEDAGLIA D’ORO X SADLER’S WELLS X WOODMAN and trained by sam.  She has 3 wins but a 2^nd in her only stakes race. Although closing in all 12 of her starts this filly’s longest ride has been over 9F. A couple of wins at 8.5F,  a recent 91 SP rating over that distance, and on form jockey B Dirks doing the riding, all indicate that this late closer may have what it takes to finish in the money over 11F.

BRADDOCK (7-2) PP2 is a 3yo filly sired by GIANT’S CAUSEWAY X OPERA HOUSE X DANZIG and trained by simsters5.  This filly has 4 career wins with 1 stakes victory along with a second and a third in a G3.  Closes well and recently seemed to run out of track as she finished 8^th in the 9F G1 Bluegrass Oaks. The longer distance looks like a good fit here and her recent SP ratings in the mid 90’s make her the horse to beat in my opinion.

WHO YA GONNA CALL (18-1) PP3 is a 3yo filly sired by GHOSTZAPPER X DEPUTY MINISTER X BLUSHING GROOM and trained by super20.  Won at 5F and 6F but best finish at 8F+ is a 2^nd in an Allowance. She was 7^th last time out in her only stakes race with an 80 SP rating.  Although seems to close well, this filly maybe overmatched in this field.

NANCY’S BOOTS (5-1) PP4 is a 3yo filly sired by GOLDEN MISSILE X NORTHERN BABY X CONQUISTADOR CIELO and trained by qhorseguy. This filly has run in the most races of any other entry. Has only 2 first place finishes in her 15 races, but 5 more in the money including last time out in a 9.5F stakes race. Has shown speed with SP ratings of 93 and 91 last two times out, which were also over her longest distances of 9.5F.

PROMINENT (6-1) PP5 is a 3yo old filly sired by SEEKING THE GOLD X NIJINSKYII X HALO and trained by pg45. A lightly raced filly with only 6 starts, 2 wins, and a 6^th in her only stakes race. Last time out she went 9.5F in an Allowance, finishing 1^st with a 91 SP rating. In 4 of 6 starts has lost places or ground in the stretch.

A.P. PRINCESS (6-1) PP6 is a 3yo filly sired by TOUCH GOLD X KINGMAMBO X A.P. INDY and trained by sharood. Comes off two straight wins and has 7 out of 10 starts in the money. Last time out this filly won her only stakes race, a 9.5F with a 94 Speed rating. Has shown the ability to close in every race she has run. Maybe suited to the 11F on Saturday.

QUESTALITY (27-1) PP7 is a 3yo filly sired by TIZNOW X ANNOUNCE X QUEEN CITY LAD and trained by pm. Has only started in 5 races, 2 of which were stakes, in her short career. Two starts back, this filly came in 2^nd in a 9.5F stakes race, but only posted a 79 SP rating.

TORNADO CAT (9-2) PP8 is a 3yo filly sired by EVENT OF THE YEAR X STORM CAT X DANZIG and trained by togaburt. This filly has finished in the money in 6 of 8 starts including 3 stakes races and a G3.  The bad news is that the longest she has run is a 9F G3 in which she finished 11^th and fading. With no real pace setters in this field she maybe the closest thing and set the pace for the first 2/3 of the race. She has shown class but there is little evidence of the distance ability needed.

CAT FIVE CANE (3-1) PP9 is a 3yo filly sired by ORIENTATE X BROADBRUSH X NINISKI and trained by australia. Consistent speed at 8-9.5F with SP ratings in the mid to upper 90’s indicate that this horse has demonstrated the highest speed figures in the field.  However this filly only has one stakes entry and that was a 6^th place finish at 8.5F, although she was closing.  One of the top jockeys at the track, Ax Williams will be attempting to get his ride into the money.

Outlook

Of course it is hard to handicap a race in which all the horses are going unfamiliar distances. That is compounded in this race by the developing nature of 3yo’s and the fact that this race seems to lack much in the way of pace setters. TORNADO CAT and perhaps NANCY’S BOOTS and OROWELL may be forced into setting the pace. I think that BRADDOCK, A.P. PRINCESS, and CAT FIVE CANE will all be lurking at the rear looking to flash their speed in the stretch. Depending on the early pace I look for the three closers to be battling it out at the wire. There is however a chance one of the fillies will make a great leap forward here and that could be any of these fillies, but I would particularly watch TORNADO CAT to see if she can run away with this early, and NANCY”S BOOTS, because one of these days those boots will walk all over you.