PRINCESS QUEST Challenge Stakes
The $65,000 PRINCESS QUEST Challenge Stakes is Saturday’s featured race at Vermont. The race is open to older fillies and mares and will be contested at a distance of 1 3/16 miles over the turf course. The runners, in order of their starting gate with early betting odds, are:
DEAD SOLID PERFECT (26 6-7-2 $436,640) [7/2] This 5-year-old mare races for the snowchief stable. Her best outing this year is a 3rd in the Exploding Outhouse Stakes (GIII), but she hasn’t recorded a win since June of last year. Sired by HIGH CHAPARRAL, this mare has a lifetime best SP of 105 over the turf at this distance. A late closer, in five of her six lifetime victories she has rallied from more than 10 lengths back. Jockey Langhorne (10%) gets the riding assignment.
ENOUGH MON (37 5-8-6 $141,634) [5/1] is the 5-year-old daughter of MARIA’S MON, bred and successfully campaigned by itsalock. She is winless this year in three starts, all at the stakes level, so is looking to rebound here after a 4th place run last time out. She has a lifetime best SP 96 at the race distance and will be ridden by Stearns (16%).
SHY BUDA (16 4-1-1 $74,234) [10/1] is the least experienced of this group with only 16 lifetime starts. Sired by WOODMAN, the 4-year-old’s dam (SHY VILLA) was a multiple graded stakes winner. She is making her first attempt at the stakes level for the joanneb stable after recording a win two outings back in a $52,300 allowance race in Florida. Jockey Stinson (18%) will most likely try to have her on the lead or close to it from the start, as she prefers to run upfront.
HOT SAUCE DEMOSS (26 4-5-4 $114,372) [5/1] After being claimed in February for $2,000, this 4-year-old has responded wonderfully for new owner ets with three strong outings, highlighted by a 2nd place finish in the LEMON LIME Stakes two races ago. Recording her three best lifetime SP’s last three times out, she looks to be in top form and could be in the mix here with Jockey Wolff (11%).
ULTEGRA (32 8-12-1 $392,345) [2/1] The pre-race favorite has enjoyed a very successful campaign so far this year, with two wins and a second in five outings at the stakes level, including a win last time out in the PATH TO WAR STAKES. A half sister to #3 SHY BUDA, she is one of only two in this field with a prior stakes win. Owner maruxa has chosen jockey Dudderar (6%) for this outing. As shown by her wire-to-wire victory last time out, expect her to be upfront and one of the pacesetters from the start.
JUST LIKE FRANK (39 5-5-7 $44,124) [10/1], After breaking her maiden in her 20th outing, she now makes her first start ever in stakes company following her one and only win earlier this year at the allowance level. This mare is sired by the seldom seen LIKE A SOLDIER, who has produced only 5 other runners. Owner bbrs2 calls on the services of jockey Kratch, who has yet to ride a winner this year.
CARSFLY SEATTLE (37 6-3-6 $167,126) [17/1] This nicely bred (CARSON CITY x SEATTLE SLEW x HIS MAJESTY) 5-year-old mare struggled her last time out, finishing 7th in an allowance with an SP of only 75. Owned and bred by astfly and ridden by Secret (6%), she looks to rebound this time in tougher company. She has a best lifetime finish of 3rd in 13 previous stakes tries and has not recorded an SP over 88 in more than a year and a half.
GETTIN’ IT (24 7-3-5 $475,930) [6/1] is one of three granddaughters of SEATTLE SLEW in this field (JUST LIKE FRANK and CARSFLY SEATTLE), which also includes one great granddaughter (HOT SAUCE DEMOSS). This mare has spent most of her career at the stakes level, including three graded stakes wins for owner peter12. Along with a wealth of experience and success at this level, she gets the added benefit of having the services of the track’s leading jockey Gravina (14%), who has ridden the feature winner each of the last two weeks.
While I would like to rest on my laurels after luckily picking the winner in last week’s feature, I’ll risk embarrassment again this week: Expect ULTEGRA and GETTING’ IT to set the early pace, with many others stalking from close behind. The benefit of all this early speed will be DEAD SOLID PERFECT, coming from well back for the win, followed by ULTEGRA and GETTIN’ IT.