SISSON’S CHANT TRIES THE TURF

Oklahoma plays home to the Grade II Celine Stakes on Saturday.  It has been quite some time since they have had a Graded Stakes race so the track is very excited to have lured an excellent field including Breeders Bowl Juvenile Filly winner SISSON’S CHANT.  The purse will be $250,000 and the race will be run over a mile and a sixteenth on the firm turf track.  The young ladies get this special billing with 3 year old fillies and mares eligible to run.

Let’s take a look at the 5 going to post.

PETRIE’S GOLD(KY) (3-1) When trainer thebigo bred this one he had no idea he would have a horse that would run this well.  This 3 year old mare has been lights out so far.  In seven turf stars she has been in the top two in each one.  In eleven career races, she only finished out of the money once on the dirt.  In her last race, she won the Grade III Si’ Senorita Special with a 95 speed figure.  That was her career best race but from her past performances she shows no signs that she will slow down at all. 

LABELED BLACK(KY) (14-1) The stable of jdawg06 ships this 3 year old mare in from Victoria.  Her career best figure of 87 was two back in the Squire Flirt Memorial.  That day she finished 3^rd to a small field of five decent horses.  She is low on class and speed and will have to break a lot of doping laws to win this one.

VY THE QUARTERBACK(KY) (5-2) Trainer catahoula hopes to capitalize on an amazing race last out by this 3 year old mare by bringing her right back on two weeks rest.   Out of nowhere, she popped an impressive 99 speed figure to win the Grade III Woodpecker’s Edge Handicap.  That race moved her up to 8^th in the rankings for 3 year old turf routers.  She came out of the gates running as a two year old and is very dangerous here if her last start did not tax her too much.

SISSON’S CHANT(KY) (7-5) The levers stable was blessed with one incredible horse the day they went to the breeder’s barn and mixed War Chant with Mr. Prospector and Nijinsky II.  This lady came out of the barn and had a two year old season that breeders dream of.  Seven starts and six wins including three Grade I victories with the climax being the Grade I Breeders Bowl Juvenile Filly.  Her three year old season has not been so kind.  So far, she is zero for four this year with two 3^rd places in top races.  Saturday, a new era in her career may start as she steps onto the turf track for the first time.  It is hard to make a call on how she will do on the green but we must give the utmost respect to the number 1 ranked dirt router even if this race was on cement.

CULINARY CUTIE(IRE) (3-1) Buzz ships this lady in from British Columbia to see if she can beat some of the top turf routers in the country.  She is no slouch as the 53^rd ranking has her name by it.  Last out, she ran against PETRIE’S GOLD in the Grade III Si’ Senorita Special and had a small lead at top of the stretch only to falter and finish 3^rd with a 93 figure.  She surely has the blood and class to gives these a run but I think she may need a little more time to hit her best stride. 

My take:  The first question one has to ask is what will SISSON’S CHAMP do on the turf?  At 7/5 odds I am not willing to lay my wagers on her even though she is truly the class of the field here.  VY THE QUARTERBACK has to be my pick here.  Her 99 last out is the fast race of any of these horses and the trainer runs her right back.  I like the move to hit em while their hot and think this one can become a top turfer if she is kept at a mile to a mile and a sixteenth.  PETRIE’S GOLD is one that should finish out the top three here and may even end up in the top two.  This one just knows how to get in the money no matter what the conditions.