Sunshine in Iowa
The El Masri Stakes for 2 year old fillies is named for a mare who ran only once as a 2yo. She became a stakes winner and graded stakes placed at 3, and won her second stakes race at 4. She retired after 3 unplaced starts as a 5yo. El Masri has produced 4 foals, including stakes-placed Afray, by Forty Niner.
Personally, I love 2yos, not that I have the remotest idea how to handicap them. Still, it’s always fun to watch the young bright hopes of their owners; you never know when a superstar will pop up. Six baby fillies are primed to take a shot at winning their first stakes race today. Let’s take a look at them:
Post position 1: Fast Moon (BRZ), owned by Blindmelon, is a daughter of Fast Gold x Mrs. Potiphar (Mojave Moon x Obligato). Both sire and damsire are by Mr. Prospector, a little closely bred for my taste, but not that uncommon in the sim. Her dam only managed to hit the board twice, once on turf and once on dirt. Fast Moon, her first foal, won her debut at 5 1/2 furlongs with a respectable 68 spf. She regressed to a 59 spf in her next start, but it was good enough for 3rd in the Brio Challenge S. in Portugal.
Post position 2: Pincay’s filly Murder Avenue (JPN) is by Silver Charm x Mass Murderer Ma (Avenue of Flags x Chief’s Crown). We’re all familiar with dad, a fine racehorse but not at the top of the international sire lists. Mom won 10 of 55 races, all sprints, including a second in a restricted stakes in her 2yo debut. Murder Avenue is her third foal; she has a 4yo stakes winner by Chicago Six and a maiden 3yo claimer by Brahms. Murder Avenue broke her maiden last out in her third start with a very nice 73 spf, increasing her spf in every start to date.
Post position 3: Coping With Ken (KY), the 8/5 favorite, is owned by Camilla. She is by Distorted Humor x Northwest Groom (Macho Uno x Dubai Millennium [GB]), a winner of 5 of 36 starts, all routes. Coping with Ken won her debut at 5 1/2 furlongs, the was 3rd of 6, gaining at the end, in the 6f Lady Arc S. in Oregon, with a 66 spf. With Distorted Humor as sire, the added half-furlong can probably only help.
Post positiion 4: Zcheap1 presents Z Cheap Rocker (MD), a scratchbred by Rock Slide x Uncle Abbie x Shadow In The Dark, almost certainly a bargain bred. She won her debut on turf, then finished 5th of 5 on an off track in the Bonnie Seattle Special in Utah. She is returning to the races after only 3 weeks, an unusually quick return for a 2yo.
Post position 5: Theme (KY), by Victory Gallop x Motif (Unbridled’s Song x Cozzene) is brought to the paddock by Majorbear. She is the first foal of a well-bred dam who won 2 of 24 starts, both sprints, sired by a Belmont winner and successful sire. This nicely bred filly won her debut in April, although her spf was an unimpressive 52. This will be only her second start. She’s currently co-second choice, since how can you argue with “unbeaten”?
Post position 6: Dundey brings Baseball Fever (KY) to the plate (ouch! sorry, just HAD to say it!). She is by Stormin Fever x Baseball Babe (Grand Slam x Northern Dancer). Stormin Fever is a solid young sire, producing mostly dirt sprinters. Blue-blooded mom only managed to win one of her 19 starts, on turf. After a less than stellar debut (5th of 7 with a 49 spf) on turf, Baseball Fever broke her maiden on the “good” dirt with a quantum leap to a 67 spf at the end of April. She has attained co-favorite status today.
Keeping in mind that I’m a terrible handicapper, and that trying to handicap 2yos is a little like trying to herd cats, my picks are:
1. Murder Avenue; 2. Coping With Ken; 3. Baseball Fever.