Seven Three Year Old New York Bred Fillies Battle in the $100,000 ESR Naughty New Yorker Stakes

A field of Seven Three-Year Old Fillies will enter the Big Apple starting gate in the $100,000 ESR Naughty New Yorker Stakes.  The Saturday feature will be run at One Mile over the Dirt Course.

Naughty New Yorker was regarded a sound, hard-knocking horse.  He broke his maiden by 10 1/4 lengths while racing Lasix free in New York at Two.  He won or placed in 32 of 67 starts, earning nearly $1.1 million dollars in earnings and was voted the 2007 New York-bred Horse of the Year.  Included in his 10 victories was the Alex M. Robb Stakes, the MacArthur Handicap twice and G3 Red Smith Handicap.

ALL PEARLS – the kingab trained 3-Year Old Bay Filly by Big Brown out of the G3 winning, multi-graded stakes producing mare GEORGIA PEARL (Fusaichi Pegasus) puts her three-race win streak on the line with her first stakes appearance coming in the ESR feature; ranked tops in the field, the streaking NY Bred did suffer her last defeat at the hands of her ESR rivals in the ESR I’ve Been Waiting Even Longer MSW, but that came against an Open Company field that produced Bluegrass Hopes candidate THE GIST OF IT, and she meets no such competition with this field; she is making her first start off a layoff, but should be well poised for a top effort…one to beat

GO BALLISTIC – the 3-Year Old Bay Filly by Golden Missile out of the multi-stakes producing mare SUSAGEP (Mr. Prospector) should make a better account of herself for the casino racing stables in her second start off the layoff after competing against males in her return; always at her best against ESR competition, the promising NY Bred enters the field off a career best 92-speed figure and should be primed for a maximum effort…locked and loaded

AFROBEATNIK – the itch trained 3-Year Old Bay Filly by Big Brown is the first foal of LET IT BE ME (Pulpit), winner of over $380k on the Turf; two wins and a second in three starts against Local rivals, the talented NY Bred is faced with a tough task here on Saturday making her two-turn debut, while stepping up to the Stakes level for the first time; a winner on both surfaces, the versatile performer defies her Dam’s pedigree while doing her best racing over the Dirt Course; two-turns should be well within her wheelhouse, hailing from a Dam that was 17 times first or second in 33 tries at a route…might surprise

LOCATOR – the scratch-bred 3-Year Old Bay Filly by Big Brown out of a Dehere x Lyphard mare made her first start over the Dirt Course for the trotter1 stables after six consecutive Turf starts; the three-time winner turned in her best performance with that dirt effort; the speedy local bred has secured the lead in every start but will need to keep something in reserve against stronger rivals this time around…must not falter

PUNKIN ZIVO – the 3-Year Old Roan Filly by Zivo out of the stakes placed mare LAST SONG made her debut for the ace racing stables against Bluegrass Oaks hopefuls MONROE COUNTY and CAPARCH in the ESR Asylum of the Daleks Stakes in September; still seeking her first victory, despite improving efforts in her last two starts, the Maiden Filly will tackle on two-turns for the first time while returning to stakes level competition…in tough

KIM POSSIBLE – the scratch-bred 3-Year Old Roan Filly by Mission Impazible out of a Capote x Affirmed mare has gathered some interest along the backstretch but faces a tough assignment in her first career start; the nicely bred lbailey trainee figures to be a good one, but that is likely to come somewhere down the road as we take a wait and see attitude in the ESR feature…on watch list

FROST QUEEN –  the valesa trained 3-Year Old scratch-bred Filly by Frost Giant out of a Stormy Atlantic x A.P. Indy mare also faces a tough chore as she makes her racing debut at the Stakes level; the NY Local is bred to be a good one and can only move forward with a strong showing here on Saturday…ambitiously placed

Handicapping the Field

Unlike last weeks ESR feature, Saturday’s ESR Local Stakes attracts only seven runners, three of which are still maidens hoping the size of the field affords them an upset possibility.

ALL PEARLS and GO BALLISTIC appear to standout from the field, the latter stakes placed while coming off a career best in her first start of the 2018 season.  The casino trained filly is sitting on a top and but would be wise not to get into a speed duel with the speedy LOCATOR.  ALL PEARLS hails from the red hot kingab stables, has a three-race win streak all around two turns and exits a career best effort.

LOCATOR must be caught, and could have an advantage in a short field, but newcomers might be willing to take a shot at her in the early going.

AFROBEATNIK may have the biggest upset chance in this field.  Attempting two-turns for the first time, the lightly raced 3yo inherits staying power on the Dam’s side and has proven to be a formidable foe over the Dirt Course.

PUNKIN ZIVO, KIM POSSIBLE, and FROST QUEEN are all Maidens are all maidens with PUNKIN ZIVO the only one with racing experience.  The short field works to their advantage and a top three finish for any of the three would be a benefit going forward.

The Picks

GO BALLISTIC – breaks the schneid for her well-respected connections

ALL PEARLS – you’re welcome kingab

AFROBEATNIK – you just know this gal is going to excel around two-turns