Punch The Ticket Goes For Fifth Win In A Row

Punch The Ticket Goes For Fifth In A Row

California – Saturday will feature The Walnut Tree Stakes, a Grade II affair for two year-old fillies.  The race has a purse of $200,000 and will be run at eight furlongs over the main track.  Ten fillies, all winners, will parade to the post on what promises to be a beautiful day here in the sunshine state.  Here is the field by post position.

On the inside will be Mon People (10/1) by Maria’s Mon.  Owned and trained by Endor she is three for three in the money and has one win.  Like a few of the others in this race this will be her first try at a mile but she was a closing second last time out in The Double Blush.

Storm E Mesa (9/2) by Sky Mesa is a big nice looking filly trained by Bmr003 and is ranked # 40.  She’s made a lot of starts – seven – and has been in the money in every one of them, winning two.  She came from last to first last time out in The Storm Raining at seven furlongs but that was only a four horse field and she will have to weave her way through more traffic this time.

Thevillage will saddle Sage Royal (10/1) by Lion Hearted.  She has been in the money in five of her six starts and has three wins under her belt.  She is ranked #35 and likes the front end.  She went wire to wire in the Grade III, Dr. Shut-yer-lips Juvenile two back and followed that up with a win last time out in a mile allowance.

Mean Girl (6/1) is by Came Home and trained by Gg.  She has won two of her five starts including The Swampy Mill.  She was a closing third last time out in the Grade III, Little Momma Debutante and that was at 7 1/2 furlongs so she might really appreciate the extra half furlong. 

Woodman will be represented by Henny Anna (7/1), a nice filly conditioned by Crandy.  She is four for seven in the money and has two wins.  She went wire to wire last time out in The Pink Fanfare at 7 1/2 furlongs and was hand ridden home with the rest of the field unable to make up any ground on her.

Waremblem6 will lead up Laurana Kanan (7/1) a daughter of the mighty Storm Cat.  She has only won one race but has been in the money in three of her four starts.  She is shipping in from New York where she was second last time out in a mile allowance.  She has improving numbers and may be the one to beat.

Voodoo On Me (9/1) is a well bred gal by Seeking The Gold and has won one of her two starts.  She debuted on the turf and ran slightly faster than a plow horse.  Switched to the dirt for her next start, she improved her speed figure by 30 points and went wire to wire over eight furlongs, looking like a stakes horse.  Super19 is shipping her in from Europe for this race.

Top rider Freddie Gossett picked Oaklawn88’s Trial And Treasure (7/2) the luke-warm favorite by Mineshaft.  Ranked # 15, she is five for six in the money with four wins.  She won three in a row at distances of six and six and a half furlongs, including The Dazzling Daisies a Grade II.  She is very fast but when she didn’t make the lead last time out in The Little Momma Debutante, she ended up fourth just behind Mean Girl.

Punch The Ticket (9/1) is by Suave and is owned and trained by Stelplas.  She has never been out of the money in five starts and has won four of them.  She is looking for her fifth in a row and with her improving speed figures, looks well placed here.  She won The Repulsively Pop Bonanza last time out but was barely hunging on and hopefully got enough conditioning out of that race to make the distance.

On the outside is Vanir Colony (8/1) a daughter of Aptitude trained by Sangster.  She has won two of her three starts and is another that is shipping in from New York for some of that California sunshine.  She was opening in her last start, a tough New York allowance race at seven furlongs.  She can rate which may be an advantage in this race.

This is a nice quality field with a lot of speed for the closers to run at.  Look for Sage Royal, Henny Anna, Voodoo On Me, Trial And Treasure to be fighting it out on the front end. The rest of the field will try and take them down in the stretch.  Since only one can be in front, it will be interesting to see who can stand dirt in her face and finish well.  Good Luck to all.