WHO WILL RULE AS QUEEN IN KENTUCKY GRADE I TURF ROUTE
Royalty descends upon Kentucky this weekend with the running of The Grade I QE2 Challenge Stakes. A field of 13 3 year old fillies have entered the race and will go 9 furlongs on the turf vying for the winners share of the $500,000 purse.
Let’s take a look at today’s field:
1)FOUGHT THE LAW(KY)—8/1—ritchie sends this filly out of EMPIRE MAKER with a record of 14-4-3-1 and lifetime earnings of $481,275. This 18th divisional ranked filly races for the super stables’s More Evil Than The Evil Empire group located at Del/Penn National. This filly started her career with a pair of dirt races with no success and then quickly won 2 in a row when switched to the turf. She picked up her 1st of two stakes wins in her 2007 debut and has several top 3 finishes in Graded stakes as well. She has found the going a little tougher in her last 2 starts, both Grade II events, as some of her competitors may be developing a little quicker than she is at the moment. She posted her lifetime best 102 speed rating 2 starts back while finishing 7th in the 8 furlong Grade II Roberto Clemente Handicap in California. She was most succesfull when she was racing on the lead or pressing the pace but has found herself not to be fast enough of late and will need to improve her starting speed to be a factor here today. She has also yet to prove she can go this long with any consistancy as her only win this far came against a minimum 4 horse field. The rider for today’s race will be McCarthy (10.9%).
2)INFERNAL TUTOR(GB)—5/1—lender sends this filly out of MOULIN(GB) with a record of 13-7-4-1 and lifetime earnings of $416,850. This 16th divisional ranked filly races for the Deadinthelane Stables based at the GR Simsters. This filly started her career of with a bang by winning her first 4 lifetime starts, all allowance races. She capped her 2 year old season with a 2nd place finish in an overnite stakes race. She has picked up 3 stakes wins so far this year including her last race when she won The Grade II The Prahba Special in Queensland over 8.5 furlongs on the turf. She posted her lifetime best 111 speed rating in the race prior to that win when she finished 2nd in The Grade II Roberto Clemente Handicap in California. She usually presses the pace and she has already demonstrated an ability to win at today’s distance which has resulted in her being made the co-early line favorite here today. The rider for today’s race will be Coleman (12.7%).
3)HESTER ST.(IRE)—16/1—rohan sends this filly out of SADLER’S WELLS with a record of 8-4-1-2 and lifetime earnings of $138,350. She is out of the mare TESS CARLISLE who was 7/22 at the track and who has 2 foals on record with 1 being a winner. This 208th divisional ranked filly races for the Galileo stables based over at the GR Simsters. This filly did not race as a 2 year old and has picked up 4 allowance wins so far this year. She has raced in 10 furlong turf stakes races in her last 2 starts settling for picking up minor cheques in both. She posted her top speed rating mark of 103 3 starts back while winning a 10 furlong restricted allowance race in Ascot. She races best by stalking or pressing the pace and has proven to be very capable at the 9-10 furlong range. She will need to show some improvement if she hope to pick up her first career stakes win today. The rider for today’s race will be Sherman (9.9%).
4)RULER SLEW(KY)—5/1—surfer sends this filly out of ROMAN RULER with a record of 15-8-4-0 and lifetime earnings of $323,210. She is out of the mare CHASING RAINBOWS who was 3/44 at the track and who has 4 foals on record of which 3 are winners including 2 stakes winners. This 34th divisional ranked filly races for the unafilliated jwolfe607 stables. This filly started her career on the dirt and won her first lifetime race, her only 2 year old start on that surface. She picked up 2 more allowance wins on the dirt before she was switched to the turf earlier this year. She has picked up 5 wins including 4 ovenite stakes races on the turf and has only missed finishing in the top 2 once since running on the lawn. She matched her lifetime best 102 speed rating last time out while finishing 2nd in The Grade II Freiermuth Stakes in Longchamp over 10 furlongs. While she has shown speed in several of her lifetime races she has also shown the abilitiy to press and stalk the pace and is a past winner at today’s 9 furlong distance. She has been listed as co-morning line favorite for this Grade I contest. The rider for today’s race will be Godby (3.4%).
5)DAHLIYEV(KY)—11/1—chelseydek sends this filly out of CRYPTOCLEARANCE with a record of 14-5-2-0 and lifetime earnings of $1,086,998. She is out of the mare BIG STONE LAKE who was 1/25 at the track and who has 2 foals on record with this Graded winning filly being the only winner of the 2 to date. This 5th divisional ranked filly races for The Bobmarley Stables from Belgium that are members of the Benelux residency. This filly was an absolute monster in her first 7 lifetime races finishing 1st or 2nd in all of them including wins in The Grade I Filly Grand Prix in Ascot and The Grade I How Are You Gentleman Cup in New South Wales and pushing her over the magical $1 million mark in career earnings. She then went on to try the european triple tiara races and has never been the same since. Her connections have tried different distances as well as a start on the dirt with no improvement and one wonders if she has already had her moment of fame in her career. If she should ever refind her early career form she would be a force to handle in any field. She posted her lifetime best speed rating of 100 two starts back while finishing in 5th in The Grade II Prahba Special over 8.5 furlongs on the turf. Her best results came as a closer and with the abundance of speed here today she should have an honest pace to chase if she can refind her best form. When she was at the top of her game the mile distance seemed to be her most succesfull runs but she has finished in the top 2 in a 9 furlong Grade I race in the past. The rider for today’s race will be Givins (25.8%) who is the leading rider at Kentucky this year.
6)SABRE FAN(IRE)—16/1—aframe27 sends this filly out of REFUSE TO BEND(IRE) with a record of 5-3-0-1 and lifetime earnings of $42,668. This 521st divisional ranked filly races for Lenny’s Evil Empire based over at the GR Simsters. This filly was unraced as a 2 year old and has picked up 3 allowance races so far in her brief career. She has run in one overnite stakes race so far in her career and in that start, 2 starts back, she was never a factor finishing 11 lengths back in 6th place. She did rebound to win an allowance last time out while posting her lifetime best 103 speed rating over the 9 furlong turf race, and that result has her connections trying this Grade I contest today to see if that prevous stake attempt was simply a bad day for this filly. Her best races have come from a stalking position a few lengths of the lead and then starting her move in the far turn. The jockey for today’s race will be Carrier (5.2%).
7)GLEN LOCHAY(IRE)—20/1—seapigeon sends this filly out of SLIGO BAY(IRE) with a record of 12-5-2-2 and lifetime earnings of $138,107. She is out of the he-mare STREETFLY’S ZIGGY(IRE) who was 4/49 at the track. This 161st divisional ranked filly races for the unafilliated Brundlefly Stables. This filly broke her maiden in her 3rd and final start as a 2 year old. She tried to run in overnite stakes races to start this season off but after not showing much improvement was given a shot on the dirt. When she did not show much on that surface she was returned to the turf where she has 3 wins and a 2nd place finish while running her conditions in allowance races. She posted her lifetime best 100 speed rating while finishing 2nd in an allowance race in Japan 2 starts back. She is a closer who sits near the back of the pack early and won at the 9 furlong distance in 3 of her last 4 starts. Her connections hope the confidence she gained from running well in those allowance contests will carry over when she returns to stake action this weekend. The rider for today’s race will be Yount (9.9%).
8)PONIARD RASCAL(NC)—14/1—bushranger sends this filly out of CHELSEY CAT with a record of 15-4-2-3 and lifetime earnings of $140,633. This 137th divisional ranked filly races for the Cold Is A Myth stables based over at the CR Racers. This filly won her first 2 races lifetime as a 2 year old and while running in a pair of stakes races last year had to settle for minor share cheques in those contests. She has picked up another pair of allowance wins this year but has yet to win her first stakes race although she has challenged in many of them having to settle for 3 top 3 finished in her 5 black type starts this year. She posted her lifetime best 101 speed rating 3 starts back while finishing 3rd in The Killing Field Stakes in Deleware over 9 furlongs on the turf. She seems to race best as a closer although some of her wins have come against short fields and she has already won at the 9 furlong distance. The rider for today’s race will be Turner (7.8%).
9)AWESOME ALEX(KY)—21/1—rensbarn sends this filly out of AFLEET ALEX with a record of 15-1-4-0 and lifetime earnings of $73,575. She is out of the he-mare STOLEN AWE who was 2/22 at the track. This 2056th divisional ranked filly races for the unafilliated And616 stables. This filly won her lifetime debut race on the dirt and was recently picked up for the $30,000 claiming price this past spring. She did have one 2nd place finish in 2 stakes tries on the dirt for her new connections but they have decided to test the Graded waters today by switching her to the lawn. She races twice previously on the grass as a 2 year old and did not show much in either of those allowance races. She has yet to post a triple digit speed rating in her career and this may be asking a little to much from her for her return to the grass for the 1st time in almost a year. The rider for today’s race will be Jazz (8%).
10)THE KING’S HUNTER(IRE)—10/1—ticketman0 sends this filly out of AZAMOUR(IRE) with a record of 17-4-2-1 and lifetime earnings of $437,875. This 10th divisional ranked filly races for the unafilliated Right At Home stables. She picked up her maiden win in her 3rd lifetime start as a 2 year old and managed 1 second place finish in 3 stakes starts last year as well. She was very sharp in the early part of the season and won The Grade I Train Yard Special stakes in Italy in February. She has not been the same since that race managing only 1 third place finish in 7 starts since. She posted her lifetime best 100 speed rating 2 starts back while racing in the Smackdown III residency challenge. While showing speed in the past her best results have been when she has been stalking the pace from a few lengths back. She has been racing mostly in 8 furlong turf stakes lately but her last win was over 9 furlongs in Italy and hopefully the return to that distance today will help this filly refind her form from last winter. The rider for today’s race will be Fultz (9.6%).
11)SKULLCRUSHER(KY)—6/1—given2 sends this filly out of AWESOME AGAIN with a record of 10-5-1-2 and lifetime earnings of $379,504. This 17th divisional ranked filly races for Givens’s Fire and Blood stables based at the GR Simsters. This filly started with a pair of dirt races in her 2 year old season but was quickly switched to the turf after mediocre results and has been a star racing on the lawn. She has picked up 5 wins on the grass this year including 2 stakes wins. In her last start she won The Grade I Demona Handicap in California posting her lifetime best 112 speed rating in the 9 furlong race. Her ability to both close from midpack or press the pace will be an advantage to this filly who can see how the race develops from her outside post before committing to any particular style and her win last time out makes her a formidable foe in today’s race providing she does not suffer the bounce factor from that huge effort. The rider for today’s race will be Sipe (9.2%).
12)K’S MASTERPIECE(KY)—8/1—sledwith2 sends this filly out of GHOSTZAPPER with a record of 9-8-1-0 and lifetime earnings of $290,240. This 94th divisional ranked filly races for Ledwith’s Pompeya Thoroughbred Racing Corporation that is a member of the Hispano Parlante residency. This filly won her first 5 lifetime starts on the dirt in allowance competition but after finishing 2nd in her 6th start her connections made the switch to the turf. She has picked up 3 straight win on the turf since the switch including a pair of overnite stakes races. In her last race she won The Canadian Greed(FR) Stakes in Norway posting her lifetime best 106 speed rating over the 9.5 furlong race. She is a stalker who sits mid pack a few lengths back early in the race and she has yet to be beaten on the green surface while racing in the 8.5-9.5 furlong distances. This will be her Graded stakes debut today. The rider for today’s race will be Ledwith (8.8%) who will be keeping things in the family today with the trainer-jockey tandem.
13)WISHING WELL G(IRE)—6/1—zz sends this filly out of SADLER’S WELLS with a record of 16-7-2-2 and lifetime earnings of $438,960. She is out of the mare LURE’S KRIS who was 3/21 at the track and who has 3 foals on record of which all are winners including 1 stakes winner and 1 Graded stakes winner. This 11th ranked filly races for the Del/Penn division of the PGPG stables trained by Wassie. This filly started 6 times as a 2 year old, 3 on the dirt and 3 on the grass. She was winless on the dirt but won all 3 races on the turf including an overnite stakes in her 2006 final race. She has continued her success on the grass this year with 4 more stakes wins including The Grade II Bluto Cup in Indiana earlier this year. She posted her lifetime best 105 speed rating last time out in The Grade II Prabha Cup where she rallied strongly in the stretch but finished 2nd in the race. The extra half furlong in today’s race will probably be welcomed by this girl who is a multiple winner at the 9 furlong distance. The rider for today’s race will be Cadigan (14.5%).
The big question in this race is which one of the stalkers is going to go out on the limb to set the early fractions here today and whether or not there will be an honest pace. I believe there is enough pace to give all horses a chance here today but with the huge effort last time by #11 SKULLCRUSHER and her versatile running style I am going to pick her for my winner here in Kentucky today.
GOOD LUCK AND GOOD RACING
THEO