Queen of Victoria Will Be Crowned in Marathon

The Queen of Victoria Stakes

Grade III

Two miles

Good Turf

$125,000

Fillies and mares, 4 years old and up

Race ID:  3462.5316

1 116749 NEXCENICA(IRE)  dreamscity  G Adler  11/1 

This nine-time winner has made a specialty at this distance, and the surface doesn’t matter to her.  She won a turf two-mile stakes in November, and ran respectably in a Grade 1 marathon on dirt last out.  The Scenic product won’t let the field get away from her, and she is one to consider at longer odds.

2 94198 MAGICAL MIA(IRE)  boots  D Evans  8/5   

The Breeders Bowl Turf Distaff winner sandwiched that victory with two others in two-mile graded turf stakes.  It seems there’s nothing she can’t do now, and the Eclipse candidate, newly six, gets the top jockey.  Evans likely has the choice to move this Giant’s Causeway gal early or late.

3 111663 NERF HERDER  fatflab  N Hartel  2/1    

A Macho Uno 5-year-old, she was second to MAGICAL MIA(IRE) in the Breeders Bowl, but did beat that one back in August in the Brisbane Distaff.  Most of her recent races have been shorter, but she did win the Miss Thing back in May at this distance.  She only earned an 84 in that one, however, so there is some risk that this pace-chasing miss may wear down late.

4 30951 REBEL YELL N  lordpye  S Perkins  7/1  

The 8-year-old millionairess brings 18 wins to the party, including three stakes wins this year in two-mile turfers.  She has pace pressers to her inside and closers to her outside, so if she moves too late, she could be boxed in at the stretch.  The War Chant mare is not the fastest here, but when she does unleash a monster rally, she wins by daylight.

5 98805 WESTERN PASS  bomber93  R Bailey  10/1  

Things have not gone that well for this Pikepass 5-year-old since her victory in the Grade 2 Sour Kraut Cup back in June.  She has three thirds in stakes in that time period, but they were all non-threatening thirds, including in the two-mile One for Momma last out.  She does not have a win at the distance and may be best kept at the bottom of your exotic wagers.

6 141703 HOTSTEPPER(KY)  cnl  J Kohlmorgen  12/1    

Now four, this Fusaichi Pegasus filly moves up to graded competition carrying a four-race win streak, the last two at this track.  In each of those wins, she has rallied from far back to blow past them all with ease.  Her last, the Live Fish five weeks ago, was her first stakes try and first at this marathon distance.  The fact that she passed the test with flying colors means she should be the longshot hunter’s choice in this one: an improving horse with no known ceiling.

7 120580 OROWELL(KY)  sam  A Snappa  4/1    

The Medaglia D’Oro product makes the turf-to-dirt move after a third in the Minnesota Distaff Stakes last out.  That placing followed three straight stakes wins in long dirt affairs.  She could be as many as fifteen lengths back at the second call, and is another who will look to skunk them all from that disadvantage.  Seeing as her only turf try earned her a 71 (although that was long ago, as a 2-year-old), she looks like an overlay at 4/1.