Ma’adim Vallis (GB) Early Favorite in Norway

The fifteenth race in the line up on Saturday is the Sabian Handicap here in Norway. The race is listed as a Grade III and is run over a mile and one sixteenth over the dirt. The $150,000 race is open to fillies, of the ages of three years and up. There was a downpour at the track earlier in the week. There is no more rain in the forecast, though it is unlikely that the track will dry out by Saturday. Look for the track to possibly be listed as good at post time. Despite the track conditions, the race has drawn a full field of fourteen horses. Lets take a detailed look at the field.

Drawing the rail will be Segura (Pulpit x Machiavellian x Riverman), who is trained by donosti, owner of Rafa Stables. The five year old bay mare has had a total of thirty-two career starts, eight of which have resulted in wins. All of the wins on the mares record have come over the dirt track. Her most recent start came last month in the DPCD Distaff (G1) where the bay filly set out of the gate in second trailing the pace. As the race progressed she dropped back into third, until at the stretch, she was overtaken by late chargers and finished eighth, setting a speed figure of one hundred two. Her most recent win was the previous month, this in the listed Pinkie’s Road Stakes where the mare won by one and a half lengths after going wire to wire.

In the second slot Winning Season (Lemon Drop Kid x Private Account x The Minstrel), who is trained by cdragon, owner of Twoofus Stables. The five year old mare has had a total of thirty starts, of which ten of these have ended in wins for the bay mare. Her most recent start came earlier this month in the eight and a half furlong Worldy Outweigh Special where the mare broke out of the gate stalking in third. At the turn he made her move, going on to win the race by one and a half lengths with a speed figure of one hundred. Her most recent graded start came in California during the Jujitsu Attack (G1) where she finished fifth.

At 7/1 is Early Spring (Loup Sauvage x Nureyev x Mr. Prospector), who is out of the dam Prospector Autumn, and is trained by mattress, owner of Treehuggers Anonymous. The six year old bay mare has had a total of thirty-seven career starts, most of which have come over the dirt. Twelve of these starts have ended in wins for the proud mare. Her most recent start came in Tasmania during the eight and a half furlong Wassie G. Stakes where the mare broke out of the gate chasing in fourth. At the stretch she began to make her move and moved from forth to third and then into second. However, she came up just short at the wire to finish second with a speed figure of one hundred six. Her most recent win came just the previous start, this in the Western Pal (FR) Stakes in September where she again, chased front-runners in fourth, but this time didn’t come up short at the wire, but won by two and a half-lengths. Her most recent graded start came in August during the Snownut Handicap (G3) in Spain where she hung back further in the field and ultimately finished third.

Next is Queen Edna (ENG) (Dubai Destination x Danzig x Warning (GB)), who is out of the stakes-placed dam War Trail. The four year old English-bred filly is owned by jacmac, owner of Jacmac Stables, and has been lightly raced with a total of just nine career starts. An astonishing five of these races have resulted in wins, and with another finish in second, this filly has only finished off the board three times in her career. Her most recent start came last month in the listed Corporal’s Friends Challenge over a mile in N. Florida where the filly won the race going wire to wire, crossing the wire two lengths ahead of the closest competitor and setting a speed figure of one hundred eight. Previous to this the filly had won two straight allowance caliber starts by no less than a two length margin. This Saturday will be the fillies first start against graded stakes level horses.

Following will be longshot Druj Needs A Hero (SWE) (Local Hero (SWE) x T.M. Opera x Mr. Prospector) who is out of the race-winning dam Tete Or Opera. The Swedish-bred chestnut mare has been lightly raced with a total of thirteen lifetime starts. Of her lucky thirteen starts, the chestnut filly has won a total of five times. All of these five wins have come over a dirt track. Her most recent start came last month in Portugal during the General Dancer Stakes where she set off in third out of the gate and made her move in the turn before the stretch. The filly finished second while setting a speed figure of one hundred one. Her most recent win came in November during an allowance caliber race over nine furlongs here in Norway where she won after stalking the front-runners for the majority of the race. Saturday will be the first time the filly has faced graded stakes competition.

Favorite Ma’adim Vallis (GB) (In The Wings (GB) x Polish Numbers x Big Spruce), who is out of the race-winning dam Crassly A La Jess, and is owned and trained by pirates, owner of Lsumark Stables, is next. The bay seven year old has been lightly raced throughout her racing career, with the mare having a total of thirty-six lifetime starts. Most of her races have come over the dirt and the mare has earned eighteen wins on this surface. Though in addition, she has also won once on the turf. Her most recent start came last month in the listed Brown Lace where the mare broke out of the gate stalking the pace of the race. Late in the stretch the mare made her move on the leader, and the pair crossed the wire in a nail-biting photo finish. In the end Ma’adim Vallis (GB) was given the nod, defeating the other mare by a nose with a speed figure of one hundred seven. Her most recent graded start came in October, this during the Good Times Handicap (G2) where the filly finished just in the money in fifth.

In the seventh post is Black Wood Nymph (Black Minnaloushe x Woodman x Zilzal), who is owned and trained by ozzy, owner of Spartan Racing Stables. This bay mare is one of the oldest horses entered in Saturdays race at seven years of age. During this time she has been lightly raced with a total of forty-six career starts. Of all her starts, the mare has won a dozen times. Her most recent start came last month in the ten furlong W.D. Coal Special where the mare broke out of the gate in the lead by over a length. At the turn she’d dropped back into second and she was caught by a late charger in the stretch, ultimately finishing seven lengths back in third with a speed figure of one hundred two. Her most recent win came in March of last year during the Babe’s Sheep Memorial where she set out in second but took the lead over in the turn to win by two and a half lengths. Her most recent graded start came in a sloppy dirt track during the running of the Go For The Gold Stakes (G1) where the mare finished ninth.

In at 10/1 is Buda At The Rodeo (Posse x Sadler’s Wells x Mr. Prospector), who is out of the race-winning dam Prospector Wells, and is trained by flat, owner of Topicount Stables. The five year old chestnut mare has a total of thirty career starts, of which eight of these have resulted in wins, all but one of these coming on the dirt track. Her most recent start came last month in the King Penguin (GB) Memorial where the mare stalked the front pace settling back into third. She quickly moved up into second just behind the pacesetter and challenged for the lead in the late stretch to get up for the win by a nose with a recorded speed figure of one hundred seven. Her most recent graded start was in October during the Good Times Handicap where she finished tenth.

Next is Rakharo (A.P. Indy x Storm Cat x Mr. Prospector), who is out of the stakes-winning dam Mother Of Dragons, and is trained and owned by salamander, owner of Given Stables. The spectacularly bred five year old bay mare has a total of twenty-three career starts. Of these, nine have resulted in wins for the elegant daughter of top sire A.P. Indy. Her most recent start came last month in Taiwan during the seven furlong Natural Spring Stakes (G3) where the mare broke out of the gate ninth in the field. She moved up into seventh at the turn, and in the stretch turned on the power and rocketed past other horses, going on to win the race by a length with a speed figure of one hundred nine. Should the mare win again this Saturday, it will be her third consecutive win.

Following will be Reno (Gone West x Northern Dancer x Graustark), who is owned by jimdscott, owner of Kaif Stables. The impressive chestnut mare has a total of eighteen career starts, of which five have resulted in wins for the mare. Her most recent start came in October during the nine furlong GP Breeders Bowl Distaff Restricted allowance caliber start where she settled into fifteenth and made a move late in the stretch to finish sixth with a speed figure of ninety-nine. Her most recent win came in the Sally’s My Gal Stakes where she won by one and three-fourth lengths after running mid-pack most of the race.

In the eleventh post is You Thought Wrong (Point Given x Storm Bird x Buckpasser), who is owned by super19, owner of More Evil Than The Evil Empire. This five year old mare has had a total of twenty-eight career starts. Of these starts the mare has won nine times, all over the dirt. Her most recent start came last month in the DPCD Distaff Restricted where the mare was held back in seventh and began to challenge other horses slightly early on. Eventually she would cross the wire just in the money, and recording a speed figure of one hundred four. Her most recent win came in June of last year during the Beer Pitcher Handicap (G2) where the bay mare won by just three-fourths of a length.

Next is Ahead (Dubai Destination x Summer Squall x In The Wings (GB)), who is owned by spacerace, owner of Raceland Acres. The tall five year old mare has a total of twenty-nine lifetime starts, of which a dozen have ended in wins for the bay mare. Her most recent start came last month in the Allison’s Dancer Memorial where the filly went wire to wire to win by two and one-fourth lengths with a speed figure of one hundred one. Her most recent graded start came in October during the Good Times Handicap (G2) where the mare finished fourth after leading the race up until the stretch.

Following will be Reefer Madness (Mineshaft x Fappiano x Private Account), who is owned by super24, owner of More Evil Than The Evil Empire. The five year old bay mare has had a total of twenty-seven career starts, of which eight have resulted in wins. Six of the mares wins came over the dirt. Her most recent start came last month in the DPCD Distaff Restricted where the mare broke out late out of the start gate and settled into eighth, at the turn she began to make her move and eventually worked her way up to the lead approaching the wire. The bay mare won the nine furlong race by a narrow one-fourth of a length with a speed figure set of one hundred eight. Her most recent graded start came in February of last year during the Razorback Distaff (G2) where the mare finished twelfth.

Drawing the far outside will be Distant Shade (Ecton Park x Vaguely Noble x Tell), who is owned by twister, owner of Oneworld Stables. The six year old mare has been lightly raced with a total of thirty-seven career starts. Twelve of these starts earned the striking chestnut mare victory. Her most recent start came overseas last month in Minnesota during the listed 2nd Minnesota Classic Restricted. Here the mare took off out of the gate chasing the front runners in third. But at the turn and down the stretch is where it all went wrong for the then five year old mare. She continue to drop back, ultimately finishing thirteenth and setting a speed figure of ninety-six, her lowest recorded speed figure in eight starts. Her most recent win came in September during the nine furlong Jay’s Fanfares Special where the mare won by two and a half lengths after going wire to wire in the race. Her most recent graded start came in November during the Jump Town Handicap (G2) where the mare broke on the lead but faltered in the stretch and met the wire seventh.