Grade II Original Margarita Invitational Attracts 13 Entries
Original Margarita Invitational
Grade II
A mile and one eighth
Fast Dirt
$250,000
Fillies and mares, 4 years old and up
There are 13 runners braving the desert heat for this valuable race. These mares races are always interesting, especially at this time of year, because for any of them it could be their final race before being rushed off to the breeding barn – win or lose. The good thing is that we wouldn’t have to wait for 2 years before seeing their offspring in action. Anyway back to the race, the runners are:
Sweet Sister Mercy
Trainer: zwango1
(Kingmambo x Nijinsky II x Secretariat)
Odds: 7/1 Earnings: 1,919,500 Runs/Wins: 25/8
A scratchbred 5yo mare from Black Label Stables. A superstar mare ranked #4 over routes she began her racing career on turf as a late 2yo before switching to dirt, and to great effect too. As a 4yo she won The G1-Superfilly Handicap and The G1-Breeders Bowl Distaff in quick succession but seems to have hit a bad patch in her last 2 races of the year. This being her first outing of 2008 it will be interesting to see if she has overcome whatever problem has beset her.
Glamorous(KY)
Trainer: deyoto4
(Speightstown x Dixieland band x Bold Ruler)
Odds: 20/1 Earnings: 126,096 Runs/Wins: 13/4
A scratchbred 4yo filly from Champion Lodge. Fairly lightly raced so far and struggled in her one graded appearance. A nice type but will probably struggle here.
Knickers Off
Trainer: chongtong
(Scan x Broto x Thunder Puddles)
Odds: 22/1 Earnings: 370,395 Runs/Wins: 49/10
A very experienced scratchbred 7yo mare from Fitzgerald Racing. She hasn’t won for a while and she has never raced over 7.5 furlongs before, not a good sign. Came 3rd in a graded race as a 4yo – but that was a long time ago.
You Thought Wrong
Trainer: super19
(Point Given x Storm Bird x Buckpasser)
Odds: 6/1 Earnings: 358,532 Runs/Wins: 29/9
A scratchbred 5yo mare from More Evil Than The Evil Empire! and bred by bigmike. Took a while to make her mark in graded company but eventually won a G2 towards the end of last year, though she hasn’t really matched that performance since. Had a reasonable start to 2008, finishing 3rd in a G3 on an off track, so she could finally be re-finding some winning form.
Expenditure(KY)
Trainer: stupor2
(Awesome Again x Unbridled x Alydar)
Odds: 12/1 Earnings: 703,890 Runs/Wins: 18/6
A scratchbred 4yo filly from The Evil Empire. Won The G3-The TOSSING COOKIES Special Race as a 3yo but hasn’t really got the SP#’s of some of the others here. Opened her 2008 season in an allowance, finishing a close 2nd to another 4yo who has since gone on to improve greatly, so if not without place chances.
Isle Of Pigs
Trainer: salamander
(Point Given x Nureyev x Secretariat)
Odds: 10/1 Earnings: 249,825 Runs/Wins: 25/8
A scratchbred 5yo mare from Given Stables: Fire and Blood. Only had one unsuccessful graded entry so far and her best performance came on an off track. Stamina won’t be a problem here, but her lack of real speed could well let her down.
Pleezbebetter
Trainer: doctahg3
(Redoute’s Choice(Aus) x
Odds: 10/1 Earnings: 236,578 Runs/Wins: 18/9
A 4yo filly from Dentition *No Do Claima’s* Stables bred from an F class mare. Comes here after 2 successive wins so is in form, although bad weather looks like it would have suited her better. Amazingly 17 of her 18 races have all been at Epsom, and her winning stakes performance last time was her first road trip. It will be very interesting to see whether she can continue that success here.
K’s Eskape
Trainer: pompeya
(Mineshaft x
Odds: 6/1 Earnings: 790,368 Runs/Wins: 32/17
A 6yo mare from Pompeya Thoroughbred Racing Corporation and bred by notanice1 from a G class mare. This mare changed hands as an unraced 2yo and promptly went on to win her first 10 races, including The G2-Yanta Snez Stakes as a 3yo. She seemed to go through a bit of a rough patch after that, mostly just winning the odd allowance race, but happily her form now seems to have returned and she comes here unbeaten in her last 2 runs. She really does seem to be the model of consistency since in the second half of last year, and will be a expecting at least a top 3 placing.
I Flossed(IRE)
Trainer: doctahg3
(Sadler’s Wells x
Odds: 17/1 Earnings: 173,040 Runs/Wins: 11/7
A 4yo filly from Dentition *No Do Claima’s* Stables and bred from a G class mare. A second 4yo filly entry from doctahg3, and whilst her win % is exceptional she hasn’t had too good a start to 2008. There are 3 reasons why this filly shouldn’t be totally written off though – 1) Her last race was on turf, 2) She will prefer this drop back to 9 furlongs, and 3) She is trained by doctahg3 who probably knows something the rest of us don’t. A return to form is on the cards.
Minny Mouse
Trainer: theodore11
(El Corredor x Storm Cat x
Odds: 7/1 Earnings: 125,604 Runs/Wins: 31/8
A 5yo mare from Theo Stables Inc.—Claiming Division and bred by desperado3 from an E class mare. Contrary to the stable name this mare wasn’t claimed but changed hands as an unraced 2yo. It took 9 attempts to break her maiden tag and she did get some runs in claimers as a 4yo – but thankfully wasn’t claimed as she finally seemed to come to life, albeit sporadically, later that year. Was 2nd in a G3 in her first run of 2008 and looks to be coming on nicely so one that should definitely be added to the mix.
Reefer Madness
Trainer: super24
(Mineshaft x Fappiano x Private Account)
Odds: 6/1 Earnings: 567,543 Runs/Wins: 28/9
A scratchbred 5yo mare from More Evil Than The Evil Empire!. An excellent start to 2008 saw her winning The G3-Sabian Handicap, beating stablemate You Thought Wrong in the process. Though that run was on an off track it reinforced her last 2 performances of 2007 where she looked very good indeed. Looks good for this one if she can maintain that devastating finishing speed.
Flyburg’s Danzer
Trainer: kyrin
(
Odds: 5/1 Earnings: 467,836 Runs/Wins: 41/16
A 6yo mare from Brundlefly Stables and bred from a D class mare. Despite her obvious experience it’s probably surprising to most of us to see her labelled the favourite. Her only graded success was in The G2-East Coast Mile in October and she has only managed one 2nd spot since. Mostly been pretty consistent over a mile but not that convincing over longer in good fields. Has good place chances but I will be surprised if she wins.
Cox’s Stage
Trainer: shredder1
(Quiet American x Cox’s Ridge x Stage Door Johnny)
Odds: 18/1 Earnings: 107,930 Runs/Wins: 9/5
A scratchbred 6yo mare from Jrogue Stables. One of those enigmas who make you ask the question, “Where did she come from?”. She didn’t have her first race until she was a 5yo – so presumably was lying dormant for over 2 years, but she immediately found success in a turf race. On switching followed up with allowance wins, and has only once failed to make the top 3 in any of her races. Put in a respectable performance last time after running up against a ‘freak’ performance from a 4yo so could, if she maintains her composure, do a lot better than her odds suggest.
Summary
Another hard to figure Graded race with a lot of trainers coming here with a degree of confidence. I shall put the hex on Reefer Madness simply because of her recent form.