Only three opt in for Rah Pistolet Stakes

Lady marathoners get the nod this week, as Virginia hosts the fourth annual running of the Rah Pistolet Stakes. This outing, for fillies and mares four years and older runs over a full two miles of turf, a true test of endurance. Beautiful Spring weather has returned to Virginia this week, and the track will be rated as firm for the race, which carries a $40000 purse. Traditionally the race has hosted short fields. It tends to be a slower paced, and a closer’s race. The best speed posted in the event so far is a 89.6 back in the 2005 running. Last year’s race was won in convincing fashion by Nexcenica(IRE), who pasted a field of four by seven and a half lengths. This year’s running of the stakes drew three entrants, with the Virginia horse pool supplying a fourth to round out the field. Unless we see some major surprises here, pickings are going to be slim at the betting window, with the two favorites going off a 4/5 and 7/5 odds, backed by a 4/1 shot, and Virginia’s local entry which goes off at a long 16/1 odds. Looks like we have a moderately faster field here too, and we are likely to see a new best time this Saturday.

PP 1) Mon Coup(IRE) Sired by Montjeu(IRE), Trained by lasthope1. Mon Coup(IRE) is a four year old filly, coming into her nineteenth career start as the favorite to win this one. She has an amazing ten wins in her first eighteen starts, including six stakes wins, one of which was a Grade 3 effort. She brings in an impressive ranking of 18 in the older female Long Turf division. Her last ten starts have netted her a 7-0-1-0-1 record, with a top speed of 106.4 early last December. Her last start was a thirteen furlong stakes in Texas, where she made up a nearly nine length deficit to win easily by three and a quarter in a field of five. Seventeen of eighteen career starts have been on grass, and she has been quite impressive on the green. Always a good runner, she really blossomed when she was able to get some longer distance races, and she has seven victories in ten tries running at twelve furlongs and beyond. She has a pair of two mile runs, resulting in a win and a fifth place finish. She runs as a midpack to deep closer, and as seven wins in her last ten starts indicates, her close has been quite consistent. She should find herself out a bit deeper again at the half in this one, with some good early speed up front, but that has not seemed to bother her. The extra distance works to her favor here, with the older front runner, and her consistently high speeds make her the filly to beat in this one.

PP 2) Salfly’s Spur(AUS) Sired by Flying Spur(AUS), Trained by rose. Salfly’s Spur(AUS) is the most experienced runner in this field, with the six year old mare seeing action in her forty fourth career start. She carries a divisional ranking of number 57, backed by thirteen career stakes victories, with her most recent coming in mid-January of this year. Overall in her last ten starts, she has run to a 2-3-4-0-1 record, with a best speed number of 102.9 earned right her in Virginia two starts back. Her last race was a thirteen furlong stakes in Texas, where she also faced Mon Coup(IRE), and she finished third after tiring down the stretch. She’s never set hoof off the turf in her career, and marathons have been her bread and butter race. She has made thirty starts at twelve furlongs and beyond, resulting in ten wins and twenty four top three finishes. She has faced the two mile distance seven times, notching four wins and a pair of shows. She is a fast starter, liking to set the pace early, then relying on stamina to hold on late. She’s had some trouble holding on recently though, giving up some large leads in the second half, and she has shown signs of really beginning to tire late. She should have clear sailing in the early going here, but will likely have trouble holding off the late rush to her inside. She’ll need her very best to beat them to the wire here.

PP 3) Crown Duchess Sired by Vindication, Trained by crown. Crown Duchess is a lightly raced five year old mare, making only her thirteenth career start here. She is still seeking her first career stakes victory in her fourth try at this level of competition. She has come out of her nine turf starts with a record of 3-1-2-0-0, posting a best speed of 97.2 in an allowance race last November. Her last start was right here in Virginia in the Jennifer’s Seas three weeks ago, where she trailed the field of six home by just over sixteen lengths. After starting her career on dirt, it has been turf that has been her paycheck, and she has been running on the grass since the middle of last season. This will be her longest start to date by a full five furlongs, and so far her best running has been in the nine to ten furlong range. This mirrors the stats of her sire, Vindication, who has had the bulk of his stakes winners in the nine to eleven furlong range, though he has sired some progeny that have experienced success in longer routes. She is a midpack closer, and her close was decent at allowance levels, but she hasn’t been able to pull the trigger in any of her stakes tries yet. Her longest run at eleven proved to be one of the worst outings of her career, and the extra distance here may hinder more than it helps. She is likely to find herself out more deeply than she likes as they cross the half in this one, and that has hurt her in previous starts. Look for a game early performance, but chances are she will already be beginning to fade as they cross the half post.

PP 4) Wooden Curts Sired by Woodman, Trained by Viriginia Horse Pool. Wooden Curts is an eight year old mare, taking the gate for her twenty fourth career run in this race. She is looking for her first stakes win. Her last ten starts have seen her put up a record of 1-1-2-2-1, capping her speeds with a top figure of 101.8 in a sprint way back in 2004. Under the guidance of the Virginia Horse Pool, this will be her first start since February of last year, where she trailed home a short field at eleven furlongs on dirt. She has been primarily a dirt runner, with only three turf starts for her career. In turf routes, her average speeds have been slightly less than on dirt, but close. This will be her longest start by three furlongs, and her best efforts have been sprinting, hitting the board only twice in any type of route. She has experimented with a number of running styles, and she hasn’t shown a marked preference for any particular type of run. In her last pair, the trainers in Virginia have sent her full out from the break, and on both occasions, it has resulted in long outs by the time they cross the wire in the long routes. She should challenge for the lead very early here, but as a sprinter, the bulk of her effort will most likely be expended by the first call. Look for her to live up to her odds and trail this field home by a goodly margin.