12 Betties Enter The Black

Black Betty Handicap
Grade II
A mile and one eighth
Firm Turf
$200,000
Fillies and mares, 3 years old and up

The firm turf of North Florida is a-calling to some of the top mares and fillies in the game and with ages ranging from 3yo to 6yo it promises to be quite some race and no easy task for the amateur and professional backers alike.   The runners are:

FORTY RAHYS(KY)

Trainer: wildfit

(Rahy x Galileo(IRE) x Forty Niner)

Odds:  9/1                   Earnings: 208,024                  Runs/Wins: 11/6

A 4yo filly from Silverny99 Stables bred from a G class mare.  Only one bad run in turf in her career so far and currently trying to notch up a hat trick of wins after two stakes victories over this distance.  She really seems to have bloomed this year and her odds look very tempting despite it being her first graded entry.

FOUGHT THE LAW(KY)

Trainer: ritchie

(Empire Maker x Danzig x Seeking The Gold)

Odds:  10/1                 Earnings: 502,095                  Runs/Wins: 20/6

A scratch bred 4yo filly from More Evil Than The Evil Empire and bred by xshadowx52.  She’s had a fairly bumpy ride when it comes to graded races, though she did manage a 2^nd place in a G1 as a 3yo on good turf.  A bit too inconsistent to count on overmuch but on her day she is an interesting prospect.  She fought the law but the law has a habit of winning more often than not.

PROFILER(AUS)

Trainer: socalsipe

(Face Value x Forty Niner x With Approval)

Odds:  77/1                 Earnings: 46,760                    Runs/Wins: 8/1

A scratch bred 3yo filly from Socalsipe Stables.  A brave entry for a 3yo and one which may just end in tears as I’m sure the trainer didn’t expect such a large field for this race.   A real baptism of fire as she has never before taken on the older fillies and mares and with only one win to date could well be wishing she had waited a bit longer.

ABSOLUT EGO(JPN)

Trainer: steelers

(Silver Charm x Storm Cat x Woodman)

Odds:  12/1                 Earnings: 428,802                  Runs/Wins: 29/9

A 4yo filly from Steelers Stables bred from an F class mare.  Her best result in a graded race was nearly a year ago when she finished 4^th in a G1, and with a number of stakes wins to her credit she has some talent.  However she is another filly with a high degree of form fluctuation and will need to be really on her game to get anything from this field.

TOMMY

Trainer: artistway

(Danzig x Nijinsky II x Nureyev)

Odds:  6/1                   Earnings: 1,026,556               Runs/Wins: 25/10

A scratch bred 6yo mare from Nawbo Stables.  Though not racing until she was a 3yo she had a successful introduction to the sim by winning 6 of her first 7 races. Subsequently she gained victories in G3-Good Vista Handicap and G2 Black Betty Handicap as a 4yo but then went into decline and failed to win a race for 9 months.  She does seem to have rediscovered some of that old sparkle recently but is still prone to the odd disappointing run, but as a previous winner of this race she certainly shouldn’t be overlooked.   

SINNDEE SLEW(IRE)

Trainer: goody5

(Sinndar (IRE) x Kingmambo x Seattle Slew)

Odds:  9/1                   Earnings: 198,383                  Runs/Wins: 27/5

A 5yo filly from Goody Stables bred from a G class mare by spain.  She’s had a real rollercoaster ride since winning her first race as a 2yo, and at one time was entered into a $50k claiming race before her owner decided that it was perhaps a little too risky.  She doesn’t win too often but has picked up plenty of minor placings, but after her lifetime best performance last time out she may feel it is time to make the move up in class.

STAYER(IRE)

Trainer: landen1

(El Prado(IRE) x Roberto x Mill Reef)

Odds:  7/1                   Earnings: 305,042                  Runs/Wins: 21/7

A scratch bred 5yo mare from Stal Landen vzw.  She has consistently hit the top three in all of her last 8 races despite running over distances which were probably a little too far for her front running style.  Her last race was a dominating stakes win with her best SP# to date so she is bang in form and will take a lot of beating.  

MADE THE PLANS(GB)

Trainer: kaif031

(Jumron(GB) x Northern Dancer x Turn-To)

Odds:  8/1                   Earnings: 160,593                  Runs/Wins: 17/5

A scratch bred 5yo mare from Kaif Stables.  A consistent allowance runner who seems to have hit a bit of a plateau with the move up to graded races, failing to make too much headway in her last two races.  Most of her wins have been over 8f – 8.5f so perhaps that may in fact be her best distance.

SISSON’S PIVOT(GB)

Trainer: trojan

(Pivotal(GB) x Sadler’s Wells x Open Forum)

Odds:  10/1                 Earnings: 423,914                  Runs/Wins: 22/10

A 4yo filly from Binzaman Stables bred from a G class mare.  She seems to like winning races and won the G2-Crumble Classic back in June last year over 10 furlongs.  Despite recently putting together a series of 3 back-to-back wins she only managed 3^rd last time and will do well to achieve that here.

DYNA SHORE

Trainer:poppoptwo

(Green Desert x Dynaformer x Sadler’s Wells)

Odds:  9/1                   Earnings: 1,076,699               Runs/Wins: 26/10

A scratch bred 5yo mare from Poppoptwo Stables.  Another mare who has enjoyed a number of wins, but her best graded rune was a 3^rd in a G1.  Prone to some mystifyingly poor runs on occasion – I’m guessing she sulks if she doesn’t get her own way – she may find this a tough race to crack.

TRICKY MISSY

Trainer: beefcake9

(Phone Trick x Danzig x Mr. Prospector)

Odds:  9/2                   Earnings: 417,021                  Runs/Wins: 38/12

A scratch bred 5yo mare from Beefcake Stables and bred by daydreamer.  Labelled with the favourite tag this mare comes here fresh from her win in The G3-OK Bayou BB Handicap over this same distance, where she beat Sinndee Slew(IRE) and Fought The Law(KY). On the face of it she may look like a good thing here but in racing terms she may be getting a little long in the teeth now after 38 races so maybe  a little caution is in order. 

TENACIOUS V

Trainer: peeps04

(Vindication x Lear Fan x Buckpasser)

Odds:  6/1                   Earnings: 1,924,346               Runs/Wins: 32/8

A scratch bred 5yo mare from Cobra Kai Racing Stables.  A prolific Graded winner with victories in G3-Flying Saucer Stakes and G1-Storm Dog Handicap as a 2yo, G1- The 1000 Guineas and G1-Del Webb Oaks as a 3yo,  but has failed to really build on that in recent years.  2008 has not been that kind to her so far and her allowance prep race last time only produced a 3^rd place so she may come up a little short once more in her battle to reach $2m in earnings.

Summary

Some powerful ladies here in this race could all end in the first furlong if Stayer(IRE) has her way and produces the kind of performance she is fast becoming famous for.