Jenny And Tony Handicap showcases female sprinters

Virginia shifts gears this week, leaving the marathoners to focus on the sprinters in this week’s highlight race, the Jenny And Tony Handicap. This is the fifth annual running of the stakes, which dropped back to its current distance of six and a half furlongs back in 2005, and invites all fillies and mares four years old and up to take part. The track is rated as firm for the race, which carries a $45000 purse. In the previous four runnings of the event, the favorite has never won it, which generally makes it a field day for handicappers. Last year’s race was won by Gold Looking, in a thrilling battle of closers, edging out the hard closing race favortie by a scant quarter length at the wire. This year’s edition draws a field of nine, which oddsmakers say look fairly evenly matched. The favorite goes off at 5/2, and seven of the nine entries are sporting odds of 8/1 or better. Longshots of 12/1 and 15/1 round out the field. If the pattern holds against the favorite here, we could see some adequate, though not spectacular payouts at the betting windows this week.

PP 1) Ectoplasm(KY) Sired by Ghostzapper, Trained by padrebri. Ectoplasm(KY) is a fouryear old filly, looking at career start number twenty in this race. She has one previous stakes victory to her credit, coming two starts back, in Louisiana. She showcases a 4-1-1-2-1 record in her last tens starts, with four 100+ speed runs, capped by a 105.3 in her first start of the 2008 season. Her last start was a stakes at this distance on a tough Eastern Kentucky track, where she finished a hard closing fourth, just over a length out at the wire in a very tight field. She comfortable on the turf, having made her last fifteen starts here, and this distance has been her best race. In nine starts in the six to six and a half range, she sports foour wins and six top three finishes. She is a deep closer, and she is used to making up large amounts of ground late in her races. Her close has been the picture of consistency in sprints, and she has made up deficits of over seven lengths in four of her last six starts. With no breakout early speed here, she shouldn’t find her self buried quite so deeply here, which is a big advantage, but she is also surrounded by a field of closers, which means she won’t be running down flagging rabbits in this one. Her speeds are not the highest in this field, but she has been hot this season and should be more than competitive. With one of the most consistent closes in this field, she is worht an extra look at 5/1 odds.

PP 2) Kacymygirl Sired by Macabe, Trained by nj50. Kacymygirl is a six year old mare, coming into her forty six career start here as the race favorite. She has twelve career stakes wins, including four Grade 2 victories. Her last stakes win came late last September. Over the course of her last ten starts, she has put together a record of 1-1-3-1-1, cracking the 100 speed mark eight times, with a best of 108.3 in her stakes victory last September. Her last start was a dirt run at this distance in Tennessee, where she struggled down the stretch, settling for sixth in a field of fourteen. She is primarily a dirt runner, and she has only three starts on turf, which came back in late in 2005 and early in the 2006 season. Her first resulted in what still stands as one of her best speeds to date. On dirt, she has been very dangerous anywhere from six to seven furlongs, and in two starts on firm turf, she has a win and a place. She has juggled around her starting speeds a bit, but she generally runs as a stalker, which could very well make her one of the early front runners in this field. She’s been posting some excellent speed figures, but has had trouble carrying them home in her last several starts. Last time she had a clear early lead, she fell to the closers late. Her minimal turf starts have shown her more than capable, and generally a race like this would favor her style for the surface and distance, but she is surrounded by some good turf closers here. She should be in the mix late, but I don’t see her making the trip to the winner’s circle here.

PP 3) Lake Bemidji Sired by Miswaki, Trained by ajr15. Lake Bemidji is another verteran six year old mare, making career start number forty five in this outing. She carries a divisional ranking of 49 among older female sprinters, behind twelve career stakes victories, three of those at graded level. Her last stakes win was a Grade 3 right her in Virginia early last July. She brings in a record of 1-2-1-1-0 from her last ten starts, with six 100+ speeds and a best of 105.0 against the boys last summer. Her last start was a stakes race at this distance in Delaware, where she made a game effort down the stretch but couldn’t close the gap, settling for fourth in a field of eight. She’s been all turf since being claimed by her current trainer back late in her three year old season, and it has paid off well for her. Her preferred distance is slightly longer in the seven to seven and a half range. In four turf runs in this distance range, she has a win and a show. She is a deep closer, and while she has consistently closed in all of her recent starts, she has had trouble making up the kind of ground she used to earlier in her career. Her last two starts have been less than stellar, and she may be beginning to show some wear and tear. A slower early pace helps her cause here, but the shorter distance doesn’t in this race. She’s about due to pop off a big effort, but the question is will it be enough against the younger legs here.

PP 4) Ellen(JPN) Sired by Mining, Trained by nawbo7. Ellen(JPN is a lightly raced four year old filly, making only her tenth career start in this race. This will be her first try at stakes level, after exhausting her conditions in her last start. Her eight career runs have resulted in a 4-2-1-0-0 record, with a top speed number of 99.0 earned in her last start. That race was an A4L at nine furlongs on dirt, where she bested a field of eight by a half length behind a very good stretch run. Her career has been an even split between dirt and turf, with her dirt speeds being better overall by a fair margin. This will be her shortest race to date by a half furlong, with wins on both surface coming at seven furlongs and nine fuurlongs. She is a midpack closer, and her close has been quite consistent over her eight starts. The pace here would normally see her stalking early, but she hasn’t evinced the kind of speed yet to threaten in this type of field. Her dirt speeds have been steadily improving this year, but turf speeds have been more of a roller coaster. She could threaten late if she can survive the early pace, but in order to do so she will have to ratchet up her speed a notch. With the combination of turf, the shorter race, and some of the speed here, I don’t see it happening is this one.

PP 5) Millenium Fleet(IRE) Sired by Dubawi(IRE), Trained by 5moonfarms. Millenium Fleet(IRE) is a four year old filly taking the gate for her sixteenth career run here. She has one career stakes win, coming early last June. She comes out of her last ten starts with a 2-2-2-0-0 record, with her speeds maxing out at 100.0 in an allowance race late last year. Her last race was her first stakes start since a lackadaisical Grade I outing last July, and she finished eighth in a full field at this distance in Eastern Kentucky in what proved to be a very tight race throughout. She has been running turf since her second career start and it has been her moneymaker. She has never routed, and this appears to be her distance of choice, with eleven of her career starts comin gin this range, resulting in four wins and eight top three finishes. She usually likes to sit just off the lead at the head of the midpack, and the results have been mixed for her. She has shown some talent as a deeper closer when she has tried, but a faster early start seems to tire her later in the race. She will find herself with some faster speed out in front of her in this one, and if she expends the energy to keep up early, it could spell problems for her as they enter the stretch.

PP 6) Down In The Valley(KY) Sired by Elusive Quality, Trained by mtk76. Down In The Valley(KY) continues her four year old campaign with her twenty third career start in this race. This will be her first try at stakes level since her two year old season, and she is looking for her first win at this level. She comes into this one with a record of 2-1-2-0-3, earning a best speed number of 103.8 in her last start. That race was an A3x at this distance in Upper New York, where she handily defeated a field of six by a length and a quarter. She just discovered turf late last season, and she has responded by more than doubling her career earnings in just five turf starts. This looks to be her best distance range, and she boasts two wins and a place in four turf starts in this range. She is a midpack closer, and her close has been quite good on turf, especially in these shorter races. Her last two starts have been career best efforts by a decent margin, and she is in her element here. She’s a good bet to round out your trifecta boxes here at 7/1 odds.

PP 7) Killing Me Smalls Sired by Lemon Drop Kid, Trained by lawnlover. Killing Me Smalls is another veteran runner, and the six year old mare is stepping to the track for career start number thirty nine in this race. She has three career stakes victories, with the most recent coming late last September. Over the course of her last ten starts, she has run to a 1-0-3-0-1 record, with a best speed figure of 104.0 earned in her last race. That start was a stakes race at this distance in Eastern Kentucky, where she grabbed third place, a scant half length out at the wire, besting three of the other competitors she faces here. Other than a couple of toekn dirt starts, turf has been her home, and she has made the best of it. She has proven herself capable at anywhere from six to nine furlongs, with the bulk of her starts, and of her success coming in the seven to eight furlong range. In this distance range, she has one win and five top three finishes in seven tries on turf. She is a midpack closer, and her close has been up and down over her last several starts, though it has looked much better in her last two. Her speeds have been on that same rollercoaster, and she has shown an alarming tendency to bounce speedwise recently, after a good start like she ran in her last. She has more than enough talent to be competitive here, but if the pattern holds true, this could be a long day for her.

PP 8) City Press(KY) Sired by Johannesburg, Trained by squity. City Press(KY) is a four year old filly, seeing action for the nineteenth career time in this race. She runs in stakes for the third straight time here, earning her way there with some good performances for her new trainer after being claimed late last season. Her last ten starts have been a mixture of just about every level, resulting in a 4-1-1-2-0 record, with a top speed of 104.8 earned in her first race of this season. Her last start was her first turf stakes try, a seven furlong effort in Arizona, where she closed hard, but not hard enough down the stretch to grab fourth place in a field of eight. She has made a dirt start here and there, but she seems much more comfortable on the turf. This has been her best distance, with three wins and two places in five starts in this distance range. She is a deep closer, and overall her close has been very good. It has been less effective though in her last two races, against stakes competition. Her top speed seems to be the exception rather than the rule, but she has done quite well in this distance range. A slower early pace shouldn’t leave her out quite as deep in the second half here, but she is up against some very consistent stakes quality closers. Excellent possiblity to collect a check here, but she will need to bring her best to crack the trifecta.

PP 9) Echidna(KY) Sired by More Than Ready, Trained by bigted4. Echidna(KY) runs in her four year old season, facing career start number twenty six here. She has one prior stakes win, that came back in her two year old season. Her last ten starts have watched her put up a 3-2-1-1-1 record earning a top speed of 99.6 in an allowance race early last December. Her last start was a seven furlong stakes race in Upper New York, where she finished a fading fourth in a field of six. After a string of dirt starts for her original trainer, she has run strictly turf under the guidance of her next two trainers. She has eight career starts in this distance range, coming up with five top two finishes. She is a midpack closer, and over her last several, it has been about an even mix between quite good and quite lazy. Her three recent tries in stakes competition have all been examples of the latter, and the closest she has come at this level is six lengths, never really mounting a close in any of those three tries. She faces more speed, as well as more consistency in this field than would allow me to recommend her here. She will need a career best and a bit of luck to be a serious factor late here.