The PATH TO WAR Stakes
Welcome back to Tennessee. This week the 4yo and up fillies and mares are back on the turf for a 9 furlong run at the $45,000 purse in The PATH TO WAR Stakes. The weatherman is calling for a 50% chance of an off track this week which may play a role in deciding who is first under the wire. The record time for this race is 1:48 3/5.
Let’s meet the field.
In post position 1 Seasons of Wither will be awaiting the start. This 5yo mare by Seeking the Gold comes to Tennessee this week from the Black Label Stables, under trainer sdmf3. She started her career back in September 2005 and she was tried on the turf for her first start in a 6 furlong stakes race. Out of 4 horses in the field, she finished 4th so her trainer switched her to the dirt for her next three starts with distances of 6.5, 7 and 8 furlongs respectively. Her best finish was a second in the first of the three and she went downhill in the next two. It was back to the turf for two more races and then another shot at the dirt but she still wasn’t able to get the win. In April 2006 she finally broke her maiden when she was put back on the turf, this time for 9 furlongs. It was off to allowance races for her and her third allowance race she got her second win at 8 furlongs. Then came a shot at an off track and she won it with ease, making two wins in a row. She would have two stakes attempts after that but failed to pull it off. It wouldn’t be until July 2007 before she would win again after several switches between dirt and turf and it was the grass, once again, where she would win. She was also showing that she was capable of producing speeds in the high 90’s and over 100. Three races later she won again and managed her high speed of 104 back in October 2007. It wouldn’t be until last month before she won again and this time it was on an off track. Her last time out was another stakes race but once again, she just couldn’t quite keep up. The handicappers give her odds of 2/1 for this race.
Merce Cunningham sired Mercy, the 9yo mare in post position 2. Her trainer, teamkeanna, is bringing her to Kentucky this week from Teamkeanna Stables. She started her career as a 3yo back in March 2002. Her first time out was on the yielding turf yet she managed a very impressive speed of 87. She came in second. She didn’t break her maiden until she was switched over to the dirt a couple of races later. She was raced pretty heavily on both the dirt and turf, racing about every two weeks but with producing speeds up to 108, it obviously didn’t bother her. It wouldn’t be until 10 months after her first win that she got her second win, this time in an allowance for 7 furlongs on the turf. She would capture 2 more wins on the turf in 2003 including one on an off track with a speed of 105. She had a few stakes attempts but the best she could do was fifth. She switched trainers halfway through 2004 and her new trainer put her in six consecutive claimers, one at 9.5 furlongs and the rest at 9 furlongs. She captured the win in four of those six races. Then, once again, she switched trainers. This trainer tried her in allowance and claimers, on the turf and on the dirt but it wasn’t until an 8 furlong claimer that she would get her next win as well as switch trainers once again in July 2005. She passed from trainer to trainer several times and was tried at varying distances on both the turf and dirt, mainly in claimers and starters, but her best finish was a third, 15 ½ lengths back from the leader. At the end of 2007, trainer teamkeanna acquired her. She’s raced four times since then and brought home a second and three fifths. This girl has a long racing history behind her that’s about as varied as they come. Looking over her record there are a couple of things that stand out to me. One, she definitely seems to be slowing as she has raced with speeds in the 60’s her last three times out and hasn’t even hit a speed in the 90’s since July 2005, which was also the last time she has ever won a race. The second thing that stands out is that in all of her stakes attempts she has performed pretty poorly. I think her age is catching up with her and I really don’t see her as much of a threat this week. The handicappers name her the longshot with odds of 99/1.
Post position 3 will hold Regatta, a 4yo mare sired by Elvstroem and is trained by simon1996 from the Hornedfrog Stables. Regatta began her career in July 2006 as a 2yo breaking her maiden her first time out in a 6.5 furlong maiden on the turf. Her second race, a 7 furlong stakes, she got her first stakes win and made it two wins in a row. Her next four races consisted of three stakes, where she placed third in all three, and a grade 1 where she couldn’t hold it together and finished twelfth. She was then raced in an 8 furlong allowance race where she broke her losing streak and was first under the wire once again. She would then capture two more stakes wins immediately following and then managed to bring home a win in a grade 2, making her winning streak four in a row. She would go on to compete in several grades 1 and 2 stakes as well as ungraded stakes for the rest of 2007 and brought home 3 more stakes wins between June and August 2007 with the distances varying between 8 and 12 furlongs. She showed that she was able to produce speeds up to her high speed of 108, but even with speeds like that she went into a long streak of losing until she was placed back into an 8.5 furlong allowance race which she won with ease. She was then tried back in a grade 3 and came in second by a nose. In March she competed in a 9 furlong stakes and brought home her eleventh career win. Her last time out was just a couple of weeks ago in an 8.5 furlong stakes where she places second but was once again close, placing just ¾ length back. She is a very nice looking mare who has already won over half a million dollars and even has a grade 2 win under her girth. When she is on she runs like a freight train and dominates the track. She is definitely one to watch in this race. The handicappers name her the favorite with odds of 4/5.
Revento En Sangre will be in post position 4 . This 5yo mare is sired by Silver Charm and is trained by lgbost10 from Lgbost Stables. She started her racing career in May 2005 running four dirt sprints and capturing a second as her best finish. After switching trainers she was switched to the turf where she finally broke her maiden at 7 furlongs in a maiden claimer. She would go on to race in another claimer and bring home her second win in a row. It was then that lgbost10 got a hold of her. Three starter races and three wins which made 5 wins in a row for this girl and with those five wins she showed that she was capable of winning at distances from 7 furlongs to 11 furlongs. She was then entered into a 12 furlong stakes but the extra distance seemed to much for her as she led most of the race but finished in fourth. Then came a 10 furlong stakes in July 2006 which she won with ease. That, however, would be her last win until well over a year later. She was tried in starter, allowance and stakes but just couldn’t seem to get it together. Then finally, in December 2007 in an 11 furlong allowance, she got her seventh lifetime win. She has raced three times since then and has come in second all three times, with her last start showing her high speed of 97. This mare has been raced at varying distances a mile and over. She has one stakes win and if she can improve just a little on her speed then she has a shot at her second stakes win this week. The problem is that she is so inconsistent in her performances that it’s a really difficult task to predict just how she will perform this week. The handicappers give her odds of 7/1.
Awaiting the start in post position 5 will be Baber’s Blazer. She comes from Baber’s Stables and is trained by baber7. She’s 4 years old and sired by Highest Honor and is out of the dam Quirt’s Baby. She began her career as a 2yo on the dirt back in May 2006. After six races on the dirt at distance from 5 furlongs to 8 furlongs, she was consistent at placing second but just couldn’t catch a win. Her trainer decided to switch her over to the turf. She perked up a little but still not enough to win, bringing home three consecutive seconds, one maiden, one allowance and one stakes. Then, her fourth start on the turf at 6 furlongs she finally broke her maiden in August 2007, over a year since she first began racing. She was entered in allowance races at distances of 8.5 and 9 furlongs and in November 2007 she got her second and last win so far. She reached her high speed of 104 in these allowance races. Showing speeds like that she was tried once again in a couple of stakes races but only managed to get fourth and fifth but she did show that she could bring on the speed again, matching her 104 in the second of these two stakes starts. Her last three times out she was raced at 9 furlongs, one allowance and two stakes. Her best finish was a second by half a length in the first of the two stakes. After looking over her record she apparently likes to come from behind and make a late run for the wire. I feel that if she can be held just a little closer to the front of the pack then she may have a shot at the win. If she fails to get the win in this race I would not be surprised to find her up there not far behind the leader to capture second. The handicappers give her starting odds of 2/1.
Regatta x Baber’s Blazer x Seasons of Wither
I have to say that I totally agree with the handicappers and think that Regatta will be the first under the wire. Baber’s Blazer should be a close second with Seasons of Wither coming in third. We have a small field this week so it should be a close and exciting race.
Good Luck and Happy Racing.