Streaking Some Evidence Looks to Extend in Princess Di Cap

Dora’s Magical Morning (5/2 in Sunday’s Go for the Gold Stakes) isn’t the only super impressive 5-year-old filly looking for grade one glory this weekend in New York as burgeoning star turf distaffer Some Evidence seeks to win her second straight grade one in Saturday’s 1 1/8 mile Princess Di Cap.

While Harrylanexp15’s Some Evidence isn’t quite in Magical Morning’s league yet, she has taken several steps down that road since being stretched out to nine furlongs in a n3l allowance on this track last July. She stepped up into stakes company for her next four starts, winning each of these nine-furlong heats with apparent ease. Last time out she dispatched 11 rivals in the Ugly Breeders Bowl Distaff (gr. 1), surging in the stretch to a 1 1/2-length win. Back in March she won the Hill Side Challenge (gr. 3) by 3 1/4 lengths while earning her career best speed figure of 116. Some Evidence is a scratchbred daughter of Deep Impact (over Sadler’s Wells x War Front) and will be ridden by A. Rolling from post three in the field of eight.

Foxon2’s Performing Artist starts one post inside of the favorite as she runs in her first non-age restricted grade one race. Performing Artist won the OK Bayou BB Handicap (gr. 3) to start her 4-year-old campaign, earning her best speed figure to date (112). She then failed to fire in the Saint Ana (gr. 2) before stretching out to 10 furlongs–a distance that may be beyond her best–most recently. She finished her sophomore season with wins in the Jersey City (gr. 2) and QE2 Challenge (gr. 1) at the Princess Di distance before running evenly in a third-place performance in the 10-furlong Turf Goddess (gr. 1). Like Some Evidence, Performing Artist displays Deep Impact over Sadler’s Wells, but it’s on the dam side with Foxon crossing a second tail mail line of Turn-To by utilizing Lonhro as the sire. J. Benisz has the mount on the 8/1 shot.

Following a horse sired by Deep Impact and one with that horse as the broodmare sire, we’ll now look at Saluki47’s Goldacopia, a 4-year-old Golden Horn filly out of a Nathaniel mare with Deep Impact in the third spot. Goldacopia (7/1) ran second to Some Evidence in the Hill Side Challenge before running third in the Whole Time Stakes (gr. 3) last time out. She’ll be stepping up into grade one company for the first time Saturday as she tries to find the winner’s circle for the first time since June of 2021, when she took the nine-furlong Feeling Bad Stakes (gr. 3). K. Naber will be in the irons.

Bizall9’s Dodge the Queen comes in on a two-race winning streak, having recently annexed a listed race and The Whole Time Stakes (gr. 3). The Princess Di Cap will also serve as the first grade one race for this 5-year-old daughter of Kingman. (Her year younger sister won her grade one debut in the Breeders Bowl Game in May.) Her top speed figure of 115, earned when third in a listed race last July, certainly stamps her as a contender here. The 7/2 co-second choice drew the rail and will be ridden by D. Givins.

Niffler is one of those horses who induces head-scratching, leaving one to wonder where did that 118 speed figure come from when winning the Shawnee River Handicap (gr. 3) in January? WiIl it ever come again? Despite bookending that excellent effort–her first graded stakes win since the 2020 Full Moon Handicap (gr. 2)–with a pair of off-the-board finishes in which she earned identical 106 speed figures, Sremel9 enters right back into grade one company. And why not. If the 5-year-old daughter of Galileo kicks it into her Shawnee River form you’d want it to happen in a grade one, especially with less racing in front of her than behind. W. Cahill will guide the 5/1 shot from post seven.

Pointblank4’s Tater Giant found the best form of her career when switched to the grass midway through her 4-year-old campaign. The 5-year-old daughter of Gun Runner has won four of eight races since including two grade one races at a mile and the Smart Dancer (gr. 2) at the Princess Di Cap distance. She narrowly missed her third grade one win when a fast closing second in the Breeders Bowl Game last time out. Tater Giant is sharper at a flat mile, but nine furlongs is within her scope. L. Colucci will ride the 7/2 co-second choice from post six.

The Anguish Gem is a two time stakes winner for the Coldharbour stable. The 4-year-old daughter of Sea the Stars flashed brilliance in last year’s Road to Noverre Turf Filly Route stakes, closing stoutly to win by 2 1/4 lengths while earning a career high 114 speed figure. She finally returned to that level in her latest, winning another listed race while notching a 113 speed figure. While still a 3-year-old The Anguish Gem finished second to Some Evidence in the He’s A Charmer but was closing well through the stretch and maybe can pull off the upset now with more maturity. E. Banner and The Anguish Gem will depart from post eight at odds of 6/1.

Chorwon is looking for the turn back to nine furlongs to improve the form of 11/1 longshot Stable Income. The winner of five of 24 races has yet to hit the board in an added-money event though and her career high 109 speed figure is unlikely to get the job done Saturday. The daughter of Cape Blanco is the half-sister of recent Oaks de English (gr. 1) winner Persian Pawn, and has two other graded stakes winning siblings. E. Sharp will ride the bay filly.

It’s hard to pick against Some Evidence here and given her low odds of 3/1 I considered calling the race a pass from a gambling perspective. However, I decided to utilize the longer priced trio of 4-year-olds (Performing Artist, Goldacopia, and The Anguish Gem) with Some Evidence and hope the dangerous Dodge the Queen doesn’t fire at 7/2.