Grade 1 – My Girl Handicap

Who Is Fine Enough To be Called My Girl?

My Girl Handicap

 The Grade 1 My Girl Handicap is being contested this week in California over a track that is anticipated to be good by the track grounds-keeper. A fine field of 11 is lined hoping to pocket the largest chunk of the 400k prize pool. Let’s take a look at the field and see which one of these top ladies is this handicapper’s girl.

PP#1 – Five year old Dixie Park (Dixieland Band X Gone West X Nijinsky II) trained by one of my favorite sim chatters balata has really found her running legs upon being stretched out to 10 furlongs. She got up with a big late running move in the Grade 3 Can’t Find Anything Else Stakes on 4/12 over this very same track but today she shortens back up to 8.5 furlongs. Dixie Park looks to be a really up and coming 10f horse but the combination of a less than fast track (which she has never really taken to) and a decrease in distance have me seeking others. One thing to note is her mare Lois F has produced not just Dixie Park but another graded winner as well. Lois F is a serious producer who is well represented here.

PP#2 – Wild Cat Tales has one of those resumes most of us dream of for a mare. The 6 yr old Tale of the Cat offspring has accumulated 1.8 million dollars in 40 career races and has showed tremendous versatility winning across distances. She brings a stellar 4-3-1-0 off track record so she will have no problem on a less than fast track. Her last two races have been impressive showings at a mile and she will have absolutely no problem with today’s distance. With a stalking type running style that should keep her out of traffic trouble, I like Stoner’s chances to take a major piece in this one and he could bring a huge payday back to RASH.

PP#3 – Carol of The Bells trained by Deyoto, who does a whole lot with a few stables, is another fine horse that has accumulated over a million in earnings in just 26 races. I love the creativity of the breed as a Hennessy X Private Account X Dr. Fager is both original and a sight to behold. Carol ran a huge race last out over the same distance as today’s affair and won the day in the Grade 2 Mike’s Hometown Cap with a speed figure of 108.  She has a very similar running style as Wild Cat Tales so it will be interesting to see which one gets the jump on the other to take on the frontrunner. The morning line odds makers are giving her plenty of respect at 9/2 so ignore her at her own risk.

PP#4 – Five year old favorite Sweet Sister Mercy is one of the most regally bred mares that you will ever fancy your eyes upon (who wouldn’t sell the farm for a Kingmambo X Njinsky II X Secretariat that has earned over 2.3 million dollars. Lightly raced with only 28 lifetime races sdmf could run her for the foreseeable future and she could continue to thrive. Her last two efforts have been over 8.5 furlongs and both races have resulted in multi-length wins. She is the deserving favorite here and your 07 Breeder’s Bowl Distaff winner is tough to pick against here.

PP#5 – Super sire Kingmambo is well represented in this race as both Sweet Sister Mercy and September Royalty sport his regal pedigree.  Out of hemare September Storm, September Royalty appears best at 8.5 furlongs so his perfectly suited for today’s distance. Dixiedotco has run this one a hearty 49 times and the horse has finished best 22 times which is a very nice ratio. Her recent speed figures will need to improve to win but she loves to finish In The Money and could do it again here.

PP#6 – Trainer Jrogue has ambitiously placed 6 yr old Squeakers in this race. Squeakers is humbly bred out of Alzao (by Lyphard) so I love seeing diverse sires represented here. Squeakers has run several 100 type speed figures around this distance but she is taking a big step up today and has her work cut out for her.

PP#7 –  What Did I Get is trained by super claiming trainer tsunami and is the longest shot on the board today at 21-1.  Claimed for just 2k back on May 13^th this 6 yr old by Jallad (by Blushing Groom) is over her head but so-what. Its fun and best of luck tsu.

PP#8 – RDCLogan from the fine residency of Minnesota Downs brings us four year old Wild Rant. Wild Rant is one of the young bucks in today’s field but she has a healthy 25 races under her belt so this Forest Wildcat X Pulpit creation has the seasoning. She does have a stakes win to her credit but her recent form has faded and she looks to face an uphill climb against the likes of these.

PP#9 – Big Ugly is the second of two entries by jrogue and she is my favorite of the two. This 6 year old by Summer Squall is anything but ugly and could dazzle us late with her massive closing ability. She made a massive move last out in closing from way back in the G2 Mike’s Hometown Cap but she posted a 106 that gives her trainer a nice realm of hope in today’s race. If she doesn’t bounce off last race look for her to possibly pick up a share by mowing tiring horses down at the end.

PP#10 – In a race with very little frontrunning speed it is likely that andysakmar’s Holly Moly will be sent to the front. She should be unchallenged early and this 4 yr old mare by Pulpit may get loose on the front end. Her recent speed figures of 84 and 99 are way light on what it will take to win this race but on any given Saturday you pace handicappers have to consider an 18-1 shot that will likely be left to sail.

PP#11 – I was just wondering how I could handicap a Grade 1 race without seeing an Evil Empire horse and I started to shake my head in amazement. It turns out all that shaking was for not as I got to the end of today’s field and found none other than four year old Coldstone.  This Dixieland Band mare has been running huge speed figures lately, her most recent a hefty 109 in  a 2^nd place effort in Eastern Kentucky.  She is consistently running in a 105 type speed figure range and appears well placed with the likes of these. She will look to make her typical stalking type trip and jockey K Murano will hold on and try to hold of the mad late dash.

Outlook – Holly Moly should get out to an early lead but should wear down as the race goes on. Look for Sweet Sister of Mercy and Coldstone to take chase and finish one-two in the standings. My choice for third is Carol of The Bells but many of these ladies could play a part if they fire.