The INDY’S GIRL STAKES

Four fillies will head to the post for The INDY’S GIRL Stakes, to be contested at 1 1/8 miles over the firm turf for a purse of $45,000. The race is named in honor of Indy’s Girl, who won the Epsom 1012 Handicap in 2001. Although the Indy’s Girl Stakes was written to allow three-year-old entrants, apparently no one wanted to take on the older fillies this early in the year, so we have a well-matched group consisting entirely of four-year-olds.

1 (7/2) – WRIT OF PASSAGE (GB) from borrow3 of Deadinthelane Stables is technically the longest shot on the board, but in this short field she’s still a potential winner. She’s competed at slightly longer distances than the other fillies in this race, which is possibly one reason her speed figures aren’t quite as high as her competition. Nevertheless, she’s run faster than a 100 multiple times, including in the Grade III Sheepherder Beach Handicap. She does seem to slightly prefer a yielding turf course, but she did run a very nice 102 in the FIGHTING FORCE Special over the firm turf. One thing that may go in her favor is that she likes to come off the pace. Tea Light, Regatta, and Kingsmacko like to be on or close to the lead, which could result in hot fractions for Writ of Passage to close on.

2 (7/5) – Favorite TEA LIGHT (IRE) is the most lightly raced filly in the field with only seventeen starts. Owner/trainer amandas of Chief Stable Enterprises patiently brought her up through the allowance ranks, not testing her in a stakes race until last month, when she had run out of most conditions. Tea Light stalked the leaders all the way around the track and then drew away to win by two in the NORTH JESSIE Stakes, which earned her a 108 speed figure – higher than any other horse in the field has run this year. If she maintains that level of performance, she’ll be the one to beat, but a slight regression off of that monster effort could leave her battling with any other horse in the race for the win.

3 (2/1) – Hornedfrog Stables’ Grade II winner REGATTA (AUS) boasts the field’s most impressive resume, with nine stakes victories and well over half a million dollars in earnings to her credit – that’s more than twice as much as any other filly in the race. Despite the sparkling credentials, winning Saturday won’t be easy. Although she’s run speed figures in the 100s as recently as early April, and had a victory in the PATH TO WAR Stakes at the same distance at the INDY’S GIRL in late April, her past few races haven’t been as good. She’ll need to raise her speed figure about five to ten points from her last effort (an allowance race in which she ran fourth) to have a chance at winning.