Four Bee(NZ) Memorial features six juvenile fillies
Six competitive fillies will face a mile test on Utah’s firm turf course in Saturday’s Four Bee(NZ) Memorial. The purse is $40k, and the winner will earn 8 coveted stakes points in the turf route division.
Rainbow Finster G, trained out of the Buxpasser stable and off at odds of 5/1, will break from the rail post. The brown Mining filly (out of the stakes-winning Pine Bluff mare Julie’s P Cat G) has seen the most success on turf, but has yet to race over 7 furlongs. Rainbow’s two wins (one MSW and one allowance victory) have both come when she got loose on the lead. She has a lot of natural speed, but if she is overtaken in the stretch may not have enough left to mount a challenge. Jockey L Ross will likely send Rainbow to the lead if he can get a good start out of her, and hope to open up enough of a margin to hold off the closers. Rainbow ill probably need to imprive on the order of 5-10 points if she wishes to win.
Fresh from her maiden win, Maeve’s Causeway(IRE) (3/1) makes her second start in a stakes for the Galileo stable. The brown Giant’s Causeway filly was impressive in a nearly four-length victory in a 7.5 furlong MSW at Delaware. Her dam, the stakes-winning Roan Color (Red Ransom x Hospitality) excelled around a mile and it looks like this filly will as well. Maeve picked up her win in nice fashion, settling back no more than three lengths before a stylish and speedy stretch run. She looks to have no problem with the extra half-furlong. She will need to improve on speed, though, as her debut saw her pick up a 74SP. Again, this does not look to be a problem. Jockey M Fletcher has reportedly been given orders to relax Maeve in third position through the first three quarters or so, and to give her her head at the quarter-pole.
Sano’s Nymphet is the field longshot at 6/1. The Rahy filly (out of the Mountain Cat mare Queen Trapper) is coming off a third-place effort in the Hollywood State Special at 6.5 furlongs. She has but one win to her credit on five starts (in a dirt 5.5 furlong maiden no less) but she’s shown she can handle grass easily and has a nice closing style that should see her do well as she gets more ground. Based on runniung style the mile distance will be no problem. Speed will be, however. Nymphet’s top SP so far is 72 – that may not be quite enough to pick up the win. But, she has a nice chance to at minimum pick up a third.
Breaking for post 4 will be Impossible Project(IRE), who is 5/1 on the morning line. Trained out of the Heythere stable, the filly is by Not Impossible out of Mr. Prospector mare Jove Project. Impossible has two victories in four starts; both wins have come in small-field turf stakes at 5.5 and 6 furlongs. She’s never been truly tested so it’s difficult to predict just how good this filly could be. In her wins she sat no worse than third off the pace and grabbed the lead fairly early, oulling away through the stretch. She does seem to have some natural speed, and can rate somewhat. Her jockey, top track rider O Osbourne, apparently thinks the filly has a very good chance to notch win number three today. She does, if she can handle the extra half-mile.
Irish Julie(IRE) is the favorite in this field at 9/5. Irishsired’s chestnut daughter of Fasliyev(IRE) out of the stakes-winning Sadler’s Wells mare Courageous Julie certainly has the pedigree of a filly who would enjoy a mile or more on grass. Irish has two wins in four turf starts. One win came in her second race in a 6 furlong maiden (she won by 1 1/2 with a 72) after a debut place at 6 furlongs (she lost by a narrowing length with a 75). In her last start, Irish tried routing for the first time with excellent success. She picked up a quarter-length victory in an allowance at a mile to post a healthy 83 SP. Her status as field favorite is clearly earned. Both of Irish’s wins have come when she relaxes 3-5 back through the first half of the race, and then quickly moves up and keeps going. if she can duplicate that style, and hold off the speedier fillies in the race, she is the probable winner.
Pretty Palace will break from the outside post. She is the third morning line choice at 7/2. Ladypd’s chestnut filly is making her first start on grass, but her second start at a mile. The Aramus filly (out of the Rahy mare Cranky Palace) picked up a win in her debut at 5 furlongs in Wisconsin with a 71SP. She followed that up with an 80 SP at 6.5 in a stake on fast dirt to finish a slightly faltering third, and her last start saw her lose by six at a mile on a track rated good. Her pedigree does suggest she should handle turf with ease, and she has shown when she likes a track she can run well. She’s been working out well over the Utah turf track the last few days. Rumor has it jockey M Dunn has been told to ride Palace close to the pace and hope she has enough in her to make a late run.