TN Stakes Preview
2 yr. old fillies take to the turf this week in the 4th running of the UNBRIDLED RIDGE Stakes here at the Tennessee track with the 6 ½ furlong stakes offering a purse of $60,000. The stakes record, set in 2005, belongs to MALINDI (A.P. Indy x Storm Cat x Forty Niner) who covered the sprint distance in 1:17 1/5. Four fillies are ready to try and win the $36,000 first place check for their connections today.
PP1) COMBAT NURSE (IRE) – (Medecis (IRE) x Manzotti x Inchinor (GB)) – 2/1
This aevon45 trained filly is 2 for 4 lifetime and has the distinction in today’s race as being the only entrant with a victory in an open stakes event. (The 6.5 furlong (turf) S. COON Handicap at NH in 5/08) With a lifetime high SP# of 78, set in the G3 Fast Lane Stakes when she finished 3rd, this Medecis (IRE) filly prefers to be on the lead or just off the pace and appears to be a definite challenger today for the win at her preferred 6.5 furlong distance.
PP2) DESDELLA (KY) – (More Than Ready x Cat Thief x War Chant) – 2/5
Making her first turf appearance today after 5 starts on the dirt this rheffisimo trained filly has racked up 3 wins already in her brief career. Her last start in an ANW3L race at UT showed her breaking alertly from post 5 and never relinquishing the lead while posting a SP# of 79 for the 5.5 furlong distance. She has notched 4 consecutive 75+ SP’s in her last outings and is another of today’s runners who prefers being on the lead from the outset. She is a deserving ML favorite at 2/5 for this race.
PP3) RENOLICIOUS (JPN) – (Chief Bearhart x Fair Mix (IRE) x Strawberry Road (AUS)) – 7/1
Making only her second career start today this mrv trained filly finished 3rd in a MSW event at NZ last week while finishing 1 ½ lengths back of the winner. The filly posted a 62 SP# that race and set 3rd until half way through the race when she made a slight move on the winner but could not sustain her drive down the lane. She will be cutting back in distance for this race slightly after contesting her first Maiden race at a 7 furlong turf distance.
PP4) BEST FREEDOM (ENG) – (Librettist x King’s Best (IRE) x Danzig) – 7/1
This entrant, pulled from the TN horse pool, is still looking for her first career victory today and it doesn’t look promising in this field. With a lifetime high SP# of 50 on the turf, and a dirt SP# high of 39, the 7/1 ML odds given to her for the win seems quite generous.
2008 UNBRIDLED RIDGE Stakes Selection
Win – #1 COMBAT NURSE (IRE)
Good Luck to the trainers and their horses in this years race.