Girls Cap Off Exciting Season

Girls Cap
Grade III
A mile and one quarter
Fast Dirt
$125,000
Fillies and mares, 3 years old and up

Let’s try something different for this stakes preview.  Usually I run down the participants with a blurb about each, which I’d venture is by far the most common way of writing a preview in the BTB.  This time I’m going to just present the table of the entries, then lay out a few scenarios about how the race might be run.  Could be a little bit of fun.

Scenario 1: Hasty start leads to Nasty finish

TITANIA(KY) and RENO, the two speed sisters aligned together on the inside rail, take off like bolts of fire, grinding their gears as they accelerate and leaving most of the rest of the field, nearly all closers, five lengths in arrears.  K’S HASTY ‘N NASTY manages to stay in contact, two to three lengths behind the leaders and enjoying clear sailing.  P Davis, aboard ZANPAKUTOH(KY), has figured that his mount is better off tracking the pace, as she sometimes does, than hanging back for a closing charge.  Even though she slightly leads the pack of chasers, she’s stuck outside of POINTMAMBO(KY) on the turns.  It costs her, as she begins to fade as they enter the stretch.  DEPUDINI(KY) cuts off BUSTINUPSTARBUCKS(KY) as she starts to make a move on the far turn between horses, and the latter loses action and falls back.  K’S HASTY ‘N NASTY takes command from TITANIA(KY) after that one has disposed of RENO on the far turn.  POINTMAMBO(KY) stays on nicely and gobbles up tired TITANIA(KY), but she can’t catch winner K’S HASTY ‘N NASTY.  WAR IN HEAVEN doesn’t fire at all for some reason, and MAGPIE FEVER(KY) comes on late to just grab fourth from AWESOME ANNIE(KY), who is under heavy drive by P Lewis.

Finish:    K’S HASTY ‘N NASTY

                POINTMAMBO(KY)

                TITANIA(KY)

            MAGPIE FEVER(KY)

Scenario 2: Queen of the Faeries

RENO is fractious in the gate and breaks in a tangle, spotting the field a length or so.  She finds she would need to thread her way to the front early, and she doesn’t like it.  TITANIA(KY) takes an easy two-length lead, and no one comes to her.  POINTMAMBO(KY) ambles along in second outside WAR IN HEAVEN, who has moved over to the rail, with K’S HASTY ‘N NASTY behind them.  ERRTU is uncharacteristically involved early, and even passes the chasing group for a time on the backstretch.  Breeders Bowl Distaff participant DIXIE PARK is dawdling more than usual, at least 15 lengths behind in last.  MAGPIE FEVER(KY) makes a move on TITANIA(KY) as they enter the stretch, but the easy-breathing TITANIA(KY) has plenty of gas and opens her lead again.  So it’s DEPUDINI(KY), WAR IN HEAVEN, and ZANPAKUTOH(KY) who battle it out for the place and show positions, furiously chasing but not catching TITANIA(KY).  ZANPAKUTOH(KY) gets the best of the last nods at the wire, followed by DEPUDINI(KY).  BUSTINUPSTARBUCKS(KY) runs a nice one in the stretch but has to settle for fifth.

Finish:    TITANIA(KY)

                ZANPAKUTOH(KY)

                DEPUDINI(KY)

            WAR IN HEAVEN

Scenario 3: War in Heaven closes the deal

RENO takes the lead over a gunning K’S HASTY ‘N NASTY, with DEPUDINI(KY) in behind them.  TITANIA(KY)’s saddle must have slipped or something, because she’s midpack with Migliore looking confused.  It seems a reasonable pace, then POINTMAMBO(KY) makes a bold move at the end of the backstretch that electrifies the crowd: it looks like she’ll finish 8 lengths clear.  MAGPIE FEVER(KY) leads a thick pack of chasers – even the closers are getting into it, and the picture changes suddenly in the stretch.  RENO, K’S HASTY ‘N NASTY, and even POINTMAMBO(KY) are done, and MAGPIE FEVER(KY) has half a length on BUSTINUPSTARBUCKS(KY).  But that’s WAR IN HEAVEN looming on a wide path, and B Child guides her right by to an authoritative length and a half score.  DIXIE PARK unleashes a riveting drive along the rail, passing all but the winner and a determined MAGPIE FEVER(KY) in what seems like half a dozen strides.  DEPUDINI(KY) is best of the rest in fourth.

Finish:    WAR IN HEAVEN

                MAGPIE FEVER(KY)

                DIXIE PARK

            DEPUDINI(KY)