Top 3yo Fillies begin their long preparation on the road to the Oaks!
Top 3yo Fillies begin their long preparation on the road to the Oaks!
Race: 3826.0115
January is usually in interesting time of racing. We all know who the good 2yo’s were but this is a time when horses start to become unpredictable in their future. Only some of the top 2yo’s manage to improve while a lot start to struggle in the grade. New faces pop up as they mature and the longer distance races come in and this race has been known for starting off top horses long careers.
This weeks Grade III Santa Jezebel Stakes at
The weatherman forecasts a sunny day on Saturday so let’s get talking horses!…
Out of barrier 1 is Ex Warrior by A.P. Warrior from the Goforwand Stables and the bookmakers have her at 14/1. Despite 2 wins from 9 starts Ex Warrior has extremely good consistency with a total of 7 starts In The Money from 9. She took 4 starts to warm up and get to the stakes race but when she did she really didn’t let anyone down with a 3rd in the Grade III Lean Machine Stakes and a 2nd in a Stakes. She disappointed in the Grade II Margarine Stakes but bounced back with a nice 5th in the Grade II Mistaken Soda Identity Stakes with a 90 speed figure. Last start she dropped down to an Allowance on a rain affected turf course up the road in Northern California and finished in 2nd place in what I assume was a wind me down race for her 2yo preparation. Nice filly but I don’t see her threatening.
Next up jumping from barrier 2 is Rock ‘N’ Roll Ben by Street Cry fresh from the paddocks of Mia and Ben’s Acres at the odds of 7/1. Ranked 29th in this division Rock ‘N’ Roll Ben boasts an impressive record of 5 starts for 4 wins and earnings of $118,000. She remained undefeated after 2 starts with wins in a Maiden and an Allowance with a combined 3 lengths in margins. She put up a brave performance when thrown in the deep in the G1 Getaway Stakes and finished 4th place beaten by 2 ¾ lengths with an 87 Speed Figure. The trainer decided to take her along patiently most likely looking forward to her 3yo preparation rather then busting her guts as a 2yo. The trainer decided to run her in Ungraded Stakes where she pulled off 2 straight wins by 2 & 1 ¾ lengths respectively all over the mile with a high of a 96 speed figure. I like this filly’s chances in this race as she has been tested in Graded company and in routes while remaining lightly raced and without a gut buster.
Out of the 3rd gate is the 79th ranked A Chill Of Halo by Dehere from the Nickesyd stables and is at 15/1. This filly has had 7 starts for 3 wins and 3 placings with earnings of $79,000. Her form over a mile is looking good with 2 allowance wins at a combined margin of 3 ½ lengths and then a last start 2nd placing in The Storm Over Seattle Special beaten by 2 lengths with a 93 speed figure. This is a big step up in grade and I can’t see this filly winning or filling a place here.
Out of gate 4 is the 37th ranked Patient Perdita by Sakhee and is trained by epcotlen stables and is at 11/1. Patient Perdita started her career with 2 straight victories before consistent performances in sprints in Graded and Ungraded Stakes. Through July, August and September this filly pulled up three consecutive Graded Stakes placings and was never that far away from the winner. When trying to make the Breeders Bowl field she struggled and finished 6th in the G2 Walnut Stakes over a mile. Epcotlen decided to give her a break from graded company and dropped her down to an Ungraded Stakes over a mile where she completed a nice victory with a 90 speed figure. Last start the trainers tried a switch of surface to turf where she finished 5th place in the G1 Miesque’s Gold Classic Stakes but imp still sure that dirt is her surface. Patient Pedita is a very consistent filly but after a long stint in graded 2yo races I’m not sure she will have improved enough to take the honours in the Santa Jezebel Stakes.
Next in line from Post 5 is the 13 ranked Wildcat Dragon by Primary who is trained by the bond77 stables and is at 14/1 Wildcat Dragon has won 4 starts from 7 starts with 2 minor placings and has earned over $200,000 in stakes. Despite her flop when she stepped up into Grade I Company, Wildcat Dragons form was very good with a debut Maiden win and then two Stakes Wins and another two Stakes Placings. Last start she was stretched out too a mile and one sixteenth where she really strut her stuff with with a close win in the Grade II Boca Stakes with a 92 Speed Figure. With only the 1 start at the distance she has shown she’s not a sprinter but is right in this race. Definite place chance.
Breaking from Gate 6 is Gorilla Monsun ranked 5th and is by German stallion Monsun and trained out of the knowlton yard. This filly has a near impeccable record with 7 starts for 6 wins and second which was on debut and lost by just ¾ length over the shortest trip of her career which was 5 furlongs. Stretching out to longer sprints and then route’s seems to have done the trick with Gorilla Monsun as she has won 6 straight and earned nearly $400,000. After winning three straight after her debut she stretched out to 7 & 7.5 furlongs where she was victorious by over a length on both occasions. Last start was an outstanding effort by this filly as she capture the Grade I Movieland Starlet over 8.5 furlongs by 1 ¼ lengths with a 99 speed figure which is one of the highest if not the highest speed figure for a 2yo filly last year. Last start she beat Railways who is also in this race. She will be right in this race and is the main danger to the favourite.
With impressive form of late we come to Aragorn’s Prayer out of gate 7 from the PazJazz Stables and is sired by Aragorn and is at 16/1. Aragorn’s Prayer is lightly raced with 6 starts but on Dirt her record’s near perfect with 5 starts for 4 wins and a second which was an Allowance where she was beaten by just 1 length. Since then she has put a streak on with 3 back to back victories including 2 stakes races. First Stakes over 7.5 furlongs was a walk in the park with a 2 length victory but she had to work for it last start prevailing by just a head but posted a career high 90 speed figure. Despite good form I’m worried that her lack of experience with big field will catch up with her here when she steps up in grade with her last 3 victories in field of 5, 4 and 6.
Out of Stall Number 8 is Railways who is the daughter of English stallion Rail Link and is trained by the pwong01 barn at 10/1. Railways has earnings of almost $300,000 from 10 career starts and is ranked 6th in this division. Railways broke her maiden on turf and that’s the surface her first 3 starts were on but the trainer switched too dirt and saw improvement with 2 placings and then a win in Allowances. She stepped up and ran 2nd in an Ungraded Stakes before rising to the occasion to finish 2nd in he Grade I Frickazee Stakes by 1 ½ lengths with an 86 speed figure. She couldn’t put bat to ball in the Breeders Bowl Juvy Filly where she finished down the track in 11th place. Last start she showed her class with a 2nd place in the Movieland Starlet beat just over a length by Gorilla Monsun who has won 6 straight races. Railways is a very nice filly and I think she will be pushing for a place position in this race.
Next out of post 9 is Intimate Jazz by First Samurai out of the trooper stables and is at 30/1. With a record of 7 starts 2 wins and 4 placings this filly lacks experience in any sort of stakes race, with her only attempt she finished 2nd in a Grade III but it was in the slop and only attracted 7 runners. One positive is that last start she ran in her longest trip to date over a mile and ran second in an Allowance which looked like her best run yet. I think Intimate Jazz will struggle here because last start she couldn’t even take out an Allowance with 5 runners.
Next in line in post number 10 is the 49th ranked Miss Me sired by champion stallion Storm Cat and out of Thechamp barns at 8/1. Miss Me is lightly raced and has won 3 races from 5 career starts and earned over $200,000 in earnings. In her 2nd start she pulled off a nice ¾ length victory in the Grade II Stoker Handicap over 6.5 furlongs with a 79 speed figure. Miss Me really seems to love the mud with 3 starts for 2 wins and a 2nd on a rain effected track. She won on debut, finished 2nd in a Stakes and won a stakes last time out all on an off track. But when she was really asked to show her true colours on a dry track over the route distance of 8.5F she seemed to struggle, finishing mid field beaten 7 lengths from the winner. Miss Me is a very nice 3yo but the distance looms as a problem and seems to run her best races on an off track.
Jumping from barrier 11 is the 57th ranked Seeking Miss by Seeking The Gold and it’s trained out of the Perko Stables and is at 14/1 with the bookies. Seeking Miss’ records is ultra impressive with 6 starts for 5 wins and 1 placing with earnings over $100,000. After only finishing 3rd on debut over 5.5 furlongs Seeking Miss has now pulled off 5 consecutive wins which started when she broke her maiden before going on to win 2 allowances. Trying Stakes for the first time the trainer was obviously confident with 3 straight wins and already winning over a mile and Seeking Miss didn’t disappoint with victory and an 85 speed figure. Last start she claimed an almost identical race by 1 ¼ length with a 90 speed figure. The distance is no problem here so the big question is, can she step up in grade and still compete with the top fillies. I guess we will find out this weekend.
Jumping from Barrier 12 is the #7 ranked Holbach by Vindication and is trained by the Tees Stables and is at 9/1 with the bookmakers. Early in her 2yo season she was running well in the sprint races including a 4th and 6th in Grade I Races. But Holbach has really started to hit her straps her last two starts when she was stretched out to a mile and one sixteenth as she has won 2 from 2 since doing that and earned $300,000 which is nearly all her career earnings. She won the Grade II Camlaw Stakes by 1 ¾ lengths before making it two-on-the-trot in the Grade II Mistaken Soda Identity Stakes by 2 ½ lengths win a 96 speed figure. I think she will be right in this race by just looking at the outstanding performances she has put in at 8.5 Furlongs in Grade II Company.
Out of Gate Number 13 is the blueblood Ultimate Diamond by A.P. Indy and trained by Qwikvett in his korn barn at 5/1. Ultimate Diamond is very lightly raced but still comes into this race with very impressive 2yo form. She is the #2 ranked 3yo Filly and looks to kick start a promising 3yo campaign here in the Santa Jezebel Stakes. She debuted in July with a win in the Northwest Racing Circuit’s residency race the Future Stars Stakes and the winner has really lived up to the races name since moving on to bigger and better things. She won that race by 4 ¾ lengths living them gasping for air after she set a solid pace throughout and went wire to wire. Despite the talent she had shown in her debut its always a risk running a horse 2nd start in a Grade II but the trainer must have been extremely confident and the horses lived up to that expectation with a 1 length victory in the Grade II Dazzling Daisies Stakes with a 90 Speed Figure. A month later Ultimate Diamond had two obstacles that she had to face for the very first time. She had to step up to a Mile and also run against the boys and in my opinion she faired really well finishing in 3rd place just ½ length off the winner and interestingly the horse who finished 2nd in that race was Distorted Dragon who went on to run 2nd in the Breeders Bowl Juvenile and win the Movieland Futurity. That’s good form as a 2yo filly as you will ever see. Six weeks later she stepped up to the pinnacle race on the calendar for 2yo Fillies in the Breeders Bowl Juvy Filly which is over this distance at the same track and she managed a close 2nd place, behind by only ¼ of a length on the line. Last start she ran against the boys again when she finished 3rd place in the Grade I Movieland Futurity. Her form is very impressive and is obviously one of the top 3yo fillies and is lightly raced so I see no signs of her slowing down as a 3yo. Horse To Beat
Jumping from Gate 14 is the 17th ranked Storm Spun by Hard Spun, who is trained by the Nextbonus team and is at 10/1. This filly started racing early in April and has had 9 career starts for 2 wins, 5 placings and nearly $200,000 in earnings. Interestingly since switching back to dirt in her 4th start she has had 5 races over the route trip and the form is pretty good. After an Allowance win and a stakes fourth she was forced to step up in grade to the Grade II Margarine Stakes where she finished 2nd. Running against the best 2yo fillies she finished 6th in the Breeders Bowl Juvy Filly by 4 lengths with a career best 92 speed figure. What really stakes her claims is her last start 2nd in the Grade II Boca Stakes when she was beaten by Wildcat Dragon who is in this race by just ¼ length. Going well and should be a place chance.
Selections
Ultimate Diamond
Gorilla Monsun
Rock ‘N’ Roll Ben
Good luck to all runners!