Panhandle Park Oaks Great Stepping Stone
Panhandle Park Oaks Stakes
Grade II
A mile and one sixteenth on the Firm Turf Course
$125,000
Fillies and mares, 3 years old
Stakes record – 2003 – Royal Runner(IRE), 1:42-3/5, SPF 100.516
We have a small but very competitive field here this weekend all trying to take that next step toward the upper echelon of turf fillies. Some of these young ladies are looking better and better and are really turning into solid race horses. It should really be a great race, so let’s take a look:
1 – ROLEX(KY) ODDS STABLE WIN% JOCKEY WIN% TOP SPEED EARNINGS RANK Super Stables 2/1 Super1 19.0% V.Gardner 18 – 7 – 3 – 5 – 39% 88.16 $ 237,000 22
( GHOSTZAPPER x KINGMAMBO x DANEHILL out of NEXIS OFTHE CRISIS) What would a big race early in the year be without an entry by the Super Stables? This beautifully bred brown girl has already doubled the win total of her mom and looks to build upon that easily. She has five wins in only eight starts and that includes two overnight stakes and a Grade III win. She finished fifth in last years Juvy Breeders Bowl and her last race was a fourth for a somewhat disappointing finish to a great year for the Super1 trained filly. She likes to come from off the pace so the pole won’t help her much but she has one of the top jockeys in the game in the leather and Gardner will know how to pace her. They should be in the mix at the end.
 | 2 – MON SLEW(IRE) | ODDS | STABLE | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | EARNINGS | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kilmory Stables | 5/1 | Kilmory | 17.1% | W.Baumann | 2 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0% | 85.05 | $ 95,580 | 291 |
( MONTJEU (IRE) x SEATTLE SLEW x ILE DE BOURBON out of COOTER’S SLEW) This Kilmory trained filly has won half of her six races and one of those was a Stakes outing. She tried a couple of G I races and didn’t hit the board in either one. She has continued to improve but this will be her first race over 7 furlongs and it will interesting to see how she reacts to that. Baumann is in the irons and is looking for his first winning mount of the season. She generally likes to hang in the middle of the pack and hit the jets at the top of the stretch. She is a beauty but I wonder if she has enough for this group of fillies.
 | 3 – ALONDRA POWER(IRE) | ODDS | STABLE | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | EARNINGS | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otto Haack Stables | 5/1 | Haackslew | 22.7% | O.Barrett | 6 – 2 – 1 – 0 – 33% | 87.18 | $ 154,160 | 93 |
(GALILEO (IRE) x RAHY x SUMMER SQUALL out of CHAMPION HAACK) You can’t ask for much more than what this filly has given trainer HaackSlew. She won her first four then narrowly missed her fifth with a close second last time out. Three of those wins were Stakes races but this will be both her first try at a mile or more and also her first Graded outing. That near miss was at 7.5 F and you wonder if she will take to the longer distance. Barrett is holding the reins and he has magic hands around these juveniles. She likes to stalk the leaders and should be in good position if she has enough left at the end of the longer distance.
 | 4 – BACKINAMINUTE(KY) | ODDS | STABLE | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | EARNINGS | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thecrow Stables | 3/1 | Thecrow | 13.3% | L.Buchta | 16 – 3 – 3 – 2 – 19% | 95.20 | $ 129,100 | 36 |
( ALDEBARAN x KINGS LAKE x AFFIRMED out of EASY KINGDOM) I love this chestnut filly’s name and also the way she has taken to the grass after starting her career with three races on the clay. After a win and a close second on an off track in her first two turf races, she exploded last time out with a plus 95 SPF and a fairly easy win at a mile. That race convinced trainer Thecrow that this girl is ready for the big time. She likes the lead and with no other early speed in this race it could play to her advantage. Buchta is in the saddle and has finished on the board in half of his races this year and should be able to hit it again with a little guidance of this talented filly.
 | 5 – CHAPARRO(IRE) | ODDS | STABLE | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | EARNINGS | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windward Farms | 8/5 | Lawman4 | 8.6% | A.Darling | 15 – 1 – 0 – 4 – 7% | 97.55 | $ 265,920 | 43 |
( HIGH CHAPARRAL (IRE) x WOODMAN x DIXIELAND BAND) After a lot of experimentation for this filly by trainer Lawman4, she has seemingly really found the perfect spot and it is this distance on the grass. In her last two both at 8.5 F, she has a 97 and 93 SPF and easy wins in two consecutive Stakes outings. She came from next to last in both of those races and this outside post may be to her liking. Darling, holding the reins has started kind of slow this year but is one of the best and will love the explosive burst that this lady has down the stretch. If she can do it again, she should bring home another win.
Morning Line = 5-1-4-2-3
Paz Picks = 5-1-4-3-2
It’s always tough figuring out these juveniles, it seems like some of them, like in this race, haven’t run the distance or have changed surfaces. It could really be anyone’s race but I like the three that have actually run at a mile or better, I think that will give them a big edge. Those three could really finish in any order but I have BACKINAMINUTE to take the lead and keep it until the very end where she will be overtaken but I think she has enough to finish in the top three. ROLEX is one to “watch”(Sorry about that, I couldn’t resist!) and I really thought about putting her at the top of my card but those last two explosive races by CHAPARRO really impressed me and I think she will pass everyone in the stretch and claim the win.
Good luck to all runners!
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