Eleven Fillies Take To Track in Kentucky

Race : Help…. Mike’s Fallen And Can’t Get Up Stakes – Grade II – $250,000
ID: 3861.0315
Track : Kentucky
Restrictions : Fillies and Mares, 4 years old and up
Distance : A mile and one quarter on the dirt

In a weekend lined with three star-attracting stakes races in Kentucky, perhaps the highlight race of the state’s weekend racing will be the Grade II Help…. Mike’s Fallen And Can’t Get Up Stakes. The race is sure to attract some nice fillies and mares from across the country to run in the mile and one quarter race over the dirt oval this weekend. The weather promises to be nothing short of spectacular this weekend for the fifteenth race on Saturday’s card, so expect the field of eleven fillies and mares to go out over a fast dirt course this weekend. After the inauguration of the Grade II race in early 2001, the race was not run in the 2008 racing season, remaining absent from the Kentucky racing card. It will be returning from its lay off this year with a brand new pack of talented fillies and mares scrambling to take hold of the winning title. Let’s take a look at these fabulous fillies.

1. Black Tuesday – (Storm Cat x Kingmambo x Sadler’s Wells) – fairhaven2 of The Evil Empire – D. Givins – 9/2

The picture of a perfect bloodline, this five year old brown mare has astounded fans with thirteen career wins, earning $2,112,345 in her lifetime. She comes into the race this weekend as one of the more qualified mares in the race, getting into the Grade II stakes race with a grand total of 138 stakes points. Despite this, her last few races have ended in big disappointment for her connections. Her most recent start ended in a late charge, but still finishing six and half lengths off the pace in the Arkansas Distaff (G1). Prior to that, she struggled home to finish twelfth in the Breeders Bowl Distaff (G1) late last year. She hasn’t won a race since the middle of last year when she put in a bullet performance in the listed Tuesday’s Gone Handicap where she won by five lengths. She’s been on the board finishing second a few times in the graded caliber races since then, but she hasn’t been quite the same since June of last year. Her connections are hoping she can pick everything back up this weekend by stepping her down a bit in grade level. She’s a confirmed closer, so don’t expect to see her near the front of the pack until the final furlongs. This will be the first entry in Saturday’s race for the Evil Empire stable group.

2. Magpie Fever – (Stormin Fever x Pharly (FR) x Soviet Star) – vawoman of Rivahboat Stables – B. Rocker – 7/1

Making her thirtieth career start this weekend, this Kentucky-bred chestnut mare has earned just $337,351 in career earnings. In addition, the five year old mare will also be making her fourth consecutive Grade III race this weekend with the Help… Mike’s Fallen And Can’t Get Up Stakes. She recently won the Lapel Pin Stakes (G3) by two and one-fourth lengths last October and finished third in the Girls Cap (G3). However, her most recent start, ended in a disappointing eighth place finish in the Be Forewarned Stakes (G3). With any luck, this was simply one of those unexplained stumbles in a horses career that they bounce back from quickly in their next start. Thus far, the chestnut mare has been a very consistent runner for her connections. She’ll probably be running mid-pack on Saturday, which may work to her advantage if the closing powerhouses of the race don’t go off well.

3. Pointmambo – (Point Given x Kingmambo x Seattle Slew) – shawke of Jrogue Stables – T. McJulien – 10/1

The first entry for Jrogue Stables, this chestnut Kentucky native four year old, is by Preakness and Belmont winner Point Given and out of the stakes placed mare Mambo Slew The Second. She has made a lucky thirteen trips around the track, finishing on the board in eight of her races and bringing home career earnings of $175,766. She’ll be a bit of a longshot this Saturday, her last race coming in the Disco Inferno Stakes where she finished eighteen lengths off the pace of the leader to cross the wire in eighth place with a speed figure of ninety-nine. This was a little bit of an off race for the chestnut mare. She’s won multiple allowance level races as well as winning The Rich Throat Bonanza, a ten furlong listed stakes in Louisiana. She hasn’t fared too well in her three graded starts, but did finish on the board in her first graded starts in the Lapel Pin Stakes (G3) where the chestnut mare finished second in the race. Her only other graded start came in the Girls Cap (G3), in which she finished six and a half lengths back in fourth position. She’ll probably be out of the gate on Saturday and sit slightly off the pace, probably back in third or fourth position and then try to make her move as they go down the stretch.

4. Crank Caller (IRE) – (Sadler’s Wells x Awesome Again x Kingmambo) – donrawl01 of N2racing Stables – B. Alt – 7/1

The only horse in the race not hailing from the state of Kentucky is this Irish homebred mare. She’ll be going to the gate in her first ever graded stakes race this weekend in Kentucky, the brown mare coming off three consecutive listed stakes races. Her last three straight wins include the Ash Floundering Challenge, Curious Halo Challenge and the Devil Allison Challenge. To date, the mare has never finished worse than second in any of her four listed stakes starts and has been an impressive allowance horse as well. The mare really found her racing forte when she started running at ten furlongs. She hasn’t had much of a stumbling block since finding the magic distance. She does have a lot of speed out of the gate and has the potential to be our front running pace setter on Saturday, trying to make a bid to outlast the calvary charge of closers that will be going all out at the finish.

5. Monarc – (Maria’s Mon x Danzig x Seattle Slew) – whirlaway of Autumn Wind Acres – C. Kendall – 8/1

Out of the Grade 1 winning mare Arc Over Danzig, this dark gray Kentucky bred four year old has had seventeen career starts with a total of six wins during her lifetime. She’s impressively won her last three starts consecutively. The most recent of these races for the dark gray filly was the King Of Danehill (IRE) Memorial which she went on to win by two and three-fourth lengths. Combined, the four year old filly has won her last three races by a combined eight lengths. The filly has never set foot in a graded stakes race in her career so far, but after her first place finish and posting of a one hundred fourteen speed figure during the Military Horse Handicap, she deserves a shot at the step up in class. The question may be as to wether the has enough left to try to win her fourth consecutive race. It would be a feat for any horse, but we’ll see how she does this weekend.

6. Grandstand Delight – (Rock Hard Ten x Storm Cat x Seattle Slew) – al of Stretch Stables – P. Cadigan – 5/1

A native Kentucky-bred mare, the four year old Grandstand Delight is out of the blue-blooded but one-time-race-winning mare Cat Phyllis. She’s been going at a steady pace lately in her career, reaching only one stumbling block along her road to success when she finished seventh in the Fast Feline Stakes (G2) in September of last year. More recently, she’s finished third in the Sabian Handicap (G3), earning a speed figure of one hundred seven for her third place effort. She’s been successful at the graded level for some time, most recently winning the Broadcast (G3) and Wooly Mammoth BB Oaks (G3). She too will spend most of her time at the back of the field, not making a move until late in the stretch.

7. Tough As Steel – (Ghostzapper x Seattle Slew x Alydar) – pbcash of The Evil Empire – P. Jazz – 5/1

The second entry for the Evil Empire stable group, this five year old brown mare is less accomplished than her counterpart, but is no less impressive in the pedigree department. While earning just $773,506 during her racing career, she has been nothing short of impressive in her races, especially lately, finishing on the board in her last five consecutive races. The most recent run for the brown mare came in December of last year on a good dirt track during the Ladies Stayer Classic (G1). While not running on her favorite surface, the mare still managed to hold on for third in the race. Earlier in the year she impressively won the Oak Brunette Stakes by six lengths with a speed figure of one hundred six. Out of the race-winning mare Alyslew, the brown mare hasn’t won a graded race since the 2007 World Cup Ladies Classic. but she’s come close and she’s been consistent. Its only a matter of time before she hits the winners board again in a graded race. She’s also shown some versatility in races, running from well off the pace and from the middle of the pack in her previous races.

8. Brain Trick – (Indian Charlie x Danzig x Phone Trick) – bigarnie of Jrogue Stables – C. Turner – 25/1

Coming into Saturday’s race with an accumulation of just three stakes points, this four year old homebred mare has been lightly raced with only nine career starts. This will be the first graded stakes start of her career, the mare coming off of her one and only stakes start. This single stakes start came last month in the CU Chulain (IRE) Handicap where the brown mare finished third in the race with a speed figure of one hundred two. Previously, she was running decently at allowance level, posting triple digit speed figures twice while running allowance races. A bit of a longshot in this weekends race, in part due to her lack of experience, she will, regardless, make her bid in one of the highlight races in Kentucky this weekend. She’ll probably hang around mid-pack out of the start on Saturday, and try to attempt to make an early move on the field before they come into the stretch.

9. Messy Missy – (Woodman x Broad Brush x Unbridled) – monimonica of Monimonica Stables – B. Sipe – 8/1

With an impressive pedigree to boost the brown Kentucky-bred mare, she will be making a comeback to graded stakes races this weekend here in Kentucky. Her most recent graded stakes start came last August during the Birmingham Stakes (G1). She finished just in the money, but off of the board in the race, crossing the wire in fourth. Previously she’d gone tot he gate in the Black Middle Flower Stakes (G1) but finished eleventh in the second jewel of the filly crown. Though not having competed in a graded stakes since the latter portion of last year, the mare has recently won her last two consecutive starts, both at listed stakes level. These were in the Again Find Stakes and the T.C. Moon Special. With some luck, the filly will be able to carry over her recent success over listed stakes back to graded stakes level. We can probably expect her to run up around the middle of the field, but with what seems to be a race that might be lacking in the pace department this Saturday, don’t be surprised if you might see her further up at the start of the race if the going is slow out of the gates.

10. To Live Is To Die – (Lemon Drop Kid x Deputy Minister x Bold Ruler) – 4gone of Shamrock Stables – D. Sherman – 10/1

Hoping to carry a bit of luck with her onto the track this weekend, this native bred Kentucky filly may need all the luck she can get running against this field. She’s only had three on the board finishes in her last seven starts.. The most recent of these was when she finished second in a photo during an allowance caliber race in Louisiana over nine and a half furlongs and a third place finish in the W.D. Coal Special. Her most recent races ended with a finish in the money, though the filly ran eight and half lengths back. This was in the listed Military Horse Handicap. She will be making a return to the graded race scene this weekend. She last appeared at this level in the latter part of the 2008 racing season where she finished ninth in the Michigan Distaff (G1) and eighth in the Mayo Foundation Restricted (G1). If she’s going to put in a good run this weekend, she’ll probably be running toward the middle of the pack out of the gate, breaking much further back in the field probably won’t be a good sign for her.

11. Braked – (Storm Cat x Kingmambo x Sadler’s Wells) – othello of Brundlefly Stables – M. Ketron – 12/1

Bred on the same pedigree lines as another filly in the race this weekend, Braked is out of the Grade I winning mare Othfly’s Mambo. Perhaps not quite as accomplished as her same-pedigree counterpart, the brown five year old has been lightly raced with seventeen career starts and eight lifetime wins. She’s been nothing short of spectacular lately, winning an impressive six consecutive races. These races include four allowances races as well as the W.D. Coal Special and the Newbie’s Dream Stakes. This weekend will be the first graded start for the brown filly, and one that is well deserved given her record. We’ll see how she handles her step up in class on Saturday, but as an allowance and listed stakes horse, she has been very impressive. She’s a potential speed horse in the race, and could possibly go either straight to the lead or sit right off of the pace bidding her time until the right moment down the stretch.

Tecora’s SelectionsThere are a lot of good fillies and mares in this race, and it was pretty hard for me to handicap since many of them had similar speed figures in the past all over pretty much the same distances and surfaces. I think it really could be almost anyone’s game in this race, but I picked who I think may have a slight edge for my top three. In the winning position I like the looks of the lone foreign horse in the race, Crank Caller (IRE). She’s never gone to post in a stakes race, but her past three races, all of which were wins, have some speed figures that are pretty hard to ignore, not to mention that her her winning margin in two of these races was three furlongs or longer. I don’t expect the same kind of performance here, but I think she could be able to hold on to the lead by a length or so. I’m liking the looks of Tough As Steel for the second place. Her last two races have resulted in third place finishes, but I think the start over the mud is probably a throw out. She’s done pretty well on fast dirt surfaces, and I think she may return to some form in this race. For the third slot I like Grandstand Delight. She’s a consistent runner and usually able to hit the board in most of her races. I think she’s a nice, solid pick.