Little Rock Stayer
Arkansas • Grade 1 • 14 Furlongs • Fillies & Mares Only
After a week spent dissecting dirt sprinters in the Due North Stakes, we find ourselves at the opposite end of the racing spectrum.
The Grade 1 Little Rock Stayer is not a race won by brilliance alone. At fourteen furlongs, speed can carry a horse only so far before stamina, patience, and determination begin to separate contenders from pretenders.
This year’s edition brings together a talented group of fillies and mares willing to tackle one of the most demanding assignments in the SIM. Some arrive with proven staying credentials. Others will attempt to stretch their abilities over a distance that can expose even the smallest weakness.
Unlike a six-furlong dash where a single bad step can decide the outcome, the Little Rock Stayer unfolds like a chess match. Jockeys must conserve energy, owners must trust their training, and horses must find enough in reserve to answer the ultimate question every stayer eventually faces:
Who still has something left when everyone else is empty?
With $750,000 on the line and a Grade 1 trophy awaiting the winner, let’s take a closer look at the mares preparing to test their limits in Arkansas.
DOT NET TODAY 10/1
Quality Road x American Pharoah x Malibu Moon
Owner: flagdown
“The Distance Specialist”
She’s made a career out of marathon races and rarely shows up in anything short.
With nearly $1 million in earnings and a victory in the Elegant Stayer Stakes on her résumé, Dot Net Today enters as one of the more accomplished distance specialists in the field. Recent efforts in the Charlotte Cup and Miss Bourbon Street were respectable without being spectacular, but few mares in the race have spent more time competing at these marathon distances. If experience counts for anything, Dot Net Today belongs in the conversation.
I’M MANDA FLY ME 9/2
Mandaloun x Sunday Silence x Tapit
Owner: newtonheath
“The Millionaire Mare”
Over $2.2 million earned and plenty of Grade 1 experience.
The bankroll gets your attention immediately: more than $2.2 million earned. I’m Manda Fly Me has spent her career taking on elite company and has already proven she can handle fourteen furlongs with a placing in the Desert Lady Stayer. She may not always find the winner’s circle, but class alone makes her one of the most dangerous mares in the field.
WE SHOULD TALK 5/1
War Front x Gone West x Deputy Minister
Owner: fomo
“The Professional Bridesmaid”
Twenty-two top-three finishes from twenty-three starts. Always there. Often second.
If consistency were a trophy, We Should Talk would already own it. Twenty-three starts have produced twenty-two top-three finishes, an incredible record no matter the competition level. Recent races at fourteen furlongs suggest she fits this assignment perfectly. The only knock is that she occasionally finds one rival too good on the day.
PICTURES CRAZY 9/2
Curlin x Vindication x Dynaformer
Owner: arscurlin
“The Class Test”
Nobody doubts the talent. Everyone wonders about the extra distance.
One of the richest mares in the race with more than $2.1 million earned, Pictures Crazy brings proven Grade 1 credentials into Arkansas. The question isn’t class. The question is distance. Most of her recent success has come at shorter route distances, and stretching out to fourteen furlongs presents a challenge. If talent wins the day, she’ll be a factor. If stamina wins the day, she’ll need to answer some questions.
NEON FOREVER 10/1
Uncle Mo x Eskendereya x Medaglia d’Oro
Owner: neontraining
“The Upstart”
The younger filly trying to prove she belongs with the established stars.
Don’t let the earnings fool you. Neon Forever may be one of the most dangerous outsiders in the field. A winner at thirteen furlongs and runner-up at sixteen furlongs, she has repeatedly shown she can thrive when races become tests of endurance. Four-year-olds often improve rapidly at this stage of their careers, making her a very interesting sleeper.
TAKES OFF 24/1
Flightline x Curlin x Seattle Slew
Owner: graywolf
“The Pedigree Princess”
Flightline, Curlin, Seattle Slew. If bloodlines won races, she’d already have the trophy.
The pedigree alone is enough to make handicappers pause. Flightline, Curlin, and Seattle Slew all appear in her lineage, and her recent second-place finish at sixteen furlongs proves she can handle extreme distances. While she may need to improve against this caliber of company, few mares in the field are bred better for a race like this.
YOUR GREAT MAYBE 11/1
New Bay x Awesome Again x Kris S
Owner: joplus
“The Wild Card”
Capable of winning. Capable of finishing fifth. Nobody really knows which version shows up.
A proven winner at fourteen furlongs, Your Great Maybe enters with more marathon experience than most of the field. Her form has been a little uneven, but when she’s at her best she is capable of running with anyone. If this race turns into a grind, don’t be surprised to see her passing tired horses late.
LAUGH ART 7/1
Authentic x Street Cry x Giant’s Causeway
Owner: deputy33
“The Iron Mare”
Thirteen wins, nearly thirty starts, and plenty of miles on the odometer.
One of the most accomplished stayers in the field. Thirteen career victories, more than $1.5 million earned, and recent success at fifteen and sixteen furlongs make Laugh Art a serious contender. She’s tough, experienced, and has spent much of her career doing exactly what this race requires. If there is an “Iron Mare” in this field, this is her.
LIZ JORDAN 6/1
Curlin x Deputy Minister x Storm Cat
Owner: beerkeg12
“The Marathon Queen”
Recent Grade 1 wins at 14f and 16f make her the mare everyone has to beat.
If you’re looking for the mare most likely to be standing in the winner’s circle, start here. Liz Jordan owns recent Grade 1 victories at both fourteen and sixteen furlongs and enters in arguably the strongest form of anyone in the field. The Curlin bloodline screams stamina, and her recent performances suggest she’s peaking at exactly the right time.
SUBSCRIBE A LINE 11/1
Flightline x Bricks and Mortar x No Nay Never
Owner: deputy33
“The Grinder”
Doesn’t win as often as some, but keeps showing up and collecting checks.
Deputy33 sends a second runner into battle, and this mare deserves respect. Subscribe A Line has been competing almost exclusively in fourteen- and sixteen-furlong races and has held her own against quality company. She may not win often, but she consistently shows up and could easily grab a piece of the purse.
LIGHTED SHAFT 11/1
Mineshaft x Speightstown x Sadler’s Wells
Owner: tenpoint17
“The Sleeper”
A horse many bettors will overlook until she’s still running strong at the eighth pole.
This may be the value horse of the race. Lighted Shaft already owns a Grade 2 victory at fourteen furlongs and followed it with a strong third-place finish in the Grade 1 Thumb Route at sixteen furlongs. Her recent tenth-place effort came at a much shorter distance and may simply reflect a mare who prefers the longer assignments. At the right odds, she’s dangerous.
BTB SELECTIONS
🥇 Liz Jordan
The combination of recent Grade 1 wins at fourteen and sixteen furlongs is impossible to ignore. She appears to have the perfect blend of class and stamina.
🥈 Laugh Art
A proven marathon specialist who has spent the last year running exactly the type of races that prepare a horse for the Little Rock Stayer.
🥉 Lighted Shaft
The value play. She owns the distance credentials and may offer far more value than some of the bigger names.
Longshot to Watch
Neon Forever
One thing is certain: by the time these mares reach the finish line, nobody will be talking about speed. They’ll be talking about stamina.