G1 Exam Stakes Preview

The Field

#1 Kepler Chef (European Union Racing Organization) 12/1 : Appears to be rounding into form after a slow start to her 3-year-old campaign. She bounced back from a pair of graded defeats with an allowance victory before just missing in the G3 Dynamita Sprint, posting a career-best speed figure in the process. She’ll need to take another step forward against this deeper Grade 1 field, but her recent form suggests she’s headed in the right direction. Can she build on her career-best speed figure and complete her rise through the sprint ranks?

#2 Rushing Nile (Empire State Racing) 9/1 : Looked like a filly on the rise after a dominant eight-length victory in the Regal Cat Dirt Filly Special, then backed it up with a solid third in the G2 Girl Up Front. She stumbled badly in the G1 California Oaks, but rebounded immediately with a determined victory in the G3 Turnpike to Victory Stakes while posting another triple-digit speed figure. Can she continue her strong sprint form and finally break through at the Grade 1 level?

#3 Dinamic Flower (Hispano Parlante) 7/1 : Has shown flashes of real ability throughout her 3-year-old season, winning both the Exbournes Freedom Dirt Filly Challenge and the Learntolaugh Dirt Filly Sprint. She has found graded company a little tougher since then, finishing fifth in both the G2 Bob Barker Stakes and G1 Snickerdoodle Sprint before a solid third in allowance company last out. Can she rediscover her best form and prove she belongs among the division’s elite?

#4 Lightning Verse (MIDAS) 11/1 : Has quietly put together a strong 3-year-old campaign and comes in off a career-best effort. After a disappointing ninth in the G1 Be Reasonable Stakes, she bounced back in a big way with a runner-up finish in the G1 Snickerdoodle Sprint after setting the pace throughout. She has now finished first or second in three of her four starts this season and appears to have rediscovered her best form. Can she control the pace from the start and have enough left to hold off the closers?

#5 Feel This Real (Orphan Racing) 6/1 : Has been knocking heads with some of the best fillies in the division all season and may finally be finding her best form. After a pair of disappointing efforts in nine-furlong Grade 1 races, she bounced back with a strong runner-up finish in the G1 Chestnut Stakes, posting a career-best speed figure while closing well late. The cutback to seven furlongs could be exactly what she needs. Can the cutback help her return to the form that made her a Grade 1 winner?

#6 Livin Elite (DelPenn National) 5/1 : One of the most accomplished fillies in the field, she has been competing at the highest level since her juvenile season. She has yet to find the winner’s circle this year, but runner-up finishes in the G1 Riding Dirty and G1 It’s Gonna Be May Stakes show she remains among the division’s best. She comes in off a strong third in the G1 Chestnut Stakes, where she posted a career-best 106 speed figure. Can she turn those close calls into another Grade 1 victory?

#7 Mywifeisinhawaii (Orphan Racing) 23/1 : Pulled off a surprise in the G2 Manhattan District Stakes, rallying from the back of the pack to earn her first graded victory. She backed that up with a disappointing eighth in the G2 Given Stakes after finishing a solid second in the G3 One Kool Kat Stakes earlier this season. She’ll need to bounce back in a big way, but she has already shown she can surprise quality fields on her best day. Can she overcome her modest speed figures and prove she belongs at the Grade 1 level?

#8 Ouyen Buklaa (MIDAS) 12/1 : Showed plenty of promise as a 2-year-old, winning four of her first five starts, but struggled to make the transition into graded company earlier this season. Everything changed last out, however, as she rallied to capture the G2 Given Stakes while posting a career-best speed figure. If that performance marks a true breakthrough rather than a one-off, she’ll be a major factor here. Can she prove that last effort was the real beginning of her 3-year-old campaign?

#9 Golden Sherlock (MIDAS) 14/1 : Has shown her best form when kept sprinting on the dirt. After a dominant stakes victory in the Casa De Oro Dirt Filly Memorial, she proved she belonged with the division’s best by finishing a solid third in the G1 Surfin USA Sprint before just missing in the G3 Owner’s Tree. Her latest can be forgiven, as she never factored while stretching out in the G1 Chestnut Stakes. Can the return to a sprint bring out her best and lead to a Grade 1 breakthrough?

#10 Vowbreaker (Orphan Racing) 6/1 : Spent much of her 3-year-old season taking on the boys and held her own with mixed results. She won the G3 Good Cow before finishing a strong runner-up in the G1 All Saints Derby, though her last two starts against tougher company didn’t go as planned. Now she returns to face fillies after posting multiple triple-digit speed figures earlier this season. Can the return to her own division help her rediscover the form that nearly landed her a Grade 1 victory?

#11 Oui Shosanna (MIDAS) 6/1 : Has found a new gear since switching to the dirt, winning back-to-back sprint stakes while posting career-best speed figures in both starts. After a productive turf campaign that included a stakes victory, she has looked like a different filly on the main track, taking the Euro Runner Dirt Filly Sprint before following up with a determined win in the G3 Azalea Special. She enters this race in the best form of her career. Can she prove her dirt resurgence is no fluke against Grade 1 company?

#12 Honor CK (East-West Connection) 7/1 : Has steadily climbed the ranks this season and now enters off the biggest win of her career. After back-to-back allowance and Grade 3 victories, she proved she belonged with the division’s best by capturing the G1 It’s Gonna Be May Stakes, following a solid third in the G1 Be Reasonable Stakes. Her speed figures continue to trend upward, and she appears to be peaking at the right time. Can she add another Grade 1 victory to her resume?

The Numbers

Horse	Speed – L3	Speed – 7F	CPU Value	D/S Rank	Total Points
Livin Elite	100.4	100.4	1106	1	44
Honor CK	98.8	100.7	813	7	38
Lightning Verse	97.3	100.9	761	10	33
Oui Shosanna	100.4	93.9 (T)	915	55	32
Feel This Real	99.5	–	1112	49	29
Rushing Nile	96.4	100.8	765	28	28
Dinamic Flower	96.2	100.2	795	26	27
Vowbreaker	97.9	–	872	62	22
Kepler Chef	94.5	92.9	769	89	17
Ouyen Buklaa	94.4	–	713	23	17
Mywifeisinhawaii	90.9	90.8	579	19	16
Golden Sherlock	91.7	78.2 (T)	679	39	13