Irish 1000 Guineas Field Hopes To Avoid Whipping
One of this weekend’s feature races in Ireland is The Grade 1 Irish 1000 Guineas for three year old fillies over a mile on what is expected to be a firm and fast turf course. The field is headlined by the white hot New Zealand filly Whipped who will be looking for her sixth straight win, her fourth straight Grade 1 win and her third straight 1000 Guineas win. Eight other fillies will try to stop her, including the morning line favourite Lucky’s Kimberly M. Here is the field from the rail out.
INTOXICATING (ENG) 5/1 Divisional Rank: 18
3 year old filly
NEW APPROACH (IRE) x A.P. INDY x NORTHERN DANCER
Jockey: A Reed ( 323 – 68 – 64 – 45 – 21% )
Record: (13: 3-5-1) $118,369 Turf: (12: 3-5-1) $243,369
8 Furlongs: (4: 1-2-1)
Best Speed Figure: 103 Best 8 Furlong Speed Figure: 103
Eight weeks ago this speedy English bred made her Stakes debut in the one mile Grausturm Challenge where she battled hard on the lead before tiring late to finish second. Four weeks later her connections decided to test the Graded Stakes waters and entered their filly in the Grade 1 English 1000 Guineas. Although she was the second longest shot on the board she finished a strong second to Whipped, who is the best three year old filly miler in The Sim right now. She is much shorter on the morning line after that career best effort, and she will be looking to turn the tables on the filly who beat her that day in Newmarket. “I watched the recording of that race and they took the filly back that day, so she doesn’t have to be on the lead”, jockey Reed told the press. “On the other hand if no one wants the lead this weekend I could see us in front”.
WOETTE’S HEAT (KY) 15/1 Divisional Rank: 315
3 year old filly
LATENT HEAT x FORTY NINER x NORTHERN DANCER
Jockey: P Jetter ( 35 – 2 – 5 – 3 – 6% )
Record: (7: 3-1-1) $102,016 Turf: (7: 3-1-1) $102,016
8 Furlongs: (1: 1-0-0)
Best Speed Figure: 91 Best 8 Furlong Speed Figure: 91
This grey or roan filly is the joint longest shot on the board and enters this race after finishing off the board in a ten furlong open allowance four weeks ago. Her only other time out of the money was in her lone Stakes try in The Cars and The City Stakes last year. Obviously she will face a lot tougher competition than she faced in those two races and her chances do not look very promising on Saturday. “On paper she looks overmatched, but racing is a funny old game”, jockey Paul Jetter told reporters at the press conference held this week. “She has won her only one mile race and I think her trainer will be thrilled just to get a piece of the purse”.
WHIPPED (NZ) 3/1 Divisional Rank: 2
3 year old filly
ZABEEL(NZ) x WAR CHANT x FORTY NINER
Jockey: Z Kentucky ( 357 – 73 – 64 – 57 – 20% )
Record: (9: 7-0-1) $2,238,160 Turf: (8: 6-0-1) $1,910,440
8 Furlongs: (5: 5-0-0)
Best Speed Figure: 108 Best 8 Furlong Speed Figure: 108
This New Zealand bred is one of the hottest horses in The Sim right now and easily the top filly sophomore grass miler going around. Her last five races have all been at a mile on the grass and she has won them all, including her last three in Grade 1 races. Her coming out party came in February in British Columbia when she upset The Grade 1 Citizen Mile at 24/1 odds. Many pundits viewed her victory as a fluke, but she has silenced her critics by subsequently winning both The Japanese and English 1000 Guineas. She wasn’t the favourite in either of those races and despite her stellar record she isn’t favoured this weekend. If she makes it four Grade 1s on the bounce you can expect another wild celebration from her large New Zealand following.
PRINCESA ALONDRA (KY) 15/1 Divisional Rank: 368
3 year old filly
PROUD CITIZEN x SADLER’S WELLS x DR. FAGER
Jockey: M Russell ( 175 – 15 – 10 – 14 – 9% )
Record: (7: 3-1-2) $54,611 Turf: (7: 3-1-2) $54,611
8 Furlongs: (3: 2-0-1)
Best Speed Figure: 94 Best 8 Furlong Speed Figure: 91
The co longest shot on the morning line this brown filly will be making her Stakes debut on Saturday and her connections have picked an awfully tough spot. She has won two of her three starts this year, with both wins coming at a mile against non winners of two and three allowance company. Last time out she finished a weakened third going 9.5 furlongs, and although she got her highest career speed figure for that race, her connections believe that the one mile distance is her best distance at this stage of her career. She has been off for six weeks and will need to run a career best off the layoff if she hopes to be competitive here.
METEORE (KY) 6/1 Divisional Rank: 23
3 year old filly
DISTORTED HUMOR x GIANT’S CAUSEWAY (IRE) x SADLER’S WELLS
Jockey: E C Doyle ( 274 – 32 – 38 – 47 – 12% )
Record: (6: 3-2-0) $213,310 Turf: (6: 3-2-0) $213,310
8 Furlongs: (4: 3-0-0)
Best Speed Figure: 96 Best 8 Furlong Speed Figure: 96
Four weeks ago this filly served notice that she could become a real player in the major filly grass events when she easily wired a short field in The Grade 2 German 1000 Guineas. That was her third win in six starts and her first score in Stakes company. All three of her wins have been at a mile and all three have been in wire to wire fashion. Look for her to employ similar tactics this weekend. “She has her style and I’m not looking to change it”, her rider responded when asked if he’ll be on the lead on Saturday. Her speed numbers have not been impressive, but she is an improving filly and figures to have tremendous upside. This will only be her seventh start.
DUKE AND RALLY (IRE) 8/1 Divisional Rank: 130
3 year old filly
DUKE OF MARMALADE (IRE) x SEEKING THE GOLD x UNFUWAIN
Jockey: R Inch ( 79 – 12 – 10 – 5 – 15% )
Record: (7: 4-2-1) $82,935 Turf: (7: 4-2-1) $82,935
8 Furlongs: (3: 2-0-1)
Best Speed Figure: 102 Best 8 Furlong Speed Figure: 102
This late running Irish bred has never been out of the money in seven outings and will make her Graded Stakes debut in here. After winning four of five to begin her career she has failed to win either of her last two starts, which have both come in ungraded Stakes. Two starts back she was a closing third in a tough renewal of the one mile Appalooza Stakes. That effort resulted in a career high speed rating of 102, her only triple digit number to date. Last time out she was a disappointing second of four in The Guru Memorial at seven furlongs, and her trainer is hopeful the stretch out back to a mile will benefit his filly on Saturday.
KEPLER GAIN AGAIN (KY) 7/1 Divisional Rank: 376
3 year old filly
AWESOME AGAIN x A.P. INDY x SADLER’S WELLS
Jockey: M Tippett ( 52 – 2 – 5 – 5 – 4% )
Record: (9: 2-3-2) $60,071 Turf: (8: 2-3-2) $57,761
8 Furlongs: (2: 0-0-2)
Best Speed Figure: 100 Best 8 Furlong Speed Figure: 84
This well bred daughter of Awesome Again is yet to live up to her blue-blooded pedigree, but she gave an indication last time out that she could be about to turn the corner. The race in question was an 8.5 furlong allowance for non winners of three lifetime, and she finished second by less than a length in a rapidly run race. Her speed rating for that race was a 100, and when you consider that she ran a 99 when winning a nine furlong allowance the race before, she could very well be in the shake up this weekend if she moves forward off those two performances.
LUCKY’S KIMBERLY M (KY) 5/2 Divisional Rank: 13
3 year old filly
GHOSTZAPPER x STORM CAT x A.P. INDY
Jockey: N Schreiber ( 96 – 11 – 14 – 13 – 11% )
Record: (12: 7-1-3) $486,704 Turf: (11: 7-1-2) $485,416
8 Furlongs: (4: 1-1-2)
Best Speed Figure: 103 Best 8 Furlong Speed Figure: 101
This ultra consistent filly is the morning line choice and has won six of her last eight starts. The two defeats have both been in Grade 1 Stakes and her connections will be looking for her to finally land that elusive Grade 1 on Saturday. If she is to win this race she will have to turn the tables on Whipped who beat her 8-1/2 lengths in The Grade 1 Citizen Mile in February. Just two weeks ago she was second in The Grade 1 French 1000 Guineas after leading the majority of the way before tiring late. She has the speed to be on the lead, but she has also won by coming from just off the pace, so the tactics employed by her rider will be interesting.
PUBLICITY SHOT (KY) 12/1 Divisional Rank: 161
3 year old filly
DISTORTED HUMOR x DEPUTY MINISTER x KINGMAMBO
Jockey: G Holland ( 78 – 15 – 8 – 9 – 19% )
Record: (6: 2-1-2) $47,737 Turf: (3: 2-1-0) $44,825
8 Furlongs: (3: 2-0-1)
Best Speed Figure: 96 Best 8 Furlong Speed Figure: 96
After three less than stellar starts to begin her career, this filly has really blossomed since being switched to the grass. She broke her maiden very impressively just seven weeks ago, and her connections wasted little time in sending her up the ladder to face Stakes competition in the one mile Lady Day Special. She rallied well in the stretch to win by a half length and received a career high 96 rating for that effort. She climbs the class ladder once again this weekend to face some of the very best in the division and with just six career starts her best races are likely ahead of her. Her connections are hoping one of those races will come on Saturday.
Picks
1.) WHIPPED (NZ) 3/1
2.) LUCKY’S KIMBERLY M (KY) 5/2
3.) METEORE (KY) 6/1
Good luck to all!