Stay Lady Stay

Race ID:4533.0414

Race # 14

The Empire State Stayer

Grade I

A mile and three quarters

Fast Dirt

$500,000

Fillies and mares, 3 years old and up

PP  Horse ID  Horse  Owner  Jockey  Odds 

1 155381 RAILWAYS(ENG)  pwong01  C Tool  8/1  

Looked ready to grow into a top handicap mare at the end of her 2009 sophomore year, but pwong01 backed off on her class level after that, if not on her busy schedule.  Now she’s moving back into the top races as she lengthens her stride, and the place performance in the two-mile Rocky Top last month makes it look like a promising approach. 

2 188630 MOST NOTED(NY)  kindone2  P Davis  9/1    

The only stakeswinner by her little-used sire (Well Noted), she captured that stakes last out at 10 furlongs in Denmark.  That was just three weeks ago, and she raced twice in November, so fatigue at such long distances could be a concern.  Despite just breaking through in the stakes column, she in fact did finish an impressive third in this summer’s Grade I Birmingham.  She was not quite able to close fast enough to overtake serious stakes fillies UNION JACK FLYER(KY) and IDAAN(IRE).  Seeing as those two were not embarrassed in the Breeders Bowl Distaff, this New York bred must be given a chance on the class comparison.

3 136797 SLEW OF CASH(KY)  plunk5  N Lawton  5/1   

Six year old is living up to her name with nearly $2 million in the bank.  #2 rated among long distance older mares, she is a consistent graded stakes performer at this distance or longer (four stakes victories this year).  She has a notable pace-pressing style, but she could not use that to her advantage in the Breeders Bowl Dirt Marathon and turned up last.  This could be her swan song if plunk5 is looking to breed her before the year is out, so why not go out with a bang and leave it all on the track?  Dangerous if back to form.

4 86439 SCREAMING MANTIS(KY)  lenny16  G Smith  3/1   

Street Sense mare has not been this far before, but she’s put up nice triple digit speeds all year.  The kind of style that puts her hot on the leader at ten furlongs could cook her in this longer format.  Still, I don’t know that I want to count out a still-young gal who looks to be at the top of her game.  She’s hardly been challenged in two straight wins in listed stakes, so now is the time to try her in graded company.

5 159405 CORINNA(KY)  catullus  B Child  5/2   

Last year’s New Yorker winner seems perfectly suited to this trip, with wins at this distance in the Great Dane (twice), the Radiant, and the Miss Bourbon Street.  She’s ranked #3 behind SLEW OF CASH(KY), and certainly had a better (though losing) performance in the Breeders Bowl Dirt Marathon last out.  Given the odds some others here are sporting, she is worth a few bucks even as the favorite.

6 112651 EXALTED CAT(KY)  frosty  M Turner  9/1    

Quite a force in the long-distance allowance ranks, where she frequently sweeps to the front on the turn and puts them firmly away in the stretch.  But in that realm, her top level of 100 speed can win; she will need to prove that it is not her peak performance level if she is going to contend today.

7 176991 WEST KENDALL(IRE)  simsters8  B Dirks  10/1    

Switched to the dirt for this, her sophomore season, and wow!  Nine wins in eleven starts, with the only major defeat coming in the G1-Players Club International Oaks.  She ran her normal race there, so maybe she just can’t cut it at this level, but she wins her allowance races by wide margins.  Another virgin at this trip, but she possesses big wins at twelve furlongs, so she should be impressive.

8 157968 POINT AWAY(KY)  spinround  J Barba  9/2    

First attempt beyond the 9.5 furlong mark, but looks suited enough to longer distance running.  Winner of the Grade 3 Vogue this year in the slop, and with three wins in four starts of off surfaces, she must be unhappy the track turned out fast today.  She has had a quality year and is worth considering at middle odds.