DPCD IX Mother Story
Race 14 on the rich DPCD IX card is the $1,000,000 G-2 Mother Story Stakes for two year old fillies at eight furlongs. A standout field, including the Breeder’s Bowl Juvenile Fillies second, fourth and fifth runners meet here for one last shot at 2010 glory. This field has a lot of speed in it, which will certainly have an impact on the results today.
#1 – Lana Turner (9/1) – is a speedy daughter of Street Cry. She is the first stakes winner out of her e-grade Giant’s Causeway mare Giantiano from four foals. Lana Turner has won three of her five starts, including her last two at today’s distance of one mile. Her last race was certainly her best as she won the Stone Barking Challenge Stakes with a 90sp. She has lead at every call in each of her winning efforts with her two losing races coming after being outrun to first call.
#2 – Kid Krazy (7/1) – is the first foal from g-grade mare Perasolipsis, by top sire Lemon Drop Kid. She carries an interesting breeding pattern, being 3×3 to Mr. Prospector and Seattle Slew, and 3×4 to standout broodmare Lassie Dear. Kid Krazy has already bettered her dam by winning three of her first five starts. She broke her maiden first time out and has two allowance wins to her credit. Her last race was a solid fourth in the G-2 Golden Red Stakes at 8.5 furlongs. Kid Krazy has some early speed, she took her maiden wire to wire and has been within two lengths of the lead early in three of her other four races. Interestingly her best race saw her drop further back and make one big run to win a conditioned allowance two back.
#3 – Heavenly Speight (6/1) – exits a fourth place finish in the G-1 Breeder’s Bowl Juvenile Fillies, where she ran a 92sp while only finishing 1 ¾ lengths away from the win. Among her three victories this season is the G-1 Dell Computer Debutante at 7 furlongs. This filly comes from well off the pace. She is the first foal out of the grade-G Victory Gallop mare Heaven Help Us. Heavenly Speight is the third G-1 winner for her sire Speightstown in the last five years.
#4 – Fortunes of War (9/2) – is the second G-1 winner in our field. Fifth in the G-1 Breeder’s Bowl Juvenile Fillies, Fortunes of War has already come back to take the G-2 The Sell The Queen Stakes at 9 furlongs. Prior to the Breeder’s Bowl she won the G-1 8.5 furlong Walnut Tree Stakes. This filly comes from mid pack and may find the turn back in distance to 8 furlongs difficult. Fortunes of War is the first foal out of the e-grade mare Mt. Doom by Montjeu by Malibu Moon. Malibu Moon is having a banner year in the sim (as in real life) siring three graded winners and three additional stakes winners. Interestingly, of his top ten earners eight are female. Also of his top ten earners eight have damsires by Northern Dancer-line stallions.
#5 – Empire of Fire (5/1) – was bred to be a sim superstar. She’s out of the G-3 winning c-grade mare Rakharo who is A.P. Indy x Storm Cat and by leading sire Empire Maker. Rakharo is one of six foals out of sim blue-hen mare Mother of Dragons, all of whom are stakes winners, one is graded placed and four are graded winners. Rakharo has not produced as well as her dam, of her first two foals only one is stakes placed. Empire of Fire may be the one to break that streak. She is undefeated in her first four starts, including two wins at today’s distance in her last two starts. Last race she ran an eye-popping 97sp. With her pedigree suggesting that she will only get better with age, the sky is the limit on this filly’s potential.
#6 – Lovewill Conquerall (8/1) – is the first foal out of G-3 winning c-grade Tiznow mare Tiznow Slew. Lovewill Conquerall is by young sire Birdstone, who only has one graded winner over the last five seasons. This filly is one of the least accomplished horses in the field, with two wins from four starts – a maiden and an allowance score. Her last race was certainly her best, a third place finish in the Sell The Queen Stakes (G-2), behind Fortunes of War.
#7 – Rhiannon II (5/1) – is the second Malibu Moon filly in the race, out of f-grade Forestry mare Loxley. Owner samurai most certainly was heartbroken when this filly dropped the Breeder’s Bowl Juvenile Fillies (G1) by the shortest of heads last out, earning a 94 sp. One race earlier she was again second in the G-1 Frickazee Stakes by only ¾ length. This filly likes to run close to the pace, winning her first two starts on the lead, while the furthest she’s been behind at any call was 2 ¼ length.
#8 – Powerful Mover (9/1) – another lightly raced starter in the field, this filly has only been to post three times with two wins and a fourth place finish. Her last two starts have been at today’s distance of one mile, with her highest sp of 88 earned two back in a NW2L allowance. She’s been on the lead in all of her races, but she’ll have company up front here. Powerful Mover is a scratch bred by Eddington x Mr. Leader x Storm Cat. She would be only the second graded winner in the past five years for her sire, should she win here today.
#9 – Sadlers Ekati (11/1) – is a winner of three of five starts, including a restricted stakes race at seven furlongs and an allowance at one mile. Last out she was a solid fourth in the URC BB Juvy Dirt Fillies, another restricted stakes with an 87sp. She is the second foal and first stakes winner from g-grade Sadler’s Wells mare Hypnotized and by Tale of Ekati. Tale of Ekati’s first sim crop hit the races this year and he has three stakes winners from 88 runners.
#10 – Riverside Drive (12/1) – is already the winner of the Mother Story Stakes in her last start. That race, a non-graded stakes also run at 8 furlongs on the dirt saw Riverside Drive track the leaders into the stretch then go on to win by a measured ¾ length with an 87sp. This filly has been very consistent, never failing to hit the board in five starts, with two wins to her credit. Riverside Drive was started on the turf where she ran 2nd and 3rd in msw company, before switching to dirt and breaking her maiden in her first start. This filly is by Dynaformer out of the d-grade stakes winning mare River Geri. River Geri is already a graded stakes producer in her first foal, Geri’s Tornado by Storm Cat.
#11 – Hard Secret (16/1) – is a ‘feast or famine’ scratch bred by Hard Spun x Secretariat x Ribot. She has three wins and three off the board finishes in six starts. She is on a winning streak, having taken the G-2 Motherly Love Stakes two back and the restricted Cavalcade Cup Stakes in her last start. Hard Secret is yet another confirmed front runner in a field loaded with speed. She’ll have to improve on her high 87sp to win here.
The play – it’s hard to pick against Empire of Fire here. She owns the highest sp in the field and quite probably the best pedigree. She’s bred to get better with age and is relatively lightly raced, unlike some of these fillies who started in February and March. This is a filly to keep an eye on for the Bluegrass Oaks next spring. Heavenly Speight will be charging late into what should be a very solid pace. Riverside Drive should continue her consistent streak, a modest improvement on her last run should get her a piece of the action here and her pedigree suggests that she is just getting started.
Good luck to all!