Top Three Year Old Fillies Sprint in Grade 1 Drakon

            As the Breeder’s Bowl approaches some major stakes appear with top class horses entering trying to earn those last few stakes points they’ll need to get into the race. The Drakon is a grade 1 race for three year old fillies, but only going six and a half furlongs on the dirt. I find it highly unlikely that any of these girls are attempting to get into the Breeder’s Bowl Sprint, but the race has attracted the top two sprinting fillies in the world. With a purse of $500,000 one would hope the top horses would be here. The race has been overfilled, with sixteen entrants so the paddock is quite packed today, we’ll try to get as indepth as possible before they break from the gate. The track is listed as fast, as it should be since we haven’t had much rain in Kentucky as of late.

            Jerry78133 sends out the multiple stakes winner Calculus Guru, a sleek bay filly with four wins in six starts, as well as having a show. The daughter of Doneraile Court has won her last two at this distance, posting a 105 last time out in an listed stakes race. She’ll be looking to set the pace and go wire to wire. Quite a price at 15/1 and she is with proven stakes competition, she has a lot to prove.

            Speaking of the top ranked fillies, here she is the number one ranked dirt sprinter, Wile E. Capote, coming from the proven stakes winning barn of citation. Wile, is a well built dark bay filly by Capote, with six wins, a place and a show in nine starts. She is a multiple listed stakes winner, with one grade one win. She likes to come from off the pace and close. Last time out at this distance she was unsuccessful. At 12/1 she comes with high odds for the supposed best filly in the field, she’ll need to have a good closing kick to reach the wire first.

            Andatwo has entered the multiple allowance winner, Andagone who is being a little skittish in the paddock today. The daughter of Dehere is a small light bay filly with four wins, three places and a show in ten starts. She too is a closer, and is coming off of a slow third last time out. Nothing in her race file says she belongs running in grade one competition, at 19/1 I’ll pass on this one.

            Dragonbringer is a bright eyed dark bay filly that is almost black, that is calmly walking around the ring waiting until it is time to be saddled. She comes from the stable confessor, and is the daughter of Pine Bluff. This go getter has five wins, three places and a show in eleven starts, and has won at distances over a mile wiring a field. This will be her first graded try, but she has won multiple stakes in her short career. Posting a 105 in her last race she comes into this one looking like she’s at the top of her game, at 10/1 she shouldn’t be overlooked.

            Greyghost must have been wishing for rain when he staked this race out for Forty Shots, who is undefeated on the off going. The chocolate colored bay is on her toes today, with her ears moving from side to side taking in the atmosphere. This daughter of Red Bullet has eight wins, two places and a show in sixteen starts, this will mark her graded debut as well. She has strung together two nice wins, but they were over the off going, her last fast track attempt had her finishing off the board. She loves to closely stalk the pace and take over whenever she feels the timing is right. In her last outing she won with a 107, so speed should be no problem for her, a 6/1 if she decides to run over the fast going today she could be one to watch for.

            Sdmforlife must have seen a light field entering this race to enter Shoot To Thrill. The dainty chestnut filly by Seeking The Gold is acting anything but like a lady. She’s tried to bite her handler a few times and cow-kicked at her owners as well too. Thrill has just two wins, three places and five shows in thirteen starts. She hasn’t seen the likes of the winner’s circle in over nine months either, she looks like a closer, but shouldn’t be a threat. At 19/1 she belongs in allowance company if not lower.

            Last year’s Breeder’s Bowl Juvenile Filly winner is the next one up under  the microscope. Santillana from the fersera barn has had no luck since her win in the Breeder’s Bowl last year. The plain bay filly by Mining is winless in her last eleven tries, and has three wins, and a place. Her connections are hoping she can get to the front and hold off other challengers at the shorter distance. At 27/1 she certainly does not belong in grade one this year, maybe an easy allowance field to get her confidence back up.

            As we reach the half way point of the field the saddles are being cinched to the horses, and we find Berzerk Gold from the futurestar stables is  a filly with a great chance to take this race. Gold may only have three wins in fifteen starts, but her speed figures trump the rest of the field. The muscular bay filly’s muscles are rippling as she stands attentively as her girth is tightened. The daughter of Seeking The Gold is a closer that has posted triple digit speed figures in her last three starts, winning a grade 3 at seven furlongs three back. The only problem I see with this 5/1 shot is she may have trouble closing in time.

            Sloth is the ninth horse in the field and has been too well behaved this entire time, which makes me think something is up. As trainer biznes takes the girth up one last hole…she’s up in air and getting ready to drag the poor groom across the paddock, but he hangs on and gets her under control quickly. The daughter of Pulpit has a glistening bay coat with a record of four wins, two places and three shows in twelve starts. She is a graded winner that likes to close. She’s got the speed figures to be competitive but what she really needs is a good closing kick. At 11/1 she has a shot, but isn’t my first choice.

            Slipery1 is hoping that something magical happens when They Call Me Magic leaves the gate today. The stunning bay Danzig filly has six wins and four places in eighteen starts and is ranked second in three year old dirt sprint fillies. She has been a little off form as of late, but is still running good speed figures. When she wins she goes to the lead, so if she makes the lead she could win, if not she may hit the board at 8/1.

            Donosti has entered Andorra, a small jumpy dark grey filly by Bestyoucanbe. She is doing the best she can with seven wins, three places and three shows in twenty two starts. She is a multiple listed stakes winner, but showed poorly last time out. She has an affinity for closing, but he speed figures seem a bit lacking. A good horse, but I won’t bet this 18/1.

            Surf N Sand from the topicount5 stables has been behaving herself, although she does have a mischievous look in her eye. The muscular fiery red chestnut filly by Sky Mesa has five wins, two places and two shows in fifteen starts, but is winless in over nine months. Although she seems to like the routes, she is a grade one winner at this distance. Even when not winning she has been trying hard, and just missing. This 22/1 needs to have a strong closing kick to get to the lead before she hits the wire.

            Jacklad2 gives a leg up to Cee’s Gong’s jock, and she lets out a nice buck, alas the jock stays on. The roan Cee’s Tizzy filly has five wins, three places and three shows in seventeen starts, one of the wins being a listed stakes race at two. She always breaks fast and goes to the lead, but the question is if she can hold off the competition, recent speed figures say no, so I’ll pass on this 16/1 shot.

            4Nighthawk has Nighthawk Lust, a stunning bay filly by Cryptoclearance. In twenty one starts she has ten wins, five places and one show. This versatile filly can stalk the pace or make it. She’s had mixed results as of late so its hard to tell what she will do. I won’t count her out of it at 8/1 odds.

            As the horses head to the track, dkyoung3 leads his entry Dark Eclipse(Aus) who looks like shes ready to roll. The bay Viscount daughter has seven wins, a place and five shows in seventeen starts. She comes into this race off of two stakes wins with triple digit speed figures. She will be attempting to close as well, a 12/1 with a shot.

            Last but not least is Crafty Kitten  from the barn of swcracing. Crafty is a light bay filly by Crafty Prospector and has six wins, four places and three shows in twenty starts. She is a true closer coming from the way back, the race may be too short for her liking though. At 11/1 if she starts rolling in time watch out.

            That’s the field, I haven’t a clue who to pick, a lot of high odded horses that have shots. Good luck to all, may your horses run their best and return to the stable sound.