Ladomanor’s Usual Suspect Eyes Upset in Ladies Stayer
Grade III
A mile and three quarters
Fast Dirt
$1,000,000
Fillies and mares, 3 years old and up
PP Horse Owner Jockey Odds
1 CASHIER(KY) widest F Evers 7/2
2 DARKNESS RISING(KY) redcar M Kelly 6/1
3 SADLERS EKATI(KY) tazbred I Wimpy 9/1
4 THE SLEW PROJECT(KY) vor Z Wylde 4/1
5 THEYSKENS THEORY(KY) bigcoleman B Ironside 5/1
6 TRADEMARKED(KY) inzy2 C Long 8/1
7 USUSAL SUSPECT(GER) mickyb D Silver 6/1
8 COSMIC CONNECTION(KY) sportnwood H Ross 7/2
Eight long running fillies and mares go postward in The Ladies Stayer Classic. Let’s meet them in post position order.
Breaking from the rail is Fastnfirm’s co-favored Cashier. The rapidly improving Awesome Again four year old has been quite sharp since suffering a crushing defeat at the hands of Cosmic Connection in the Grade II Big Dessert. Two wins and two seconds since then including her first stakes win two back in Northern California. Speed figs are highly competitive and she will undoubtedly make her presence felt on Saturday.
Tees Stables’ consistent Darkness Rising has drawn the deuce. The rangy Mineshaft mare arrives off a mediocre fifth last time out in Tennessee’s Grade II Rocky Top Oaks under little Benny Wallace. Although outrun by multimillionaire Won’t Be Gone Long in that test, her previous two show she can be competitive here. Was second two back in Grade I Geaux Saints and won start before that, a listed stake in Ontario.
Tazdevil sends out long shot Sadlers Ekati. Sophomore Tale of Ekati stalker arrives off a pair of victories in Mississippi conditioned allowances. Has graded experience including a dandy second in the Grade I Vermont is 4 Lovers. Dam, Hypnotized, has been an excellent producer so far. Clearly capable of outrunning odds.
Given has carefully managed The Slew Project throughout her thirty four race career. The former claimer seems to be a late bloomer, winning her first stake two back and just missing in stakes company last time out. She posted a big 111 speed figure a few back in allowance company. Graded efforts have been respectable. No big shock if this Empire Maker mare winds up in front.
Bbaffert’s busy Bernardini mare, Theyskens Theory, will be making her seventeenth start of 2011. Her last few have been rather nondescript and it seems she might benefit from a break. Even so, her only graded try was a good third and this multiple stakes winner may be competitive if she brings her best.
It will be easy to spot Trademarked. Inzy’s almost white homebred stands out like a sore thumb. This will be the first graded start for the pretty daughter of Afleet Alex. If you throw out her last turf debacle, you can make a case for getting a share. Won an allowance race by five over this oval two back. Not impossible.
Usual Suspect looks extremely dangerous in this spot. Lado’s long winded Monsun mare won the Grade II Radiant last time out in her native Germany. She’s looking for her third career graded win this week having won the prestigious Grade I Empire State Stayer in 2009. Still going strong at age seven thanks to astute management by her classy conditioner.
Last but not least is the Nextbonus trained Cosmic Connection. She’s my best chance for a long overdue DPCD win. The daughter of Giant’s Causeway and Pacific Hurricane (Gone West) prepped well with an easy allowance win in Idaho under Keith Kirby. She won back-to-back Grade II marathons earlier in the year so there is no question about class or distance. Needs best against this tough bunch.