A fine field of 19 older fillies and mares has gathered in Italy for the running of the Yves Saint-Martin turf sprint as part of the Equinics. While everyone would love to garner the lion\u2019s share of the $1,000,000 purse, more important here is residency pride and earning medals and those all-important points that go with them. While the oddsmakers have sets only 4 horses with single-digit odds, the betting public should see opportunities for some prices here, especially in the trifecta. Perhaps the best bet of the week should have been the weather, as the turf came up yielding despite the 10% chance of an off-track. GRSimsters<\/EM><\/STRONG> Field of 19 to Test Italian Turf for Equinics Glory<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":316,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1652","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1652","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/316"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1652"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1652\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1652"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1652"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1652"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
DelPenn
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TEQUILA SHOOTER<\/STRONG> sdmf<\/EM> 4yo filly is making her 3rd trip to the EAAA division where she has had success before, most notably winning the Gr. 1 White Lily in Ireland a few races back. Good looking chestnut Aldebaran filly got caught in the lane in her only start over the turf course here, though that was actually against a stronger field in a Gr. 2 coming out of that tough White Lily. Likes to lead the other way but she might have one or two more trying to keep her company.
Kentucky Horsemen
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CRYPTO MESA<\/STRONG> sjmeola6<\/EM> North American based 4yo Sky Mesa filly returns to Europe for the 2nd time. Didn\u2019t have just great success last time she was over here, with a couple of 4ths in smaller stakes and a fading 9th in the White Lily, her only attempt at a graded stakes. She is a 7-time stakes winner and comes in off a HUGE race 4 weeks ago. She hasn\u2019t gone this short since her 2 year old and probably needs more ground than she\u2019s running over here.
Vermont
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ASH HIGHWAY<\/STRONG> socalman <\/EM>4yo Danzig filly has been EAAA based since shipping over for a Gr. 2 back in week 2545. Has run very well over here though she has just one win to her name in the EAAA and that was in a nw2x allowance. All involved would prefer to forget her last try over the Italian course when she was apparently injured, prompting an 8-week layoff. Of course, that allowance win was her first race back. Looks to try to stay up front, but wonder if she has enough speed.
Down Under Racing
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CLUELESS<\/STRONG> uncfan23<\/EM> Seems strange, but this Kurofune filly who has lit the board in 8 of 10 turf tries started her career on the dirt in the US. 4yo has really blossomed since trying the lawn, and has yet to finish worse than 3rd since switching divisions. Her last 2 starts were her first stakes tries on grass and she just missed in both, charging hard at the wire but not quite catching the leader. This will be her first try in Italy and unless she steps it up just a bit, can see a similar result\u2026which ain\u2019t bad.
Ireland
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ELISEAN WELLS<\/STRONG> blaster6 <\/EM>6yo Stutz Blackhawk mare broke her maiden way back in week 1418 and is still going strong. She won 3 of her 7 races during her campaign as a 5yo. Not terribly impressive in her last outing coming off a 7-week layoff, but she probably needed that one. Shortens up a furlong-and-a-half this time and really think she\u2019ll like the shorter distance. Could be dangerous if this 6yo has enough left in the tank.
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LILY MANSFIELD<\/STRONG> bigmoose2<\/EM> Lightly raced 4yo Deputy Minister filly won a residency trial in a small upset to gain entry her. It was over this same course and distance in her first try in a stakes race. That race came 14 days after her previous race in Northern California. She should appreciate the extra rest and lack of travel. If she can run back to her race 3 back, she\u2019ll be very dangerous in here, though this is against a much tougher field and it\u2019s her first go on an off track.
Queensland
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DAMA MARINIA(IRE)<\/STRONG> united<\/EM> Another oldtimer, Kalanisi(IRE) mare broke her maiden back in week 1369. Makes her 6yo debut here. Still running hard, winning 4 of her 11 races as a 5yo, including a stakes win as her last victory. The win in week 2643 was the first and only stakes win in a very solid career to date. Only attempt at a graded stakes came in her 3rd start in week 1404. Likes to run up front, especially at these shorter distances. Should be fresh after 7-week lay-off.
Ohio Thoroughbred Racing<\/EM><\/STRONG>
OTHERSIDE<\/STRONG> epcotlen<\/EM> 4yo Aljabr filly has mostly been knocking around in starter allowances on the dirt in her last few before a not-too-terribly inspiring run in a stakes on her preferred surface last time out. Won her first 2 races but would appear not to have lived up to the expectations those 2 races probably inspired, winning just once since then, a SA on the turf. This is one to root for if you\u2019re in the Equinics spirit of pulling for the underdog.
Northwest Racing Circuit<\/EM><\/STRONG>
KID SQUALL<\/STRONG> kaif011<\/EM> 4yo Lemon Drop Kid filly was switched quickly to the turf after a disappointing debut on dirt and responded well. Has worked her way through several allowance conditions while trying a few stakes races along the way. Best stakes finish was a 3rd in her 4th race. Doesn\u2019t quite have the SP numbers to match with the best in her, but she\u2019ll have plenty of speed to run at. Will probably take a career effort to hit the board.
Epsom Downs Racing
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SILVER MAEVE<\/STRONG> terjea <\/EM>Honest, hard-trying 6yo mare. Owner claimed her way back in week 2027 and has managed to hang on to her all this time. Unfortunately, her last win came in week 2300 in a nw2x allowance. Since then she has lit the board only 5 times. Makes her stakes debut here in a tough spot, but that\u2019s what the Equinics are all about, right?
Minnesota Downs
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SINGING STONE<\/STRONG> bdhp<\/EM> 6yo Palace Music mare gets back on her preferred surface after a dismal trip last time out on the dirt. 9 of her 10 career wins have come on the green stuff, with the biggest being the Gr. 2 Whodini Shootout back in 1635 in her 3yo debut. More recently, she has been putting up good SP numbers while putting forth honest efforts in some minor stakes and Gr. 3 stakes. No wins, but good tries. She seems to like these turf sprints. If you like the dirt-to-turf angle, she\u2019s worth putting a few dollars on for a minor placing.
Nexis
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APT REMARK<\/STRONG> raceland <\/EM>5yo Aptitude mare\u2019s best efforts have come in turf sprints. Makes her stakes debut-and first trip across the pond-here after running in allowance company in the States. Most of the time she\u2019s at least in the pan-view of the finish. Will be hard pressed to duplicate those results here, however.
GSR<\/EM><\/STRONG>
SEEKING STEPHEN<\/STRONG> earthsong<\/EM> 4yo Stephen Got Even filly has been in top form recently until being caught in the lane last time out. Prior to that she had won 4 in a row, the last 3 all stakes, in turf sprints. Looking to make her first trip abroad a successful one. She might have a little tougher time getting the easy leads she\u2019s used to as she shortens up a bit here.
Alpine Turf Club<\/EM><\/STRONG>
MISWAKI ABBROVAL<\/STRONG> knightowl<\/EM> EAAA based 4y0 Miswaki filly is making her first start over the Italian course. Astute claim for 5k in her 2nd start, she won her first 4 starts for her new owner, including 2 stakes victories. Unfortunately, she hasn\u2019t won in the 9 starts since, with her best finish being a 2nd last time out in the ATC Champions Day stakes. Her SP figs also have not quite matched those first for races for knightowl, either. Hard-trying filly might be rounding back into form, but there are probably too many, too much better in here for her to make much of a splash.
Great Plains
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INTUITION<\/STRONG> bigbaba <\/EM>This is the first stakes race for this 4yo Artax filly and represents a major step up in class. She broke her maiden in her first race as a 3yo, but then hit the board only twice the rest of the year in 9 more races. Showed more promise in her first 2 races of this year, posting SP\u2019s of 95 and 96 while finishing 2nd in a nw2l and nw2n allowances. She\u2019ll watch the burners go and try to pick up the pieces at the end. If she can handle the big step up, might be a good value play in the tri.
Fun and Friends Stable Club
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HANOVER HAWKEYE<\/STRONG> stablebums<\/EM> 4yo Wavering Monarch is another making her stakes debut here. She has lit the board in 10 of her 14 turf runs. Cleared her nw3l condition to back then ran back for a tag for the first time last time out. Promisingly, she posted her top SP fig of 94 in winning that one-her first try against older mares-by almost 2 lengths. She\u2019ll try to come from way back and take advantage of the speed duel.
The CR Racers
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MIA\u2019S DREAM<\/STRONG> pirate <\/EM>5yo Danehill mare has 4 turf stakes wins to her name. Interesting, since her dam ran only 3 times on the lawn in her 45 races. EAAA-based, she broke her maiden here in Italy and has won 3 of her 5 races over this course. She has shown she can win on the lead or coming from just off the pace. Runs the shortest race of her career in her 26th start. Form cycle appears on the upswing so consider her, at the least, a minor threat.
Benelux
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LEE C US<\/STRONG> bentacon<\/EM> 6 of this 5yo Lycius mare\u2019s wins have come in stakes races. But (there\u2019s always a but), you have to back 10 races for her last win. Not that this globetrotter has been running poorly \u2013 her lowest SP in the last 9 has been a 92 and she has posted triple digits 4 times. She has shown an alarming tendency of late to either get caught or fade coming down the lane. 6th ranked turf sprinter is shortening up a bit, so let\u2019s see if she can hang on this time.
Viking Racing
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KELPLER CARSON<\/STRONG> marianus<\/EM> Very versatile 4yo Carson City filly has won on both dirt and turf, going long and short. Four of her five stakes wins have come on the turf, three of them sprints, though none as short as this one. Hasn\u2019t fared quite as well when stepping up to graded company, but those fields were tougher overall than this one. She doesn\u2019t have to have the lead to win, which is good since she probably won\u2019t be on it here. Big factor for her in here is that she is trying softer ground for the first time.
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