A full field goes off Saturday in the 7th<\/SUP> annual Milky Way Stakes<\/B>.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Somebody is looking out for this race, it has yet to experience anything less than perfect weather and this year is no different.\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/P> \u00a0 A few illustrious horses have won this race previous years.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Some, like last year\u2019s winner BELLA FIGURA<\/B>, who returns to defend her title this year, use this race to launch a streak of stakes wins, others like 2004 winner COPELLIA<\/B> use this race to make one great statement before fading back into relative obscurity.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>It\u2019s not just the winners that go on to prosperous careers, in the inaugural race LIL POT<\/B> finished second to VIRGIN KELLY<\/B> but is still competing successfully today.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Other successful horses that couldn\u2019t muster enough to win this particular race are HUGE SLIDE(IRE<\/B>), SEATTLE\u2019S WEST<\/B> & TALKIN<\/B> FREAK<\/B> (who all raced in 2001) and SKY TUNE<\/B> & JO ANN CHRISTMAS<\/B> alumni of the 2003 race.<\/P> \u00a0 Three year olds do not fare well in this one, perhaps because only a few can carry this distance with ease in their second season.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Only one filly will try this Saturday, HERO\u2019S LUCK<\/B>, running against a field of four, five and six year old mares. Let\u2019s take a look at the whole field:<\/P> \u00a0 DEPUTY HUNTER<\/B> \u2013 trained by barn25dog<\/I> \u2013 7\/2<\/P> A royally bred DEPUTY MINISTER x A.P. INDY filly, this one has won 7 of the 11 races she\u2019s been tried in this year. She won two graded stakes races over 8.5f in her four-year-old season, and finished fourth in the talented grade one Queen Ascot Stakes last time out. This filly\u2019s talent is definitely not in question, nor is her trainer\u2019s ability to put her in situations where she can win, however the distance of this one may not be perfectly suited.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>One of her four loses this year was over this distance, 9.5 furlongs, and she\u2019ll have to rise to the occasion today to end up in the winner\u2019s circle.<\/P> \u00a0 BELLA FIGURA<\/B> \u2013 trained by sgtbones<\/I> \u2013 5\/1<\/P> Last year\u2019s winner is trying back again.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Coming back off three straight stakes wins bodes well for this one\u2019s confidence, though her speeds have been a little slower than what she needed to win in 2005.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Knowing she can put a good one together here bodes well and I\u2019d be surprised if she finished out of the money.<\/P> \u00a0 CRYPTIC HABITS<\/B> \u2013 trained by dtown<\/I> \u2013 15\/1<\/P> Although this horse certainly likes a longer distance, most of her successful races this year have been at the allowance and ungraded stakes level.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>This won\u2019t be such a big jump in class though because she finished 3rd<\/SUP> in The Goat Just Fainted Cup<\/B> over 10f.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She\u2019ll have to stay close to the leaders in the early going to stand a chance and improve her closing kick to end up in the money.<\/P> \u00a0 GIANT SOUVENIR(IRE)<\/B> \u2013 trained by souvenirs<\/I> \u2013 17\/1<\/P> This four-year-old filly has been posting pretty consistent SP\u2019s in the 90\u2019s of late, but will most likely have to improve to over 100 in order to get a piece of the $250,000 prize offered here. With only one stakes win under her belt, she\u2019ll face much more experienced horses in this field as well. This field may be just a tad too illustrious for her, but long shots have won in the past so let\u2019s not count her entirely out.<\/P> \u00a0 NAG OF NOTLEY<\/B> \u2013 trained by bunsay<\/I> \u2013 20\/1<\/P> One of this five-year-old\u2019s best races of the season came not too long ago over this surface and distance. It was a heartbreaking loss as the stretch was just a tad short for her to catch the winning and placing horses.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>If she makes her move earlier this time out she may have a shot at the money, though in this classy field I wouldn\u2019t bet on her to win.<\/P> \u00a0 ADIOS AMIGO<\/B> \u2013 trained by devil01<\/I> \u2013 11\/1<\/P> This filly is coming off a win in the grade 1 Princess Di Cap<\/B>.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She saw some of these other competitors there and blew by them in the stretch.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>I expect she\u2019ll try the same strategy here, tuck in towards the back of the pack early on and make her move at the beginning of the turn towards home.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She\u2019ll be facing older and more experienced horses here, but her times have been consistent enough that she should crack the top three.<\/P> \u00a0 SEEKING THE STORMER<\/B> \u2013 trained by quentin<\/I> \u2013 25\/1<\/P> This six-year-old mare had one brilliant performance in The OUR MOUTH Challenge<\/B> in week 2846, but has been lackluster since.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Perhaps that race was a one off, but if not she could sneak in as the big upset.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She\u2019ll have to conquer a stronger & larger field, an extra \u00bd furlong and even her genes to get there though.<\/P> \u00a0 TOMMY<\/B> \u2013 trained by artistway<\/I> \u2013 7\/1<\/P> This heavily inbred filly (DANZIG<\/B> x NIJINSKY II<\/B> x NUREYEV<\/B>) has managed to run on six legs, and with success at that. She\u2019s been in the money in three of her last five, all in graded company, however her two of her last three (at 6, 9.5 and 10 furlongs) have been significantly slower than usual.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>If she can resume the form she showed in week 2951 & 2839 she\u2019ll have a definite shot here.<\/P> \u00a0 INVOLVEDD<\/B> \u2013 trained by gg<\/I> \u2013 13\/1<\/P> This one has been posting both consistent and high numbers over long distances, but surprisingly 9.5f will be a shorter course for this one.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She ran this distance last time out in what I suspect was a prep race for this one, but only managed to post a 93SP. She\u2019ll have to be better to stay in the mix here.<\/P> \u00a0 ALBERTA GOLD<\/B> \u2013 trained by bertaal<\/I>– 5\/1<\/P> This daughter of FORTY NINER<\/B> has impressed the oddsmaker with three over 100SP races in the past five. What the odds don\u2019t reflect is that \u201cGoldie\u201d is significantly slower beyond 8 furlongs and has never attempted anything beyond 9 furlongs.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>I\u2019m reluctant to put this one in the money because of her lack of experience at this distance, particularly in a field of tried-and-true runners.<\/P> \u00a0 HERO\u2019S LUCK<\/B> \u2013 trained by bigbro<\/I> \u2013 21\/1<\/P> The lone three-year-old leaving the gate, she\u2019s hoping to build on a win last time out. I\u2019m concerned about the distance again here, she\u2019s untested beyond 9 furlongs and her young legs may not be prepared to carry her the extra \u00bd furlong.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>I\u2019d try to race her against fellow three-year-olds as much as possible to end the year and try this one again in 2007.<\/P> \u00a0 OCTAVICH(NZ)<\/B> \u2013 trained by geophysics<\/I> \u2013 16\/1<\/P> This OCTAGONAL(NZ)<\/B> filly, turned out a win last time out and geophysics <\/I>hopes she can ride that wave through to another money-making performance here.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She\u2019s had success at 10 furlongs and longer, but the early speed of the milers found in this field may prevent her from running in mid-pack where she usually likes to lie until the stretch.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>Next time out I\u2019d return her to the marathon ranks, either in an allowance with a big purse or an ungraded stakes race.<\/P> \u00a0 A.P. ANDY<\/B> \u2013 trained by andycapper<\/I> \u2013 29\/1<\/P> I can\u2019t quite explain the oddsmaker on this one.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>She\u2019s had a couple in the money performances in stakes races this year and ran well in the Yellow Submarine Stakes<\/B> last time out.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>The distance doesn\u2019t seem to pose a problem, though as with OCTAVICH(NZ<\/B>) perhaps the early speed will hinder this one\u2019s race plan.\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/P> \u00a0 JOE\u2019S ANGELS<\/B> \u2013 trained by ajr13<\/I> \u2013 10\/1<\/P> This SEPTIEME CIEL<\/B> mare has had some huge performances this year over 10 & 10.5 furlongs. Shortening this one up may not be an advantage \u2013 she might need that extra \u00bd furlong to make her move in the stretch. \u00a0<\/SPAN>With more milers in the mix as well the early pace should be pushed more than this one is used to.\u00a0 <\/SPAN><\/P> \u00a0 I really like a story, and if BELLA FIGURA<\/B> can come up big two years in a row that\u2019d be a good one.\u00a0 <\/SPAN>This race has a tendency to bring out the best in horses that wouldn\u2019t otherwise be contenders so keep an eye out for the long shots, particularly SEEKING THE STORMER<\/B> and CRYPTIC HABITS<\/B>. Top finishers often go on to long successful careers, and even if they don\u2019t win on this particular day keep your eyes on JOE\u2019S ANGELS, ALBERTA GOLD, TOMMY, ADIOS AMIGO<\/B> and DEPUTY HUNTER<\/B> in the future.<\/P> \u00a0 Who\u2019ll walk with a big chunk of the $250,000 purse?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":127,"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-3127","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3127","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\/127"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3127"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3127\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3127"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3127"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3127"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}