This week\u2019s feature race in California is the Thanks to an Exacta Stakes at Grade III level over the 6 \u00bd furlongs on the fast dirt track for a purse of $125,000 open fillies 3 years old, and it is always exciting when there is a Graded race on the card for a day. The excitement level at the track is elevated to a higher level as owners of the horses come from all places to hopefully see their wonderful investment or passion claim the ultimate prize in racing.<\/P>
This weekend\u2019s race has attracted a top quality field of 13 runners from all over the American division and I have flown here a few days early and have had the opportunity to watch the runners go through their final paces and have a chat to what trainers I could catch up with to get their opinions.<\/P> So let\u2019s get into it and have a look at the field in more detail:<\/P> Waki Slam trained by Chloedawg<\/B>: This is a fantastic looking filly by Grandslam who has won 9 of her 16 races. She is no stranger to graded races having competed in 2 consecutive Grade I\u2019s in her last 3 starts\u00a0 <\/SPAN>where she was a nose seconds in the Lool Oaks and then well held in the Bluegrass Oaks and the Black Middle Flower Stakes. She has an impeccable sprinting record having won 9 of her 11 starts so the drop back to this trip will not pose a concern and she is a Grade III sprint winner. She looked in wonderful order when she galloped with Devil In Mrs Jones over the 6 furlongs to get familiarised with the track. They ran down there final 3 furlongs for some work and then both trotted off the track. Chloedawg said \u201cShe is usually a lazy worker so hence the companion. She just needed an easy piece of work to top her off. She has had 3 hard runs in a row so we wanted to freshen her up, she has come up nicely and today was to get her mind back on the job. She will be hard to beat\u2026. We hope\u201d. She is the class runner and she will be hard to beat.<\/P> Devil In Mrs Jones trained by Sera<\/B>: This is an athletic looking filly by Smarty Jones who has won 8 of her 15 starts. She was terrific last time out when she won the Grade II Fence Fryer Stakes over the 7 furlongs and recorded a super 102 speed figure. She has only missed a place once and that was a 4th<\/SUP> so she should be right in this race. She looked good when she galloped with Waki Slam over the 6 furlongs and quickening up the last 3 furlongs. Sera said \u201cWe took the opportunity to gallop with Waki Slam so we can see how we are going. She galloped well and her track rider said she felt as good as ever. She ran really well last time for a 100+ speed figure so she will be ultra competitive here\u201d. She is right in this race and looks exceptionally hard to beat.<\/P> Offlee High trained by Inhalers<\/B>: This is a compact filly by Offlee Wild who has won 6 of her 17 starts with 5 other finishes in the money. She is no stranger to stakes company having has 16 of her starts at this level including 7 graded races and she was a grade III winner of the Cadoka Stakes back in week 3161 with a 96 speed figure. She was well held last time out over the route trip in the Black Middle Flower stakes. She is back to her favoured sprinting trip so she should sho some significant improvement here. She looked very relaxed as she cantered a couple of laps of the sand track and the just upped it to some half pace work over the final half lap. Inhalers said \u201cShe is a nice relaxed filly who does not need much work. She has had a relaxed week after her tough run last time. She is back to her preferred distance so we are hoping for a much improved showing here\u201d. She should be one who is right in the finish here.<\/P> Sissions Thief trained by Deathstar<\/B>: A very long and lanky filly by Empire Maker who has won 6 of her 13 starts. She is also no stranger to graded races having ran in theBluegrass oaks last start for a well beaten 19th<\/SUP> place. She is a grade III winner back in week 3084 in the Reflection Futurity and a grade II winner back in 2944 over this distance in the Dazzling Daisies Stakes. She is much better suited over this trip where she has recorded speed figures in the mid 90\u2019s. She was another who did not do much this week, she was just taken for a quiet walk and a roll as she did all of her fast work earlier in the week. Deathstar said \u201cWe never give he fast work close to the race, she likes to be fresh and that is how she runs best. We prefer to use racing to keep her fit. She did not really handle the trip last time in the Bluegrass Oaks but we had to try her. She will appreciate this distance much better. She will run well\u201d. She has a touch of class so will be right up there at the end.<\/P> Miracles trained by Desertbear<\/B>: This is a solid and athletic looking filly by Not For Love. She has won 4 of her 10 starts and looked very nice when she finished a close up third in the Grade II Manhattan District Stakes last time out on the off track with a 93 speed figure. She has a good record over the sprint trips and is a multiple stakes winner with her last win back in week 3063 as a 2yo. She looked good as she went half pace over the 6 furlongs with even time and then quickening down the stretch. Desertbear said \u201cShe is a filly who likes to work, she thrives on it. She would prefer an off track here but with only a 5% chance we are not hopeful. She will be just behind the leaders so she will be right there for a long way and hopefully she sticks her nose out at the right time\u201d. She looks to be a good place chance at some odds.<\/P> Ziggy Indy trained by Dontnagme<\/B>: This is a stunning looking filly by one of the best sires going around, A.P.Indy. She has certainly inherited some of his ability as she has won 6 of her 10 starts to date including 3 stakes races and a last start win over this trip in the See What She\u2019s Got Stakes with a super 97 speed figure which was a career high for her. She looks to run from just off the speed and that would appear to be a style which will be suited here. She looked great in her final hit out as she went even time from the 8 furlong marker and then she started to improve for the last 3 furlongs. She then just trotted off the track. Dontnagme said \u201cShe has really thrived since we switched her to the dirt, her breeding indicates that she should like the turf but she has shown differently. She has continued to improve with a career best speed figure last time so she certainly deserves her chance here\u201d. She certainly deserves her chance and she will be right in the mix.<\/P> The Dirty Dancer trained by Laramite<\/B>: A lovely looking chestnut filly by Silver Deputy who has won 4 of her 15 starts to date. She has been competing in stakes race for 14 of her career starts including several graded starts. She won the Giant of the North Stakes two starts back over this distance by a nose with a 93 speed figure and then was a close up 4th<\/SUP> in the Grade II Manhattan District Stakes with another 93 speed figure. She will need to improve further to be in the mix here but she looks capable. She looked solid as she did some light work around the inner fibre track and she came off the track looking bright and alert. Fusaichi Creek trained by Sveningvar<\/B>: A very tall filly here by Theatrical who has won 3 of her 9 starts and is a stakes winner of the Rickys Nightmare back in week 3091. Interstingly she has not won a race since then but was close up last time out in the Exbournes Loveyou Memorial where she ran second with a career high 91 speed figure. She will appreciate the drop back in distance to the sprint trip after a couple of long sprints. She looked solid in here final gallop where she did some short and fast work, she was really hunted up over the 3 furlongs with the track rider pulling the whip over the last furlong to keep her\u00a0 <\/SPAN>mind on the job. Sveningvar said \u201cShe has been lazy all week and we wanted to get her thinking about racing again. She was close up last time but we know she will need further improvement here. She is certainly capable but she needs to produce it on race day. Hopefully she does that here\u201d. With speed figures in the low 90\u2019s she will have her work cut out here.<\/P> High On Capote trained by Lawyerron<\/B>: A very plain looking brown filly by High Yield, who has won 4 of her 18 starts to date with 8 other placed finishes. She recorded a career high 92 speed figure last time out when she was a close up 5th<\/SUP> in the grade III Dallas Stud Command Stakes when she put in an eye catching run closing late in the stretch. That start indicated that she will probably appreciate more distance so the drop back in distance may not suit her. She looked very bright ad her handler led her for 2 laps of the pool and then a quiet walk around the stalls. Lawyerron said \u201cShe ran really well last time and that has given us a lot of confidence. She is up to this class. We would have liked the race to be slightly further but this suited her schedule at this time. We have just had to take it easy on her to freshen her up a bit due to the distance drop. She should perform very well\u201d. On her last run and with some further improvement she could figure in the places.<\/P> Rock Of The Night trained by Cit5:<\/B> A lovely compact filly by the Australian sire Fastnet Rock and she has won 2 of her 7 starts. Interestingly this filly did not win her first race in a maiden, she won it in a time restricted allowance and then went on to win another of those races the next start. She stepped up to graded class last time out, skipping stakes races and she performed well, as she ran a good 4th<\/SUP> place in the Grade III I Said Be Quiet Classic, all be it in a 6 horse field with a 90 speed figure. She looked solid in her final hit out as she galloped with an unknown stable companion and she was certainly getting the better of him at the end of the 6 furlong gallop and she drew away by several lengths on the post. Cjt5 said \u201cShe ran really well last time and that frankly surprised us as we were really just hoping with the jump in class. She will need further improvement here but her work has been good and we give her a good chance\u201d. She is a chance or a place at big odds.<\/P> Give Us A Break trained by Fleet1<\/B>: A very small filly by Sunday Break who has won 2 of her 11 starts. As such she is eligible for much easier races but she is a stakes winner of the Aragon Orphan Special back in week 2951 as a 2yo so she does have some class. She has not won since that race but has had some on the board finishes including 2 starts back in the Car Gilly Stakes over the mile. She has won both of her races over the sprint trip but with speed figures in the high 80\u2019s she is up for a serious challenge here. She looked good in her final work out as she ran down a good solid 2 furlongs and the came off the track blowing just a little. Fleet1 said \u201cThis is a tough assignment for her, we know that but she is improving and is well within herself so we are hoping for a good performance and we think she has it in her\u201d. A tough assignment but could sneak a place at big odds.<\/P> Debra Do Dah trained by Syndicate<\/B>: This is a solid looking filly by Pulpit who has won one of her 9 starts. She makes her graded race debut here after only one stakes start back in week 3175 when she ran second in the Wolf Of Queensland Challenge with a 94 speed figure. She has only had one sprint start which resulted in a second on an off dirt track. This is the shortest race she has competed in. She looked good as her and My Princess galloped over the 8 furlongs, they started with even time and then picked up the pace over the final 2 furlongs with each under a relatively tight hold at the finish. Syndicate said \u201cThat is all the work we needed her to do, we wanted to keep her fresh for this as it is her shortest race ever so we are not sure what to expect. She is fresh and keen so we hope that she will be able to settle off the speed and get home strongly in the stretch. It is a tough ask for her though but we will see how she goes\u201d. She will need an outstanding performance to get in the money here but it is not out of the question.<\/P> My Princess trained by Go4bucks<\/B>: A good looking filly by War Chant and she is a winner of 2 of her 7 starts. She is one of the least experienced runners in this race but she has been in stakes races for her past 4 starts, and she has had 2 seconds including a \u00bc length second 2 starts back in the School Alice Handicap when she recorded an 83 speed figure. She is dropping right back to a sprint trip here after several route starts so that is of concern but she does have a good sprinting record with 2 wins and a second from 3 starts. She looked good as she galloped with Debra Do Dah over the 8 furlongs in even time with a quickening over the final 2 furlongs and they both finished under a tight hold. She came off the track with a squeal as well. Go4bucks said \u201cWe did not want to do too much work, so that was pretty easy for her. She is up for a big challenge here so we really wanted her to be very fresh so she can race right up on the speed. Hopefully she can run well and get a place\u201d. A tough task for her here but a very rough place chance.<\/P> No tips forthcoming from me, just good luck to all runners!!<\/P> Simon<\/P><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Waki Sal and Devil In Mrs Jones – The Exacta??<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":328,"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-4325","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4325","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\/328"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4325"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4325\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4325"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4325"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4325"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}