The California Oaks Grade 1 $300,000 3 Yr Old Fillies Only<\/p>\n
Welcome to California, where the surf meets the turf. Today\u2019s main event is the $300,000 Grade 1 California Oaks<\/span>. Many of the stars here today will show up in the prestigious Bluegrass Oaks. But for some, they must earn their way in. Today\u2019s showdown will stamp that ticket. Will a new star emerge? Or will a battle tested filly get the award. How important is this race? Well, 7 fillies in last year\u2019s race went on to be Graded winners and every single one of them became stakes winners. It kind of puts into perspective the quality of fillies we\u2019re dealing with here. In today\u2019s event, we\u2019re fortunate enough to have 3 of the top 10 ranked fillies in the division here (including the #1 ranked). Sit back and enjoy, because this is going to be a fantastic race. The Hollywood superstars are in attendance and are anxiously waiting the arrival of the 3 yr old fillies. We\u2019ll take a look at the fillies, starting from the rail out.<\/p>\n Heisse Luft <\/span>leads the fillies towards the track today. This 3 yr old is a daughter of Monsun. Trained by the Brisma<\/span> satables, Heisse Luft enters todays contest a victor in her last. In her last, the Dyna The Turk Handicap Stakes, Heisse Luft sat midpack and was strong through the stretch, pulling away by 2 lengths. She earned a nine speed number in 93, that being the first time she cracked the 90 mark. Heisse Luft had a 6 week layoff going into that race, and the time off seemed to help. 2 races back, Heisse ran in The Gr2 Mistaken Identity Stakes. Heisse sat towards the rear in 8th, closed to 6th, but finished in that position, losing by 7 lengths. Two of her rivals in that race are back here today. For Heisse to turn the tables, she must show that she is maturing and that she will improve even more off her latest stakes win. She seemed to like the distance in her last, so I expect Heiise Luft to sit mid-pack and make a midpack run. Her class will be tested, as many others will be timing the same move. She really improved off her last, and an extra step forward could put Heisse Luft into the picture. She is listed at 15-1 and gets the service of Brinn today.<\/p>\n The #2 horse in today\u2019s race is Land\u2019s Heart<\/span>. She is a daughter out of Japanese bred Heart\u2019s Cry. Trained by Graywolf<\/span>, Land\u2019s Heart comes into today\u2019s race looking to keep her 2 race winning streak going. In Land\u2019s last, she went off at even money and beat 4 others, running a 87 speed number. Two races prior to that, Graywolf had her compete in the Gr2 Whodini Shootout. In that 6f Gr 2 turf race, Land\u2019s Heart broke mid-pack, made a bold move, but had to settle for 2nd place. For today\u2019s race, the Graywolf himself has some tricks up his sleeve. You see, Land\u2019s Heart has only raced twice on dirt. Her first 2 baby races were on dirt over 1 year ago. She has never been back since. Land\u2019s Heart is definitely a horse who has improved with age. Today\u2019s main question is whether she can transform those quality efforts on turf, into the same effort on dirt. I like Graywolf\u2019s decision here for many reasons. After her baby races a year ago, she has steadily increased her speed numbers and times. What better way to find out if she can handle the dirt, than to put her against ranked fillies and see if the transition works. If so, he has an Oaks entry. If not, no big deal, she goes back on turf and competes in graded races. Always beware of horses that have nothing to lose, because they might just run their pants off. She is listed at 15-1 and Nabbs gets in the saddle.<\/p>\n The blue #3 saddlecloth belongs to Topicount\u2019s<\/span> Homefortheholidays<\/span>. The 29th ranked filly in the division is a daughter of Came Home. Homefortheholidays totes a 4 win mark in 8 races with earnings of $154,000. This filly may have turned a critical corner in her last. In the Gr3 Myocardial Infraction Stakes, Home went off at 10-1 in a field of 14. Sitting in 6th halfway through the 8.5 f race, Homefortheholidays made up 5 lengths at the top of the stretch, and then proceeded to wear down the front runner through the stretch. Her winning margin was \u00be of a length. Her eye-popping 98 speed number told Topicount that she is ready for bigger and better things. Homefortheholidays is now 3 for 4 in races over a mile (with one win graded and the other Stakes.) Homefortheholidays has been in some tough comp before. Last May, Home ran 4th in the Vermont BB Juvenile fillies. Today\u2019s question for Homefortheholidays is this. Could she bounce slightly off that incredible run last out? If not, and is able to even improve slightly, you may be looking at the winner of this race. She has been well spotted with her races and her time off; and today could be the reward. I look for Homefortheholidays to be sitting between 4th and 6th going to the half mile pole. If she\u2019s going to run well today, you\u2019ll see her start to make her run with 3f to go. She is listed at 10-1 and gets Peeples in the saddle. <\/p>\n The #4 filly is Sorbetto<\/span>. Sorbetto is trained by the well known Super<\/span> Stables. Sorbetto comes into today\u2019s race with a meaningful stakes win in her last. In her first race over a mile, the daughter of Danehill Dancer, beat 9 other fillies in The Queens Paper Challenge (NG). Her speed number of 93 that day was an increase of 7 points from her last. Sorbetto has many questions to answer here today. Is she an improving filly? Can she better that last effort with an approximate 6 points more? Does she like the distance and that\u2019s why her last was better. Super\u2019s admits that he has been trying to find soft spots for his filly, but thinks that she may have found something now. The distance surely helped last out, and if she can improve off the last, she could be a board threat here today. She is beautifully bred to run all day and while some may be backing up here today, she may be the one that can make up some ground on the front runners. <\/p>\n The #5 horse today is Babelicus<\/span>. Trained by the Falcon<\/span> himself, Babelicus is looking to rebound with some recent off style performances. Babelicus is coming off an open allowance win versus fillies. Going off at 2\/5, Babelicus shut down the motor early an won by an expanding 3 lengths. Her speed number of 74 was a result of how easy she won. Babelicus is one of those young filly enigmas. At one point, she was the top ranked filly in her division. At 2 yrs old, Babelicus won the tough Gr2 Vermont Breeders Bowl Juvenille filly race. Usually that race produces stars that go on to big things, as evidenced by the few that ran in that race that are here today. But what happened to this once rising star? Let\u2019s take a closer look. Babelicus has had 9 races in her juvy year; A tough task for any young horse. She has run in some big company, and has failed to revert back to her young form. Today, Babelicus faces an enormous task. She is trying to once again beat the horses that she once beat 10 months ago. Many of them have moved forward, and today Babelicus looks to join that company again. The upside to her race today is that she seemed to like and handle today\u2019s distance fine. Will the distance now turn out to put this filly back in the rankings? Her speed numbers would need a drastic overhaul , but fillies that were once top ranked, sometimes like to spring a huge number on you when you least expect it. Today\u2019s task for Babelicus is that she must run the best race of her life, against one of the best fields she has seen. She is listed at 25-1 and Falcon has tabbed R. Hoffman for the ride today.<\/p>\n The #6 filly here today is the number 9 ranked filly at the route distance and #2 ranked filly sprinter in Final Phase<\/span>. Final Phase is trained by Natrap<\/span>. Final Phase brings big speed, big numbers and big races to the table today. Today\u2019s race goes through this horse. Final Phase ran in the Los Vinagrette Gr2 last out. In that contentious field, Final Phase went off the deserving favorite in the 11 horse field. Sitting in 6th at the 4f marker, Final Phase went to task and made a rush to the lead at the top of the stretch. Digging in gamely, Final Phase just couldn\u2019t catch the eventual winner. Her 2nd place finish and 96 speed number will make her a contender here today. In Final\u2019s prior race, the Gr3 Reflection Futurity, Final Phase beat 3 graded winners and posted an eye popping 99 speed number (a similar effort here today and that may win\u2026that was 9 weeks ago). Back last August, Final Phase won a Gr1 in the Getaway Stakes. The distance of 7f showed that this filly has some turn of foot. Final Phase looms very large here today for a multitude of reasons. First off, she\u2019s faced the best time and time again. Secondly, she can use her extremely versatile speed to her advantage in any race at any point. Her speed numbers are generally consistent and can be topped when they need to be used. Whats the possible downside? We\u2019ll it\u2019s hard to find one. But, if I had to pick one, it\u2019s the fact that this filly may be too battle tested. She is a tough durable horse, but when may that backfire? Although her races have been perfectly spotted, this will be her 6th graded race in a row. Sometimes the Sim gods don\u2019t like when we get to anxious in consecutive graded races. Is today the day they wave the magic wand? If, not, there is not a single knock you can make as to why this filly can\u2019t win. She will be heard through the lane today and is listed at 6-1 co 2nd-choice and gets the services of 5th ranked jock in R. Simcox.<\/p>\n The #7 horse is Holbach<\/span>. The beautiful brown filly is a daughter of the late Vindication. She has been well trained by Tees<\/span>. Holbach comes into today\u2019s race having just won the Grade 3 Santa Jezebel Stakes. In that race, Holbach made a strong midpack rally and went on to win by a widening 1 3\/4 lengths. She hit the magical young 3 yr old filly number in 100 (speed). In her race prior to that, Holbach won the Gr2 Mistaken Identity Stakes. Her winning speed number that day was 96. Holbach has earned 423,00 dollars to date. Here\u2019s where things start to lineup for this filly and for Tees. At a mile or over, Holbach is 3 for 3. (2 grade 2\u2019s and a grade 3). As a 2 year old Holbach was impressive, but she seemed to want more real estate. Well now the big races are all over mile and play right into this phenom\u2019s hands. This filly is one to reckon with and the division right now runs through her and Khartoum VI. For today, Holbach simply needs to be on her game, and I think she has the class and quality to win this race. She is a treat to watch and hopefully this filly continues to develop, because she may be a treasure to the Sim community. She is listed as co-2nd choice and gets Staples in the saddle.<\/p>\n The Number 8 horse is Empire Haack<\/span>. The NY bred daughter of Empire Maker, Empire Haack comes into today\u2019s race with a 6th place finish in the Gr3 Backward Gal Stakes. In that effort, Empire Haack tried to make a belated rally, but just couldn\u2019t do enough. Her first graded effort was not a bad one at all. Trainer Otto Haack<\/span> probably almost expected it. In her prior race, in an Allownw4l event, Empire Haack made an incredible run to win by 1 \u00bc lengths. Her speed number of 94 was enough to win a graded stakes on that same week. I\u2019m sure that effort prompted Otto Haack to enter her in her last. I am definitly willing to give this horse the benefit of the doubt. She has tremendous upside potential. This is one of those horses that can strike a big number and people say where did she come from? Here are a couple of the reasons. 1) Like said, her first attempt at graded wasn\u2019t bad. She was trying to make up ground, but ran out of real estate (it was 7f race). 2) The added distance today, with her breeding suggestions, says that this filly will enjoy the 8.5 furlongs today. 3)She may have bounced a bit with the class and all, and she\u2019ll know more what to expect today. Now she has never faced this company before, so she may need a race or so more, but I wouldn\u2019t be surprised to see her at 17-1 at least hit the board. Many upside possibilities to her future. She gets the services of Billig today.<\/p>\n The #9 horse is English Kiss<\/span>. In 6 starts, she has won 4. Trainer Doctahg<\/span> brings this filly into today\u2019s race with an impressive win in her last. In the Aggie Conquistador Stakes, English Kiss showed some extraordinary classy speed and wired the field, winning by 1 \u00be lengths. Her front running time of 136 2\/5 and speed number of 93, shows you the quality speed this filly has. In her prior to that, the Khalasar Stakes, the then 2 yr old filly was up by 3 turning for home but got a tiny leg weary and got nipped at the wire. There are many questions for English Kiss today. Let\u2019s start with speed. This is some fast filly. Will she get this distance today, with this class? Will her young 2 yr old form convert to her 3 yr old season? The first thing to mention is that trainer Doctahg brings this filly into her 3 yr old season with almost a 3 \u00bd month layoff. Will she be rusty for today\u2019s event and need the race? With Dochtahg\u2019s 47% ITM ratio, who is to say that it is too long? Today\u2019s race for English Kiss boils down to her quality speed and her lay-off. Will she be able to get some easy fractions and have enough left turning for home? And if she gets into some type of speed duel, will the lay-off hurt her here today? She is definitely capable of running a big one here today and her natural progression of speed numbers and her layoff may prove to be the key here today. Should hear her name often in the race today. She will dictate today\u2019s speed of the race and her breeding may be enough to carry that speed to the winners circle. She is listed at 19-1 and get 4th rank jock in Bates.<\/p>\n The # 10 horse today is Jarama<\/span>, trained by This 3 yr old filly is by Manduro. After 2 failed bids on turf, Jarama was switched to dirt. The surface change was simply all the filly needed. In 6 dirt races, Jarama has won 5. Her only off the board finish was in stakes race, where despite finishing 4th, she only lost by 1 length. In Jarama\u2019s last, The Hulk Icing Stakes, Jarama went off at 3\/1 in a 6 horse field and strolled home a winner by 2 lengths. Her impressive speed number of 96 prompted trainer Rafa<\/span> to enter this filly in her first graded attempt. Jarama comes from a quality line. Her mom (B- Mare) was a Grade 1 winner and Jarama definitly has the qualities to continue that trait. Jarama\u2019s main questions today are: 1) Can she handle the class jump? 2) What tactic will she employ in regards to her running style.? Jarama definitly belongs here today. She is a tremendous upside potential horse. She has all the markings for springing a mild upset. In order for her to be most effective here today, I feel that she will have to find a comfortable stalking position. She doesn\u2019t want to get caught up in a speed duel with English Kiss. She has the breeding stamina that should be utilized here today. Jarama is listed at 12-1 and gets the services of Nardone.<\/p>\n The number 11 horse today is Foggy Holiday<\/span>. Trainer Baggio<\/span> brings the daughter of Sunriver to the paddock. In her last attempt, Foggy Holiday ran in The Concern Billie Memorial stakes. In the 4 horse field, Foggy Holiday exercised her class and strolled home a 2 \u00bc length winner. Her final speed number was an improving 89. Foggy will test the graded company class today for the first time. Her impecable back line breeding suggests that she should have no problem with today\u2019s distance. For Foggy Holiday to be a threat here today, the lightly raced 3 yr old must step on the gas with respect to her speed numbers. Her recent victory with an off the pace style and closing lick will serve her well here today. If she can duplicate that running style and continue to increase her speed numbers, she can be a board threat here today. Her class will be tested and she is listed at 14-1. She gets the services of Meckenberg today.<\/p>\n All eyes are on the #12 horse here today. She is none other than the leading ranked filly in the division, Ultimate Diamond<\/span>. Trainer Qwikvett<\/span> brings the 3 yr old daughter of A.P. Indy into todays race with a win in her latest. In her last, The Gr1 Vermont Is For Lovers Handicap, Ultimate Diamond won by a widening 2 \u00bc lengths and ran a superb speed number of 100. Ultimate Diamond is the class filly in the race. She has competed in 6 graded races in 7 lifetime starts. With earnings of over $1,000,000, you can get a picture of the class she hangs around. Ultimate Diamond\u2019s crowning moment was actually a near miss. She lined up in the most prestigious 2 yr old race in The Breeders Bowl Juvenille Filly Gr1. Going off the post time favorite in the event, Ultimate Diamond ran a superb race and just got caught by eventual 2 yr old Eclipse winner named Khartoum XI. Her last 5 race speed numbers average of 96, puts her into the drivers seat today. Ultimate Diamond, if chooses, is already in the Bluegrass Oaks. Today\u2019s purpose may not be to win , but have her peaking for the bigger event. Ultimate Diamond has pure quality speed. She can stalk any runner and take over when prompted. Her only question I regards to today\u2019s race is the actual distance. She won her last in wire to wire fashion, actually going longer. Today she reverts back to a distance in which she has not won. Coincidence, maybe. But her class is undeniable. If someone wants to beat the number one ranked filly today, you are going to have to earn every inch of dirt to do it. Look for Ultimate Diamond to sit 2nd or 3rd today and make her move with 3f to go. She is definitly capable of going wire to wire, although some others in here not with her class may choose to want that more. Big threat here today. She is the morning line fave at 4-1 and gets top jock in Gosset.<\/p>\n The #13 horse is Cool Indy<\/span>, trained by the master Given<\/span>. Given has taken his time with Cool Indy, even when she was probably ready to go into graded company a few back. But with a trainer with a 52% ITM record, who am I to say that. This horse is ready for graded company. She is a new player to the scene, but one who can take charge of a division in 2 races. She is the ultimate definition of a filly that is ready to peek. Her last race, she ran a whopping 103 speed number, and lost. Who knows how that can happen, but I\u2019m sure Given was happy with the effort. Cool Indy came out of the box in her last like a rocket. Although only facing 3 others, Cool Indy ran off by 7 \u00bd lengths at the \u00bd mile pole. Turning for home, up by 5 \u00bd, Cool Indy got leg weary late and was caught at the wire by Poison Arrow. With breeding lines like she has, you may expect a deep closing type filly. Wrong. She has some amazing turn of foot and usually is not out footed coming out of the gate. If Cool Indy can only learn to relax a bit, this filly would do some severe damage in this division. Her step up in class will be tested here today, but if she can let some of the others take charge early, and hang back a bit with Ultimate Diamond, she may take her cue and run off together. Belongs in the race and threat if she can relax today. Listed at 7-1 and gets Arrow in the irons.<\/p>\n The # 14 horse is Quiet And Discreet<\/span>. This 3 yr old filly is trained by Hollandia<\/span>. Quiet and Discreet is a Gr1 winner already, having won the Hoserhead Juvenille last year. Two races later, Quiet and Discreet lined up in the Breeders Bowl Juv Filly. Going off at 15-1, Quiet and Discreet finished a game 4th only losing by 2 \u00bc lengths. This filly has some very nice stalking range speed and will serve her well here today. Quiet and Discreet has been in some tough company before. She can handle the class, but her main question here today is can she win at this distance now. Quiet and Discreet should benefit from some fast horses up front today, and she must time her jump perfectly. Hollandia is rightfully giving this filly a shot at the distance in a grade 1. Now whether those plans change after the race, will be decided on how this filly runs today. I look for Quiet and Discreet to be sitting 5th or so today and try to make her move a bit earlier than some of the closers. Even a similar effort from her last puts her into the picture today. A jump up, can have her in the winners circle. Todays race for her will tell Hollandia a lot about her future starts.<\/p>\n Smokeglack\u2019s Stabs<\/span>:<\/p>\n Great race here today. In terms of speed and quality, it should be an exciting finish. Some hard knocking fillies looking to keep their dominance in the divisions, and some beauty queens trying to squeeze in. Gonna go 5 here, and was very hard to do with so many possibilities for new stars. But, someone\u2019s got to do it, so:<\/p>\n 1)Holbach- Rest, running style and class may put her here today Anyway, that\u2019s it from California. Sit back and enjoy today\u2019s Grade 1 fillies as the make their way to the track. Good luck to all the trainers. It is now post time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 3 Yr Old Ranked Fillies California Dreaming<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":393,"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-7363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7363","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\/393"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7363"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7363\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7363"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7363"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
2)Final Phase- Top threat. Class filly will be tough late
3)Ultimate Diamond- Hard to go against #1 ranked filly, just may get caught to close to the front today. Definite threat
4)Cool Indy- If can settle early, ready to get into graded comp.
5)Jarama-Knows how to win, now can she do in this company?<\/p>\n