Welcome to the preview for the Pittsburgh Stayer Grade II event in Pennsylvania, to be run over the marathon journey of 2 miles on dirt, for a prize pool of $250,000. The race sees a field of 7 competitors to do battle with the race attracting 6 runners in the top 100 long dirt rankings for older mares, including 3 of the top 25. A good even pace is expected, and all runners will go around with some chance of a share of the spoils.<\/p>\n
PP1 STONERSIDE(IRE) (DANEHILL DANCER (IRE) x BIRDSTONE x SUNDAY SILENCE) wistful2 4\/1
This 4yo mare, the only offspring from her 4 time stakes winning dam, last start topped the achievements of her mother when she powered to victory in the Grade I The Staurday Night Girl in Italy over 2 miles. Stalking the lead back in 3rd place early, she hit the front well before the stretch and was never challenged from there on, taking her first stakes win with an SP of 102 at her first time at the marathon distance. Was placed 2nd at her previous start, over 14 furlongs, when she again led into the stretch, but was over run by a backmarker in the Grade II The Radiant. With some speed in the race here, she is likely to sit off the leaders again, and her last start suggests she is right up to completing a double. Will be hard to beat.<\/p>\n
PP2 EARLY MORNING RAIN(KY) (MINESHAFT x ALYDAR x MISWAKI) spurious 4\/1
This veteran 6yo mare of 42 races and winner of over $1.1 mil, comes here well rested from the end of her 2010 campaign, which saw her most recently finish well back in the Grade II The Rocky Top Oaks, over 16 furlongs, 2 months ago. Prior to that she had proved too good in the The Royal Gulch Stakes over 12 furlongs, where she went back to second to last and ran home strongly late to run away by 1 \u00be lengths. That made it two stakes on end, following on from her easy win in the Galloping Ghost Memorial over 16 furlongs, when she sat just off the speed and challenged at the turn to coast to a 4 \u00be length victory. Proven in the class and at the distance, so despite her last start fail, she comes here ready to turn it around after a well deserved break.<\/p>\n
PP3 THIRD JORJA(IRE) (ORATORIO (IRE) x BARATHEA(IRE) x CARSON CITY) upgrade 18\/1
Big test for the longshot of the field, who to date has performed well in restricted allowances, including her last start demolition of a 4 runner field in a cpu*600 class race over 14 furlongs, where she cruised to a 4 length win. Before that in the same grade, she finished 2nd, beaten by 3 lengths in an effort that would not be too encouraging for a Graded race of the quality she faces here. Has raced only once over the 2 miles for an easy win against very moderate opposition. Her best result came in the Grade III Gallant Socks Handicap, 12 months ago, when she surprised at big odds to finish 3rd. Will be a surprise again if she is able to repeat that here, but is not without a slim chance.<\/p>\n
PP4 OLINA(IRE) (DUBAWI (IRE) x TALE OF THE CAT x FANTASTIC LIGHT) zielissimo 4\/1
Consistent 5yo mare who has not finished out of the top 3 in her last 9 starts, who will have some competition for front runner honours early here, but should be able to place close enough to the front to put herself in contention for a long way. Was placed 2nd last start over 14 furlongs in the Grade III DCPD Ladies Stayer Classic, where she led by as much as 9 lengths at the turn into the stretch, but was over run late. Easy victories in restricted allowance races preceded that, when she was able to dictate terms in front and romp to the line with decisive wins. Her best results have come when she has been able to lead, so her chance would be enhanced if she is able to jump out quickly out of the gates.<\/p>\n
PP5 THE BATAVIA(AUS) (VISCOUNT (AUS) x GIANT’S CAUSEWAY (IRE) x KINGMAMBO) miltinho 15\/1
Scratch bred 7yo mare who has been a handy runner for her current trainer, finishing in the top 4 in each of her 15 starts. Has been an easy winner of her her last two runs against small allowance fields over 12 and 14 furlongs respectively. Record at 2 miles is 10 starts for 3-4-2, including a 2nd placing in a listed stakes, where she ran an SP 90 and led by 7 lengths in to the stretch. Will go forward again and attempt to lead, but will find it tough against this field, and place is likely to be best.<\/p>\n
PP6 REMEMBER HOLDO(KY) (JOHANNESBURG x SMARTY JONES x WAR CHANT) layequada 5\/1
Comes here from impressive win in restricted allowance last time out when she landed in front early and held a similar margin throughout to win without being challenged over 12 furlongs. Before that she ran home strongly but was unable to close the gap on the leader over the same conditions. Her only try at the 2 miles was 3 starts ago when she settled mid field and beat all but one home in the Grade III The All Nighter with an SP 99. Last two runs have been encouraging, and she looks to have hit her peak. He-dam was a dual Grade I winner over 12 furlongs but failed at only try over 2 miles. Will be a big threat if she can run the distance right out.<\/p>\n
PP7 SCREAMING MANTIS(KY) (STREET SENSE x KINGMAMBO x SADLER’S WELLS) lenny16 8\/5
The clear morning line favourite will go from the widest gate, and will be aiming for her 4th stakes win on end, coming here from the biggest win of her career to date, when she pressed the leaders all the way before charging to the front a long way from home and was never challenged in the run home in the Grade I The Empire State Stayer. Before that, she did the exact same thing in the My Girl From Hell Special, and similar again in the Tizdarling Challenge 3 starts ago against only 3 opposition runners. Has yet to be proven over the marathon distance of 2 miles, but her graded winning he-dam won over it and, all indication from what she has done so far, she should have no problem. Winner of 15 of her 25 starts, she has the best record, the best speed figures and is racing in her best ever form, which all point to her being the one to beat here.<\/p>\n
The early lead should be a battle between OLINA(IRE) and THE BATAVIA(AUS), with pace stalkers, REMEMBER HOLDO(KY), SCREAMING MANTIS(KY) and STONERSIDE(IRE) likely to sit just off them. EARLY MORNING RAIN(KY) and THIRD JORA(IRE) will settle toward the back of the field early.<\/p>\n
Good luck to all trainers. My selections are 7 from 1 and 6.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Mares contest marathon 2 miles in Pennsylvania<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":219,"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-8826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8826","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\/219"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8826"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8826\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8826"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}