Eblouissante, the unbeaten four-year-old half-sister to Zenyatta, is scheduled to make her long-awaited stakes debut in Saturday's $200,000 Shuvee Handicap (gr. III) at Saratoga.
Trained by John Shirreffs, the daughter of Bernardini began her career with an eye-catching maiden victory on November 16th, in which she rallied from next-to-last to win the 1 1/16th miles maiden special weight by 4 1/4 lengths. She followed up on that triumph with an equally impressive allowance win on January 17th, once again winning from off-the-pace in a fashion eerily similar to that of Zenyatta. Unfortunately, various minor issues have kept her from the races since then, but her strong recent workouts suggest that she is back in top form and ready to win her first stakes race.
Six other fillies and mares are entered in the Shuvee, with Eblouissante's primary opposition expected to come from Summer Applause, winner of the Allaire DuPont Distaff Stakes (gr. III), and Authenticity, winner of the La Troienne Stakes (gr. II) and runner-up in the Ogden Phipps Handicap (gr. I). However, both fillies have been cross-entered in the Delaware Handicap (gr. I) at Delaware Park, which is also on Saturday.
Assuming that both Summer Applause and Authenticity scratch from the Shuvee in favor of the Del Cap, Sea Island would loom as the most logical candidate to upset Eblouissante. Trained by Shug McGaughey, the daughter of Pulpit was generally disappointing last summer while losing four stakes events at Saratoga and Belmont, but did come around to finish second in the Gazelle Stakes (gr. I) at Aqueduct. She began her 2013 campaign with a runner-up effort in an allowance race at Keeneland, then shipped to Pimlico and was beaten two lengths when second to Summer Applause in the Allaire DuPont. However, her most recent effort was a puzzler. Sent off as the second-choice in Belmont's Mariensky Stakes, she apparently didn't handle the sloppy track and wound up last in a field of six, never challenging while trailing by about eleven lengths at the finish. It's difficult to say with certainty whether she'll rebound -- consistency isn't something she's known for! -- but if she does, she could make things very interesting for Eblouissante.
Another intriguing contender is Moon Philly, who won the Nellie Morse Stakes and Maryland Racing Media Stakes at Laurel Park early in the year. Owned by Country Life Farm, Moon Philly's recent form has not been great -- she was fifth in the Allaire DuPont after a tough trip and was beaten nearly eighteen lengths in Monmouth's Lighthouse Stakes -- but if she runs back to her Maryland form, I think she could win this race as a bit of a longshot.
Rounding out the field are Flashy American, impressive winner of the Iowa Distaff Stakes last month, and Royal Lahaina, who beat Sea Island when winning the Mariensky Stakes. If you excuse the latter's dismal defeat in the Sixty Sails Handicap (gr. III) at Hawthorne, her form this year has been very good, and a top three finish is definitely within the realm of her abilities, especially if Summer Applause and Authenticity scratch.
In conclusion, there are a number of very talented fillies in this race, and a victory for Eblouissante not a given. But as a huge fan of Zenyatta, I have to pick her to win.
-Keelerman
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