In today's Ballston Spa Handicap (gr. II) at Saratoga, a 1 1/16th miles turf race for fillies and mares, I believe that Laughing is an absolute standout to win. I have been a fan of Laughing ever since she arrived in the United States nearly two years ago, and watched with frustration through 2012 as she managed to win only the Matchmaker Stakes (gr. III) and an allowance race, despite the vast potential I felt she had.
This year, the story has been different. Laughing seems to have put it all together, and is 2-for-2 thus far this year, with victories in the Eatontown Handicap (gr. III) and Diana Stakes (gr. I). In the Diana, she beat Dream Peace and Stephanie's Kitten, arguably two of the best female turf horses in the country. So why is she only the third choice in the Ballston Spa Handicap?
One reason may be that she was the lone speed in the Diana, and capitalized on that advantage to win by a diminishing head. This may be true, but what's to stop Laughing from getting another moderate pace again? Of the eight horses in the field, she and Pianist are the only two to have shown any real interest in having the early lead, and I just can't envision them getting into a speed duel. Furthermore, I don't believe that Laughing needs a slow pace to be successful, nor do I believe she is a one-dimensional front-runner. Check out her victory in the Eatontown Handicap two starts back -- look at the way she chased Dayatthespa through that blazing :22.84-second third quarter, and still wore her down to win by three-quarters of a length -- all while making her first start in eight months!
There's one other thing I'd like to mention. In the Diana, Laughing's opening half-mile may have been a moderate :49.19, but from that point to the finish, she ran faster with every passing furlong. Her third quarter elapsed in :23.34, her fourth quarter in :23.27, and her final furlong in a blazing :11.44. In my opinion, this ability to accelerate that powerfully off of a moderate pace, coupled with her tactical ability to run faster early on if necessary, makes Laughing a standout in the Ballston Spa Handicap.
-Keelerman
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