Three-year-old filly In Lingerie rallied from fourth to defeat a good field of older mares in the $500,000 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (gr. I) on Sunday afternoon at Keeneland.
Ridden to victory by John Velazquez, In Lingerie broke alertly and settled back about two lengths from the lead as Juanita rattled off fractions of :24.20, :47.97, and 1:12.41. Karlovy Vary and Starformer were her closest pursuers, while Mystical Star and Upperline were racing in mid-pack. Disposablepleasure, Aruna, Kitty in a Tizzy, and Tiz Miz Sue were the early trailers.
Turning for home, Mystical Star moved up to take over the advantage, but In Lingerie was finishing up strongly and took command of the lead just inside the eighth pole. Under steady urging from Velazquez, the filly drew off strongly in the final hundred yards or so to win by two lengths in 1:49.42 seconds.
Mystical Star finished second, slightly more than two lengths clear of third-place finisher Upperline. Starformer, Tiz Miz Sue, Aruna, Kitty in a Tizzy, Karlovy Vary, Juanita, and Disposablepleasure completed the order of finish.
The winner is a daughter of Empire Maker out of the Storm Cat mare Cat Chat. Trained by Todd Pletcher and owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gary Barber, In Lingerie has now won seven of her four starts, with two seconds and a third. She has earned $712,265.
-Keelerman
Showing posts with label Tiz Miz Sue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tiz Miz Sue. Show all posts
Monday, October 08, 2012
Sunday, October 07, 2012
BREEDERS' CUP COUNTDOWN -- October 7th, 2012
While today might
not be quite as busy as yesterday in terms of racing action, there are still a
number of intriguing races to be run, including the grade I Spinster Stakes at
Keeneland. Let's start handicapping!
Bourbon Stakes (gr.
III)
Let's see here . .
. in the With Anticipation Stakes (gr. II) at Saratoga last month, a colt named
Balance the Books rallied past Joha to win in good fashion . . . yesterday,
Joha came back and won the grade I Breeders' Futurity . . . today, Balance the
Books goes for a win in the Bourbon Stakes . . .
Clearly, Balance
the Books beat a good horse in the With Anticipation, and the colt looks
like a solid favorite in this afternoon's Bourbon. Trained by Chad Brown, the
colt showcased a terrific turn-of-foot in the With Anticipation, and a repeat
of that effort would make him very difficult to beat.
Perhaps the colt
most likely to pull an upset is Sonofasamurai, who broke his maiden
second time out at Saratoga by three lengths, in which he closed his final
sixteenth in :5.89 seconds. From the barn of Kenny McPeek, he will likely be
toward the rear of the pack early on, along with Balance the Books, but it's
very possible that he possesses the ability to out-kick the favorite and win
the race.
Brown Almighty is also intriguing. The son of Big Brown won his first
two starts in good fashion, including the Sunny's Halo Stakes, before losing
the Sunday Silence Stakes by a neck to Java's War. Seeing how that colt came
back to finish a close third in the Breeders' Futurity, it appears as though
Brown Almighty is a very capable colt that could more than hold his own against
these runners.
Fredericksburg and Slamarama both possess decent tactical speed,
and should be prominently placed early, but they haven't showcased the kind of
late kick that will likely be needed to win this race.
Selection: Sonofasamurai
Spinster Stakes
(gr. I)
This intriguing
nine-furlong race has drawn a combination of dirt and turf horses hoping to
find success on Polytrack. Last year's winner Aruna is back to try and
win it again, but although she has run well this year, she may have been in
slightly better form last fall.
So, if you think
she can be beat as the favorite, there are plenty of other fillies to choose
from. In Lingerie has proven herself to be a very capable three-year-old
filly, winning the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (gr. II) and Bourbonette Oaks (gr.
III), in addition to placing in the Alabama Stakes (gr. I) and Coaching Club
American Oaks (gr. I). Perhaps the best thing about her is that she is 2-for-2
over synthetic tracks, but she will be facing some good mares today, and it's
difficult to say how she'll fare against her elders.
Tiz Miz Sue has proven herself to be a capable competitor on dirt,
winning the Azeri Stakes (gr. III) and placing in races like the Apple Blossom
Handicap (gr. I), Delaware Handicap (gr. II), and Obeah Stakes (gr. III) during
this year alone, but she hasn't run on a synthetic track since 2009, when she
compiled a record of 1-2-0 in three starts over the Arlington Polytrack.
Chances are, she will be able to handle the Keeneland Polytrack just fine, and
assuming she does, she may be the most likely winner of this race.
Mystical Star won the New York Stakes (gr. II) in speedy fashion
during the Belmont Park spring meet, defeating Aruna by a length, and is
2-for-2 over the Keeneland Polytrack. She is versatile enough to be near the
front or well behind, depending upon the pace scenario, and looks like a
legitimate win contender.
Karlovy Vary won the Ashland Stakes (gr. I) during the Keeneland
spring meet, but was badly beaten last time out in the Garden City Stakes (gr.
I) at Belmont Park. At her best, she would be intriguing, but until she returns
to her spring form, it's difficult to pick her in a race like this.
Selection: Mystical
Star
Grey Stakes (gr.
III)
Uncaptured has won all four of his starts, including three stakes,
by a combined 9 3/4 lengths. He's stretching out beyond seven furlongs for the
first time, but being a son of Lion Heart out of an Arch mare, he should handle
the additional distance without any trouble. He is actually the early favorite
for the Kentucky Derby, which says something about his talent.
One colt that has
proven himself over a route of ground is Tesseron, a son of Tapit that
rallied for an eye-catching victory in a one-mile, seventy-yard maiden special
weight at Woodbine last month. He appears to be a talented colt, but time will
tell if he is in the same class as the favorite.
River Seven finished third to Uncaptured in the Clarendon Stakes,
second to him in the Vandal Stakes, and second to Tesseron in that one's maiden
victory. Stretching out to a mile and a sixteenth, the son of Johannesburg
should be rallying hard at the finish, and the added distance
may allow him to catch Uncaptured.
Selection: River Seven
L.A. Woman Stakes
It's hard to look
past Winding Way in this four-horse field, as the three-year-old filly
is undefeated in three starts, including an eye-catching victory in the Rancho
Bernardo Handicap (gr. III) at Del Mar. There are only two concerns: First, she
has never run on dirt. Second, she missed a considerable amount of training
with a foot issue following the Rancho Bernardo. She has trained well since
then, but she may need to get a race under her belt before returning to peak
form.
Thus, I'm am going
to take a shot with Rumor, who most recently finished third to Winding
Way in the Rancho Bernardo. Winner of the Kalookan Queen Handicap at Santa
Anita back in January, her decent tactical speed may enable her to grab the
early lead, slow down the pace, and hold off Winding Way's late challenge to
win the race.
Selection: Rumor
-Keelerman
Friday, October 05, 2012
Juddmonte Spinster Stakes Entries: Aruna goes for repeat victory
2011 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (gr. I) winner Aruna will look to secure a repeat victory in the prestigious $500,000 race when she heads to post against twelve others on Sunday at Keeneland.
Trained by Graham Motion, Aruna has had an on-and-off season this year, winning only the Sheepshead Bay Stakes (gr. II) while disappointing in races like the Jenny Wiley Stakes (gr. I) and Beverly D. Stakes (gr. I). But she has had more than her share of excuses for her poor showings, and assuming she is able to avoid traffic, a repeat victory in the Spinster is will within her capabilities.
Other contenders in this extremely deep field include grade I winners Summer Soiree and Karlovy Vary, as well as grade II and III victors Juanita, In Lingerie, Tiz Miz Sue, Upperline, Smart Sting, Starfomer, Mystical Star, and Kitty in a Tizzy.
Post Positions:
1 Disposablepleasure
2 Juanita
3 Aruna
4 Summer Soiree
5 In Lingerie
6 Tiz Miz Sue
7 Upperline
8 Nefertini
9 Smart Sting
10 Starformer
11 Mystical Star
12 Karlovy Vary
13 Kitty in a Tizzy
-Keelerman
Trained by Graham Motion, Aruna has had an on-and-off season this year, winning only the Sheepshead Bay Stakes (gr. II) while disappointing in races like the Jenny Wiley Stakes (gr. I) and Beverly D. Stakes (gr. I). But she has had more than her share of excuses for her poor showings, and assuming she is able to avoid traffic, a repeat victory in the Spinster is will within her capabilities.
Other contenders in this extremely deep field include grade I winners Summer Soiree and Karlovy Vary, as well as grade II and III victors Juanita, In Lingerie, Tiz Miz Sue, Upperline, Smart Sting, Starfomer, Mystical Star, and Kitty in a Tizzy.
Post Positions:
1 Disposablepleasure
2 Juanita
3 Aruna
4 Summer Soiree
5 In Lingerie
6 Tiz Miz Sue
7 Upperline
8 Nefertini
9 Smart Sting
10 Starformer
11 Mystical Star
12 Karlovy Vary
13 Kitty in a Tizzy
-Keelerman
Sunday, August 26, 2012
LOVE AND PRIDE WINS THE PERSONAL ENSIGN HANDICAP!
Love and Pride posted a 10-1 upset this afternoon in the $600,000 Personal Ensign Handicap (gr. I) at Saratoga, holding off a late bid from Royal Delta to win the nine-furlong race by a half-length.
Ridden to victory by John Velazquez, Love and Pride got off to a good start and found herself in second place early on, tracking a moderate pace of :23.16 and :47.69 set by Brushed by a Star. Royal Delta was racing in third on the outside, followed by It's Tricky, who stumbled very badly at the start and found herself off-the-pace rather than on the lead. Tiz Miz Sue and R Gypsy Gold were content to trail the field.
The positions remained unchanged down the backstretch, but rounding the final turn, Love and Pride moved up to take over the lead while Royal Delta loomed a serious threat on the far outside. Then, along the rail, It's Tricky found racing room and shot through to contend for the lead as the field turned for home.
It appeared as though the expected battle between It's Tricky and Royal Delta was about to materialize, but Love and Pride spurted away from them at the top of the stretch and appeared to be on her way to a decisive victory. Royal Delta rallied well inside the final eighth of a mile to make it close, but Love and Pride had enough left to pull off the upset, racing the nine furlongs in 1:49.22 seconds.
Royal Delta finished one length clear of It's Tricky, who flattened out just a bit in the homestretch. Tiz Miz Sue, Brushed by a Star, and R Gypsy Gold completed the order of finish. The winner is trained by Todd Pletcher.
-Keelerman
Ridden to victory by John Velazquez, Love and Pride got off to a good start and found herself in second place early on, tracking a moderate pace of :23.16 and :47.69 set by Brushed by a Star. Royal Delta was racing in third on the outside, followed by It's Tricky, who stumbled very badly at the start and found herself off-the-pace rather than on the lead. Tiz Miz Sue and R Gypsy Gold were content to trail the field.
The positions remained unchanged down the backstretch, but rounding the final turn, Love and Pride moved up to take over the lead while Royal Delta loomed a serious threat on the far outside. Then, along the rail, It's Tricky found racing room and shot through to contend for the lead as the field turned for home.
It appeared as though the expected battle between It's Tricky and Royal Delta was about to materialize, but Love and Pride spurted away from them at the top of the stretch and appeared to be on her way to a decisive victory. Royal Delta rallied well inside the final eighth of a mile to make it close, but Love and Pride had enough left to pull off the upset, racing the nine furlongs in 1:49.22 seconds.
Royal Delta finished one length clear of It's Tricky, who flattened out just a bit in the homestretch. Tiz Miz Sue, Brushed by a Star, and R Gypsy Gold completed the order of finish. The winner is trained by Todd Pletcher.
-Keelerman
SARATOGA STAKES ANALYSIS -- August 26th, 2012
Fillies and mares are the stars of the Sunday card, with six of them scheduled to head to post for the $600,000 Personal Ensign Handicap (gr. I). This year's renewal of the race will be run at nine furlongs, a furlong shorter than the ten-furlong distance that has been the race standard for years. So be sure to keep that in mind when handicapping the race.
The morning line favorite at 4-5 is Royal Delta, the Eclipse champion 3yo filly of 2011. One of the biggest triumphs of her career came here at Saratoga last year, when she won the ten-furlong Alabama Stakes (gr. I) by 5 1/2 impressive lengths over It's Tricky. Two starts later she defeated that same rival in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (gr. I), stamping herself as the division champion in the process.
Royal Delta began her 2012 season with a second-place finish to Awesome Maria in the Sabin Stakes (gr. III), followed by a traffic-troubled ninth in the Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) against males. But she rebounded thereafter to take the Fleur de Lis Handicap (gr. II) with overwhelming ease, and backed up that effort with a gritty neck victory in the Delaware Handicap (gr. II) despite racing perhaps a bit too close to a blazing pace. She has trained sharply since then, and given her affinity for this track, you have to think that this is her race to lose.
On the other hand, her old rival It's Tricky will surely have something to say about that. During her exceptional career, It's Tricky has won three grade I and two grade II stakes event for Godolphin Racing, including the 2011 Coaching Club American Oaks (gr. I) over Royal Delta. But two subsequent defeats at the hands of Royal Delta have left It's Tricky with the reputation of being the second-best filly or mare in the land -- something that could potentially change later this afternoon. After all, It's Tricky has been flawless this year, winning the Top Flight and Distaff Handicaps (both grade II) before upsetting Awesome Maria in the Ogden Phipps Handicap (gr. I) at Belmont Park. True, this will be her first start in three months, and she may prefer slightly shorter distances, but her recent training has been exceptional, and her tactical speed gives her a meaningful advantage over Royal Delta. Can she upset Royal Delta? Perhaps. At the very least, she should be able to give her more famed rival everything she can handle.
The clear third choice in this race is Tiz Miz Sue, a five-year-old daughter of Tiznow that has seems to be only now reaching her peak. Third in this race last year, Tiz Miz Sue began her year by running second in a pair of listed stakes at Oaklawn Park, the won the Azeri Stakes (gr. III) and finished third in the Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I) at that same track. She then shipped to Delaware Park, a track at which some of her best performances have come, and ran second in the Obeah Stakes (gr. III) as a prep for the Delaware Handicap. In that ten-furlong race, she was sent off at odds of 28-1 against Royal Delta, but made a bold run at the favorite and just missed winning by a neck. Some will argue that her performance was due in part to the fact that Royal Delta carried nine more pounds that day, but the weight assignments are the same for today's affair. Still, it's difficult to envision Tiz Miz Sue improving upon that effort today, for the circumstances were perfect for an upset in the Delaware Handicap, and now she must try and catch Royal Delta at a shorter distance and with a likely slower pace.
The rest of the entrants would need to show a great deal of improvement to contend for an exacta finish. Love and Pride defeated Tiz Miz Sue in the Obeah Stakes, but was fourth in the Delaware Handicap after setting a fast pace and was beaten by It's Tricky in the Top Flight Handicap earlier this year. Brushed by a Star has won three straight, including the Molly Pitcher Stakes (gr. II) last time out, but was well beaten in her only other graded stakes appearance and probably isn't quite as good as the top two. R Gypsy Gold finished an even third in the Molly Pitcher, and now takes a large step up in class for trainer Todd Pletcher.
My selection is . . . hey, there was a dead-heat in the Travers yesterday, I'll take Royal Delta and It's Tricky! Oh, all right, I won't take the easy way out. For the moment, my selection is Royal Delta, but I could easy select It's Tricky and may if the track seems to be speed-favoring. Regardless of who wins, this should be one of the most exciting races of the Saratoga meet, and perhaps even the year.
-Keelerman
The morning line favorite at 4-5 is Royal Delta, the Eclipse champion 3yo filly of 2011. One of the biggest triumphs of her career came here at Saratoga last year, when she won the ten-furlong Alabama Stakes (gr. I) by 5 1/2 impressive lengths over It's Tricky. Two starts later she defeated that same rival in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (gr. I), stamping herself as the division champion in the process.
Royal Delta began her 2012 season with a second-place finish to Awesome Maria in the Sabin Stakes (gr. III), followed by a traffic-troubled ninth in the Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) against males. But she rebounded thereafter to take the Fleur de Lis Handicap (gr. II) with overwhelming ease, and backed up that effort with a gritty neck victory in the Delaware Handicap (gr. II) despite racing perhaps a bit too close to a blazing pace. She has trained sharply since then, and given her affinity for this track, you have to think that this is her race to lose.
On the other hand, her old rival It's Tricky will surely have something to say about that. During her exceptional career, It's Tricky has won three grade I and two grade II stakes event for Godolphin Racing, including the 2011 Coaching Club American Oaks (gr. I) over Royal Delta. But two subsequent defeats at the hands of Royal Delta have left It's Tricky with the reputation of being the second-best filly or mare in the land -- something that could potentially change later this afternoon. After all, It's Tricky has been flawless this year, winning the Top Flight and Distaff Handicaps (both grade II) before upsetting Awesome Maria in the Ogden Phipps Handicap (gr. I) at Belmont Park. True, this will be her first start in three months, and she may prefer slightly shorter distances, but her recent training has been exceptional, and her tactical speed gives her a meaningful advantage over Royal Delta. Can she upset Royal Delta? Perhaps. At the very least, she should be able to give her more famed rival everything she can handle.
The clear third choice in this race is Tiz Miz Sue, a five-year-old daughter of Tiznow that has seems to be only now reaching her peak. Third in this race last year, Tiz Miz Sue began her year by running second in a pair of listed stakes at Oaklawn Park, the won the Azeri Stakes (gr. III) and finished third in the Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I) at that same track. She then shipped to Delaware Park, a track at which some of her best performances have come, and ran second in the Obeah Stakes (gr. III) as a prep for the Delaware Handicap. In that ten-furlong race, she was sent off at odds of 28-1 against Royal Delta, but made a bold run at the favorite and just missed winning by a neck. Some will argue that her performance was due in part to the fact that Royal Delta carried nine more pounds that day, but the weight assignments are the same for today's affair. Still, it's difficult to envision Tiz Miz Sue improving upon that effort today, for the circumstances were perfect for an upset in the Delaware Handicap, and now she must try and catch Royal Delta at a shorter distance and with a likely slower pace.
The rest of the entrants would need to show a great deal of improvement to contend for an exacta finish. Love and Pride defeated Tiz Miz Sue in the Obeah Stakes, but was fourth in the Delaware Handicap after setting a fast pace and was beaten by It's Tricky in the Top Flight Handicap earlier this year. Brushed by a Star has won three straight, including the Molly Pitcher Stakes (gr. II) last time out, but was well beaten in her only other graded stakes appearance and probably isn't quite as good as the top two. R Gypsy Gold finished an even third in the Molly Pitcher, and now takes a large step up in class for trainer Todd Pletcher.
My selection is . . . hey, there was a dead-heat in the Travers yesterday, I'll take Royal Delta and It's Tricky! Oh, all right, I won't take the easy way out. For the moment, my selection is Royal Delta, but I could easy select It's Tricky and may if the track seems to be speed-favoring. Regardless of who wins, this should be one of the most exciting races of the Saratoga meet, and perhaps even the year.
-Keelerman
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Personal Ensign Stakes Entries and Post Positions
Here are the entries and post positions for the $600,000 Personal Ensign Handicap (gr. I), to be run on Sunday at Saratoga. The prestigious nine-furlong race has drawn a small but exceptional field of six fillies and mares, led by 2011 Eclipse champion Royal Delta and three-time grade I winner It's Tricky.
1 It's Tricky
2 Brushed by a Star
3 Love and Pride
4 Royal Delta
5 R Gypsy Gold
6 Tiz Miz Sue
-Keelerman
1 It's Tricky
2 Brushed by a Star
3 Love and Pride
4 Royal Delta
5 R Gypsy Gold
6 Tiz Miz Sue
-Keelerman
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Delaware Handicap Entries and Post Positions
Here are the entries and post positions for the $750,000 Delaware Handicap (gr. II), to be run on Saturday at Delaware Park. The prestigious ten-furlong race for fillies and mares has drawn a terrific field of seven, led by last year's champion three-year-old filly Royal Delta and grade I stakes winner Awesome Maria.
-Keelerman
-Keelerman
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)