While the $40,000 All Sold Out Stakes at Fairmount Park has a field mostly made up of locally trained fillies, the likely favorite, Tak's Wish, has been plying her trade on far tougher circuits, including Arlington Park.
Owned and trained by Dawn Martin, Tak's Wish placed twice in open maiden special weights at Churchill Downs and Arlington before stepping down into the Illinois-bred ranks for her third start, finishing a distant second. Tak's Wish finally graduated against statebreds at Arlington in her fourth start, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 60.
If an upset is going to occur, Fairmount maiden winners Fearless Morgan, Yuxon Gold, and Cloudy and Rain are likely candidates, though all three will have to improve dramatically to defeat Tak's Wish.
There are two first-time starters in the All Sold Out, including Long Ball, who is owned by William Stiritz, who holds a majority interest in Fairmount Park. Long Ball, trained by Terry Gestes, shows several good works, and Gestes is winning at a 39 percent clip this meet. Long Ball, though, is by Royal Academy and out of a Diesis mare, which suggests she might be better suited to turf.
Post time for the special Labor Day card is 1 p.m. Central. Fairmount will be dark Tuesday, which is a normally a live racing day.