Atlantic's Smile, Irish Whisper to duke it out
As has become customary, the pick six was not hit over the weekend, so the week begins with a carryover of $95,181 on races 4 through 9 Wednesday.
There should be a bonus prize for anyone who comes up with the winner of race 8, a $67,000 first-level allowance sprint that drew 15 fillies and mares, including also-eligible Coast of Sangria.
There are four New York-bred allowance winners in the mix, headed by Atlantic’s Smile and Irish Whisper, whose identical Beyer Speed Figure peaks of 83 are the fastest on dirt by those in the main body. They earned those figures taking second-level New York-bred optional-claiming races on the lead, and loom primary early pace players dropping from stakes.
Atlantic’s Smile has led early in all three of her dirt races this year, and saved the place in the Arctic Queen Stakes at Finger Lakes most recently.
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Irish Whisper ran her peak race at Aqueduct’s spring meet, and was then idle until last month’s Iroquois, when she out-broke La Verdad for the lead before being eased back.
Linda Rice entered the uncoupled 3-year-olds Privately Speaking and Medaglia d’Argento, whose running styles may complement each other.
Privately Speaking stretches out from three short dashes on turf, and returns to dirt for the first time since a debut victory in July of last year.
Medaglia d’Argento is a closer who has never run at a distance shorter than one mile, and she turns back after running in two off-the-turf routes at Belmont.
A host of other viable threats includes last-out winners Bossy Saratoga and Irish Sweepstakes as well as Madre Ditutticapi, a winner at the Big A back in late March.
KEY CONTENDERS
Bossy Saratoga (Last 3 Beyers: 77-65-66)
◗ She has won 2 of 3 starts for the trainer-jockey combination of Tom Morley and Manuel Franco.
◗ Franco comes off a five-win weekend that included a sweep of Sunday’s two $100,000 stakes.
◗ Her half-mile workout on Nov. 4 was best of 58 at the distance.
Irish Sweepstakes (Last 3 Beyers: 78-72-76)
◗ She is among four in the field that have won at Wednesday’s distance, along with Irish Whisper, Madre Ditutticapi, and Coast of Sangria.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Trainer Mark Hennig has a $2.33 return on investment with more than 250 dirt runners in 2013-14.
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Sun and Moon (Last 3 Beyers: 77-77-67)
◗ She recently broke through with a maiden win at Belmont, after five runner-up finishes.