Bootleggers Wife gets a distance test in Princess Margaret
Bootleggers Wife looks like the one they will have to catch and beat in the $50,000 Princess Margaret at Northlands Park on Friday evening. The six-furlong dash for 2-year-old fillies is the first stakes race for juveniles at the meet, and if Bootleggers Wife can carry her substantial speed around two turns, her six opponents are running for second money.
Bootleggers Wife was an overlay at 6-1 when she won her debut going 3 1/2 furlongs in a maiden special weight race July 11. According to DRF’s Formulator, over the past five years, her trainer, Tim Rycroft, has a 30 percent strike rate with debuting juveniles in maiden special weight races. If that wasn’t enough to attract more attention, the daughter of Leroidesanimaux also has strong win-early breeding on her dam’s side. She is the first foal out of La Chica Sensual, a debut winner who won four races, including two stakes as a 2-year-old. One of her wins came in the $400,000 Florida Stallion My Dear Girl Stakes.
Bootleggers Wife likely will be favored in the Princess Margaret. Her final time of 38.80 seconds is the fastest for 2-year-olds at the meet, and she was well in hand the final sixteenth. With her good speed, she could be gone if she breaks alertly from post 2 with Shannon Beauregard retaining the mount.
Trainer Greg Tracy also has had a lot of success with 2-year-olds, and he has entered Raise a Dancer and Onestaratatime.
Raise a Dancer won a 3 1/2-furlong, $20,000 maiden-claiming race in her only start.
Onestaratatime finished third as the odds-on favorite when she debuted in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race July 1.
KEY CONTENDERS
Bootleggers Wife (Beyer: 62)
◗ She is flat-out fast and has the pedigree to easily handle six furlongs. Catch her if you can.
Onestaratatime (Beyer: 9)
◗ She disappointed as the heavy favorite in her debut, but she has a two-turn race behind her and could take a big step forward here.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Over the past five years at Northlands, Tracy has won with 32 percent of his 2-year-olds running in non-graded stakes races. The number swells to 61 percent with Rico Walcott riding.
Beswick (Beyers: 21-27)
◗ Trained by Rod Cone, she improved in her second start. She also is the only horse with a win in a two-turn sprint.