Cantrel sets sights on bigger prizes

Bigger races are on the horizon for Cantrel, the 3-year-old filly who turned in an eye-popping performance last week at Penn National Race Course.

Owner-trainer Scott Lake said he is considering two six-figure stakes on June 16 for Cantrel's next start. He intends to run her in either the $100,000 Jostle, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint at Philadelphia Park, or stretch her out to 1 1/16 miles for the $175,000 Susan's Girl at Delaware Park, a prep for the $500,000 Delaware Oaks on July 14.

Cantrel romped to an 18-length victory in the $45,650 Wonders Delight Stakes on May 17, just 11 days after easily defeating allowance runners at Philly Park. Despite being taken in hand by jockey Jose Flores in the final sixteenth, she completed the six furlongs of the Wonders Delight in 1:09.20, just .43 of a second off the track record, after setting swift fractions of 22.16 and 44.18 seconds. She was awarded a 96 Beyer Speed Figure.

Cantrel made her first start for Lake on May 6 at Philly Park, winning a first-level allowance by five lengths and earning a 92 Beyer.

"She looks like she could be something special," Lake said. "I had a lot of inquiries about selling her after she won that allowance race at Philly Park and her value just went up now that she is a stakes winner."

Cantrel, a Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Gulch out of the mare Red Satin Slippers, originally caught Lake's eye in her career debut, in which she finished seventh.

"I ran Blitzensfoxyvixen at Delaware last August and Cantrel was in the same maiden special weight sprint," Lake said. "Cantrel tired after chasing a fast pace and I made a mental note that if she dropped in for a claiming tag, I was going to drop in a claim."

Lake took Cantrel for $40,000 when she made her second start and defeated maidens last September.

Blitzensfoxyvixen is still with Lake, and coincidentally, she completed a one-two finish for the barn in the Wonders Delight.