Capote's Crown has right genes

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Capote's Crown will be following in some very fast footsteps when she launches her 3-year-old campaign against 11 other fillies in Friday's $33,000 allowance feature at Gulfstream Park.

Capote's Crown is the baby sister of the multiple graded stakes winner Smokey Glacken, who has already won a pair of Grade 3 stakes here this winter, including the Hurricane Bertie last weekend.

gave every indication during a brief 2-year-old campaign that she could ultimately be every bit as fast and successful as her older sister. She opened her juvenile season with a 2 1/2-length win and concluded it with a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Tempted Stakes.

"We decided to give her a little break after the Tempted to let her put some weight on, but things didn't work out like we wanted and it took a little more time to get her back than we'd expected," said Kiaran McLaughlin, who trains Capote's Crown for the Eldon Farm LLC. "We wanted her to be running a month ago, but she's back now and doing great. Her sister is all speed and class, and Capote's Crown has got plenty of speed, too. She won her first career start going 6 1/2 furlongs, she's ready to go, and this looks like a good place to get started."

As usual, the horse to beat comes out of the potent barn of leading trainer Todd Pletcher, who counters Capote's Crown with the equally promising Ready to Please. A daughter of More Than Ready, returned from an eight-month layoff to beat a good field of maidens by two widening lengths here on Jan. 15. She earned an 84 Beyer Speed Figure, the second best in Friday's lineup behind only the 86 posted by Capote's Crown in the Tempted.

is the only undefeated member of the field and one of seven fillies coming off a win. Song of Music ran to her backing when she launched her career with an easy 4 1/4-length victory at Calder on Dec. 21. She has trained well at Calder for her return and is one of the first horses to compete under the Buckram Oak Farm colors of Mahmoud Fustok since he died earlier this month.

are the only two multiple winners in the field. Image of Mother steps back up into allowance company after being claimed for $40,000 off a 2 1/4-length victory on Jan. 20.

Bond Queen has won 3 of 7 starts, including an easy 4 3/4-length victory against $60,000 claimers here on Feb. 5.