Cookie Dough, Cajun Firecracker stuck outside in Florida Sire Series stakes

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Cookie Dough figured to be a heavy favorite in Saturday’s $400,000 My Dear Girl Stakes coming off her one-sided victory four weeks earlier in the Susan’s Girl Stakes. But it remains to be seen how the betting public will treat the Arindel homebred after she drew post 12 in an overflow field of 13 juvenile fillies entered for the 1 1/16-mile My Dear Girl, the final leg of the fillies’ division of the Florida Sire Series.

Cookie Dough wasn’t the only top Sire Series contender compromised at Wednesday’s post-position draw since, barring any scratches, Cajun Firecracker also will break from the 12 hole in the open-division finale, the $400,000 In Reality. Cajun Firecracker captured the first leg of that series, the six-furlong Dr. Fager, this past summer.

The My Dear Girl and In Reality will highlight a 14-race card here Saturday featuring five other stakes, with first post at noon Eastern.

Over the last five years, there has been only a single winner from the 25 horses to have started from post 12 in races here at 1 1/16 miles over the main track, a not-so-surprising statistic considering the short run to the first turn in races at that distance.

Cookie Dough leaped to the top of her division with a 6 1/2-length victory as a 12-1 outsider when stretching out to seven furlongs in the Susan’s Girl. She does have the speed to possibly overcome her post, as evidenced by a razor-sharp 45.80-second half-mile drill Sept. 15.

Starship Nala and Blazing Brooke, second and third in the Susan’s Girl, were more fortunate at the draw, pulling posts 5 and 2.

Trainer Steve Dwoskin, who won the 2017 My Dear Girl with Starship Bonita, said he’s uncertain whether Starship Nala will get the added distance.

“She’s a half to Starship Jubilee, who did well around two turns but on turf, which is a little different,” said Dwoskin, who also entered Starship Madonna in the My Dear Girl. “Her breeding doesn’t suggest two turns. But she’s training well. I tried to take some speed out of her in her recent works, and we’re very encouraged off her performance at seven furlongs.”

Cajun Firecracker finished a tiring third behind stablemate Garter and Tie in the seven-furlong Affirmed following his narrow win over the odds-on Fully Loaded in the Dr. Fager. He, too, has enough early speed to potentially secure a good position from the extreme outside post in the In Reality.

Garter and Tie will break from post 4 for trainer Ralph Nicks and should be favored off his well-graded, half-length decision over Well Defined in the Affirmed. Garter and Tie blew out an easy three furlongs in 37.55 here Wednesday. Well Defined looms the main danger once again if able to harness his abundant speed in his two-turn debut.