Cowgirls Like Us, Silvercents try something new in La Senorita

As the lone stakes winners in the field, Cowgirls Like Us and Silvercents will start as the top choices in Tuesday night’s $75,000 La Senorita at Retama Park, but both must answer distance and surface questions in the one-mile turf race for 2-year-old fillies.

“You just don’t know until you put them out there and try,” said Bret Calhoun, who trains Cowgirls Like Us.

The La Senorita will share a card with the $75,000 El Joven for 2-year-olds at a mile on turf. The races serve as the signature stakes of the Retama meet, which closes Wednesday.

Cowgirls Like Us will be making both her two-turn and turf debut after winning her maiden in a $65,000 division of the Texas Stallion Stakes Aug. 15 at Retama. She dueled from the rail through fractions of 21.75 seconds for the opening quarter and 44.71 for the half-mile, then darted clear to take the six furlong race in 1:10.58.

“We were not surprised about the performance - we were surprised by the way and manner in which she did it,” Calhoun said. “We were surprised she was on the lead with the hot fractions. I think mentally she’s kind of putting things together.

“I believe two turns is exactly what she wants with her body style and pedigree. The grass is a bigger variable for us than the two turns. Obviously, she’s never done either one, but I do believe two turns is what she wants to do. My biggest concern right now is the big race [she ran] and coming back on a short turnaround. She seems to be doing well.”

Cowgirls Like Us is by My Golden Song, who is getting 18 percent winners from his first-time turf starters, according to statistics from Daily Racing Form.

Cowgirls Like Us will break from post 2 in the field of six. Jamie Theriot has the mount for breeder and owner Douglas Scharbauer.

Silvercents also is making her two-turn and turf debut off a stakes win, having won the $50,000 Louisiana Cup Juvenile Fillies at six furlongs Aug. 4 at Louisiana Downs. Silvercents is seeking to become one of the first turf winners for her young sire, Goldencents, while her stakes-winning dam has produced a three-time turf winner in Ubu.

Sasha Risenhoover has the mount for trainer Terry Eoff.

Calhoun has the probable favorite in the seven-horse El Joven in Mucho Dinero, who closed for third in a $65,000 division of the Texas Stallion Stakes on Aug. 15 at Retama.

“He’s screaming for more ground,” Calhoun said. “I think he did everything he could with those kind of horses at a sprint distance last time. He was at a definite disadvantage. He seems like a horse who wants more ground.”

The chief threat could be Shotsoft, who won a maiden special weight at two turns on turf July 31 at Retama. He is a full brother to seven-time stakes winner Supermason.