Dazzlingsweetheart keeps improving ahead of Minnesota Oaks

Dazzlingsweetheart, the 9-5 morning-line favorite to win the $85,000 Minnesota Oaks, feels at least like an appealing exotic-wager anchor at that price. But Smooth Chiraz, priced at 6-5 for the $85,000 Minnesota Derby, feels like a vulnerable favorite.

The races, both at one mile and 70 yards for Minnesota-breds, are co-featured on the Saturday card at Canterbury. The Oaks goes as race 7 at 4:15 p.m. Central and the Derby as race 8 at 4:44.

Dazzlingsweetheart, trained by Joe Sharp for owners Barry and Joni Butzow, has started her career with three wins and has run better in every start. And while she probably benefitted from racing on the best part of an inside- and speed-favoring surface in winning the $60,000 Frances Genter in her most recent start, she did not at all benefit from breaking slowly from the rail in that start.

In fact, Dazzlingsweetheart has gotten away slowly in all of her races and has won anyway. And while she went to the front and won last time, her first two victories came with stalking trips. Another poor start Saturday will hurt her less as Dazzingsweetheart tries two turns for the first time, and her versatile style and her pedigree – she’s by Dazzling Falls and out of a Sahm mare – suggest that the distance should be well within her scope.

Honey’s Sox Appeal and Stella’s Princess, second and third in the Genter, are back for more Saturday, but neither seems likely to turn the tables, and Jeana Baby, a daughter of Super Saver making her dirt-route debut, could offer a touch of value as an exacta partner for the favorite.

As for Smooth Chiraz, he was totally dominant in winning the $60,000 Victor S. Myers on the same day as the Genter – perhaps too much so. Smooth Chiraz, trained by Francisco Bravo for Ann Sachdev and Lori Bravo, won by seven lengths and earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure, easily a career best. Regression looms a strong possibility, and that does not even address the distance and pace issues for the likely strong favorite.

Smooth Chiraz is by Chitoz, a son of Forest Wildcat, and out of a Star Dabbler mare, a fast horse bred to sprint. He has shown a willingness to rate off another horse, but while stretching to two turns, Smooth Chiraz is certain to be forwardly placed Saturday, and there is plenty of other speed signed on to quicken the tempo, perhaps beyond a breaking point.

One of the pace players is True West, whose trainer, Karl Broberg, has a second entrant, X L Tee, who will be racing from midpack or farther back. X L Tee has started only on turf, but he does show encouraging dirt works at Canterbury, and if his form holds up on the surface switch, he is capable of winning at a fair price.

In the same pace-meltdown vein, Reigning Warrior also is worth considering. He finished a wide fifth behind X L Tee on turf last time but won his maiden two back in a Minnesota-bred dirt-route, rallying from well behind the early leaders.