Developing talent abounds in Letellier Stakes

Short, soft fields have dragged down recent editions of the Letellier Stakes to the extent one wondered if the six-furlong race for 2-year-old fillies merited a place on the Fair Grounds stakes calendar. That trend has come to a screeching halt. The issue for handicappers regarding the $75,000 Letellier, one of six stakes Saturday at Fair Grounds, is too many talented fillies, not too few.

Ten are entered in the Letellier, and contention realistically runs eight-deep, with only Kajawa and Eskendar looking unlikely. Idle Hour and Q Go Girl, both trained by Brendan Walsh, occupy a tier just above those two but each won her career debut, and while the competition in those races was suspect, there’s nothing to say both fillies don’t have more to give.

Listed as the 7-2 morning-line favorite is Lady T N T, but she’s no more likely to go off favored than several others in the Letellier. Lady T N T flopped in the two-turn Grade 1 Alcibiades last out, but previously had scored easy front-running wins in a Saratoga maiden and a Churchill first-level allowance.

Lady T N T won’t shake loose on the Letellier lead without working hard, and feels like a horse with less upside than several here. Among those with more exposed form, Adventurous Lady could be a superior performer. Adventurous Lady developed early and won for the first time at five furlongs, but she has adapted to class rises and distance increases, banking more than $135,000 this season while going 3-2-0 from six starts.

“She’s a class act to be around, easy to run and very competitive,” said trainer Steve Asmussen.

Still, Adventurous Lady probably will find one or two foes with a touch more talent Saturday. Three fillies – Bell’s the One, Smila’ssenseofsnow, and Unholy Alliance – have started their careers with two wins, each following a debut maiden win with a first-level allowance.

:: Want to get the latest news with your past performances? Try DRF’s new digital PPs

Bell’s the One might’ve impressed the most, winning a very productive Arlington maiden race before beating eight in a three-length Keeneland allowance win. Bell’s the One has displayed a professional stalk-and-pounce style, though she will have to cope Saturday with her first inside draw.

Unholy Alliance only has raced at Churchill and has employed a deeper closing style than Bell’s the One.

“She’s really training well,” said trainer Brad Cox. “She’s not a big filly. She doesn’t want to be rushed early, but on paper there’s plenty of pace.”

Smila’ssenseofsnow’s wins both came in main-track starts originally carded for turf. She’s led both times but “will work however her rider wants her to work” in morning training, according to trainer Hugh Robertson, who’d prefer his filly race from off the pace. “That was a pretty weak bunch she beat last time, I think. We’ll get a little more of a line on her.”

That leaves one more entrant, Istan Council, the tepid pick to win. Unholy Alliance handled Istan Council in their common career debut, but Istan Council came right back to convert a tricky inside trip to a sharp Keeneland maiden victory. If it was only a wet track that derailed her last out, she can bounce back as a price in a very salty Letellier.

Super Steed not lacking talent

Super Steed flashed talent at Keeneland in his career debut, built on it in a Churchill Downs allowance win, and enters Saturday’s $75,000 Sugar Bowl Stakes as one of the more interesting prospects for early-season 3-year-old stakes of 2019.

By Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, Super Steed is the second foal to race from the Elusive Quality mare Totally Tucker, a sister to Arkansas Derby winner Danza and Majestic Harbor, a multiple graded-stakes winner in two-turn dirt races.

Route starts might not be far in the future, but Super Steed in his pair of starts has shown fast-twitch tendencies that can help him win the six-furlong Sugar Bowl. At Keeneland he unleashed a mega middle move, eventually falling a neck short of the winning Steve Asmussen-trained colt Boldor while more than 11 lengths clear of third. A month ago at Churchill – trainer Larry Jones showing supreme confidence racing his maiden in a first-level allowance – Super Steed left no doubt, drawing away to a six-length slop-romp.

Super Steed already has run fast enough to win the Sugar Bowl, and with a favorable outside draw he figures to be bet below his 4-1 morning-line odds.

One-run closer Hog Creek Hustle floundered in a route try but is 2 for 2 in sprints, though he probably needs pace help to succeed.

Manny Wah ran into top 2-year-old Improbable last out in the Street Sense Stakes and might appreciate cutting back from that one-turn mile.

Wynn Time to try turf in Bonapaw

The $75,000 Bonapaw Stakes is a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint and its leading entrant, Wynn Time, is a dirt horse – so far.

Wynn Time, the top older sprinter at Fair Grounds, returned from a long layoff with a strong win in the Thanksgiving Handicap. Eight of his races have come on dirt, one on Polytrack, but trainer Hugh Robertson is inclined to keep Wynn Time in the Bonapaw even if the race remains on grass.

“I’ll try him once on turf,” Robertson said. “The next dirt race for him doesn’t come back for a month and this will at least keep me from having to work him so hard.”

Wynn Time has more turf on his sire’s side than his dam’s and probably presents a negative value proposition on grass. Kitten’s Cat, who drops a notch or two in class with solid turf-sprint form, would be fair-priced at something like his morning-line 5-1.