Divine Huntress sets sights on Rachel Alexandra Stakes
Coming to New Orleans by way of Parx Racing and Tampa Bay Downs is not a path much traveled, but that is how the 3-year-old filly Divine Huntress is expected to get to Fair Grounds for the Rachel Alexandra Stakes on Feb. 19.
Divine Huntress, pending a weekend workout at Tampa Bay, will make her stakes debut in the Grade 2, $300,000 Rachel Alexandra, trainer Graham Motion said Wednesday, and the filly looks like a player.
Third in her career debut, Divine Huntress won her second start, a seven-furlong Parx maiden race on Dec. 13, by 2 1/4 lengths over a filly named Misty Mauve and looked good doing it. Motion trains Misty Mauve, whom he liked in the race and who finished more than seven lengths clear of the third horse home. Wheels began to turn, and Aron Wellman’s Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners purchased a majority interest in Divine Huntress, with Ricky Buckley, a previous owner and the filly’s first trainer, staying in for a share.
“I’m always bouncing horses off Aron, who’s very clever finding horses himself,” Motion said.
Divine Huntress ran back for new connections in a first-level allowance Jan. 19 at Parx, getting her first two-turn test and acing it. Racing near the back of a six-horse field during the early and middle stages, Divine Huntress bounded to the lead on the far turn and drew away to win by nearly 13 lengths, earning an 81 Beyer Speed Figure.
“She’s very classy and couldn’t have done that any easier,” said Motion, who believes longer distances will benefit rather than compromise Divine Huntress, a Maryland-bred daughter of Divining Rod. “You only have so many options this time of year going two turns, and the [Rachel Alexandra] seemed like the most logical one for us.
Motion said he shipped Divine Huntress from his barn at Fair Hill in Maryland to Tampa in order to find better weather and allow an easier ship to Fair Grounds. Jose Ortiz, who will ride the filly in the Rachel Alexandra, is scheduled to work her this weekend and if Divine Huntress works suitably, she’ll ship to New Orleans on Wednesday.
Others expected for the 1 1/16-mile race, which will be drawn Saturday, are Awake At Midnyte, Dream Lith, Hidden Connection, La Crete, North County, and Miss Mattie B.