Enola Gray facing open company for first time in Beverly Lewis Stakes
CYPRESS, Calif. – Enola Gray has been tenderly campaigned in recent months. She was the easy winner of two stakes for California-breds in May and July when owners Nick Alexander and Phil D’Amato could have tried the highly promising filly in more difficult graded stakes.
On Sunday at Los Alamitos, Enola Gray will race against open company for the first time in the $75,000 Beverly Lewis Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs. The minor stakes is unlikely to be a significant test.
Enola Gray will be heavily favored to beat four rivals, only one of whom is a stakes winner. If Enola Gray wins, as expected, Alexander and D’Amato will take a different approach to her next few starts. Races such as the $250,000 Raven Run Stakes at seven furlongs at Keeneland on Oct. 22 and the $300,000 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita in late December are tentatively scheduled.
The Lewis Stakes was not Enola Gray’s initial late-summer target. She was entered in the Torrey Pines Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 28 but was withdrawn the day of the race because of illness. Even the plan for a start in the Lewis was slightly disrupted. The race was originally scheduled for Saturday but did not draw sufficient entries on Wednesday. The race was reopened on Thursday and drew five for Sunday’s running.
Enola Gray will be so heavily favored that Los Alamitos will not have show betting, avoiding a potential minus show pool.
KEY CONTENDERS
Enola Gray, by Grazen
Last 3 Beyers: 100-94-99
◗ Enola Gray drew post 4 and will be a danger from the front. In three starts, she has proven to be quick for jockey Tyler Baze, winning those races by a combined 26 1/4 lengths.
◗ There will be minimal talk of strategy between D’Amato and Baze. Bendable and Uptown Twirl have enough speed to run with Enola Gray in the opening furlong, but such a move could be costly.
“Tyler knows the filly well,” D’Amato said. “With an outside post, I’ll leave it up to him.”
◗ Enola Gray worked five furlongs in 59.20 seconds at Los Alamitos last Monday, which left D’Amato certain she had recovered from the late-August illness.
“Even though we did treat her to clean up the mucus, she trained every day,” he said. “Her blood work was good. Judging from the way she breezed, she lost nothing.”
Uptown Twirl, by Twirling Candy
Last 3 Beyers: 82-84-74
◗ Uptown Twirl has won her last two starts in minor stakes at six furlongs for 3-year-old fillies – the Surfside Stakes at Los Alamitos in April and the Pleasanton Oaks at the Alameda County Fair in June.
“I would think we’re the second choice behind Enola Gray,” trainer John Sadler said. “It’s the right race for her. It’s 3-year-old fillies and not older horses at this time of year.”
Bendable, by Horse Greeley
Last 3 Beyers: 94-87-88
◗ Bendable will have her stakes debut in the Lewis Stakes. She was second in an optional claimer at Del Mar on July 27 in her latest start, racing near the front throughout.
“She’s fast,” trainer Richard Mandella said.
◗ Mike Smith rides Bendable, the last of his two mounts on Sunday’s nine-race program.