Euro imports Zofelle, Dalika square off in Pago Hop Stakes

Zofelle, an Irish-bred filly who began her career in England, and Dalika, a German import, are the key players Saturday in New Orleans in the $75,000 Pago Hop, a one-mile grass race for 3-year-old fillies.

There’s plenty of depth to the race, too, if you don’t fancy either of the European expatriates, with an overflow field entered in the Pago Hop.

Dalika has the shinier résumé leading into Saturday’s race, but Zofelle gets the nod at what figures to be at least a slightly longer price.

Zofelle rated only as a middling prospect racing for English trainer Hugo Palmer at age 2 and during the first half of this season, but she has taken a liking to American racing with a sharp Keeneland first-level allowance win in October and a victory over older horses last out at Fair Grounds at the second-allowance class in a turf race also open to $40,000 claimers. There, Zofelle got somewhat rank early after being caught in tight quarters, and despite lacking a clean run through the homestretch, she powered to the wire to post an eye-catching one-length win. Trainer Brendan Walsh said the next day that the Pago Hop was the target and with 23 days between starts only had to work Zofelle a half-mile for this race.

Dalika moves up on a wet turf course – or so her form indicates – and has a strong chance regardless of course conditions. Trained by Al Stall, Dalika has yet to win a stakes, but ran well enough to win many such races Nov. 29 at Churchill in the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere, where she held the lead at the stretch call before being run down late by the Chad Brown-trained Nay Lady Nay. A deep, tiring autumn course might’ve helped Dalika there, and it’s easier to see her taking a slight step back Saturday than simply repeating that peak performance.

Winning Envelope finished fifth with a wide trip in the Mrs. Revere and has contending form for the Pago Hop through a second-level turf allowance victory over older horses about 10 weeks ago at Keeneland.

Oxy Lady and Classic Fit appear to be the principal players should the Pago Hop get rained from turf onto dirt.

Change of Control back quick

Hotshot Anna, winner of the first filly-and-mare turf-sprint stakes this season at Fair Grounds, still is on the mend from an eye injury, but Saturday’s Pan Zareta Stakes, a 5 1/2-furlong grass dash, drew plenty of other capable entrants.

Eleven horses went into the Pan Zareta, including Play On and May Lily, part of a three-horse photo finish with Hotshot Anna in the Richie Scherer Memorial Stakes on Nov. 30 at Fair Grounds.

Both those horses could win, but the pick is Change of Control, who wheels back into action for trainer Michelle Lovell 13 days after a decisive second-level turf-sprint allowance win over the Fair Grounds course. Three-year-old Change of Control was coming off a two-month break for that start, has been campaigned judiciously this season, and should be fresh enough to run right back to that recent performance level. She has a versatile running style, a good enough draw in post 9, and figures to be a fair price in the Pan Zareta.

Play On had a two-length stretch-call lead in the Richie Scherer but was nailed on the wire by Hotshot Anna while racing over a course that was favoring outside closers at the time.

Ambassador Luna, Quebec, and Violent Times also rate a shot, while Ruby Trust becomes the most likely winner if the race is moved to dirt because of wet conditions.