Fair Grounds: Seaneen Girl, Gal About Town getting ready for stakes

NEW ORLEANS - Working for the first time since winning the Grade 2 Golden Rod last month at Churchill Downs, Seaneen Girl breezed a half-mile in 50.60 seconds Tuesday at the Fair Grounds. She ran the final furlong in about 12 seconds. Jockey Miguel Mena was riding.

“She comes smoking down the lane,” trainer Bernie Flint said as he watched from his vehicle parked along the stretch. “We’ve got a long way to go. She’s growing right now as we speak.”

Flint, whose long-range goal for Seaneen Girl is the Kentucky Oaks, said, “She’ll have one or two [races] here, then she’ll go up there.”
The local series of two-turn stakes races for 3-year-old fillies is the Silverbulletday on Jan. 19, Grade 3 Rachel Alexandra on Feb. 23, and Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks on March 30.

Flint purchased Seaneen Girl privately for owner Naveed Chowhan after she finished second to Spring Venture in the Grade 3 Mazarine in October at Woodbine.

“It was the pedigree initially that got me in there,” Flint said of his interest in Seaneen Girl, a chestnut daughter of Spring At Last and the Afternoon Deelites mare Afternoon Krystal. “I like that horse Spring At Last. I watched as many [of his offspring] as I could around the country.’’

Seaneen Girl, who has won two of six starts, began her career under trainer Robert Tiller at Woodbine. She made a winning debut against $50,000 maiden claimers before finishing fifth in the Ontario Debutante. After losing twice in $40,000 claiming company, she ran in the Mazarine.

“I was watching her the whole time,” Flint said. “I didn’t expect her to go in that stakes race.”

Flint went to Woodbine to see her after the Mazarine and made the deal.

“I liked what I saw,” he said. “Just like you go to a sale, they had some other people interested in her, too. I gave a big premium.”

He didn’t divulge the price, but did say it was “quite a bit more’’ than her claiming prices.

Gal About Town works toward Silverbulletday

Trainer Bret Calhoun said that Gal About Town, who breezed a half-mile in 50.80 seconds Thursday in her first workout since finishing second in the Golden Rod, will start her 2013 campaign in the Silverbulletday.

Gal About Town took the lead entering the stretch in the Golden Rod but lost by a half-length to Seaneen Girl.

“She just got tired,” Calhoun said. “I thought she ran a real good race. I was disappointed she didn’t win. That filly really needs a target. She kind of pulled herself up.”