Fiftyshadesofgold leads Test rematch in Dogwood
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Three fillies exiting the Grade 1 Test Stakes will reconvene Saturday in the Grade 3, $100,000 Dogwood Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Fiftyshadesofgold, a close-up fourth after contesting the pace Aug. 2 in the Test, is the obvious favorite in a cast of 10 3-year-old fillies entered in the Dogwood. Thank You Marylou (sixth) and Bird Maker (eighth) are the other fillies back from Saratoga.
Fiftyshadesofgold will have Robby Albarado aboard when breaking from post 2 in the seven-furlong race. The Texas-bred filly already is a two-time stakes winner at Churchill, having won the Debutante last year and the Eight Belles in the spring.
The Dogwood field might not hold together completely, as Honey’s Ryan and Kiss to Remember are cross-entered Saturday night in the Charles Town Oaks.
First post Saturday is 12:45 p.m. Eastern, with the Dogwood, the ninth of 10 races, set for 4:55. A decent undercard includes a pair of 2-year-old maiden events (races 4 and 7) and one allowance (race 8).
This is the 39th running of the Dogwood, which counts such standouts as My Juliet (1975), Mrs. Revere (1984), Gal in a Ruckus (1995), and Take Charge Lady (2002) among its winners.
Key contenders
Fiftyshadesofgold (Last 3 Beyers: 91-83-94)
* She’s clearly the class of the group, as she has knocked heads with some of the best sprinter-miler types in the division. Her 2-for-2 record at Churchill and the fact that she has trained here since early April speak to a home-field advantage.
* Tougher assignments might well be directly ahead.
“We’d love to get a good race in her here and just keep moving forward,” said trainer Bret Calhoun.
Thank You Marylou (Last 3 Beyers: 87-66-86)
* Virginia-bred filly never has run in anything but stakes, and bettors have held her in high regard, making her 5-1 in the Ashland and 2-1 in the Iowa Oaks, without being duly rewarded.
* She will be adding blinkers after midpacking the Test the entire trip.
“She seems to get intimidated inside, so we’ve decided to put them on,” said trainer Mike Maker.
Milam (Last 3 Beyers: 84-93-84)
* Got a brief timeout following her third-place finish in the Victory Ride, in which she fell quite a bit farther behind than usual. She shows four solid workouts since mid-August at Saratoga and seems apt to show her early speed once again.
* Narrowly beaten by Fiftyshadesofgold in the Eight Belles, this filly was one of three to finish second in graded stakes at nice odds on Kentucky Derby weekend for trainer Eddie Kenneally. The others were Street Girl (Humana Distaff), since sold, and Dame Marie (Distaff Turf Mile), since retired.