Gorham looks to continue strong run in Emerald Necklace Stakes
In the last five years, Robert Gorham has saddled the winner of the Emerald Necklace Stakes at Thistledown three times and been second in the other two renewals. He looks to keep his run of success in this race going with Miz Keeta in Thursday’s edition of the $75,000 Emerald Necklace for Ohio-accredited 2-year-old fillies over six furlongs.
Miz Keeta is the 7-2 third choice on the morning line in the field of seven, which could be reduced by race time as several are cross-entered. Feeling Easy is the 2-1 morning-line favorite for trainer Tim Hamm, while Authoritarian Girl, from the barn of James McDonald, is 3-1.
Gorham’s recent wins in the Emerald Necklace came in 2020 with Happy As You Go and in 2021 with Out for Fun, both racing in the name of his sister, Marion Gorham; and in 2019 with Edge of Night for Mast Thoroughbreds, his most prominent client. Gorham and Mast teamed with runners-up Radiant Bird in 2018 and Express Fashion last year.
Miz Keeta, from the second crop of last year’s Ohio-leading freshman sire, National Flag, goes out for Mast Thoroughbreds and her breeder, Gorham. The filly was third on debut Aug. 14, beaten a total of four lengths by Feeling Easy. She then proceeded to win her second outing by two lengths on Sept. 4, with both races at 5 1/2 furlongs. Finishing second in her maiden win was Authoritarian Girl, who flattered her by coming back to win her next start by 3 1/4 lengths.
Feeling Easy was second in her first two starts, beaten in her debut by City Scene, a subsequent stakes winner. She then put it all together for her win over Miz Keeta in her third start. The filly, also by National Flag, is a homebred for Hamm. The leading Ohio trainer also will saddle Office Chatter, another National Flag filly he co-bred. Office Chatter is coming off a front-running, 10 3/4-length win at six furlongs, making her the only filly in this race to previously win at the distance of the Emerald Necklace.
Although Feeling Easy is favored, she has relatively light figures against the rest of this field, with a Beyer Speed Figure of 19 for her maiden win and a career-best of 24. Authoritarian Girl earned a 44, the best in this field, for her maiden win, while Miz Keeta won her maiden with a 40.
The maidens Nancyfromtheblock, Oh Glorious Day, and Rivers Run Red complete this field, but all are cross-entered in a maiden special weight on Tuesday at Thistledown.
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