Grandma's Girl right at home

Hot Springs, Ark. - Grandma's Girl won a maiden race on turf but earned her best Beyer Speed Figure on dirt two starts ago at Oaklawn Park, which might lead one to believe she is better on the main track. But the answer is not that simple.

"It looks like she's better at Oaklawn," said Mac Robertson, who trains Grandma's Girl. "She works better on this track than she does anywhere else. I think she improves on Oaklawn's track."

Grandma's Girl, on the strength of her two starts at the meet, looks like a solid favorite Wednesday in the featured eighth race. She is one of seven fillies and mares in the one-mile optional claiming race. Other top contenders are Moon Catcher and Ever and Anon.

Grandma's Girl began her career on turf, winning her maiden on the grass at Arlington Park last August. She made her first Oaklawn start on Feb. 18, and won a first-level allowance by 4 1/2 lengths, earning a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 85. She has made one other start here, finishing second by a neck in an optional claimer on March 16.

"She just got outfinished," said Robertson. "She ran hard."

Grandma's Girl will be ridden by Seth Martinez, who last week teamed with Robertson to win four races in four days at Oaklawn. They won a pair of optional claimers lsat Wednesday with Dimple Pinch and Angel Smoke, then won a maiden special weight on Friday with Just a Nibble, and another optional claimer Saturday with Sub Futz Jr.

"I saved horses for the end of the meet instead of getting everything geared up in January and February," said Robertson. "Some of my horses after Chicago needed a little break."

Moon Catcher rallied to win a two-turn optional claiming race by a neck March 9. The runner-up from the race, Angel Smoke, returned in her next start to win the March 28 optional claimer by 8 1/2 lengths. Stewart Elliott has the mount on Moon Catcher for trainer Tim Ritchey.

* One start after finishing a close fourth in the $50,000 Spring Fever Stakes, Cintarosa will move back to the allowance ranks in the seventh race, a second-level sprint for fillies and mares. Luis Quinonez, who is tied atop the rider standings with John Jacinto, has the mount for leading trainer Steve Asmussen.