Grateful My Love should like mile distance of Soviet Problem

Grateful My Love arguably needed one more stride to secure a 6-1 victory in the $176,500 Golden State Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 1 at Del Mar, her impressive rally just missing.

“She was unfortunate not to get the job done,” trainer Michael McCarthy recalled Friday. “I thought we were going to get there.”

After finishing second by a nose, Grateful My Love rates as a leading contender in Sunday’s $100,000 Soviet Problem Stakes for California-bred 2-year-old fillies at a mile at Los Alamitos.

If Grateful My Love wins, it will be her first victory. Prior to the narrow loss to Tequilaandtherapy in the Golden State Juvenile Fillies at seven furlongs, Grateful My Love closed from 11th in a field of 12 to finish fifth in a maiden race at six furlongs in her debut Sept. 28 at Santa Anita.

McCarthy expects Grateful My Love to thrive at the new distance of a mile.

“I don’t think it’s going to be an issue,” he said.

By Danzing Candy, Grateful My Love races for a large partnership that includes Sweetwater Stable and Gary Drew. Grateful My Love is part of a field of nine in the Soviet Problem, the last of nine races Sunday.

:: Subscribe to the DRF Post Time Email Newsletter: Get the news you need to play today's races!

Tequilaandtherapy and In the Air Tonight, who was third in the Golden State Juvenile Fillies, are part of the Soviet Problem field along with Chilly Philly and Hey Jessie, winners of maiden races at a mile on turf for statebred fillies in October and November.

Musical Number is the lone undefeated filly in the field, a winner of two starts for trainer Dean Pederson – a $50,000 claimer for maidens at Los Alamitos in September and a starter allowance at six furlongs on Oct. 19 at Santa Anita.

Musical Number is likely to race as a stalker in the Soviet Problem.

“I don’t think she’s fast enough to go to the lead, but she won’t be 10 out of it,” Pederson said.

“I’m taking a bit of a shot. I don’t know where she fits, class-wise. She’s 80 percent talent and 120 percent effort. She’s one of those fillies that she’s never done anything wrong. Never wowed ya, but never did anything wrong.”

Tequilaandtherapy, trained by Doug O’Neill, was the 11-1 winner of the Golden State Juvenile Fillies, her second victory in six starts.

Tequilaandtherapy won the fourth race of her career in a one-mile maiden race on turf Aug. 30 at Del Mar, her first start around two turns, and followed with a fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Surfer Girl Stakes at a mile on turf Oct. 6 at Santa Anita.

A closer, Tequilaandtherapy has worked quickly for Sunday’s race, including a half-mile in 47 seconds on Dec. 1 at Del Mar.

O’Neill also starts the maiden How About Pavel, who may set the pace. How About Pavel is winless in five starts, including a second to Tequilaandtherapy on Aug. 30 and a third-place finish behind Chilly Philly on Oct. 19.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.