Is Green Eyed Lady legit?

ARCADIA, Calif. - A six-filly hodgepodge entered the $75,000 Anoakia Stakes on Sunday at Santa Anita, but if Green Eyed Lady reproduces her impressive Fairplex Park stakes win, she could turn the six-furlong race into another runaway.

"She's an absolute professional, she'll do whatever you want," trainer Paul Aguirre said. "She's training very well, I think she'll be tough."

Green Eyed Lady's credentials support Aguirre's enthusiasm. After winning 2 of 4 in England, she finished fourth in her U.S. debut, then produced an 88 Beyer Speed Figure with a six-length romp in the Bustles and Bows Stakes on Sept. 13 at Fairplex Park.

The handicapping dilemma is determining whether a lofty speed figure earned on the five-eighths-mile track at Fairplex will translate to the one-mile track at Santa Anita. Similar doubts apply to all Green Eyed Lady's rivals.

Cinnful Bride earned an 81 Beyer last out, but against maiden-claimers. Asian Adventure is the only other stakes winner, though her highest figure is a 69; Lil' Awesome Annie won her debut by more than eight lengths at Albuquerque; Ponce De Leona won three claiming races at Calder; and Ms Louisett is a maiden. It is not a strong lineup.

Owned by JPF Investments, Green Eyed Lady has won 3 of 6. Though she shows a gap in her works (her first published work after her win was not until three weeks later), Aguirre said she has been kept in steady training. Green Eyed Lady entered a turf stakes Friday with stablemate Happy Michelle, but Aguirre never planned to run them together.

"If it looked there was a lot of speed [Friday], I would have run Green Eyed Lady there and Happy Michelle [Sunday]," Aguirre explained. As it turns out, front-runner Happy Michelle faced a soft pace scenario in the mile stakes on Friday. Meanwhile, Green Eyed Lady must catch likely front-runner Cinnful Bride.

The class hurdle from maiden-claiming to stakes is not insurmountable for lightly raced 2-year-olds, and Cinnful Bride must be considered a legitimate threat to race gate to wire in the Anoakia. Only 11 days earlier, she romped by 6 1/2 lengths while earning pace and speed figures that suggest she fits in this spot.

Asian Adventure has been freshened since early August, and should get a good trip pressing the pace from the outside. The short-term track profile (Oct. 5 through Thursday) favors speed. In six-furlong sprints during that period, 11 of the 12 six-furlong races were won a horse within two lengths of the lead after the first quarter-mile.

The profile favors Cinnful Bride, Asian Adventure and Lil' Awesome Annie.