Gutierrez barnmates have it covered in Pea Patch

Stablemates Moonlit Lady and Quimichis bring different styles to the $125,000 Pea Patch Stakes – the nickname of host track Ellis Park – for 3-year-old fillies sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf. Trainer Fausto Gutierrez thus holds a strong hand in the feature on the first Saturday of Ellis’s summer meet.

Cypress Creek Equine homebred Moonlit Lady, the 5-2 choice on the morning line, has limited experience on the turf, like a few in this field. However, her lone turf outing in four career starts resulted in a five-furlong allowance win in May at Churchill Downs. The filly set the pace and drove clear to win by 3 1/2 lengths with a Beyer Speed Figure of 90, tops in this field. More recently, Moonlit Lady made the lead despite a stuttering start in the Leslie’s Lady going seven furlongs on Churchill’s dirt, but ultimately weakened to fifth. She comes back to turf at a good spot in her form cycle.

Moonlit Lady drew post 4 in this field of 12 under Francisco Arrieta, and could get pressure inside of the other potential speed – Niki Nine Doors, from post 7, and Field Lass, who perhaps got the best of things in post 9. Tx Women for Arts, Twirl Around, and Visually should be sitting just off that trio.

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If a pace meltdown develops, Quimichis, breaking from post 5 under Martin Chuan for his breeder, St George Stable, could be coming on late, and could offer value compared to her Gutierrez-trained stablemate, at 5-1 on the morning line. Quimichis is coming off a solid allowance/optional-claiming win with an 81 Beyer, which stacks up well against other turf efforts in this field, on Gulfstream’s turf course. The filly was sixth midway in the five-furlong race and made a five-wide rally to win by 2 1/4 lengths.

Visually also offers value. She is the only member of this field with a turf stakes victory, but she races out of California for the first time, must overcome the outside post, and cuts back in distance. She is 6-1 on the morning line. The filly won the Grade 3 Senorita going 6 1/2 furlongs on Santa Anita’s turf, then was fifth in the Grade 3 Honeymoon at 1 1/16 miles. This is the shortest race she has run since her debut.

Tx Women for Arts was third in a Kentucky Downs allowance last year in her only turf start, but she has extensive stakes experience on dirt. The filly won the Prairie Gold Lassie last year and is placed in stakes at Remington, Zia, and Oaklawn. She has clear class if she can transfer her form to turf.

Ms. Tart, in a turf sprint for the first time since her debut, also would benefit from a fast pace and has license to improve in her second start off a layoff for Brad Cox, who took over her training this year. Field Lass comes off an allowance/optional-claiming win racing on the lead on the Gulfstream turf.

Niki Nine Doors won her maiden on the Keeneland turf this spring, while Twirl Around was allowance-placed on that course.

Completing the field are longshots High Fashion Kate, Ready for Trouble, and These Apples, along with Carolina Candy, who is cross-entered in a Sunday allowance.

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