Holiday Inaugural far more favorable spot for Fioretti
When Fioretti runs Saturday evening in the first stakes of the long winter at Turfway Park, the Holiday Inaugural, the 5-year-old mare will face markedly different circumstances than when she raced last.
Fioretti made her most recent start in the Oct. 31 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, having earned an automatic berth in the $1 million race by upsetting the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes four weeks beforehand.
When she and jockey Sophie Doyle break from post 10 in a field of 11 in the Holiday Inaugural, Fioretti is likely to work out a much better trip than when she was sent from the one-hole as a 58-1 chance in the Filly and Mare Sprint.
“This mare’s got to have things her way, either on the lead or stalking,” said Anthony Hamilton, the 32-year-old trainer of Fioretti. “With this post, hopefully things will shake out better for us.”
Given the substantial drop in class, Fioretti figures as a solid favorite in the $50,000 Holiday Inaugural, a six-furlong Polytrack race which is carded as the sixth of nine races with a post time of 8:40 p.m. Eastern. First post Saturday is 6:15 p.m.
Hamilton, based at the Thoroughbred Center with a 14-horse stable, said he will try to give Fioretti a short winter break while he considers the Barbara Fritchie at Laurel Park in February as a bridge to a spring campaign.
“We definitely intend to run her again next year,” he said. “We’ll see how things go Saturday and proceed from there.”
The Holiday Inaugural is the first of two stakes at the holiday meet, which runs through Dec. 31. In all, there are 10 Turfway stakes during four months of winter racing, highlighted by the Grade 3 Spiral Stakes on April 2.
Holiday Inaugural, Race 6
KEY CONTENDERS
Fioretti (Last 3 Beyers: 66-91-93)
◗ Before the TCA and Breeders’ Cup, this daughter of Bernardini had rounded into peak form for owners Two Hearts Farm LLC and Don Janes, winning an ungraded stakes at Churchill Downs in June and finishing second in the Grade 3 Groupie Doll at Ellis Park in August.
Donita’s Ruler (Last 3 Beyers: 93-78-84)
◗ Claimed twice this year for $25,000 while having undergone several trainer changes, this 4-year-old filly sure knows how the game is played, having finished first or second in 14 of 21 career starts. She was an easy starter-allowance winner at Keeneland in October.
Aireofdistinction (Last 3 Beyers: 74-69-80)
◗ Favorably drawn just outside of Fioretti in post 11, this 5-year-old mare has not raced since being claimed for $80,000 in late August at Saratoga by perennial leading trainer Mike Maker and owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey.
