Horse shortage dilutes trio of Illinois-bred stakes

The Illinois Thoroughbred foal crop has dropped so sharply in recent years that there’s a dearth of stakes horses just to fill races this spring at Hawthorne, and if you want evidence to support that assertion, look no further than Saturday’s card.

Three $75,000 Illinois-bred stakes attracted a total of 17 entrants – five in the Third Chance for female sprinters; six in the Robert S. Molaro, a sprint race without a sex restriction; and six in the Milwaukee Avenue, a two-turn dirt race. The Milwaukee Avenue only got up to that number because the filly dirt-route stakes scheduled for Saturday failed to fill, and two entrants in that race, Prado’s Sweet Ride and Babybluesbdancing, were entered in the Milwaukee Avenue instead.

“I didn’t even enter Wednesday until they called and asked me to put her in late in the day,” said Chris Block who trains Prado’s Sweet Ride. “I put her in to think about it, and I’m still struggling with what to do.”

Prado’s Sweet Ride is an accomplished turf horse, and though she has run competitively on Hawthorne dirt, including a blowout sloppy-track win in the Illini Princess last fall, Block isn’t keen on starting Prado’s Sweet Ride’s season in a two-turn dirt race, though she clearly would have a chance if he does.

“She fits in, there’s no question, but it’s been a long layoff, and she had a throat issue out of that last race at Fair Grounds,” Block said. “We definitely corrected that, but two turns on dirt off that long a layoff, unless they’re totally bred for it and its their preferred surface, I don’t really like doing that. I’ll think about it and decide what we’re going to do.”

Babybluesbdancing, a 4-year-old filly, also wouldn’t be overmatched in the Milwaukee Avenue, especially if, as it appears on paper, Goneghost won’t be able to sneak away to a clear early lead. Goneghost, who sprints as well as he routes, has won five of six races at Hawthorne and is 3 for 3 at the Milwaukee Avenue’s 1 1/16-mile distance.

Recount got caught in a speed duel and faded to finish eighth in a high-level allowance race last out at Oaklawn, but he remains the most likely winner of the six-furlong Molaro. The Jim DiVito-trained Recount won the 2017 Molaro by more than three lengths and has won all three of his Hawthorne starts. He’s drawn in post 5 as the race’s controlling speed and will be difficult to catch if allowed to dictate tempo. Richie the Bull beat Recount in that March 29 Oaklawn allowance race, but in the longer term has not shown Recount’s class and consistency.

My Mertie figures to be heavily favored to win the Third Chance Stakes for the second year in a row, though bettors are cautioned to note that the mare does not appear to be coming into the race in the same form she’d displayed during the winter and spring of 2017. Trained by Michele Boyce, My Mertie does have a favorable draw on the outside of this short field, but the pick to post a mild upset is My Darling Sofia. My Darling Sofia is a fresh horse with fine Hawthorne form from the fall-winter meet and a chance to take control of this race on the front end.