Ice Orchid's sharp form and early speed make her formidable in allowance
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Ice Orchid appears to be on top of her game coming into Sunday’s featured eighth race at Oaklawn Park. She will start as the probable favorite in the nonwinners-of-three allowance for fillies and mares, which also carries a claiming option of $50,000. It will be run over 1 1/16 miles.
Ice Orchid is one of six runners in the field, which includes stakes winners Shotgun Hottie and Bow Bow Girl. Ice Orchid’s prep work for the allowance includes a bullet half-mile drill in 47.20 seconds on March 5 at Oaklawn.
“She had a fantastic work,” trainer John Ortiz said. “It was with Barber Road.
“She’s coming into this race in great shape, acting really professional.”
Ice Orchid’s breeze was the fastest of 88 works at the distance that morning at Oaklawn. The track was fast.
Ice Orchid raced in stakes in her last three starts, finishing second in both the Grade 3 Chilukki in November at Churchill Downs and the $150,000 Pippin in January at Oaklawn. She enters Sunday’s race off a fourth-place finish here in the Grade 3 Bayakoa won by A Mo Reay, who was to have run back Saturday at Santa Anita in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile.
“She tries so hard every single time for us,” Ortiz said.
Ricardo Santana Jr. is the regular rider of Ice Orchid, owned by her breeder, Shortleaf Stable. The daughter of Super Saver has tactical speed and figures to be up in the race from her rail post Sunday.
“We’ll play it from the break,” Ortiz said.
“If we can get loose on the front end, we’ll take it.”
Shotgun Hottie is another runner moving back into the overnight ranks after a series of stakes starts. She was fourth of five, beaten 25 1/2 lengths, in the $150,000 Cathryn Sophia in her most recent out Aug. 23 at Parx Racing. Prior to the start, Shotgun Hottie ran second in both the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks and the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks. Earlier in her career, she won the $100,000 Ruthless at Aqueduct.
Shotgun Hottie has been working for her return at Fair Grounds. Cristian Torres has the mount from post 3 for trainer Cherie DeVaux.
Queens Up might be sitting on a peak race. She returned to action off a 4 1/2-month layoff in December with a third in a key allowance race for fillies and mares over six furlongs here. The winner, Yuugiri, and the runner-up, Hot and Sultry, both returned to win sprint stakes at Oaklawn. As for Queens Up, she’s made once start since, finishing second in two-other-than allowance route Feb. 12 at Oaklawn.
Francisco Arrieta has the mount from post 5 for trainer Jimmy DiVito.
Lisette is moving back to two turns after sprinting twice. Both her wins came going a two-turn mile. Coastal Charm is looking for her second straight win after capturing a first-level allowance in February at Oaklawn. Bow Bow Girl is a five-time winner entered for the claiming price of $50,000.
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