A J Marie, Fast Puff meet again in Spicy Stakes
A J Marie and Fast Puff will renew their rivalry Saturday in the $40,000 Spicy Stakes on the penultimate program of the Arapahoe Park meet. The card also includes the $100,000 Mile High Derby for Quarter Horses, in which Tac My Chances will attempt to win his fifth straight race in a streak that started in a $10,000 claiming race in March.
The Spicy, at 1 1/16 miles, is restricted to fillies and mares bred in Colorado. It drew a field of seven, including Sorta Special, an 8-year-old who won the race when she was 5; Glow Girl, who in her last start won the Colorado Thoroughbred Breeders Association Oaks; and Twist the Wind, a full sister to past Spicy winner Angel of the Wind.
KEY CONTENDERS
A J Marie (Last 3 Beyers: 68-49-49)
◗ A J Marie has defeated Fast Puff twice at the meet but finished behind her in at least two races in previous seasons at Arapahoe. The pair last met Aug. 1, when A J Marie dueled for a three-quarter-length win over Fast Puff in a one-mile allowance at Arapahoe. A J Marie defeated her rival by the same margin in May, when she became a stakes winner in the $43,000 Ingrid Knotts at Arapahoe.
Fast Puff (Last 3 Beyers: 67-53-68)
◗ She’s arguably the most accomplished member of the Spicy field as a three-time stakes winner.
◗ Fast Puff has a strong Arapahoe record, having finished first or second in seven of 10 starts on the oval in Aurora, Colo.