Justalittlesmoke, Bold Cait meet in Southern Park Stakes

Bold Cait, a winner against open company in her last two starts out of town, challenges multiple stakes winner Justalittlesmoke for early-season supremacy among Ohio-bred 3-year-old fillies in Saturday’s $75,000 Southern Park Stakes at Mahoning Valley Race Course.

The six-furlong race, the first stakes of the year in Ohio, drew a field of nine that also includes Senorita Dominguez, a dominant winner against two small stakes fields last fall, and Queen Cactus, the runner-up in a Santa Anita maiden race that produced three next-out winners.

Bold Cait will be facing Ohio-breds for the first time since romping to a six-length win against maidens over a muddy track at Belterra Park in October. She will be wheeling back just 10 days after scoring a three-length victory in an allowance at Mountaineer.

Justalittlesmoke, the winner of the Cleveland Kindergarten at ThistleDown and the John W. Galbreath in the Best of Ohio series at Belterra, easily won her 3-year-old debut locally three weeks ago.

Senorita Dominguez, who beat only three horses collectively in her two stakes wins, will be making her first start since December.

Queen Cactus, still a maiden after two races, will be making her first start since joining the barn of Shane Meyers.

KEY CONTENDERS

Justalittlesmoke (Last 3 Beyers: 59-48-57)

◗ She looked impressive in winning her first start since October by 9 1/4 lengths while nearly matching the career-best Beyer Speed Figure she earned for winning the Cleveland Kindergarten. No reason to expect her to bounce off such an easy victory.

Bold Cait (Last 3 Beyers: 64-59-39)

◗ Now trained by Scott Wilson, who has three wins and five seconds – two missing by just a head – from the first 12 horses he has started. The field she beat at Sam Houston two starts ago produced two next-out winners.

Senorita Dominguez (Last 3 Beyers: NA-44-31)

◗ Her two stakes wins came in a match race and a three-horse field, producing low Beyers of 44 and 31.

DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Her trainer, Ivan Vazquez, is just 1 for his last 20 with female dirt sprinters returning from a break of 61 to 180 days.

Queen Cactus (Beyers: 39-48)

◗ If there’s an upset candidate in this field, Queen Cactus is the one. Her close second Feb. 8 looks good since three fillies came out of that race to win, including the repeat winner with a 66 Beyer against $50,000 claimers at Santa Anita.