King's Water Lily and Flowers Athefinish must show class

Of the eight 3-year-old fillies making up the $50,000 Island Fashion field Sunday at Sunland Park, just two are proven at the race's one-mile distance: King's Water Lily and Flowers Athefinish. Both, however, must still show they fit from a class standpoint in the Island Fashion, which is a local prep for next month's $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks.

King's Water Lily is a stakes winner, but against New Mexico-breds. Sunday, she will be making her first start against open company off a runner-up finish to Glory Be Mine in the $125,000 La Senora at Sunland on Jan. 16. That race was a sprint, but before it, King's Water Lily won at a mile in the $125,000 Enchantress, also at Sunland. She drew clear by more than three lengths in the race, run Dec. 20.

Rico Flores has the mount for trainer Rodney Richards.

Flowers Athefinish will be making her stakes debut in the Island Fashion. She won at a mile in her last start, when she took a maiden special weight by 2 1/2 lengths at Sunland on Feb. 5. It was the first two-turn start for Flowers Athefinish, who is a daughter of Grand Reward. Trainer Bart Hone has given the mount to Mark Villa.

The probable Island Fashion favorite is Queen Greeley, who comes off a 2 3/4-length win in the $50,000 El Paso Times at 6 1/2 furlongs Jan. 24. She closed well to win in a departure from her previous front-running ways. Queen Greeley will be making her two-turn debut Sunday. She is by Mr. Greeley and out of the Broad Brush mare Broad Queen. Isaias Enriquez has the mount for trainer Todd Fincher.