Lack of turf form makes Tomboy a guessing game

Nine Ohio-bred 3-year-old fillies – none with any experience on turf – will test the new grass course at Belterra Park in Sunday’s $75,000 Tomboy Stakes.

The lack of turf form isn’t the only factor that makes handicapping the Tomboy difficult. Six of the fillies are stretching out from sprints to 1 1/16 miles and another, U Rock Robin, is a first-time starter.

The only two fillies exiting a route – Ohio Silver and Lastofthe Moniqns – are a combined 1 for 20 lifetime.

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Heat Transfer, who won her maiden sprinting on Polytrack at Arlington last summer and missed by a neck in her lone previous route in last fall’s John Galbraith on Belterra’s main track, is likely to vie for favoritism with Justalittlesmoke, the Galbraith winner and recent winner against open company in the Austintown Filly Sprint at Mahoning Valley.

Tomboy, race 7

KEY CONTENDERS

Heat Transfer (Last 3 Beyers: 40-47-35)

Failed as the 6-5 favorite five weeks ago in her first start since October. Her sire, Latent Heat, produces 13 percent winners among 3-year-olds in turf routes.

Justalittlesmoke (Last 3 Beyers: 72-69-58)

Got up by a head in her only previous try going long to close out her 2-year-old campaign. Five-time winner hails from Smoke Glacken, whose 3-year-old offspring win at an 11 percent clip in turf routes.

U Rock Robin (first-time starter)

Unraced filly has been training steadily at Churchill Downs, so trainer Steve Margolis must think she has some talent in order to ambitiously spot her in a stakes for her career debut. She’s a half-sister to the filly Abena, who was 2 for 7 on turf.

Bold Cait (Last 3 Beyers: 72-65-64)

Merits respect on the basis of her 4-for-7 record. She will be racing beyond 6 1/2 furlongs for the first time. Her sire, Sun King, produces 12 percent winners among 3-year-olds in turf routes.