Layoff filly looks ready to fire fresh

OZONE PARK, N. Y. - Them There Eyes accomplished a lot in a short period of time last fall. The daughter of Holy Bull won three races in six weeks, including an overnight stakes going a mile on turf.

After a two-month vacation, Them There Eyes appears ready to return to the races in Sunday's $65,000 Personal Girl Stakes for New York-breds going seven furlongs on the dirt. A field of nine was entered for the Personal Girl, including two that were entered in a first-level open-company allowance on Friday that was not run when that card was scrapped due to the threat of inclement weather.

Though trainer Kate Feron believes Them There Eyes is better on turf than dirt, the filly did win a second-level allowance race last fall over the main track. The horse she beat that day, Morning Gallop, came back to win an allowance race and has since placed in three stakes.

"My filly can run on dirt, but not as good as on the turf," Feron said. "But if [Morning Gallop] can place in three stakes, then this filly should be good enough."

Though this will be her first start in 141 days, Them There Eyes has fired off a layoff in the past. Last June, she won a one-mile maiden turf race at Belmont off a 225-day layoff. After two losses in a 20-day period, she won a first-level allowance turf race off a 73-day layoff. Feron said Them There Eyes resumed training in mid-January and has breezed seven times since last February, often shipping down 90 minutes from owner John Hettinger's Akindale Farm.

The horse to beat in the Personal Girl is Karakorum Starlet, who has won three consecutive New York-bred filly and mare sprint stakes. Last out, in the Broadway Handicap, she turned back a challenge from Wishing Wishes to win by a half-length.

"I just thought she ran one of her better races," said trainer Jeff Odintz. "It looked like she was going to get beat, but she hung in there. She's got a big heart."

Scatkey makes her third start off a layoff after finishing third in the Broadway and Grade 2 Distaff. The extra furlong of this race may help her cause. Starship Cruiser was 3 for 3 against New York-breds before dropping two allowance races in open company.