Several fillies with an affinity for Turfway Park, led by three-time stakes winner Marissa’s Lady, and several with class on turf make up a full field for Saturday night’s $125,000 Holiday Inaugural Stakes, for fillies and mares going six furlongs on the Tapeta. While Marissa’s Lady won the Fern Creek on dirt in the fall of her 2-year-old campaign, she blossomed in the winter of 2021-22 at Turfway. She won the Gowell and the Valdale stakes; finished a solid second in the Cincinnati Trophy trying a mile; then cut back to win the Serena’s Song. After an extended break, she has had a solid 4-year-old fall for Billy Morey, winning the Satin N Lace on Presque Isle’s Tapeta; finishing third, beaten less than a length, in the Grade 2 Presque Isle Masters; and most recently, running second in a Keeneland turf allowance. Marissa’s Lady, typically hard to rate, has drawn post 4 under Rafael Bejarano. They have speed inside of them in B G Warrior in post 3 with Joe Ramos; and, potentially, Quaria Comet from 2 under Joe Talamo. :: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets. B G Warrior used front-running tactics to finish first in both the Gowell and Valdale last season at Turfway – although she was disqualified to second in the Gowell for interference. She was third in the Cincinnati Trophy and Serena’s Song. The filly raced then for Ron Kahles, but has since had a barn switch to Hugo Andrade. Quaria Comet also had a fine 2022-23 winter at Turfway for Paulo Lobo, winning twice from four starts, with one second and a third after setting the pace in the WEBN Stakes. Although she has been forward in her synthetic starts, she also has shown the ability to sit just off the pace, which could prove beneficial if Marissa’s Lady and B G Warrior are intent on a duel. Another whose tactics could benefit her is Train to Artemus, in her first start on synthetic after a barn switch. In a busy 2023 campaign sprinting on turf, the mare won the Lightning City at Tampa, the The Very One at Pimlico, and the Goldwood at Monmouth. She has placed in five stakes this year, including, last out, a third in the Grade 2 Franklin, beaten a length total by Tony Ann and Caravel after rallying from seventh. Train to Artemus was sold for $250,000 to Dixiana Farm as a racing or broodmare prospect at Keeneland and transferred from Kelly Breen to John Ennis. Owner Bill Shively hasn’t yet decided how long the mare will race before being bred. The Holiday Inaugural is the first of three stakes in Turfway’s “Make Your Mare Series” partnership with Claiborne Farm, in which owners can receive future credit toward the fee of a Claiborne stallion with top-three finishes. Spun Glass is among the most recent to show graded form on synthetic, upsetting the Grade 3 Ontario Fashion in October. However, she was then 10th in the Grade 2 Bessarabian. Secret Money, trying synthetic for the first time Saturday, won the Grade 3 Music City at 6 1/2 furlongs at Kentucky Downs. She was most recently ninth in the Grade 3 Valley View at a mile. Bling was third in the Valley View. Artie’s Princess has back class on synthetic, winning the Grade 2 Presque Isle Masters in September 2022. She is unplaced in six outings since. Jill Jitterbug, second in the Cincinnati Trophy and Serena’s Song at Turfway, is a stakes winner on Presque Isle’s Tapeta this year. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.