Miss Blue Bayou fits course

SAN MATEO, Calif. - A horse for the course. How often has that phrase been heard after a race is run?

If Miss Blue Bayou wins Friday's Bay Meadows feature, the horse-for-the-course angle again will be brought up.

Miss Blue Bayou has made eight starts at Bay Meadows with five wins and one third.

Her last start came on Sept. 6, when she set a moderate pace and won a $20,000 claimer.

Two races later, Comedy Class, Double Shot Latte, and Princessaconcuervo finished second, third, and fourth, respectively, in an allowance race. Those four and Endearment make up the field for Friday's six-furlong allowance feature.

Comedy Class, a 4-year-old Avenue of Flags filly trained by Chuck Jenda, seems to have both a class and numbers advantage.

While Miss Blue Bayou has shown a propensity for winning at Bay Meadows, Comedy Class is looking for her first victory here. She has three seconds in four Bay Meadows starts.

Double Shot Latte is 1 for 7 at Bay Meadows, Princessaconcuervo 1 for 5, and Endearment 0 for 5.

Time, trainers often say, means something only when you're doing it, but Comedy Class ran faster than Miss Blue Bayou did on Sept. 6.

Breaking from the rail, Miss Blue Bayou had the best speed, opening a one-length advantage over Victor's Belle in a 22.79-second opening quarter.

Her margin over eventual runner-up Miss Allie Gator was 2 1/2 lengths after a 45.77 opening half, two lengths in the stretch in 58.14, and 1 1/2 lengths at the finish in 1:11.35.

Comedy Class was a head behind Miz Kool as the two ran 22.52 for their opening quarter two races later. She was one length in front of Miz Kool after a 45.65 half, one length in front of eventual winner Etoile in the stretch in 58.16. She lost by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:10.76, making her approximate final time 1:11.06.

The fractions are similar, and Miss Blue Bayou may also have a slight advantage with her outside draw in post 5 while Comedy Class drew post 3.

Comedy Class, a runner-up in three stakes in Southern California last year, has the class edge having not run for a tag.

If Miss Blue Bayou wins, the reason will be obvious: She's the horse for the course.

* Nominations for Saturday's $60,000-added Hillsborough Handicap closed Wednesday with 22 fillies and mares nominated for the 1 1/16-mile race over the Longden Turf Course.

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