Miss Ella looks to stay perfect in Miss Preakness
BALTIMORE – Two for two at two different tracks, Miss Ella will seek her third straight victory without a defeat when she goes in the Grade 3, $100,000 Miss Preakness Stakes for 3-year-old fillies Friday at Pimlico. A field of 11 was entered in the Miss Preakness, which goes as race 8.
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Miss Ella, trained by Graham Motion, scored a 9-1 upset in the Grade 2 Beaumont at Keeneland on April 12, 32 days after a debut win at Gulfstream against maidens at 16-1. Rajiv Maragh, who was aboard in both prior starts, is back to ride.
Key contenders
Miss Ella (Last 2 Beyers: 81-78)
* She has been ignored in the betting in both her starts but has scored runaway victories both times, an indication that she is far more flashy in the afternoon than the morning.
* She won her first start in front-running fashion, then stalked and pounced in the Beaumont, so her ability to adapt and her good tactical speed make her dangerous yet again.
Enchanting Lady (Last 3 Beyers: 56-98-79)
* She threw in an absolute clunker in the Eight Belles at Churchill two weeks ago when favored against 10 rivals, so the fact that trainer Bob Baffert is bringing her right back, with a work in the interim, indicates that he’s willing to ignore the race.
* If you toss out that race, she’s the one to beat off her fast victory in the Santa Paula at Santa Anita in her race before last. But that last race is cause for some pause.
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Divine Dawn (Last 3 Beyers: 76-80-69)
* She could not catch Miss Ella in the Beaumont but held second in a game effort.
* She broke from the rail last time and had little option but to vie for the lead. With a more favorable draw in this race, right in the middle of the field (post 6), she won’t have to be used quite as hard in the early going, which should be of benefit.
Irish Jasper (Last 3 Beyers: 87-69-44)
* All her dirt sprints have been very good, including a career-best performance last time out in the Belle Harbour at Aqueduct.
* She is a prototypically late-running sprinter, and the possibility of a contested pace in here makes her a very viable player, likely at a midrange price.
Huasca (Last 3 Beyers: 88-67-81)
* She ships in from Gulfstream, where she comes off the best race of her career, a four-length win in a first-level allowance.
* She needs to work out a trip with her wide draw, as she has just enough speed perhaps to be caught outside several horses with a similar style, though jockey John Velazquez is the right guy to deftly guide her through that predicament.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Windy Forecast. Trainer Simon Callaghan is 8-0-0-0 over the past five years going from turf to dirt in sprints. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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