Missmizz to show the way in Allen ‘Black Cat' Lacombe

The 3-year-old filly Missmizz started her career with maiden- and allowance-race wins over the Tampa turf course. In start No. 3, Missmizz aims for a stakes score on the Fair Grounds grass.

Missmizz is one of eight 3-year-old fillies entered in the $75,000 Allen “Black Cat” Lacombe, the ninth race, carded for about one mile on grass, and if nothing else, she should be in front of her seven rivals turning for home.

Missmizz debuted in a sprint, tracked a lightning-fast pace, burst to the front in midstretch, and won easily. Stretched out to a mile second time out, she made the lead but saw a three-length stretch-call advantage diminish to a neck at the finish.

“She’s bred to get the mile easily,” said trainer Mike Stidham. “There was a little question mark with the way things ended in her last race. This should answer it.”

Missmizz, owned by David Ross, is by Mizzen Mast and out of an English mare, Silimiss, and it probably wasn’t a stamina deficiency that created the dwindling lead last time. When Missmizz came to a turf chute that joins with the course proper in midstretch, she ducked to her left, switched leads and lost momentum. A rival made a run at her, but Missmizz regained a solid stride at the wire and galloped out with good energy.

Shaun Bridgmohan was named to ride Missmizz but was injured Tuesday. California-based Tyler Baze, who has no work this weekend because of Santa Anita’s closure, picks up the mount, Stidham said. Baze ought to find himself dictating the pace.

“I’m much happier with a rail that goes all the way to the wire,” Stidham said.

Beautiful Ballad, a clear contender, easily won a turf-route allowance at Fair Grounds last out, making her 2 for 2 on the local grass, but she did get a perfect inside run that day and was hard ridden to pull away through the final furlong.

Bell’s the One is the 3-1 morning-line favorite, and would be negative value at anything near that price. She’s started her career with three wins, but all came in dirt sprints, and Bell’s the One has twice gotten sick this winter, missing intended dirt-route stakes starts. Moreover, the horses closest to her in her victories have not returned to distinguish themselves.