'Mrs Cindy' will stalk in sprint
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - There is no shortage of speed situated to the inside of Mrs Cindy's Walkin in a first-level optional claiming sprint for 3-year-old fillies at Oaklawn on Sunday, and with her tactical foot she could get an ideal stalking setup from post 7.
"You always like that kind of trip," said Don Von Hemel, who trains Mrs Cindy's Walkin.
Mrs Cindy's Walkin might have a handful of front-runners to track in the six-furlong race, including Capote Attraction, a 14-length debut winner at Retama Park in her last start Dec. 4; Fanci Candi, who won a five-furlong allowance wire to wire at Delta Downs Dec. 19; and Cats, who dueled throughout when third in a maiden special weight at Churchill Downs on Nov. 9.
Mrs Cindy's Walkin, who is entered for the race's $50,000 claiming price, raced a little farther back than usual in her most recent start, when she rallied from eighth for third in a an optional claimer at seven furlongs at Remington Park on Dec. 7. Earlier in the year, Mrs Cindy's Walkin won back-to-back races at Arlington Park, beginning with a maiden special weight at 6 1/2 furlongs Aug. 23 and a first-level allowance at six furlongs Sept. 19.
"She's a useful filly," said Von Hemel, who trains Mrs Cindy's Walkin for her breeders, Dream Walkin Farms and Prime Time Racing. "She's won on the lead and she's won coming from off the pace, and I imagine her [ability] to come off the pace is one of her best assets. She's easy to handle."
Tanner Riggs has the mount on Mrs Cindy's Walkin, a daughter of Cactus Ridge.
Capote Attraction owns the field's best last-race Beyer Speed Figure, an 83, for her wire-to-wire romp in a maiden race at Retama. She is trained by Bret Calhoun, who went 3 for 5 at Oaklawn over its four-day opening weekend to sit second in the standings to early leader D. Wayne Lukas.
Lukas will send out Cats, an $875,000 auction purchase by Storm Cat. She is out of the Mr. Prospector mare Blissful, who is a full sister to Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus. Terry Thompson has the mount on Cats, while Cliff Berry will ride Capote Attraction.
Fanci Candi is also a top contender off her first-level allowance win last time out at Delta. In September, she was stakes-placed at Remington Park when second by three-quarters of a length in the $55,000 Oklahoma Classics Day Juvenile Fillies. Larry Sterling Jr. has the mount for trainer Steve Asmussen.