Multiple contenders difficult to separate in BC F-M Sprint
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
ARCADIA, Calif. – Groupie Doll isn’t breaking out of that gate.
For the 10 horses ready to contest the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, that’s terrific news. Still, only one of them can take a huge step toward replacing the two-time champion atop the division, and that’s with a big performance Saturday in the seven-furlong race at Santa Anita.
“There aren’t any of what you’d call ‘freaks’ in this race, like Groupie Doll was the last couple of years,” said Gary Mandella, the trainer of one of the fringe players, Living the Life. “This race looks very well matched on paper. The opportunity is there for somebody to really step up.”
Judy the Beauty, unraced since winning her last start in August, is a lukewarm morning-line choice in a field that also includes Artemis Agrotera, Sweet Reason, and Leigh Court as likely favorites.
:BC Filly and Mare Sprint analysis
Judy the Beauty was second to Groupie Doll last year and has won 3 of 4 starts this year.
“I’ve got her as good as I can get her,” promised owner-trainer Wesley Ward.
Sweet Reason, based in New York with trainer Leah Gyarmati, is back at Santa Anita after running fourth last year in the BC Juvenile Fillies.
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“It’s absolutely special for me to be back here with the same filly, especially since I’ve got such a small stable,” said Gyarmati.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Sweet Reason. Trainer Leah Gyrmati is 53-3-6-10 with a $0.68 ROI over the past five years going route to sprint on dirt. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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No 3-year-old has ever won the Filly and Mare Sprint, but there are six of them among the 10 starters this year, most notably Sweet Reason, Artemis Agrotera, and Stonetastic.
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The longer shots in the field will be Little Alexis, Thank You Marylou, Better Lucky, and Southern Honey. Of those, Better Lucky is by far the most accomplished, having won two Grade 1 events, although both of those were two-turn turf races.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Little Alexis. Trainer Carlo Vaccarezza is 7-2-0-0 with a $3.65 ROI going from route to sprint on dirt. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 8 Better Lucky. Trainer Tom Albertrani is 7-3-1-1 with a $6.17 ROI over the past year going route to sprint and turf to dirt. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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The Filly and Mare Sprint, first run in 2007 at Monmouth Park, goes as the sixth of 12 races, with post time set for 1:21 p.m. Pacific.
KEY CONTENDERS
Sweet Reason (Last 3 Beyers: 92-93-93)
◗ An ulcerated eye following her runner-up finish in the Grade 1 Cotillion led to some uncertain moments for trainer Gyarmati, but all is fine now with this late-running New York shipper.
◗ Surely would like to see a torrid pace develop ahead of her; that’s just what happened when she came storming home in back-to-back wins in the Grade 1 Acorn and Grade 1 Test.
Stonetastic (Last 3 Beyers: 89-108-91)
◗ Failed effort as the favorite in the Grade 2 TCA Stakes four weeks ago at Keeneland was not entirely unexpected; a typical “bounce” off the gigantic effort in her Grade 2 Prioress romp at Saratoga.
◗ Gray filly seems the most likely candidate to seize the early lead, a tactic quite familiar to jockey Paco Lopez, who’s enjoying his best season ($8.4 million in mount earnings) in the United States.
Artemis Agrotera (Last 3 Beyers: 94-103-97)
◗ Visually spectacular scores in each of her last three starts make this New York-bred hard to resist; she’s in peak form, period.
◗ She has made favorable impressions in morning training this week; trainer Mike Hushion said all has gone smoothly since her Gallant Bloom triumph.
Leigh Court (Last 3 Beyers: 99-94-92)
◗ Canadian-based filly threw a fit on her charter flight Saturday, so she took a 36-hour van ride before arriving here early Monday. “No worse for wear,” according to trainer Josie Carroll.
◗ Human connections offer diverging story lines: Owner-breeder Eugene Melnyk is in the midst of dispersing his considerable Thoroughbred holdings, while 46-year-old jockey Gary Boulanger continues his remarkable comeback from a horrific injury.
Judy the Beauty (Last 3 Beyers: 95-82-96)
◗ This 5-year-old mare has been pointed to a return to this race ever since finishing second last year to Groupie Doll by Ward, who stayed home in Florida to attend his son’s cross-country meet.
◗ Prerace training regimen at Keeneland consisted primarily of turf workouts, which Ward described as purposeful. “It’s a forgiving surface, and plus, I wanted her as sharp and fresh as I could get her,” he said.
Living the Life (Last 2 Beyers: 90-85)
◗ Clearly a wild card, this Irish-bred import has the most career starts (21) in the field but is the only one without a dirt start, although Mandella insists “she trains superbly” for months over the local surface.
◗ A favorable outside post and the presence of perennial leading Santa Anita jockey Rafael Bejarano are potential factors in an upset, especially if a too-fast pace unfolds up front.