Neige Blanche eyes another CTT and TOC Handicap win

In her first start of 2023, Neige Blanche returned from an eight-month layoff to win the seventh stakes of her career in the Possibly Perfect at Santa Anita on June 18.

Her second start of the season occurs in Friday’s $100,000 CTT and TOC Handicap for fillies and mares at 1 3/8 miles on turf, the 6-year-old mare’s third consecutive appearance in the race.

Neige Blanche won the 2021 CTT and TOC Handicap, and was fifth last year. On Friday, Neige Blanche is part of a field of nine that includes several familiar names, and a few new runners who could play a pivotal role in the feature race on a program that begins at 3:30 p.m. Pacific.

Sister Otoole, who won the 2022 running, will have her second start of the year on Friday after finishing a well-beaten fifth in an allowance race at Saratoga on July 13. Queen Ofthe Temple, a game second in the Possibly Perfect Stakes, is a threat as a stalker, as are Symphony Perfect, a fast-closing fifth in the Osunitas Stakes at a mile on turf at Del Mar on July 22, and Eylara, an allowance race winner at 1 3/8 miles on turf at Del Mar on July 27 in her 2023 debut and first start in California.

:: DRF's 2023 Del Mar headquarters: Previews, past performances, picks, recaps, news, and more.

Neige Blanche, trained by Leonard Powell for Marsha Naify, Laura De Seroux, and Mathilde Powell, can lead or stalk the pace, versatility that could be a factor in a race unlikely to have a strong tempo.

“She’s won on the lead,” Leonard Powell said earlier this week. “She’s won stalking. It depends on the race setup.”

Neige Blanche won the Possibly Perfect by closing from fourth of five to win by neck. The lengthy break between starts is not a concern for Powell.

“I’ve had her for four years and I kind of know her,” he said. “I have confidence in her. She’s had 22 starts, 10 wins and never been second. That’s a filly that knows where the wire is.”

Eylara was winless in four starts in New York last year for Christophe Clement. She closed from third to win on July 27, and will have her American stakes debut on Friday.

“I think she’s a tactical filly,” trainer Phil D’Amato said. “She’s run good races stalking the pace and coming from off of it. It’s a good style to have for a race like this.”

D’Amato also starts Oakhurst, a closer who won an allowance race at 1 1/8 miles on turf July 23 in her first start in more than six months. Oakhurst closed well to finish fourth in the Grade 1 American Oaks at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Santa Anita last December.

“We’ve always thought she could go longer,” D’Amato said. “It’s worth taking a shot.”

Queen Ofthe Temple won the Santa Barbara Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on turf at Santa Anita in April, her lone win in four starts this year. Trainer Dan Blacker expects Queen Ofthe Temple to stalk the pace under jockey Joe Bravo.

“I’m really happy with her energy since her last race,” Blacker said.

“She’s a fighter and always shows up and runs a big race. I’ll tell Joe to put her in the race. We’ll be aggressive pace-wise.”

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.