Nice as Pie brings win streak into loaded Limestone

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Nice as Pie, bringing in a Turfway Park win streak, is expected to face the stakes-performing stablemates Crimson Advocate and Amidst Waves in the $250,000 Limestone Stakes on Friday at Keeneland.

They are among five stakes winners in the main body of the field of 12 3-year-old fillies. The 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint has two also-eligibles, who would play a prominent role with scratches or a surface switch. Wet weather moved into the Lexington area Tuesday and was expected to intensify Wednesday and Thursday, and continue through early Friday.

But for now, Nice as Pie – who trainer Kelsey Danner said could await stakes action at Churchill Downs if conditions deteriorate – is ready to go. Her connections have long been eager to get the half-sister to turf stakes winner Smokin’ Jay on the lawn.

“She was fast as a 2-year-old,” Danner said. “We really liked her.”

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Nice as Pie debuted on dirt last summer at Colonial Downs, finishing seventh. Shin trouble derailed the rest of her season. She reemerged in January at Turfway, and ripped off four straight wins on the Tapeta, including the Valdale on Feb. 10 and a six-length romp in the Serena’s Song on March 30.

Nice as Pie, a late runner, has drawn the rail under regular rider Adam Beschizza.

“She tends to sit off of it anyway,” Danner said. “There is a fair amount of speed. In a perfect world, she’d sit in the pocket, and the rail opens up.”

Speed could be provided by Crimson Advocate, while her George Weaver-trained stablemate, Amidst Waves, is more of a late runner. Crimson Advocate debuted on dirt at Keeneland a year ago, finishing third in a maiden to eventual Grade 1 winner Brightwork. She went on to win the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies at Gulfstream Park, and the Group 2 Queen Mary at Royal Ascot. Away from the races more than four months following that effort, she set a pressured pace in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint before finishing sixth, beaten 2 1/2 lengths.

Amidst Waves is also making her first start since the Breeders’ Cup, where she finished 10th, a length and a half behind her stablemate. Fourth in her lone start on dirt, the filly won the Colleen at Monmouth Park and Bolton Landing at Saratoga, and was second by a nose in the Indian Summer on Keeneland’s turf.

Toupie, also making her 3-year-old debut, appears a threat on either turf or dirt for Graham Motion. She won the Stewart Manor at Aqueduct and was second in the Rosie’s at Colonial, both on turf, and won her debut and finished third in the Sandpiper at on dirt.

Stakes winner Pipsy, who makes her first United States start, won her maiden on yielding turf, which could bode well for conditions Friday. Foxxy Cleopatra is making her stakes debut after winning her first two starts.

Restricted stakes winner Greavette, maiden winners Antique Silver, Big Trouble, Kodiac Wintergreen, and Zoe’s Prime, and maiden Midnight Angel complete the main body of the field.

Xtreme Diva and Hot Beach, the also-eligibles, in that order, are both stakes-winning dirt sprinters.

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