Nice spot on turf for Super Tuesday

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Super Tuesday, winner of the California Sires Stakes at Hollywood, looks tough to beat when she returns to northern California to head a field of seven in the $40,000 Floral Fiesta Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile on the turf Saturday at the Bay Meadows Fair.

Super Tuesday, trained by Dean Pederson, has much in her favor. She has as much class as any of her foes, is in sharp form, and has been ultra-consistent since racing poorly in her career debut. Equally important, she has proved that she likes the turf while several of her rivals have never raced on it.

The daughter of Political Ambition has not finished worse than third in her last seven starts and has won three of those races. She has won two of her three career turf starts and finished third in the Bay Meadows Oaks in her only other grass race. After the Oaks, she won the Cal Sires, a turf race that was restricted to California-bred 3-year-old fillies. She has three strong recent works at Golden Gate.

Among her major foes are Planoncometbebopin, Gifted Daughter, and Color Me Special, who were the first three finishers in the Pleasanton Senorita Stakes July 4. Planoncometbebopin and Color Me Special have both raced fairly well on turf, but Gifted Daughter will be trying the surface for the first time.

De Goddaughter, who finished fourth in the Bay Meadows Oaks May 19 and was only a length behind third-place Super Tuesday, also figures in the battle, but she has raced poorly in stakes at Delaware and Monmouth in two subsequent starts. She has a chance to rebound now that she is back in northern California, and she has been working well here for trainer Jeff Bonde.