No shortage of opponents for Bluegrass Flag

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Tom Morley thought he had a nice spot picked out for his 3-year-old filly Bluegrass Flag on Feb. 9, when she was one of five entered in a first-level allowance race for New York-breds. Unfortunately for him, a snowstorm prompted the cancellation of that day’s Aqueduct card, and that race was not brought back.

Plan B became Sunday’s $100,000 Franklin Square Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies. She is one of 10 horses in what is the biggest field for a stakes this year on this circuit. It will go as the last race on a nine-race program at Aqueduct.

“I’d rather have run in a five-horse one-other-than for $57,000, but at the same time, I think this filly is talented enough to be extremely competitive in here,” Morley said Friday by phone from Fair Grounds.

Morley also entered Passporttovictory, who has run six times, winning a maiden race at Saratoga last August. Nine of the 10 fillies in this field are just maiden winners, with the lone exception being three-time winner Toni Tools.

Bluegrass Flag, a daughter of Bluegrass Cat, finished seventh in her debut Dec. 4 at Aqueduct. She raced wide throughout after breaking from post 10 and was beaten only 1 1/2 lengths for third.

On Jan. 14, Bluegrass Flag came back to record a front-running victory, outsprinting My Girl Annie to the front and easily holding off My Girl Annie and Easy Way Out, an entry that went off at odds of 1-5.

“She learned a lot first time out,” Morley said. “She sat behind horses, took a lot of dirt, went very wide, and never gave it up.”

Despite the big field, there isn’t a lot of early speed in the race. Maple Mo, a front-running maiden winner on Feb. 4, is the other speed, but she is only “50-50” to run, according to trainer Linda Rice.

KEY CONTENDERS

Bluegrass Flag, by Bluegrass Cat

Beyers: 73-54

◗ Her debut race produced three next-out winners.

◗ Beat eight rivals in a maiden sprint Jan. 14. Several of the fillies she beat run earlier on this card in race 4.

Toni Tools, by Roaring Fever

Last 3 Beyers: 61-57-55

◗ Cuts back to a sprint after finishing second to repeating winner Dublin Girl in the Maddie May Stakes going a mile and 70 yards on Jan. 29.

◗ Won three consecutive sprints, including a division of the New York Stallion Stakes here on Dec. 18.

Wilburnmoney, by Wilburn

Last 3 Beyers: 57-49-34

◗ A debut winner at Belmont last summer, she has lost four straight, including a third in an allowance race last out when she was blocked behind horses at the top of the stretch and had to rally five wide.

“My filly’s going to run her best race,” trainer Gary Gullo said. “I think we’re getting her back to where she was.”

Maple Mo, by Uncle Mo

Beyers: 74-43

◗ Filly had gate issues, which is why Rice ran her long the first time. She broke well in her second start and posted a front-running score sprinting.

◗ Rice said she is concerned about running the filly back in 15 days and in a big field.