North County, New Year's Eve give Walsh a strong 3-year-old filly duo

The 3-year-old filly North County, freshened after winning the Untapable Stakes on Dec. 26, returned to the Fair Grounds work tab Saturday and is on track to race Feb. 19 in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes.

North County won on turf in her debut before running her career mark to 3 for 3 with a dirt allowance win at Keeneland and a neck victory in the Untapable at Fair Grounds. She’s versatile in terms of racing surface, but her trainer, Brendan Walsh, might have an even better 3-year-old grass filly in his Fair Grounds barn.

New Year’s Eve, by Kitten’s Joy out of Awesome Rafaela, debuted Dec. 10 at Fair Grounds in a turf-route maiden, and despite running 10th in an 11-horse field coming into the homestretch, finished powerfully to win going away. Facing considerably stronger competition in a first-level turf-route allowance on Saturday, New Year’s Eve again dropped to the tail of the field and came with a strong, sustained finish, winning by a neck over Pearl Earring and Whenthedawnbreaks.

:: For the first time ever, our premium past performances are free! Get free Formulator now!

“Like she did her first start, she got a little further back than ideal, but when she kicks in, she really kicks in,” said Walsh, who trains New Year’s Eve for Marc Detampel. “I still don’t think she’s figured the whole thing out yet, and I think she’s got a ton of improvement in her. She’s been a little slow mentally, but I think Saturday’s race is going to bring her on, and if it does, she’s going to be really nice.”

No race plans have been set, though the natural local spot for New Year’s Eve is the $75,000 Allen Lacombe Memorial over one mile on grass March 12.

As for North County, she had two weeks merely jogging following the Untapable, and on Saturday worked an easy half-mile in 51.20 seconds. The plan all along, Walsh said, was to skip the Silverbulletday Stakes on Jan. 22 and await the Rachel Alexandra.

“She’s the type of filly who won’t need much,” he said. “Two more works and she’ll be ready to go.

“I’m delighted with how she’s done since her last race. She’s tough and seems to know where the wire is. We don’t know what her limit is yet. We’ll see in the Rachel.”