One Last Shot at top of her game

ELMONT, N.Y. – Though One Last Shot has nearly identical race records on turf and dirt, trainer Michael Stidham is hoping that Thursday’s second-level allowance feature at Belmont Park stays on the grass.

Coming off a solid second at 18-1 behind the undefeated Take These Chains here on opening day of the meet, One Last Shot looks like a main contender in an $80,000 allowance scheduled for six furlongs over the inner turf course. It rained Monday, and more was in the forecasts for Wednesday and Thursday, not good news for the New York Racing Association, which has scheduled six grass races each for Thursday and Friday.

One Last Shot is 1-2-0 from five starts on turf and 1-2-1 from five starts on dirt. Two races back, she won a first-level allowance on turf at Fair Grounds. Last out on April 28, she was beaten 3 1/2 lengths on turf by Take These Chains while finishing two lengths ahead of third-place finisher Rumble Doll, who is back in this field.

“We were really happy with the effort,” Stidham said. “She’s a filly that has taken some time to come back around from the time we got her.”

Stidham said that according to several speed figures, One Last Shot’s last race was “a new top.”

“We’re hoping we can at least maintain that level or move forward a little bit,” he added.

One Last Shot is cutting back from seven furlongs to six furlongs, but Stidham said, “It could potentially be a better distance for her.”

Stidham said he is unsure if One Last Shot would run should race come off the turf.

More Royalty, who makes her first start in 15 months; Swiss Range, who takes a major class drop from four graded races; and Elegant Supermodel add depth to the field if the race stays on turf.

Tejana, unraced since finishing second in the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks last August, looks well spotted should the race be transferred to the dirt.

KEY CONTENDERS

One Last Shot, by Any Given Saturday

Last 3 Beyers: 85-79-66

◗ Seems to be improving midway through her 4-year-old season.

◗ Raced in between horses, got shuffled back, then rallied again to finish second behind the stakes-bound Take These Chains.

◗ Came back with a bullet half-mile breeze in 47.60 seconds over the synthetic surface at the Fair Hill Training Center.

Swiss Range, by Zamindar

Beyers: 72-93

◗ Won a listed stakes in Europe before coming to North America, where she is winless in four starts but was beaten only 1 1/2 lengths in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor at Woodbine last October.

◗ In her first start for trainer Bill Mott, Swiss Range finished last after encountering trouble in the Grade 2 Hillsborough at 1 1/8 miles at Tampa.

◗ This will be her shortest race.

Elegant Supermodel, by Lope de Vega

Last 3 Beyers: 85-78-75

◗ Her best finish in this country came last June at Pimlico, where she was second in the Stormy Blues Stakes going five furlongs on turf.