Pea Patch should have plenty of early zip
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In the field of eight 3-year-old filly turf sprinters entered for Sunday’s $175,000 Pea Patch – the nickname of Ellis Park – the only two stakes winners scored those victories on the dirt. That makes this a competitive group, and the competition should be hot right out of the gate with plenty of speed drawn inside.
Beach Heist has turf stakes experience, having set a very hot pace – 21.25 seconds for the quarter and 43.46 for the half – in the six-furlong Stewart Manor last November at Aqueduct. She finished third, beaten three-quarters of a length, to two next-out winners.
On May 31, making her first start in over six months, Beach Heist was second in a Churchill Downs turf allowance at the Pea Patch distance of 5 1/2 furlongs. She should be tighter for her second run off the layoff.
Beach Heist will have to use her speed from the rail, with other speed immediately to her outside. Sutura, drawn in post 2, is cutting back after setting the pace in the one-mile Penn Oaks, allowance winner Gigabit, in post 3, and maiden winner Sweet Sissone, in post 4, will also be looking for the lead.
Gigabit, a maiden winner on turf, is coming off an off-turf allowance win by 6 1/4 lengths at Indianapolis. She earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 92, by far the top number in this field.
Victory Music has been forwardly placed in the past, but has shown the ability to sit just off the pace if needed. She and Woodstock, the two dirt stakes winners, should have targets to follow.
Victory Music won the Xtra Heat at Laurel Park in February, but was seventh in the Serena’s Song trying synthetic at Turfway Park in March. Woodstock won the E.L. Gaylord Memorial last fall at Remington, and has placed in dirt stakes at Keeneland, Oaklawn Park , and Evangeline Downs.
Last-out turf allowance winner Just a Minute and allowance runner-up Triskelion complete the field.
There are other compelling races on the nine-race Sunday card, which includes a $104,000 turf allowance/optional-claiming race for fillies and mares, a $102,000 dirt sprint allowance for fillies and mares, a $102,000 turf allowance/optional-claiming race for 3-year-old fillies, a $100,000 mile turf maiden for juveniles, and a $100,000 maiden for 3-year-olds and up.
The fifth race, the sprint allowance, features the first entrant this meet for Bob Baffert. French Blue finished third in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel and most recently was third in a Churchill Downs allowance.
Baffert, who also has maiden Embry Show in the seventh race, has a full barn of horses at Churchill. Baffert has not had a starter at Ellis since 2005.
The day’s ninth race, the turf allowance for sophomore fillies, marks the first start in more than eight months for the promising Infinite Sky. She was a strong, troubled second in the Grade 2 Jessamine last October at Keeneland, then finished sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Trust Account has a recency edge in the ninth, and her good form could get better. She drops to allowance company after finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Regret at Churchill. Third-place Tam Tam won the Tepin on June 27, while the top two, Faithful Departed and Storm’s Wake, are entered in Saturday’s Grade 1 Belmont Oaks.
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