Perfect Dude, La Castiglione move to turf for stakes
PHOENIX – Perfect Dude and La Castiglione might be the best male and female sprinter/milers, respectively, on dirt at Turf Paradise. The duo gets a chance Saturday to prove that also might be the case on turf. Perfect Dude heads a field of nine in the $60,000 Turf Paradise Turf at a mile (race 8), while La Castiglione leads a group of 10 fillies and mares in the $60,000 Molly P (race 6), also at a mile.
Perfect Dude, a 7-year-old gelded son of Majesticperfection owned by Todd and Shawn Hansen and trained by Vann Belvoir, comes into the Turf Paradise Turf in raging form. After a late-summer break, he came here to run second in the Hank Mills Sr. on Nov. 4, romped in an allowance sprint Dec. 13, and then blasted rivals in the Luke Kruytbosch at a mile on Jan. 23, earning a 93 Beyer Speed Figure. While he moves to turf, he’s no fish out of water, having run first and second in his only two turf tries, both at Canterbury last summer.
Perfect Dude’s main opposition figures to be Mucho Del Oro. The 5-year-old gelded son of Mucho Macho Man is owned by Peerenboom Racing Stables and trained by Vladimir Cerin. He won this track’s premier grass event, the Cotton Fitzsimmons Mile, last March 11. Trouble is, he hasn’t been seen since. He has, however, run well off the bench.
My Indy, who won last year’s Turf Paradise Turf before being nipped by a nose by Mucho Del Oro in the Fitzsimmons, comes off a couple of allowance thirds here this meet; Stitzy comes off a smart allowance win on this course at this trip Jan. 12; Sonny Smack won two allowance races here earlier in the meet; and Brix moves up in class after two smart allowance wins on this course.
Molly P
La Castiglione, a 5-year-old mare owned by Jeff Jacobs and trained by Juan Gutierrez, goes into the Molly P off an easy win in the City of Phoenix at a mile on dirt here Jan. 23. In her prior start, she won the Glendale on this course at this type of trip, so the footing and distance are no problem. In fact, she’s won her two career turf starts, both on this course and at this type of trip.
Lexington Humor is a scary Southern California invader who’s won on turf and comes off a fifth in the Grade 3 Las Flores on Dec. 31 at Santa Anita.
Yankee Dollar comes off three straight wins on this course at this trip as she steps up in class. But for a nose, she’d be perfect in four turf starts.
Lady Commissioner comes here in good form and is proven on turf, while Street Shadow moves up in class after two allowance wins on this course at this type of trip.
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