Play On returns seeking Pan Zareta repeat

One hears talk about a lack of national uniformity within horse racing. That holds for purse structures. While Aqueduct winter maidens race for an $80,000 purse, a field of crack female turf sprinters runs for $75,000 in the Pan Zareta Stakes on Saturday at Fair Grounds.

“That’s a solid group of horses for $75,000,” trainer Brad Cox said in an understatement.

Cox’s chance comes with Play On, who won the Pan Zareta last season and is only one of many qualified win candidates in this 5 1/2-furlong turf dash.

Fourteen were entered, but Sterling Miss and Mucho Amor are also-eligibles. The temporary turf rail is scheduled to be set at eight feet and, while Saturday’s forecast calls for clear skies, the course still could hold moisture if showers persist, as is possible, through Friday. The Pan Zareta is race 9 on a 10-race program, first post is 1 p.m. Central.

Play On hasn’t raced since May but returned from a similar layoff last season at Fair Grounds to finish second, beaten a neck, in the Richard Scherer Memorial Stakes before landing the Pan Zareta. The 4-year-old Klein family homebred never has been worse than second in five Fair Grounds turf starts, has a long string of published workouts for her comeback, and possesses positional pace to get a favorable trip stalking a contested pace under jockey Shaun Bridgmohan.

“I feel like she’s every bit as good this year going into the race as last year,” Cox said.

Winning Envelope will have more late work to do than Play On since she has lacked tactical speed in limited turf-sprint starts. Her connections now appear to be sticking to turf sprints with the filly, who appears best-suited to that sort of race but has made most of her starts in two-turn routes. Winning Envelope was away slowly and finished fifth last out in the Franklin County Stakes in October at Keeneland, but has a stronger performance than that in her.

Second in the Franklin County, beaten a nose by Grade 1-class Got Stormy, was Into Mystic, who drew post 11 on Saturday and figures to be a forward factor. Into Mystic finished about a half-length behind Winning Envelope in the Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint, a race over nearly seven furlongs that’s longer than her best trip. Most recently, she faded to seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, a defeat that can be excused.

“She ended up on the lead and set a very, very fast pace,” said Brendan Walsh, who has trained Into Mystic for her last four starts.

Change of Control and A Bit of Both also rate win consideration in a race that brings a lot of bang for the buck.