A puzzle: 9 of 10 are first time turf

ALBANY, Calif. - Ten 3-year-old fillies are matched in Thursday's Golden Gate Fields feature, a one-mile allowance race on the turf.

Nine of them have something in common: they are making their turf debuts.

Only First Alert, a British-bred filly of trainer Matthew Chew, has turf experience, winning two races last year in her native country. First Alert made her U.S. debut on Jan 4 in a $32,000 claiming race at Santa Anita, finishing fourth in the six-furlong race. It was her first start on dirt.

Meanwhile, trainer Roy Lumm hopes My Sand Dollar responds to a new surface.

"I don't know how she'll do, but I think her dad [Brazilian-bred Sandpit] ran well on it," he said. "She might handle it all right. Actually, I think she will handle it or I wouldn't enter her."

Lumm has reason to feel optimistic. Since claiming My Sand Dollar for Dino Bongi on Nov. 7, Lumm has seen the filly win a $25,000 claimer and run second in the Corte Madera Stakes in her last, start Dec. 29.

My Sand Dollar won her maiden the day Lumm claimed her.

"I watched her the race before when I was watching another filly," he said. "She was stuck outside [starting from the No. 8 post in a field of eight going a mile] and still ran second."

Lumm said he hasn't done anything special with the filly since he got her.

"I don't treat her too much different than any of my others. I just take it slow with all of them. I may have noticed a couple things, but I'm from the old school. I don't take credit for it."

Moving from the claiming ranks to earning black type may not be that big a jump for young, developing fillies, but it's an achievement nonetheless.

"I thought she'd fit in there," Lumm said of running in the Corte Madera. "I know we were 30-1, but I thought we had a shot."

He believes he has a shot Thursday as well.

"She's training well and getting better," he said. "She's taken to things pretty well."

Redmond and Raelynn's Colony both come into the race after graduating at mile. Emma G was a beaten favorite in a $25,000 claimer in her first try at a mile.

Also entered are Half Fare, fifth in the Corte Madera after a good try in an allowance race in her first start at a mile, Jade Necklace, Bedtime Lullaby, Parisian Heart, and Country Whirl.

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