Rain throws wrench into plans for some contenders in Sunday's turf stakes
With steady rain in Baltimore on Friday, course condition could be key in all four stakes scheduled for turf on Sunday’s program. The other stakes on the card is the Shine Again for fillies and mares going six furlongs on the main track. Each of the five stakes is worth $100,000.
The first of the turf stakes is the Searching for fillies and mares at 1 1/2 miles, featuring Grade 3 winner Blame Debbie and stakes winner Luck Money in their seasonal debuts.
The possibility of wet turf worries Blame Debbie’s trainer, Graham Motion.
“Mostly from fitness, it concerns me,” he said. “It makes it that much more of a challenge coming off the break. I just thought it was too good of an opportunity to pass up to have a local listed 1 1/2-mile race for her.”
Luck Money’s trainer, Arnauld Delacour, echoed Motion’s sentiments.
“My only question mark off the layoff is the soft turf,” he said. “I know she handles it because she won on yielding at Belmont, but off the layoff it’s more challenging as far as fitness goes. I think the rhythm of the race is going to fit her. There should be a slower pace.”
Christophe Clement doesn’t believe softer ground will compromise Beautiful Lover, who makes her second start of 2021 after a fifth-place finish at 1 1/16 miles, a race Clement described as “disappointing.”
Purchased by Moyglare Stud Farm for $650,000 at Keeneland in January, Beautiful Lover has “always trained like a filly that wanted to go further,” Clement said.
Stakes winner Crystalle, Whatdoesasharksay, Proper Storm, Scatrattleandroll, and Breviary complete the field.
Prince George’s County
Timing is everything for Pixelate, the morning-line favorite in the Prince George’s County for 3-year-olds and up at nine furlongs. Beaten a nose in the Henry Clark on April 24 at Pimlico, he might have waited on horses once he made an early stretch lead.
“The one thing we know about Pixelate is you have to time his moves,” trainer Michael Stidham said. “You have to get there right at the wire. I think he made the lead too soon last time.”
While Pixelate finished ahead of stablemate Doc Boy in the Henry Clark, Stidham is bullish on Doc Boy in the Prince George’s County.
“Just by the way he’s training, I think Doc Boy is coming up to one of his better races,” Stidham said.
Delacour counters with Talk Or Listen and Eons. Talk Or Listen finished second in the Grade 2 Dinner Party on May 15 at Pimlico. The winner, Somelikeithotbrown, had the lead in the stretch and held off Talk Or Listen by a length.
“I thought he had a beautiful trip, but it looked like nobody could make up ground,” Delacour said. “Flavien Prat told me that he probably needed to go a bit longer and the turf might have been a touch firm.”
English Bee was steadied along the rail in the stretch when seventh in the Dinner Party.
:: Get Daily Racing Form Past Performances - the exclusive home of Beyer Speed Figures
Joe Sharp also entered two in the Prince George’s County. Multiple stakes-winner Logical Myth is as solid as they come but might be more effective on firm turf. Midnight Tea Time ran third in the Dinner Party, despite being squeezed back early in the race and coming six wide into the stretch.
Multiple stakes winner Alwaysmining, Argonne, Mokheef, and Glad Moon complete the field. Shane’s Jewel was entered to run if the race is switched to the main track.
◗ So Street, fourth in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint, is the 4-1 morning-line favorite for the Ben’s Cat at five furlongs. Other logical contenders in the race for Maryland-bred 3-year-olds and up include Matta, Introduced, Oldies But Goodies, and Cannon’s Roar.
◗ Street Lute, a six-time stakes winner trained by John Robb, makes her turf debut in the Stormy Blues for 3-year-old fillies at five furlongs. Clement counters with Honey Pants, although he said he wasn’t thrilled with the prospect of wet turf for her. Amanzi Yimpilo and Wink should provide pace, while Can’t Buy Love rallies from the back.