Ransomsgoodfriday a threat to wire La Senora

Ransomsgoodfriday will get a stiff class test when she makes her first start against winners Saturday in the $120,000 La Senora at Sunland Park, but she has several things working in her favor.

Ransomsgoodfriday owns the best career Beyer Speed Figure in the field of 12. She earned a 71 for her wire-to-wire, maiden-special-weight win at Sunland on Dec. 28, when she went six furlongs in 1:10.40. With more natural speed than most of her rivals, she might have a chance to steal away in the La Senora, a six-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies bred in New Mexico.

Ken Tohill, a longtime leading rider in New Mexico, sticks with Ransomsgoodfriday on Saturday. He was aboard for her debut, when she ran second against open company maidens at Zia on Nov. 14. Tohill again teamed with Ransomsgoodfriday when she won her maiden against statebreds. Jon Arnett trains Ransomsgoodfriday, a daughter of the Hennessy stud Golden Ransom.

Four stakes winners will contend against Ransomsgoodfriday. Chief among them is Highspeed Rescue, who won the $120,000 Enchantress at Sunland in her last start Dec. 19, and in the process defeated Shamrock Girl and Squall Wilbud, a pair of stakes winners who return in the La Senora.

Shamrock Girl, who is a four-time winner, has natural speed and might get a nice tracking trip behind probable pacesetter Ransomsgoodfriday. The move back to six furlongs might also suit Shamrock Girl as she was making her first start at two turns in the Enchantress and was overtaken in the late stages by Highspeed Rescue.

David Wolochuk owns and trains Shamrock Girl, who is a two-time winner at Sunland.

The other stakes winner in the field Saturday is Tin Can Kitty, who like Shamrock Girl might appreciate the cutback to one turn as her wins have come in sprints. Tin Can Kitty has speed and could show it from her rail post in the La Senora.