See How She Runs tries turf

BOSSIER CITY, La. - See How She Runs, a stakes winner of $585,490, will start a new chapter in her career Saturday when she makes her turf debut in the $50,000 Honeymoon Stakes at Louisiana Downs.

A one-mile race, the Honeymoon drew 11 fillies and mares including stakes winners Sea Bloom, Due to Win Again, Tiva's Little Sis, Tincan Too, and Cherylville Slew.

See How She Runs has worked well for the race, going five furlongs in 1:02.40 at Louisiana Downs on May 6.

"We've always wanted to try her on the turf," said Donnie Von Hemel, who trains See How She Runs for Pin Oak Stud. "Whatever the reason, as a 3-year-old and a 4-year-old we never got to it."

See How She Runs was busy with other things, winning dirt stakes from Arkansas to Canada. As a 3-year-old, she won two major two-turn stakes, the Grade 2 Fantasy at Oaklawn and the Grade 1 Selene at Woodbine. Then last year at 4, See How She Runs broke new ground when she won two sprint stakes, taking the $100,000 Valid Expectations at Lone Star Park and the $100,000 Saylorville at Prairie Meadows.

For the Honeymoon, she will be moving back to two turns for the first time this season after placing third in two sprint stakes at Oaklawn and running fourth in a six-furlong allowance on April 22 at Lone Star in her last start.

"This year, it just seems in her sprints she's not been able to quite stay in good enough striking position," Von Hemel said. "I feel like she's running well and training well. It's just being close enough to get the job done in the end, so we're going to stretch her out again."

As for the turf angle, See How She Runs gets pedigree support for the move. She is by Maria's Mon out of the Cougar II mare Beau Cougar, who is the dam of Hasten to Add. Hasten to Add was a turf specialist who won the Grade 3 Laurel Turf Cup and earned $517,833.

Von Hemel has given the mount on See How She Runs to Don Pettinger. Last year, the trainer won the Honeymoon with Bien Nicole.

The chief threat to See How She Runs could be Due to Win Again. In her last start, she was a fast-closing second to the Von Hemel-trained Bedanken in the Grade 3 Bayou Breeders' Cup Handicap at Fair Grounds on Feb. 28.

Due to Win Again has placed first, second, or third over the local turf course in seven of nine tries, and owns the field's highest last-race Beyer Speed Figure on turf. Kirk LeBlanc has the mount for trainer Howard Scarberry.