Seeking Ms Shelley finds a good spot in Tellike Stakes

OPELOUSAS, La. – Seeking Ms Shelley, a stakes winner over both turf and dirt, will be seeking her 14th career victory on Friday night as she heads up the field of the $60,000 Tellike Stakes at Evangeline Downs. The 8-year-old Cactus Ridge mare will square off against seven rivals at five furlongs on the turf.

Trained by Joe Duhon for Dream Walkin Farms, Seeking Ms Shelley has started twice in 2014, accounting for the Pan Zareta Stakes over the Fair Grounds turf in early January and finishing unplaced in the Mardi Gras Stakes over a sloppy Fair Grounds main track the first week in March.

“The race Friday is awfully convenient for her,” Duhon said from his barn Tuesday morning. “It’s in her backyard and we really don’t want to ship her around all that much anymore. She’s kind of in the twilight of her career, so we are just picking our spots with her.”

Duhon went on to say that surface has never been an issue with Seeking Ms Shelley. “She’ll run over the blacktop if she has to,” he kidded. “I always thought she might be a little better on the dirt than the turf, but I think it was more her catching some real heavy-hitters on the grass when she was younger.”

Regular rider Roman Chapa will journey in to handle the riding chores on Seeking Ms Shelley, who will break from the rail.

Others in the Tellike include Snappy Girl, a convincing 7 1/4-length winner at Friday night’s distance of five furlongs on the grass in optional-claiming company on April 18; Triplemental, who finished second against optional-claiming company at Lone Star in her most recent start; and Blessed Immaculata, a Ron Faucheux trainee who comes in off a convincing victory in a race taken off the Fair Grounds turf in late March.