She's Our Annie steps up to stakes

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Daughters of Medaglia d'Oro have made a splash this meet at Oaklawn Park, led by top Kentucky Oaks contender Rachel Alexandra. Perhaps the sire's next-best filly on the grounds is She's Our Annie, who will make her stakes debut here Sunday in the $50,000 Prima Donna.

There are five 3-year-old fillies in the six-furlong race, all of them sharp, including Mrs Cindy's Walkin and Auspicious, who have won their last two starts, and Simplify, who is a half-sister to local stakes winner Classify.

But the horse to beat appears to be the undefeated She's Our Annie. She was the lone wire-to-wire winner on the card at Oaklawn on Feb. 26, when she rolled to a six-length win in a first-level allowance sprint. She set a strong pace in the six-furlong race, covered the distance in a sharp 1:10.60, and earned a big Beyer Speed Figure of 92. The win was She's Our Annie's second straight from three career starts, as she had finished third to the well-regarded Be Fair in her debut Jan. 16.

"Her first race she drew the 1 hole and tried to duck in leaving the gate," said Jinks Fires, who trains She's Our Annie for Destiny Oaks of Ocala. "She was shuffled back and ran a credible race anyway.

"Her next two races she showed pretty good speed. I'm not sure she has to be on the lead, she's just been there."

She's Our Annie will start from post 4 and will be ridden by Jon Court. Fires noted that She's Our Annie not only shares the same sire as Rachel Alexandra, but the same damsire, Roar.

Mrs Cindy's Walkin has won back-to-back six-furlong allowances this meet, her latest a romp by more than six lengths Feb. 19.

"She more or less won under a hand ride," trainer Don Von Hemel said. "She galloped away from them down the lane. If she runs a race like that back, she should be right there."

Mrs Cindy's Walkin stalked the pace last time, but was with the leaders when she won here Jan. 25.

"She'll run on the lead, she'll run from off of it," Von Hemel said. "I suppose her best is to lay right off the speed."

Tanner Riggs has the mount on Mrs Cindy's Walkin.

Auspicious is undefeated in two starts for trainer Steve Asmussen, who has given the mount to Shaun Bridgmohan.