She's a Tiger Stakes can go any number of ways
The She’s a Tiger Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares on dirt, offers Pleasanton fans an interesting handicapping challenge.
The first of three $75,000 stakes at the meeting, the She’s a Tiger seems a wide-open affair. The field includes a trio of stakes winners, all of whom have won over this track. It also has a Southern California invader who has run second and third in graded stakes at Santa Anita this year as well as a runner who put together a five-race winning streak after moving to Northern California last fall.
Northwest Factor is the lone runner coming into the race off a victory, having defeated Saturday rival Tiz Fake News by a length in an allowance race at this distance on the Tapeta at Golden Gate Fields on May 21. She is joined by Manuel Badilla-trained stablemate Time Voyage, an English import who won an allowance on the Tapeta at 1 1/16 miles in her U.S. debut in April, then ran fifth when favored on the turf in an allowance June 6.
Blue Diva, who won the Miss America at this distance two years ago, comes off a second in the June 6 allowance following a six-month layoff. Wise Rachel, who ran fourth in the June 6 race, also returns in the She’s a Tiger.
Miss Stormy D, trained by Carla Gaines, is the probable favorite coming off a third in the Grade 2 Santa Maria at Santa Anita at this distance. She was also third at this distance in the Grade 3 La Canada there in January. Both Miss Stormy D and Saturday rival Clockstrikestwelve finished well behind one-two finishers Swiss Skydiver and As Time Goes By in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile on March 13 at Santa Anita. For Clockstrikestwelve, the loss snapped a five-race win streak.
Blue Diva finished nicely on the turf behind front-running Dutch Painting on June 6. Trainer Isidro Tamayo expects a strong effort from her Saturday.
“There should be a lot more pace in this race,” he said. “She needed her last race and finished well against a slow pace.”
Miss Stormy D, looking for her first win of the year, seems capable of getting the lead here, although sprinter Tiz Fake News drew the rail and will be a pace factor after running second behind Northwest Factor when allowed to stalk at this distance in her last start.
A brisk pace could be helpful to Clockstrikestwelve.