Shin Feign aimed for stakes

When Phoenix businessman Paxton Anderson bought a filly named Shin Feign last spring, it was with a long-term goal in mind.

"He wanted to get black type for her, and he thought the best way to go probably was at Turfway Park in the wintertime," said Anderson's trainer, Chuck Simon.

Shin Feign, a 4-year-old El Prado filly, was good enough to register maiden and allowance victories in her first nine starts, and after having nearly eight months off after experiencing a minor hock ailment, she will return to action Friday night in Florence, Ky., in the Turfway feature, a $23,700 second-level allowance at 1 1/16 miles.

"The hock thing was no big deal, nothing that required surgery or anything," said Simon, whose 30-horse stable is split evenly this winter between Turfway and Fair Grounds in New Orleans. "We gave her extra time, knowing we wanted to focus on the winter at Turfway. Mr. Anderson is starting a commercial breeding business, and is up to about 10 or 12 mares, and obviously it's important to try to get black type for them. I think this filly has the ability to maybe do that for him this winter."

First things first. Before taking aim at Turfway stakes such as the Likely Exchange, Wintergreen, or Fairway Fun, Shin Feign will need to prove herself worthy in what appears to be a well-matched race Friday. With Victor Lebron named to ride, Shin Feign will start from post 10 in a field of 10 entered in the 11th of 12 races. Simon's longtime assistant T.C. Stuckey will saddle the filly while Simon watches from New Orleans.

Simon said Shin Feign spent about six weeks in light training at Churchill Downs this fall before being shifted to Turfway, where she has had three posted workouts readying for her comeback.

"I think she's trained very well," said Simon, who opened a public stable in 1999 after six years as an assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens.

As for her top opponents, Shin Feign will face Angel Flying, a recent first-level allowance winner over the Churchill turf for trainer David Vance; Saratoga Drive, a Ken McPeek-trained filly who was fourth in a second-level turf allowance at Churchill last out; and Cercatore, another comebacker who owns 2 wins and 3 seconds in 5 attempts over Turfway's Polytrack surface.

First post Friday is 5:30 p.m. Eastern, with the feature set for 9:51.