Spa Creek heads familiar cast in My Sister Pearl
Five of the seven fillies and mares entered in the $50,000 My Sister Pearl on Saturday night at Charles Town raced on West Virginia Breeders’ Classics night Oct. 10.
Red Hot Diva was beaten a half-length when second in the $135,000 Cavada at seven furlongs, and Spa Creek, Dimples, Blisstikus, and Scattin’ Girl were the first four finishers in the $63,000 Distaff at the same 1 1/8-mile distance as the My Sister Pearl.
In the Distaff, Dimples set a slow and unchallenged pace while Spa Creek stalked in second. Spa Creek took a narrow lead on the final turn and held it to the wire to defeat a stubborn Dimples by a neck. Blisstikus, who finished five lengths farther back, likely was compromised by the slow early fractions.
Dimples, trained by Damon Dilodovico, and Spa Creek might control the pace again Saturday night, and Spa Creek should keep Dimples more honest this time around.
Trained by Jeff Runco, Spa Creek will be ridden again by Arnaldo Bocachica. She will be making her third start of the year and is the horse to beat. She is 7 for 21 in her career.
Red Hot Diva finished well in the Cavada and appeared to be finding her best gear at the finish. She is a threat at this longer distance for trainer Ollie Figgins III but will have to keep Spa Creek and Dimples within earshot early.
If the fractions are honest, Blisstikus also has a chance. She came out of the Distaff to finish second in a $12,500 starter race at Laurel Park. She closed from far back in that one-turn mile to open up a clear lead in the stretch but was nailed late by 3-5 favorite Primo Via.
Laurel: Beantown Saint stands out
Beantown Saint is the horse to beat in the featured race Saturday at Laurel Park, a third-level turf sprint that drew a field of 11, including two main-track-only runners.
Since making his career debut in May, Beantown Saint has gone 3 for 6, with turf-sprint wins at Parx, Laurel, and Pimlico. He comes into this race off a 3 3/4-length, second-level win at Parx for which he earned a 93 Beyer Speed Figure.
Trained by John Servis, Beantown Saint has good early speed and should be prominent from the beginning of this 5 1/2-furlong race. Trevor McCarthy rides.
Captain Gaughen won a second-level turf sprint at Belmont Park two starts back for trainer James Ryerson. In his most recent start, he finished sixth going a mile in a high-end optional claimer while facing the battle-tested runners Reload, Fredericksburg, and Notacatbutallama.
Captain Gaughen will be facing easier competition Saturday but doesn’t possess the speed of Beantown Saint and will have to run him down under jockey Nik Juarez.
Parx: Shaunna Alexandra on a roll
The best race Saturday at Parx is race 7, an evenly matched third-level optional claimer for fillies and mares at six furlongs.
The principal contenders in the seven-horse field appear to be Shaunna Alexandra, trained by Patricia Farro; Fat Kat, conditioned by Robert Reid Jr.; and the Kate DeMasi entry of Burn Control and Offlee Golden.
Shaunna Alexandra has had a big year for Farro, who claimed her for $25,000 last November. She is 4 for 11 this season and has finished worse than third only once while earning $207,000. Shaunna Alexandra, 6, has moved up to this eligibility level by winning two of her last three starts from just off the pace.
Fat Kat is fast and should cut out the fractions here. She finished second at this level last time out.
Burn Control looks to be the stronger half of the DeMasi entry. She finished fifth last time out, but that was on turf, and she should rebound in this dirt race. She possesses good early speed.