Stamina test for Richie'slilwildcat in Whitworth Illinois Debutante

One doesn’t often find a morning-line favorite priced at 2-5, and even less frequently one who looks vulnerable. But that appears to be the case in the $50,000 Pat Whitworth Illinois Debutante on Saturday at Hawthorne.

Richie’slilwildcat is the 2-5 morning-line favorite to win for the fourth time in six starts this year. She exits a win in the Showtime Deb Stakes at Hawthorne and undoubtedly is the most accomplished horse in the race. But Richie’slilwildcat was an early developer who looked life and death to hang on in the six-furlong Showtime Deb, and she could really struggle to stay the Whitworth’s 1 1/16 miles.

The key question is which of her five rivals might do better at two turns than one. And one reasonable answer is “pick one.” If Richie’slilwildcat seems like a significant underlay given the conditions, all her opponents would offer some degree of value. Perhaps the most likely of them is Isabellacannetella, whose even-paced fourth in the Showtime Deb and her route-leaning pedigree stamp her as a filly who might want more distance.

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