Stolen Prayer tops U Can Do It
MIAMI - Trainer Eddie Plesa will have the starting highweight, Stolen Prayer, in Saturday's $100,000 U Can Do It Handicap. Racing secretary Mike Anifantis has assigned Stolen Prayer 123 pounds for the 6 1/2-furlong filly and mare dash.
Stolen Prayer, a two time stakes winner here earlier this season, is coming off a fifth-place finish on the grass in the Distaff Turf Sprint Championship Handicap on Aug. 11.
"I thought she ran very well on the turf against probably the best of that division in the country," said Plesa. "And she only got beat 2o1/2 lengths for it all."
In her previous start, Stolen Prayer finished ninth after pressing the pace in the Grade 1 Princess Rooney Handicap.
A Sea Trippi, who returned to her peak form with a pair of recent victories, was next among highweights in the U Can Do It at 123 pounds. The race drew 13 nominations.
B. B. Best scrathed due to lung congestion
B. B. Best is coming off arguably the best performance of his career and would likely have been the favorite in defense of his title in Saturday's $50,000 Ambehaving Stakes. Instead, trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. opted to scratch the multiple stakes winner to go with the younger and much improved Electrify in the overnight stakes.
"He's got a little congestion and it's only been two weeks since he last ran," said Plesa, explaining the decision to keep B. B. Best on the bench this weekend.
B. B. Best had not won a race since capturing the 2006 Ambehaving until registering a 14 3/4-length optional claiming victory here Aug. 24. That victory earned the son of Yes It's True a career best 106 Beyer Speed Figure.
Banda Victoria impresses
Jockey Manoel Cruz has a long road to travel to catch Elvis Trujillo in defense of his Calder riding title. But he took a big stride in that direction after winning four of the first six races on Saturday's card. Among those victories was an impressive performance by Banda Victoria, who overcame a slow start to capture a third-level optional claiming and allowance race for fillies and mares on the grass.
The win was the second in as many tries on turf for the 3-year-old daughter of Victory Gallop who is trained by Phil Gleaves.
* Apprentice Sally Mitchellhill, ninth in the local standings with victories, has decided to try riding on the Chicago circuit and switched her tack to Arlington Park. The jockey colony also lost longtime favorite Rosemary Homeister Jr., who is riding at Presque Isle Downs in Pennsylvania.