Taylor's Spirit back to two turns in Panthers

Either Taylor’s Spirit undefeated record at Prairie Meadows or winless record in dirt races longer than seven furlongs is going end in the $65,000 Panthers Stakes on Friday night.

Taylor’s Spirit, a very useful 4-year-old filly for trainer Scott Gelner and owners Mark Norman and Norman Stables, exits a comfortable May 10 victory in the $50,000 Goldfinch Stakes, which ran her Prairie Meadows record to three wins from three starts. But the Goldfinch was contested at six furlongs, the Panthers is a two-turn mile, and Taylor’s Spirit is 3-0-1-1 in races longer than seven furlongs.

The Panthers, restricted to 3-year-old fillies, is just one mile, however, and Taylor’s Spirit might stay that trip. She won a turf race around two turns as a 2-year-old and easily captured the My Trusty Cat Stakes last October, a two-turn seven-furlong race at Delta Downs.

Taylor’s Spirit ran back at Delta on March 8 and in a seven-furlong allowance race was narrowly beaten by Drinking Dixie, a Tom Amoss-trained filly who makes her first start since that race in the Panthers.

Taylor’s Spirit is likely to go to the front in a short five-horse field, but Indiana shipper Q Go Girl figures to show speed, too, stretching out from sprints. A quick contested pace between those two fillies could set things up for Drinking Dixie or, more likely, the Steve Asmussen-trained Backflash, a competitive third two starts ago in the $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks.