Trio with back class hard to gauge in Doubledogdare
LEXINGTON, Ky. – What have they done for you lately? An impeccably bred trio with some terrific races on their past performances – but none of them recently – figure to be the favorites in a field of nine fillies and mares when the Grade 3, $100,000 Doubledogdare Stakes is run Friday at Keeneland for the 21st time.
Deceptive Vision, by A.P. Indy, brings a Grade 2 victory and some of the best Beyer Speed Figures into the 1 1/16-mile Doubledogdare, but those accomplishments came over grass, and she hasn’t raced in six months.
My Miss Sophia, by Unbridled’s Song, was good enough to finish second to Untapable in the Kentucky Oaks last spring, but her form went into a tailspin thereafter, and the filly has changed hands since making her last start nearly eight months ago.
Tiz Windy, by Tiznow, was a Grade 2 winner last fall for Hall of Fame trainer Carl Nafzger, but to make an impact in this lineup, she will have to run better than she did when fifth in her comeback race last month at Gulfstream Park.
“I think she got a lot out of that last one,” said Nafzger. “That was a nice bunch of horses she was in against, and Gulfstream tends to favor speed, so we came up quite a bit short. The good thing about her is she’s going to give us what she’s got. She’s trained real well for this, and I believe she’s ready to start her campaign in earnest.”
The Doubledogdare, named for the champion Claiborne Farm mare of the mid-1950s, is carded as the ninth of 10 races. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern, with the feature set for 5:13. The late pick four pool (races 7-10) is guaranteed at $200,000 by TVG.
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After off-and-on rain for much of this week, the forecast for Friday calls for a 50 percent chance of more rain and high temperatures in the mid-70s.
Doubledogdare, race 9
KEY CONTENDERS
My Miss Sophia (Last 3 Beyers: 74-69-100)
◗ Chestnut filly has been burning up the track at Payson Park in Florida for new trainer Bill Mott, with five straight bullet works coming into this. She was purchased by the Alpha Delta Stables of New York businessman John Clay after faring poorly in the Acorn and an ungraded stakes at Monmouth Park following her big Kentucky Oaks effort.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 8 My Miss Sophia. Trainer Bill Mott is 27-3-6-6 with a $0.89 ROI over the past five years in dirt routes in the first start following a trainer switch. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Tiz Windy (Last 3 Beyers: 77-90-91)
◗ Bred and owned by the estate of Jim Tafel of Street Sense fame, this filly got really good late in her 3-year-old year amid back-to-back wins, ending with a 2 3/4-length score in the Grade 2 Indiana Oaks.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 9 Tiz Windy. Trainer Carl Nafzger is 5-3-1-0 with a $10.36 ROI over the past two years in dirt routes in the second start following a layoff.Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Deceptive Vision (Last 3 Beyers: 97-98-92)
◗ Sam-Son homebred went 2 for 2 on dirt early in her 3-year-old season, but that was more than two years ago. If her outstanding turf form transfers back to dirt, clearly she will be a threat here after being sent through six workouts by Malcolm Pierce.
Lunar Surge (Last 3 Beyers: 81-86-82)
◗ Rail-drawn filly had a bit of traffic trouble when a close-up third in the opening race of this spring meet two Fridays ago, and although her Beyers don’t quite match up here, she does stand to benefit from that useful race over the surface.
My Miss Sophia (Last 3 Beyers: 74-69-100)
◗ Chestnut filly has been burning up the track at Payson Park in Florida for new trainer Bill Mott with five straight bullet works coming into this. She was purchased at Fasig-Tipton in November for $2.15 million by the Alpha Delta Stables of New York businessman John Clay after faring poorly in the Acorn and an ungraded stakes at Monmouth Park in the aftermath of her big Kentucky Oaks effort.