Trio by Grade 1-winning mares clash in feature

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The daughters of three Grade 1-winning mares will meet in Sunday’s eighth race, an entry-level allowance led by Gin’s Beach Road and Untamed Moment.

The race, which drew seven, is one of two allowances on the card for fillies and mares. The seventh race is restricted to Arkansas-breds and serves as a stepping-stone to the $150,000 Natural State Breeders’ Stakes on April 30. The allowances both will be run at a mile in a configuration that ends at the sixteenth pole at Oaklawn.

Gin’s Beach Road is making her two-turn debut off a nice foundation of sprint starts. She is out of the Grade 1-winning mare Yellow Agate, whose signature win came in the Frizette in 2016. Gin’s Beach Road is by Quality Road and is a full sister to Grade 2 winner Agate Road. Cristian Torres has the mount from post 2 for Live Oak Plantation and trainer Mark Casse.

Ensorcell is proven at two turns by virtue of a maiden special weight win at 1 1/16 miles last season at Oaklawn. She is out of the millionaire On Fire Baby, who won the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap over the local strip in 2013. Rafael Bejarano has the mount on Ensorcell for breeder Anita Ebert and trainer Ron Moquett.

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Bundle won her maiden at a mile last summer at Ellis Park. She is out of the mare Love and Pride, who in 2012 won both the Grade 1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga and the Grade 1 Zenyatta at Santa Anita. Bundle will break from post 4 under Keith Asmussen, who has the mount for Mike Rutherford and trainer Steve Asmussen.

Untamed Moment could go favored. She made her two-turn debut last out and was third at this level. The start was the first on a wet track for Untamed Moment, who in December put up a Beyer Speed Figure of 90 when second by a neck in an entry-level allowance sprint at Oaklawn. Ramon Vazquez has the mount from post 7 for Alex and JoAnn Lieblong and trainer David Fawkes.

In the seventh race, the stakes winners Caliente Star and Lassie My Girl meet in a field of nine.

Caliente Star won last season’s Rainbow Miss over six furlongs at Oaklawn before closing her meet with a third-place finish in the Natural State Breeders’ Stakes. She was facing older rivals as a 3-year-old filly.

In more recent form, Caliente Star finished second to Haulin Ice in the $150,000 Downthedustyroad Stakes on Feb. 20 at Oaklawn. Haulin Ice ran six furlongs in a blazing 1:08.75 while becoming the first Arkansas-bred to earn more than $1 million.

As for Caliente Star, she will be looking for her first win at two turns. She also will be racing on Lasix for the first time. Bejarano has the mount from post 2 for Jama Lopez and Moquett.

Lassie My Girl won last year’s Natural State Breeders’ Stakes. The race Sunday will be her first since August, when she won a mile allowance at Evangeline Downs. David Cohen has the mount from post 5 for trainer Melton Wilson.

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