Trio of New York stakes winners back after long layoffs in Dixie Belle
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – A trio of fillies who made a splash last year in New York will launch their 3-year-old seasons in Arkansas on Saturday.
Wicked Halo, Pretty Birdie, and Happy Soul meet in the $150,000 Dixie Belle at Oaklawn Park. The field of eight in the six-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies also includes Verylittlecents, winner of the Ellis Park Debutante, and Hypersport, who is cutting back to the distance of her impressive maiden special weight win in December at Oaklawn.
Wicked Halo won the Grade 2 Adirondack at Saratoga in her most recent start Aug. 8. Her dam, Just Wicked, also won the Adirondack, but was winless in five starts after. Wicked Halo shows a strong series of works for her return to action. The drills include a bullet five furlongs from the gate in 1:00 on Jan. 31 at Fair Grounds.
Steve Asmussen trains the daughter of Gun Runner for her breeder, Winchell Thoroughbreds.
“Obviously, she’s a very exciting filly to bring back with her being a graded stakes winner at 2,” Asmussen said. “And I think we’ve been rewarded with giving her the time off with how much she has grown up physically.
“There’s considerably more of her now.”
Wicked Halo launched her career in June, winning a maiden special weight at Lone Star Park with a Beyer Speed Figure of 81. From there, she was third in the $150,000 Debutante at Churchill Downs.
Wicked Halo, who broke from the rail in her first two starts, has wired her rivals in both of her wins. She will break from post 3 under Geovanni Franco.
“For 2-year-old races, her ability kind of dictated where she was,” Asmussen said.
Pretty Birdie won the Grade 3 Schuylerville by two lengths last July at Saratoga. It was her second straight win following a maiden special weight in her June debut at Churchill Downs. Both victories came wire-to-wire.
The Dixie Belle will be the first start since September for Pretty Birdie, who exits a ninth-place finish to eventual champion Echo Zulu in the Grade 1 Spinaway at Saratoga. David Cabrera has the mount from post 7 for Marylou Whitney Stables and trainer Norm Casse.
Happy Soul was an 11 1/2-length winner of the $144,000 Astoria in her most recent start June 3 at Belmont Park. She led throughout, one race after using the same tactics to capture a maiden special weight at Belmont by 11 3/4 lengths. Overall, she is 2 for 3 after starting her career with a runner-up finish against males in a maiden special weight at Keeneland.
Happy Soul, who on Feb. 6 worked five furlongs in 59.40 seconds at Santa Anita, will be racing without blinkers for the first time and will be first-time Lasix. John Velazquez has been named to ride by trainer Wesley Ward.
Happy Soul will break from post 5 for owner Gayla Rankin.