Versatile Awesome Flower back on dirt for Wayward Lass Stakes
OLDSMAR, Fla. – Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s versatile Awesome Flower, who has shown the ability to win on turf, dirt, and synthetic surfaces, seeks her 10th career victory Saturday when she tops a select field of seven older fillies and mares in the 31st running of the $50,000 Wayward Lass Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on the main track.
Ronnie Allen Jr. will handle Awesome Flower for trainer Mike Maker as the 6-year-old mare carries 120 pounds under the allowance conditions of the headliner.
Awesome Flower will be moving back to the main track for the Wayward Lass following a solid, late-running third in the $100,000 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf at Gulfstream. In that restricted, 1 1/16-mile stakes, the Maker star rallied from off the pace but fell two lengths short of the winner, Pink Poppy. She came into that race having won three of her last four races dating back to June. Last season, Awesome Flower won two races from seven starts, with both of those tallies coming against stakes-level competition. She took the $100,000 Windward Stakes over the Tapeta surface at Presque Isle Downs, then came back over a sloppy main track to capture the $100,000 Lady Canterbury. Both of those races were at a mile.
Swinger’s Party, who raced in close attendance to the pace in the $150,000 Sunshine Millions Distaff before weakening to fifth last time out, makes only her third start since July, but in this field, which isn’t overloaded with speed types, she looks like the chief speed threat at this longer distance. Prior to her last effort, the Marty Wolfson trainee captured the $100,000 Sunshine Millions Distaff Preview at a mile.
Perhaps the best of the local entrants is Ice for the Lady from the barn of leading trainer Gerald Bennett. Ice for the Lady has four career wins, and three of those have come over the Tampa main track. A stakes winner at Canterbury last June, Ice for the Lady should be able to prompt the pace from her rail post.
KEY CONTENDERS
Swinger’s Party (Last 3 Beyers: 80-88-54)
◗ She makes the perfect stretch-out Saturday and should be able to dictate the pace.
Awesome Flower (Last 3 Beyers: 86-88-92)
◗ She rarely runs a poor one and certainly has faced tougher foes than most in this field.
Ice for the Lady (Last 3 Beyers: 67-78-83)
◗ She loves the local surface, adds blinkers, and has the dominant rider of this meeting, Antonio Gallardo.